The Words of the Samurai – Episode 6

Episode 6 – To Win or to Die?

In the sixth episode of our series, we explore two opposing visions of the samurai: that of Miyamoto Musashi, who lived as a warrior in an age still marked by war, and that expressed in the Hagakure, written over a century later by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, in a period of established peace.

“Bushidō is found in accepting death.”

This is the opening line of the Hagakure, a work written by the mid-Edo period samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
In this text, Tsunetomo asserts:

“To accept death with purity is what defines a samurai,
and that is what distinguishes him from others.”

This idea lies at the core of bushidō,
and it is said to have been widely adopted by warriors as early as the Kamakura period.

However, some samurai held completely different views.
One of the most notable was the master swordsman of the Sengoku era, Miyamoto Musashi,
famous for his two-sword style.

In his treatise, “Gorin no Sho” (The Book of Five Rings), Musashi writes:

“Many think that bushidō means to live with death in mind.
But even monks and women may face death without fear.
Knowing duty, feeling shame, and choosing death
are not qualities unique to samurai.”

He continues:

“So what is the way of the samurai?
It is to win.
Win in duels, win in battles,
and gain honor for one’s lord and for oneself.That is the goal of martial strategy:
to live in order to win—that is the samurai.”

Within a century, the ideal of the samurai underwent a profound transformation. In the early 1600s, men like Miyamoto Musashi still lived in a world where real combat, strategy, and victory on the battlefield were the true measure of martial virtue. A samurai’s worth was proven with sword in hand, in the chaos of civil war. But after the peace imposed by the Tokugawa, following the last major battle in Osaka in 1615, that world of blood and dust became a distant memory. By around 1710, with the writing of the Hagakure, bushidō had become internalized: death, once a constant risk, was now the subject of philosophical reflection. Where Musashi taught to live in order to win, Yamamoto Tsunetomo preached the art of dying well. Thus, from practical warriors, the samurai became guardians of an ideal increasingly removed from the battlefield.

If you’re interested in Musashi‘s writings, don’t miss our dedicated three-part series on The 35 Articles of Strategy (Hyōhō Sanjūgo Kajō). In these articles, we explore the principles, tactics, and timeless insights of Miyamoto Musashi—offering a deeper look into the mind of Japan’s most legendary swordsman. Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 to dive into his complete philosophy.