Blood & Ink: Musashi

Musashi is one of the greatest books I’ve ever read…

Maybe I just don’t read enough fiction, maybe.

It’s a historical fiction based on the general happenings of the life of Miyamoto Musashi. The writing is brilliant and evocative.

This quote stuck out to me. It’s hard to pin down precisely, but I’ve never been able to ignore it: you can’t separate the Samurai or the Shaolin (& other Warrior cultures) from their cultural and artistic works.

• The Shaolin domesticated the tea plant and created the first ceremonial rituals.
• The Samurai brought haiku poetry to its greatest heights.
• The Shaolin have an unbelievably vast knowledge of plant and herbal medicines.
• There’s an entire sect of Zen (Kamakura) that was developed for the Warrior class and their spiritual development.
• Scripture, poetry, calligraphy, history, ethics, etiquette, you name it.

All of these are as much a part of the Samurai and the Shaolin as any martial prowess, individual discipline, or fighting skill.

It’s all part of the practice. Never separate from it.

They all contribute to Self-Mastery: savouring, saving, and serving the world.

And I love that.

Be well,
EB.