Gorinsho - Earth Scroll

My MA project is on Miyamoto Musashi's "Book of Five Rings," the Gorinsho, a medieval document where Musashi critiques Edo-period Japanese martial ways and explains key points of his own school, Niten-ichi-ryu.

The HMK (Harima Musashi Kenkyukai) is a research group in Japan doing amazing work on the Gorinsho. Their great addition to Gorinsho scholarship lies in their comparative analysis of existing manuscripts (MS) and the conclusions they've come to as a result. The most critical of which is their separation of MS lines. They are the only ones to even consider comparing the existing manuscripts.

I'm not an expert at all this yet, but the largest and most important distinction is between the Chikuzen-line and Higo-line manuscripts. The Chikuzen-line follows the transmission history of MSs based on the historical documentation of the Gorinsho's transmission from the colophon at the end of each scroll, which is why this line follows the people whom received and transmitted the text. Early on in its transmission, this follows the heads of the 二天一流 (Niten-ichi-ryu) sword school.

The Higo-line, according to the HMK's comparative textual analysis, is the product of a leaked early Chikuzen-line MS. It was subsequently copied, and recopied, and these MS's tracing is based on the HMK's comparative analysis of those MS which all share similar characteristics (lack of transmission documentation, clear copy errors, peculiar omissions). The Hosokawa MS appears late on in this line.

This Hosokawa MS, treated and annotated, appears in the Japanese collection of martial writings, the Bushido Zensho (writings on Bushido, 1942-43). It also appears in another collection of Japanese writings, the Nihon Shisou Taikei (related works of Japanese thought, 1972). It is, as I understand it, the source text for all the modern Japanese translations. Out of the 15 English Gorinsho translations and interpretations, 4 (possibly 6) of them, I believe, were translated from the classical Japanese, and all of these used the Hosokawa MS as their source text (Harris, Wilson, Ochiai, Tokitsu, Cleary?, Bradford Brown?, Ashikaga?).

The rest of these English "translations" purport themselves to be modern-day interpretations, translations, or something in between. I've found that later published books draw from earlier translations/interpretations in making their own new, but different, interpretation. I believe there is a scandal here, a gross distortion of meaning, that I can trace starting from the HMK's genealogy and going through the English translations and interpretations. For example, I have evidence showing that Kaufman borrowed from Harris and Cleary (and likely the other two available to him) in creating his "martial artist's definitive interpretation," and that Krause's "Book of Five Rings for Executives" used Kaufman and Cleary. I also have evidence of Moore and Gough borrowing (at least) from Harris. I won't go into the rest or in more detail here, but the result is essentially a 365 year old game of "telephone."

The point is I can trace the genealogy of these English translations back to their classical routes, which is then found out to be a leaked and copied MS full of mistakes. I can expose this scandal of translation while simultaneously offering my own translation of the HMK's MS (the rough version of which I'm posting here), which was compiled through comparative analysis of Higo and Chikuzen MSs (though with obvious weight given to the Chikuzen-line). My project is thus to expose the scandal while offering my own translation of the HMK's manuscript.

You can read it here in the spoiler, but I'd recommend downloading it: link

user: TeamLiquid
p/w: iloveTL!
1) goto shared folders -> TeamLiquid
2) download the file titled "五輪書--地之巻 (English)"
3) read and enjoy!
If you download it you can also see footnotes!

After many years of discipline, I describe for the first time in writing the way of war I name Niten-ichi-ryū. It is the beginning of the tenth month of the twentieth year of Kan’ei, and I have climbed Mt. Iwato of Kyushu’s Higo area, prayed to the heavens, bowed to Kannon, and gone before the Buddha.
A warrior from Harima, I am Shinmen Musashi no Kami Fujiwara Harunobu, whose years amount to sixty. Since my youth I set my mind towards the way of war and first dueled at thirteen. I struck down my opponent, Arima Kihōe of Shintō-ryu, and at sixteen I struck down a powerful warrior, Akiyama of Tajima; turning twenty-one I went to the capital meeting many warriors of our land and though I say I dueled many times, I do not say I did not have victory.
Afterwards I visited many fiefs and places encountering warriors of many schools, yet while I dueled over sixty times, not once was victory lost. These were my years from thirteen to twenty-eight or twenty-nine.
Passing thirty and thinking my life over, I did not win having reached mastery of the way of war. Perhaps I was naturally proficient in the way, did not stray from the natural laws of things, or, perhaps there was a lack in the warfare of other schools.
Afterwards, wanting to have the furthest deep truths, it was when I had trained morning and night that I saw it; I was around fifty when I naturally arrived at the way of war. Since that time, I have passed my days and nights being without a way I need pursue.
Drawing on advantages in warfare, when I make effort in the ways of other arts, in all things, I have no master.
While I now write it down, I do not borrow ancient words of Buddhism or Confucianism, nor do I use military records or military ways of old. Expressing the ideas and true heart of my school, as a mirror of Kannon and natural law, at the hour of the tiger on the night of the tenth day of the tenth month, I take up my brush and begin to write.

Naturally, warfare is the practice of samurai families. Those who command especially practice it, yet those of low-rank should also know it. In this world, there is no samurai who definitively understands the way of war.
First, to show the ways, Buddhism is the way of saving people, and in Confucianism one verifies the way of words, for doctors it is the way of healing illness, poets teach the way of classical poetry, and people of culture, archers, and those besides, in all the ways and arts, one practices as one likes the thing their hearts prefer. Those whom take to the way of war are rare.
*First, for warriors, is the two ways of brush and sword, and having interest in the two ways, this is the way.*
Even being unskilled in this way, those who are samurai should understand the way of war to the extent of their ability.
Judging the minds of most samurai, they think a samurai is principled to the extent he takes only to the way of “dying.” However, in the way of dying, not only samurai, but monks, women, even peasant people know obligation and feel shame; to make up one’s mind to die, this is without discrimination.
The way of war samurai carry out, above all, is based on the point of surpassing other men and winning in individual combat or in battles of many men, and to stand as one with raised name for one’s lord or for oneself, this is through the virtues of the way of war.
Also, in the world, there will be the minds that wonder if learning the way of war will be of use at the moment of truth. On that point, to practice always what is useful and teach so as to be useful in all things, this is the true way of war.

– The way of war:
In China and our country, those who employ this way are called “masters of war.” As samurai, it must not be that one does not study the way.
In recent years, men call themselves warriors and make their living, but this is generally only sword technique. The Shinto priests of Kashima and Kantori of Hitachi fief established schools as received from the deities, but it being taught to people of all areas is something of recent years.
They talk of “advantageous means” within the “ten talents and seven arts” of older times though making their livelihood in the arts, yet rather than speak of advantageous means they should not be limited to only sword technique. With only sword technique’s advantages, even knowing sword technique is difficult. Of course, this manner of warfare will not be as desired.
Looking at the world, the minds that make the arts into products, that think of themselves as products to be sold, and make even the tools into products, such minds separate flowers and truth into two, with less truth than flower. Especially in the way of war, to decorate and bloom, to flaunt techniques, or teach the way talking of first or second dojos, when one thinks to gain advantage learning this way, someone will remark, “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing,” as it is surely the case.

In general, in crossing the world of men, there are the four ways of the samurai, agriculture, artistry and business.
First is the way of agriculture. Farmers prepare their many farming tools and spend their springs and autumns steadfast in mind towards the changes in the four seasons; this is the way of agriculture.
Second is the way of business. Those who make sake require many tools and make their living making profit through both the good and bad. In the ways of all businesses, one makes a living through the profits earned. This is the way of business.
Third is the way of the samurai. The samurai make various weapons, but it is discerning the merits of weaponry that the way of the samurai must be. Without knowledge of weaponry or a weapon’s merits, is not the samurai’s little experience superficial?
Fourth is the way of artistry. In the carpenter’s way, the carpenter devises and makes many sorts of tools, uses and learns those tools well, corrects plans with the ink-measure, and working constantly, the carpenter makes his living.
These, the samurai, agriculture, artistry, and business, are the four ways.

I liken the way of war to the carpenter’s way. What I liken to carpentry is its relationship with a “house.”
The imperial house, the samurai house, the four houses, such a house’s destruction or its continuation, its style, its manner, I speak of these houses, and it is because I speak of houses that I liken it to the way of carpentry.
“Carpentry” is written “to plan largely,” and so I write that the way of war as well, through large planning, is patterned after the carpenter.
If you mean to study methods of warfare, consider this writing, the teacher the needle and student the string, and practice constantly.

– The way of war, likening it to carpentry:
Military leaders, like a master of carpentry, discern the measure of the world, make sense the measure of one’s fief, and know the measure of one’s house. This is the master’s way.
The master of carpentry memorizes the ink-measure of Buddhist temples, knows the designs of multistoried palaces, and uses his men and constructs houses; it is the same for masters of carpentry and masters of military command alike.
In the building of houses and the use of wood, wood that is straight and without knots of good appearance are made visible pillars, the straight and strong though slightly knotted are made concealed pillars, even slightly weak wood without knots of good appearance can be used as cross beams, lintels, doors and sliding doors, and though knotted or warped, if it is strong wood and used having discerned the house’s structural points and after thorough scrutiny, the house will stand for ages with ease. Or, even the weak and warped with many knots among the lumber can be made into walking planks and afterward used as firewood.
The master, in using one’s carpenters, knows the good, mediocre, and poorly skilled and diversely assigns them to flooring, doors and sliding doors, cross beams, lintels, and the ceiling; he makes the poorly skilled stretch out joists and makes the still poorer shave wedges; when he knows and uses his men, progress is made and the performance is good.
Making progress and the work being good is a matter of being steadfast in all things, knowing the substance and use of things, knowing the good, mediocre and poor of spirit, inspiring, knowing the unrealistic, all such things are a master’s considerations.
The advantages in warfare are like these.

– Likening samurai and common soldiers in the way of war to carpenters, they polish tools with their own hands, make various appropriate tools and store them in a carpenter’s box, following the master’s words they shave pillars and curved beams with an adze, shave shelves with a plane, and do openwork and carvings thoroughly checking measurements, to do good work even in all troubling places is the carpenter’s way.
If one learns and sets one’s hands to the carpenter’s trade and thoroughly knows the ink-measure, he will later be a master.
Of the carpenter’s habits, it is essential one has well-sharpened tools and hones them in spare moments. One takes such tools and makes household shrines, bookshelves, desks, and even paper lanterns, cutting boards, and pot lids; to be a master, this is the carpenter’s focus.
It is the same for the samurai and common soldiers. You must go over this thoroughly.
Of the carpenter’s habits, to not warp wood, to fit joints, to shave well with the plane, to rub down without damaging and later dry without cracking are essential.
If you think to study the way, you must take in mind what is written here word by word and go over it thoroughly.

– This writing on warfare, made as five scrolls:
Separating the five ways into separate scrolls, I write to make known their merits in five scrolls as Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void.
In the Earth scroll is the whole of warfare and points of my school, but through only sword technique it is difficult to obtain the true way. Knowing the small from the big, one arrives at the deep from the shallow. As I clear and level the terrain of the straight path, I name the beginning the Earth scroll.


Second, the Water scroll. Based on water, the mind is made like water. Water follows the shape of its container, square or circular, being a single drop or being an ocean. In water there is the azure color of a deep still pond. Using its purity, I write down the matters of my school in this scroll.
When one surely discerns the general truth of sword technique and can freely defeat one enemy, one can defeat anyone in the world. The idea of defeating another is the same against a thousand or ten-thousand enemies. The warfare of those who command is making big of the small, it is the same as building a great Buddha with a one-foot ruler.
Such things are difficult to express in detail. To know ten-thousand through one is the benefit of the way of war. The matters of my school, I write them down in this Water scroll.
Third, the Fire scroll. I write down matters of battle in this scroll. Fires are large and small, and I write on battle due to its prominent meanings.
In the way of battle, battles of individuals and battles of ten-thousands are the same. Making the mind big and making the mind small, you must see having gone over these thoroughly.
Big things are easy to see; small things are hard to see. Thus, for large hosts it is difficult to change immediately. Yet, as one person can change quickly due to being one mind, it is difficult to know what is small. You must go over this thoroughly.
As the matters of this Fire scroll are of quick intervals, to practice day by day, thinking them normal and not changing one’s mind is essential in warfare. Thus, I write of battle and victory in the Fire scroll.
Fourth, the Wind scroll. The things I write down in the Wind scroll are not of my school. I write on warfare in the world and of other schools.
As for “winds,” because there are the old “winds,” current “winds,” and “winds” of various houses, I definitively write on warfare of the world and the styles of those ways; this is “wind.”
Not well knowing other ways, it is difficult to understand one’s own. In the many things done in other ways, there are heretical minds. Even endeavoring in such ways, if the mind turns away, even such people thinking their way good, if seen directly, they are not the true way. If not unwavering towards the true way, a small warping of the mind will later become large. In all things, too much is the same as too little. You must go over this thoroughly.
It is just that the warfare of others is thought of only as sword technique. The truths and matters of my way of war are different. To make known the warfare of the world I write as the Wind scroll the matters of other schools.
Fifth, the Void scroll. While I describe this scroll as the void, more than saying “void,” where is its depths, where is its entrance?
Having its reason or separated from it, to be natural and free in the way of war, to naturally and strangely excel, to know in the moment the opponent’s rhythm, to naturally strike and naturally hit, all of this is the way of void.
How to naturally enter the true path, I write this down as the Void scroll.

– Naming this Nitō-ichi-ryu:
To mention the two swords, samurai, both commanders and those of low-rank, plainly wear two swords at the waist. Before they were called tachi and katana; now we call them katana and wakizashi. The fact that samurai have both at the waist does not to be explained in detail. In our realm, those who know why and do not know alike wear them at the waist as it is the samurai’s way. To make known the benefit of these two, I name it Nitō-ichi-ryu.
Judged from the spear and halberd it is an “outside thing,” but part of a samurai’s tools. The way of my school is to have beginners hold the sword and short sword with both hands and learn the way, this is the true way.
When throwing away one’s life, without exception one wants his tools to be of use. There is no true intent in not using one’s tools, dying with them sheathed at the waist. Still, holding something with both hands, it is difficult to handle freely both left and right. Learning the sword with one hand is for this purpose.
For the spear, halberd, or large weapons it is unavoidable, but the sword and short sword are weapons to hold with one hand.
Times bad to hold the sword with both hands, it is bad on horseback, when running around, in swamps or wetlands, in rocky fields, on steep paths, and bad when surrounded. One holds the bow or spear in the left, and even holding some other tool, as all use the sword single-handed, holding the sword with both hands is not the true way.
If it is difficult to strike dead the enemy with one hand, you should cut down with both hands. There should not be any added effort.
First, it is for being accustomed to wielding the sword with one hand that I make it two swords and the way one learns to wield the sword with one hand.
While the sword is heavy and difficult to wield freely for anyone at first, at the beginning certainly the bow is hard to pull and the sword is difficult to wield. Becoming used to these weapons, when your bow becomes stronger and you are used to wielding the sword, having strength in the way, you wield them with ease.
The way of the sword is not swinging quickly. In the second, the Water scroll, you will know this.
That one wields the sword in wide areas and wields the short sword in narrow areas, this is the first of the way’s true meanings.
In my school, as one wins with the long and wins with the short, I do not set sword’s length. The mind to have victory through either, this is my school’s way.

More than holding the one sword, having two is good when fighting many people alone, also it is good at times when caged in.
It is unnecessary to now explain such things in detail. Through one you must know ten thousand. The way of war, following and having it, there will not be even one thing you do not see. You must go over this thoroughly.

– Knowing the merit of heihō’s [warfare’s] two characters:
In the way, those able to wield the sword well are traditionally called “heihōsha” [warriors] by people.
Progressing in the martial ways, we call an archer one who can fire a bow well, call a musket-shooter one skilled with the musket, call a spear-user one having skill with the spear, and call a halberd-user one having learned the halberd.
However, those who know the sword’s way are not called sword-users or short sword-users.
The bow and musket, spear and halberd, as all these are a samurai’s tools, all are the way of war. However, it is reasonable the “way of war” is due to the sword. As due to the sword’s virtue, the world is subdued and the self is dominated, the sword is where warfare occurs.
Having the sword’s virtues, one man certainly wins against ten men. As one wins against ten, a hundred wins against a thousand, and a thousand wins against ten thousand.
Therefore, one and ten thousand are made the same in my school of warfare, and the samurai’s way without exception is the way of war.

Of ways there are Confucians, Buddhists, refined people, masters of protocol, and singers and chanters of Noh, but these are not the samurai’s way. Though not the way, knowing widely of ways is something useful in all things.
For all in the world, to hone well one’s own way is essential.

– Knowing the merits of weapons in war:
Understanding weapons’ merits is being of use with whatever weapon at the moment and its opportunity.
The short sword has many merits in narrow places or when close to the enemy. The sword generally has merit in any location.
I feel the halberd is inferior to the spear on a battlefield. The spear is active, the halberd is reactive. With two users of equal ability, the spear is slightly stronger.
Spear and halberd, due to their shape, have little merit in blocked places. They will not be appropriate for confined combat. They are only battlefield tools. Yet on a battlefield, they are essential tools.
However, as one learns their indoor merits and thinks minutely, their true way is forgotten and they become not useful.
The bow, on a battlefield, is useful in the push and pull, and as aside the spears and at the sides of those besides it can be quickly taken in hand, on open fields it is especially good. Though in attacking a castle or when the enemy’s distance passes forty yards, it is lacking.
Recently, going without saying in archery, there are many flowers in the military arts and little truth. Such arts, at the critical moment, have difficulty being useful.
When inside a fortress, there is nothing surpassing the musket. Even on open field, while battle has not begun its merits are many. Once battle begins, it will be lacking.
The bow’s one sure virtue is that seeing fired arrows with the eyes is good. Musket balls are lacking as are not visible with the eyes. This principle [is] something to go over thoroughly.
Of horses, it is essential they react well and not have habits. Generally concerning tools of war, the horses should walk reasonably, swords and short sword should cut reasonably, spears and halberds should pierce reasonably, and bow and musket should not strongly wound.
Towards the rest of tools, one must not incline towards and favor. Too much is the same as too little. Without imitation and following the self, one’s tools should to match one’s hands.
For both commanders and those of low-rank, it is bad to prefer or dislike something. To figure out is essential.

– Warfare’s rhythm:
Though rhythm is something present in all things, without training, warfare’s rhythm is especially difficult to attain.
The rhythms of the world are showed in the rhythm of chanted dance and musicians, all these are decent rhythms of good harmony.
Spanning the military arts, in shooting a bow, firing a musket, or even riding a horse there is a rhythm and flow; in all the arts and talents, one must not go against rhythm.
Also, there is even rhythm in what is the void, rhythm of a samurai getting through his service, rhythm matching expectation and rhythm that differs. Or in the way of business, there is the rhythm of prosperity and the rhythm its decline despite wealth, there are varying rhythms in all the ways.
In all things, you must judge well the rhythm of prosperity and the rhythm of ruin.
There are differences in the rhythm of war. First knowing the rhythm that matches, you understand the rhythm that differs and know the rhythm to strike among rhythms big, small, slow, and fast, you know rhythm’s intervals and know counter-rhythm; this is critical in war.
If this counter-rhythm is not understood, your warfare will not be a certain thing. In battles of war, through knowing your enemies’ rhythms and knowing rhythms your enemy does not expect you know the rhythm of the void, victory comes from the wisdom of rhythms.
In all the scrolls, I write focusing on rhythm. Having gone over those writings, you must train it thoroughly.

The above, my school’s way of war, *through making an effort morning and night after morning and night, naturally the mind widens, I tell it to the world as the way of war of many and one, writing it for the first time in these five scrolls of Earth Water Fire Wind and Void.
For those who mean to study my way of war there are rules of following the way.
First, think of things not vices. Second, train in the way. Third, touch upon many arts. Fourth, know the many professions’ ways. Fifth, understand the merits and flaws of all things. Sixth, learn to have an eye for many things. Seventh, comprehend and know things unseen. Eighth, be mindful even of small things. Ninth, do not do what is not useful.
In general, you must train in the way of war having set the mind towards such principles.
Particularly in this way, if you cannot widely judge straightforward things, it will be difficult to become a master of war. *Through making an effort morning and night after morning and night, naturally the mind widens, having studied and grasped the way, as one person there will not be a way to lose against even twenty or thirty enemies.
First, not letting end your spirit in warfare and striving for the direct way you triumph with the hands and defeat men with the eyes; when your whole body becomes free through training you defeat men in body, and your mind accustomed to the way you defeat men in mind. Reaching this point, how can one lose to another?
In large battles you win through having men of value, you win by using many men, win in ways of proper conduct, win ruling one’s fief, win supporting one’s people, and win following the laws of the world; in all the ways, you know how not to be defeated, raise yourself, and raise your name; this is the way of war.