Dokkōdō

The "Dokkōdō" (Japanese: 獨行道) ("The Path of Aloneness", "The Way to Go Forth Alone", or "The Way of Walking Alone") is a short work on philosophy, written by the Japanese swordsman and strategist Miyamoto Musashi a week before he died in 1645. It consists of 21 precepts. "Dokkōdō" was largely composed on the occasion of Musashi giving away his possessions in preparation for death, and was dedicated to his favorite disciple, Terao Magonojō (to whom the earlier Go rin no sho [The Book of Five Rings] had also been dedicated), who took them to heart. "Dokkōdō" expresses a stringent, honest, and ascetic view of life.

Dokkōdō

Author	Miyamoto Musashi
Original title	獨行道
Language	Japanese
Publication date	1645

Further reading

• Tokitsu, Kenji (2006). Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Trans. Sherab Chodzin Kohn. Weatherhill. ISBN 978-0-8348-0567-5.

• Musashi, Miyamoto (2018). The Complete Musashi: The Book of Five Rings and Other Works Definitive New Translations of the Writings of Miyamoto Musashi - Japan's Greatest Samurai. Trans. Alexander Bennett. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-4805316160.

External links

• Translation of "Dokkōdō"
• "Dōkkodō" in the original handwriting (archived version; original can be found here )
• The last words of Miyamoto Musashi − An attempt to translate his − "Dokkôdô", paper written by Teruo MACHIDA, in “Bulletin of Nippon Sport Science University”, Vol. 36, No. 1, 2006, pp. 105–120 (PDF in English )