“The Book of Five Rings” is one of the most perceptive texts on the elusive arts of challenge and victory to egress from the Asian culture. The book examines the process of struggle and supremacy over conflict, which underlies every level of human interaction. “The Book of Five Rings” composed in 1643 by the undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi presents important facts on leadership and strategy . “The Book of Five Rings” highlights the ethical and spiritual perception of Taoism and Zen as they apply to the way of the warrior. The book gives an account of how one should react in a given situation. Miyamoto Musashi is one of the most famous swordsmen in the history of Japan. Musashi is not only famous for his proficiency in the battle, but also for the time he spent in warrior’s errantry. “The Book of Five Rings” has five parts, namely, earth, water, fire, wind and void scroll .
The first part, earth scroll provides a summary of the concept of martial science and the information about Musashi’s school, which is famous for short and large sword. Musashi devoted a section of the earth scroll to the rhythm of martial arts and mentioned the list of percepts followed by a warrior. The second part, the water scroll explains about Musashi’s idea of swordsmanship. This part includes a few elements of martial art, such as physical and mental posture, focus of eyes, footwork and techniques used in martial art . The third part, the fire scroll deals with the interactive and strategic views of the battle. Musashi mentions “If your own power of insight is strong, the state of affairs of everything will be clear to you .” The fourth part, the wind scroll discusses about the long and short swords and their focus on powerful and rapid strikes. The last part, the void scroll gives a note of emptiness and advises about the focus the mind. In order to attain success in life, one must be free from the distractions caused by worldly matters.
“The Book of Five Rings” is a credible source for business operations. The book serves as a corporate business guide in decision making strategies. Musashi suggests that strategy is the craft of a warrior. Another principle that the book advises is timing. Mastering timing is possible only with a great deal of practice . There is a specific timing in the rise and fall of capital. Background and distance timing are important aspects of strategy, the absence of which weakens the strategy. It is important to look at things on a broader scale to master the strategy. Musashi proposes nine principles to explain his concept of strategy. The principles are do not think dishonestly, the way is in the training, one should become familiar with every art, know the ways of profession, differentiate between profit and loss in worldly matters, build spontaneous judgment and understanding for everything, become conscious of things which are invisible, pay attention even to frivolous issues, do not do anything that is of no use .
“The Book of Five Rings” explains that strategy is different in several aspects because even a minor mistake will bewilder and fall into bad ways. Language does not explain the way in detail but it helps to grasp things intuitively. The spiritual aspect of strategy suggests polishing the wisdom, differentiating between good and evil and learning public justice . In everyday life, it is important to handle situations with calmness and without any tension. It is important to strengthen the perception of view by viewing distant things as if they are near and near things as if they are distant. The book explains that it is essential to maintain a positive attitude in order to win a situation. The practical result of strategy is possible by polishing one’s skills, becoming free from self and realizing extraordinary ability, which in turn educates on how to apply a strategy .
In a business point of view, “The Book of Five Rings” is a treasure, which explains the qualities possessed by business professionals in order to succeed in life. To become a good manager, it is important to possess the quality of self-discipline. Management is all about coping. It is necessary to continuously train, prepare and study for the future challenges in businesses. At a personal level, it is necessary for individuals to be flexible and organized. Constant practice and experience help to become ready for possible difficulties . Any act of negotiation requires a prior knowledge about things to act spontaneously in different situations. Many businesses fail within a few years because they lack appropriate skills and make wrong decisions about the markets. In order to make a substantial profit in a business, it is essential to please the customers. In “The Book of Five Rings,” Musashi makes a point that in all walks of life individuals should master certain essential skills, such as picking the right people for the right job .
Works Cited
Gough, L. (2009). Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings: A Modern-day Interpretation of a Military Classic. Infinite Ideas.
