Musashi's Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone)

Insurance Executive:
America is an individualistic society while the Japanese are group-
oriented. The latter prefer not to be alone and not do things
differently from others. They typically eat meals together, work
together, and travel in groups. While Americans might perceive being
part of a group as confining and restrictive, the Japanese believe
togetherness gives them a certain degree of being untroubled and,
as one Japanese woman said, cheery.
The reasons for this are complex but in short much of it is a result of
their geography (their isolation from other countries), history (Japan
was closed to the world for over 200 years), and their culture (it’s
said Japanese are embarrassed or ashamed to do something
different from others), which together has created a so-called group-
oriented Japanese. In other words, it’s a society that generally relies
on being harmonious in order to be a unified power to progress.
This might or might not be a good thing but judging it is irrelevant for
this discussion. But it does lend light on where Musashi was likely
coming from when writing this precept.
America in no way resembles the Japanese culture. In fact, in many
ways it might be the exact opposite. America in the 1980s was called
the “me generation” and the “greed generation.” College graduates
in their 20s and 30s were entering the workforce seeking positions of
respect and admiration, and spending their money on luxury items.
The times are different today (thank heavens the padded shoulders
and big hairstyles are long gone), though one could argue the
concept of “me, me, me” is back and perhaps bigger than ever.
Today it’s represented by the selfie, a too often crude byproduct of

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modern technology. Hold your cell phone just right and take a picture
of yourself. Not just one, lots and lots and post every last one of
them, even the blurry and crooked ones, on social media.
The self-centered trend has grown to such an ugly place that people
now take selfies in front of burning homes, fatal traffic accidents,
violent police actions, and in front of open coffins in funeral homes.
The subject of the selfie is almost always smiling or making the so-
called “duckface,” in which the lips are puckered and the cheeks are
hollowed. If people aren’t taking selfies of themselves at horrific
events they do anything and everything to capture the bloody
moment on their cells to, you guessed it, post on their Facebook
pages. So instead of coming to the aid of people being victimized or
in some way hurt, these self-centered people are interested only in
capturing the moment on their phones to show their friends.
While these uncaring and egocentric people garner the attention
they so desperately desire, it’s important to keep in mind there are
caring and compassionate people out there. Wherever there is a
mob stretching their arms up high to film someone being beaten,
robbed, or bleeding out at the scene of an accident, there are
(generally) people in the front of them trying to help the victims.
As one lone person, I can’t do much to affect the world when it
comes to the ugliness of social and technological change, but I can
take personal responsibility for my actions. For example, I can resist
the temptation to think only of myself to the extent of ignoring others;
I can be mindful of compassion and caring for others in need; and I
can be willing to step forward, even when the crowd is focused on
capturing someone else’s suffering on their cells. After all, we’re all in
this difficult journey together. If we could all step aside from
ourselves to respect another person’s suffering and to help
whenever possible, how much better our small space in the world
would be, and how much happier we would be.
Buddha said, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single
candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.”
Nothing is hurt but much is gained by thinking of others.

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