Musashi's Dokkodo (The Way of Walking Alone)

Warrior:
I like to look at this precept in two different ways. The first is to take it
at face value. It seems clear enough the way Musashi wrote it, “Do
not regret what you have done.” Regret, or the feeling of sadness,
repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or
been done, has little or no use to the person of action, which is a
hallmark of the warrior. In Go Rin No Sho as translated by Victor
Harris, Musashi wrote, “Do nothing which is of no use.” Or translated
slightly differently by William Scott Wilson, “Do not involve yourself
with the impractical.”
It seems clear, and I agree with Musashi that you shouldn’t regret
what you have done, as it is impractical and is of no use. You cannot
change what you have done, so feeling sad or disappointed because
of something that has happened serves no purpose unless it is the
stimulus to correct past actions. But even then, the correcting of
something you have done should be due to it being the right thing,

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not because of a feeling of regret. Which brings us back to not
regretting what we have done in the first place.
I can think of no positive outcomes that wallowing in regret will serve,
but can think of numerous negative consequences from such
feelings. Musashi believed the Way of swordsmanship was to fight
with your opponent and win. Victory was paramount. And when you
are dealing with life or death, this belief is absolutely necessary.
When defeat most likely means death, victory at all costs becomes
much more important and forefront in a warrior’s mindset. The
impracticality and uselessness of regret has no place in the warrior’s
mind, when practicing martial arts should be done with their entire
being as Musashi taught.
I agree with Musashi on the impracticality and uselessness of the
feeling of regret, and that a warrior should not regret what he or she
has done because it will reduce the effectiveness of one’s abilities.
However, I also look at this precept in a second manner. I do believe
that those who take up arms, the warrior class, must be guided by a
set of morals to keep their power in check. This precept can help
define one’s future actions by adhering to a code that doesn’t allow
one to act in a way that would cause the feeling of regret.
I may be stretching Musashi’s original intentions when he wrote this
down, but I don’t have a problem with that if it is useful. And I find it
useful to rewrite this precept as, “Do nothing that will cause you to
regret what you have done.”
In this more forward thinking manner, we are not just refusing to
regret what we have done because of impracticality, but rather direct
our actions so there will be nothing to cause regret in the first place. I
find this to be not only a positive way of thinking, but a powerful way
of living. With this rewritten precept in mind, one will not act in a
manner that causes harm, loss, or anything else that would result in
feelings of sadness or disappointment for having done so. And
maybe even more importantly, one will act on those opportunities
that arise to prevent the regret of inaction. Wishing you had done

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something in a past situation is as impractical and useless as
wishing you hadn’t done something.
I like and agree with Musashi’s precept when it comes to the past,
but I also like my reworking of his precept when it comes to acting
now and in the future.