Some months ago, I sat in the corner of my office. Strewn about my feet were various tomes of philosophy. To my one side sat the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi, to my fore was the Sun Tzu, and to another side rested The Gateless Gate. However, the two works that troubled me the most were the Hagakure versus The Book of Five Rings.
According to Yamamoto Tsunetomo, author of the Hagakure, "the arts" are a frivolous pursuit. Conversely, Miyamoto Musashi, author of The Book of Five Rings, argued that one should touch upon all of the arts. Taken in the context of the larger work, Tsunetomo refers to fine arts, such as painting and poetry. Conversely, the contextual usage of the arts according to Musashi is martial arts. However, Musashi was also known as a brush painter. Thus, I pondered my conundrum: “could the arts, according to Musashi, include martial arts and fine arts?”
My wife, who sat at the computer, turned to face me. She simply stated, “I have a headache.” After her koan-like response, she returned to the computer in the quiet manner of a sage.
Tags: Philosophy
