Stillness of the Lake: Embracing Bushido and
Finding Clarity
Stephen Lanuto Jr. (City University of New York/City College of New York)
“In any case, as human beings, it is essential for each of us to cultivate and polish our individual
path.” – Musashi Miyamoto1
There are so many things any person could be drawn to when they think of Japan: the beauty of the
cherry blossoms in full bloom, the Shinto and Buddhist temples that permeate across the spanning
landscapes, even the neon lights and intense rush of Tokyo night life. For me, it was the image of the
samurai that made Japan the focus of my passion; the Samurai were great warriors who lived by the code of
Bushido, principles that guided them on the battlefield and nourished their minds, bodies and spirits. The
Samurai image provided me with a beacon to help me find my way toward a regained sense of clarity and
the burning spirit to work diligently as I pursue my goals.

In my youth, I endured several hardships, including a battle with Leukemia; as I grew into my teens, I
found coping with the pain of those events too much to do on my own and felt hopelessly lost; emotionally
as well as spiritually. For a time, I trudged through a state of perpetual blindness; my heart weighed down
with sorrow, frustration, resentment and a deep seeded longing to find a piece of serenity, however small, to
call my own. It was when I began to read of the Way of the Samurai and read Yoshikawa Eiji’s Musashi
that I became more interested in the legendary samurai warrior and the code of Bushido. Even in the face of
adversity, battling against one opponent or one hundred opponents, knowing that their death could be one
breath away; Samurai faced death with stillness, like the untouched surface of a lake. Musashi Miyamoto
was famous for fighting over sixty duels in his lifetime and after retiring from dueling, he became a poet,
painter, calligrapher, writer, and even a gardener and carpenter. Here was a man who faced death on
numerous occasions and was still able to create great and beautiful things.

Studying Bushido further, there were principles and ideals that resonated, giving me a renewed sense
of strength and hope. It was not enough that a samurai become one with his sword but he also must view all
things with clarity and honesty “You cannot judge whether one is good or evil by noting whether he is
prosperous or not. Rise and fall is a matter of the Way of Heaven. Good and evil is the Way of Man.”2. To
see a person beyond how much wealth they possess, is a skill that can steer one from making ill-conceived
misapprehensions and can even protect one from danger.

In the Hagakure, or The Book of the Samurai, there is an adage that states “The essentials of speaking
are in not speaking at all. If you think that you can finish something without speaking, finish it without
saying a single word.”3. Each of us have had personal experiences such as this in form or another; how
often do we meet people in our lives who do nothing but talk about the things they will do yet end up doing
nothing? Whatever the task may be, simply doing the task is what gains results.

In the same vein of propriety of speech, the Ideals of the Samurai states “One should not tell a lie, no
matter to whom he is speaking or how little is said…If one tells a lie, it will become a habit, and in the end
he will be forsaken by others.”4 This is a well-conceived example of the Samurai’s mind; to focus on the
task at hand and to be aware of the possible end result, both negative and positive.

“Although there are a hundred kinds of stances, they all exist for the same purpose: to defeat the
opponent.”5 These words are attributed to Munenori Yagyu, a supposed rival of Musashi Miyamoto; while
written in a martial context, it has a beauty that comes from the ability to transcend its original intention.

Just as there are one hundred stances to defeat an opponent, there are one hundred ways to complete any
given task, the point is to complete the task. One could also find that while only one way is needed to
defeat an opponent, whose to say that one cannot choose a stance that is best suited to claim victory.

Furthermore, using the same stance or method continuously leads to predictability and laziness.

Throughout my life, I have encountered a consistent stream of inconsistency when it comes to how a
person interacts with their family, friends, co-workers and even lovers; each individual has their own ideas
of what constitutes friendship and honesty. Within the Samurai code I found ethics that remain
uncompromising and at times they did not sit well with people who were once close to me, but my
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