If you fail to take advantage of your enemies' collapse, they may recover.
Miyamoto MusashiRead
If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly.
Interpretation
Mastery in any skill requires continuous practice and guidance from an expert.
This quote by Miyamoto Musashi emphasizes the importance of both instruction and dedicated practice in achieving mastery in any discipline, particularly in the art of war. The metaphor of the teacher as a needle and the disciple as thread highlights the interconnectedness of learning and practicing, suggesting that growth comes from a steady and consistent effort guided by knowledgeable mentors.
In practice
In a discussion about military strategy, one could cite this quote to emphasize the importance of training.
If you fail to take advantage of your enemies' collapse, they may recover.
One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.
To cut and slash are two different things. Cutting, whatever form of cutting it is, is decisive, with a resolute spirit. Slashing is nothing more than touching the enemy.
You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.
In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness.
Strategy is the craft of the warrior.
At the root of all the harm we cause is ignorance.
Iβm thirty,β I said. βIβm five years too old to lie to myself and call it honor
Be careful with words, they're dangerous. Be wary of them. They begat either demons or angels. It's up to you to give life to one or the other. Be careful, I tell you, nothing is as dangerous as giving free rein to words
The poisonous serpent of afflictions is sleeping in your mind; just as if a black viper were asleep in your room. You must use the hook of precepts to quickly remove it. When the sleeping snake is gone, then you can rest at ease.
We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.
I have far more respect for the person with a single idea who gets there than for the person with a thousand ideas who does nothing.
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