About the Author

Written by Michael C. Randall

“Sow a thought and reap an action. Sow an action and reap a habit. Sow a habit and reap character. Sow character and reap destiny.”   Thackeray     

“Make the heart of truth your Way, practice a broad spectrum of martial arts, and understand the expansive correctly and clearly. Accordingly, you will make Emptiness the Way, and see the Way as Emptiness.”  “The Emptiness Chapter” (page 112), The Book of Five Rings  Miyamoto  Shinmen  Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was a legendary samurai and master battlefield strategist. He is considered the most iconic figure to come out of the Samurai Age in Japan. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was a mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess—and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in (his book) The Book of Five Rings.

When I read The Emptiness Chapter of The Book of Five Rings, I realized that Miyamoto Shinmen Musashi was talking about higher states of human consciousness. Human beings have seven States of Consciousness. Most human beings are only aware of three of them(Sleep State, Dream State, and Waking State). These three states of consciousness have self-awareness but it is based and focused on objects. Without objects there is little or no self-awareness in these three states of consciousness. In the Sleep State there are no objects so there is no self-awareness. In the Dream State there are no real objects so there is no self-awareness while dreaming unless it is a rare lucid dream. In the Waking State there are objects, but self-awareness is overshadowed most of the time by the objects people perceive. Even when people are thinking, their thoughts overshadow their self-awareness. In the higher states of human consciousness, self-awareness is based and focused on the “Self” and notovershadowed by objects or thoughts.

 The fourth state of human consciousness is Transcendental Consciousness. Transcendental Consciousness is the first level of the higher states of human consciousness and the beginning of self-awareness based and focused on the “Self” and not overshadowed by objects or thoughts. Transcendental Consciousness is temporarily achieved by human beings during some form of Transcendental Meditation or Yoga Postures or Martial Arts practice and training leading to “Mindlessness.”

The fifth state of human consciousness is Cosmic Consciousness. Cosmic Consciousness is the second level of the higher states of human consciousness and is achieved after continued practice of some form of Transcendental Meditation or Yoga Postures or Martial Arts practice and training leading to “Mindlessness” until self-awareness is based and focused on the “Self “and not overshadowed by objects or thoughts and is a permanent state of consciousness…all day and everyday of one’s life.

“Accordingly, you will make Emptiness the Way, and see the Way as Emptiness.”  The Emptiness Chapter (page 112), “The Book of Five Rings”.

True emptiness reveals the truth where you experience the “Self” as the “Source” of existence. Emptiness is the Way and the Way is Existence.

“In Emptiness exists Good but no Evil.

Wisdom is Existence.

Principle is Existence.

Five Human Dimensions / Five Elements of the Universe

The Physical Human Dimension / Earth Element

The Emotional/Social Human Dimension / Water Element

The Spiritual/Ethical Human Dimension / Fire Element

The Mental/Knowledge Human Dimension / Air Element

The Self-Awareness/God Consciousness Human Dimension  / Space  (Emptiness) Element (Achieved through mindlessness, Yoga or meditation)

“Yogastha Kuru Karmani”= Establish yourself in Yoga (Emptiness… Being… Union with God) and perform action. (The Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 48)  Lord Krishna

Miyamoto Shinmen Musashi, whose Buddhist name was Niten Dōraku, studied Buddhism and practiced meditation. He saw martial arts as a path to Enlightenment and the Way (True alignment and harmony with Existence…Good). As a Samurai Ronin martial artist and spiritual warrior, it is clear that Musashi experienced “Self-Referral God Consciousness.” This is something that all human beings can bring forth from within themselves…to live their full potential.

“Musakatsu agatsu Katsuhayabi”  [True victory is self-victory, a victory right here, right now].

“Realize that the source of the universe and the source of your own life are the same, and do not underestimate the power of the concept of  ‘Musakatsu agatsu Katsuhayabi.’”  (pages 10 and 11, The Secret Teachings of Aikido), O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba