4 Proven Samurai Life Rules for Mental Strength

The life of a samurai is filled with uncertainty and danger. Therefore, it was essential that he developed a certain amount of psychological resilience to maintain balance when things spun out of control.

Miyamoto Musashi, one of the greatest samurais to have lived in Japan, had spent his entire life conquering the art of the sword. Before the age of 30 he won more than 60 duels. Furthermore, he even wrote a treatise named The Book of Five Rings, summarising his philosophy and ideas on mental fortitude by the end of his life. Let’s closely inspect some of his principles to find inner strength during the stresses and strains that we face daily as part of our chaotic modern existence.

We develop fear or anxiety by imagining negative outcomes in our mind. Most of the time, our perception gets tainted with the unfavourable ideas of external sources such as friends, family or even parents. They might be giving advice with our wellbeing in mind. But what they suggest might not actually be the right course of action for you.

Thus, a true samurai sits by himself and evaluates the situation in deep solitude. He logically deconstructs the problem and finds the right solution through critical thinking. Sometimes his intuition might recommend something in a subtle way. So, he listens intently to his whispering inner voice.

Samurais like Miyamoto almost always made the right decisions and went forward courageously by committing themselves to seeing the truth as it really is. Not as it was in the past, nor as they want it to be. Hence, whenever any conundrums appear in your life next time, take a deep breath, sit with yourself and listen to your instincts. You will surely get the right answer.


Hesitation means death during a duel. Doubt means the opponent’s sword slicing the head. So, a samurai won’t entertain second thoughts in his brain once a decision is made. Whether the outcome is good or bad, death or victory, he goes forward with it. He will become a storm that strives through a forest like wild fire. Whatever that stands in the way of his mission faces destruction.

Half-hearted action is for weak-willed individuals. This is the reason why Miyamoto Musashi wrote about the principle of “crossing at a ford” in his book. He wrote that once you decide to cross a river at a particular point in time, you commit completely to that crossing. Whether you die drowning in the river or you reach the shore doesn’t matter. Once a decision is made, take action.


Most people give up trying when they lose two or three times. But, when a samurai fails, he becomes a hermit and evaluates what went wrong obsessively. He knows that failures are important data for self-correction.

When weak minds put the blame on external elements, a samurai will take full responsibility when things go wrong. Then, he will repeat the first two ideas explained above, that is accept the truth as it really is, study the causes of the setback, make the necessary changes, decide and take action.


When an arrogant civilian calls out a master samurai like Miyamoto for a duel, he won’t perceive it as an obstacle in his path. Instead he will make sure that fighting and killing this senseless opponent becomes an opportunity for growth by spreading his fame as an unbeatable duelist throughout the world.

When he became old and unable to fight, Miyamoto wrote a book that became immortal in time. Instead of falling into the bed, waiting for death with pessimism, he saw the reality of his depleting health as an opportunity to sit down and write a book that is going to help generations of humanity. This is the samurai mindset of converting problems, failures or setbacks as opportunities for growth.

These are important concepts taken from the life and principles of the legendary and unbeatable samurai Miyamoto Musashi. By implementing them into the dilemmas of today’s life, we can solve a number of unnecessary complexities that disturb our growth, and most importantly, we will cultivate true psychological resilience and fortitude like a samurai.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the samurai code?
   Bushido or the way of warrior is the samurai code that encouraged loyalty, honor and martial arts during feudal Japan. It refers to dying for courage and not being afraid of death.
2. How did samurai control their emotions?
   Samurais controlled their mind through obsessive training, philosophical doctrines like Zen Buddhism and by using the Bushido code.
3. How did Miyamoto Musashi die?
   Miyamoto Musashi died of lung cancer at the age of 62. During the final years he became a hermit and focused on meditation and writing.