It is truly difficult to grasp the Way by swordsmanship alone. By knowing the large, you know the small; and from the shallow, you reach the deep.
Musashi, Miyamoto – The Book of Five Rings
The body/mind/spirit is the same vessel no matter what path the vessel walks down. Walking fills the vessel while the vessel does not change in shape or form.
There are infinite ways to fill the vessel and the freedom is yours to choose. Doing nothing, the wrong thing, or hiding are available choices as well, but they do not fill the vessel and do not provide a fulfilled life.
Following a single path can work. Sometimes it can work better than following multiple paths, especially when The Way is complex and multi-faceted. A single path works best when it touches all levels: body/mind/spirit. High-level professions can function as a single path.
This is not always the case.
One target mastery may not provide enough path or epiphany to sustain consistent forward progress. If you have one path that works for you, do not question it. This does not apply to you.
More than a swordsman
Musashi had a primary path: Swordsmanship in the martial arts.
He followed numerous other paths at various stages of his life. In his old age, when he no longer fought, he painted. One of his paintings is a self-portrait holding two swords in his Two Heavens sword style he popularized.
This painting is one of the only visual references that exist of Musashi. If he did not pursue multiple paths, there would likely not be a visual of Musashi. Our paths can have value even after our death. Sometimes legends need to die before they are made so. The path we follow can leave tracks that stay for a long time giving life to new wanderers.
The Multi-path approach
By having multiple masteries, like Musashi, you may understand The Way faster. You will progress further and deeper at accelerated rates down your path.
The path is a metaphor for life. The Way. Fulfillment is achieved by walking until your death. For some, mastering one path creates a risk that you will not understand the Way.
Your body/mind/spirit is the same vessel on each different path. Collaboration provides wisdom in all ways.
Multiple paths allow your vessel to fill with different tonics that will inevitably mix, creating a hybrid understanding that can be used on each path. The wisdom of multiple paths flowing into your mind allows ideas & epiphanies to collaborate.
Having one path can result in critical blockades that prevent progress–one path can be covered in an impenetrable fog that prevents forward movement. Having multiple paths provides a greater likelihood of persistent opportunities to move forward.
The knowledge found on one path may clear the way on an alternative path.
Make sure to have enough.
1 comment
Posting at a furious pace! Love it. Thank You.