Dokkodo: The path I walk is mine alone

Dokkôdô is a short poetic list of twenty-one simple rules that he refined over his lifetime. These rules focus on his belief that an ascetic life could bring peace and fulfillment as well as offering a path for personal growth and self-mastery.<br/><br/>His ideals focus on the importance of self-reliance and he encouraged his students to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions. He encouraged individuals to cultivate their own skills, develop inner strength and rely on their own abilities rather than depending solely on external factors or circumstances.<br/><br/>During his life Musashi traveled extensively and had a great thirst for learning and experiencing the world through other professions. He was a rōnin and a great sword master but he was also an architect, a sculptor, a calligrapher and a painter.<br/><br/>Dokkôdô, as well as his other great works, "Heiho Sanjugokajo" and “The Book of Five Rings” were given to his favorite student, Terao Magonojō who took them to heart and shared them with others.<br/><br/>This is Zen.