In a previous post about Miyamoto Musashi, I briefly touched upon his phrase “Ichidou Man Gei (一道万芸, “one way, many skills”). For Japanese people, it is easy to understand just by reading the kanji, but it might be obscure for foreign people, and since it's a phrase that holds deep meaning for me, allow me to explain it briefly.
Ichidou (one path) leads to Man Gei (mastery of many arts). In other words, when you master one thing, you acquire principles (or knacks) common to everything. As a result, when you do other things, you can draw upon it, learn more quickly, and perform well.
Even if you haven't mastered the path as Musashi did, think about your most skilled field. You'll likely realize that you can apply the principles of that field and do well elsewhere without much struggle. You will then agree with Musashi’s way of thinking.
Speaking of which, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to brush 'Ichidou Man Gei' on the upper part of a mural during a collaboration with an artist. To write on the top of a big dojo wall, I had to climb a ladder and write with paint, which was quite challenging. It felt like doing calligraphy while performing in a circus. I remember reflecting on how I still had a long way to go in reaching the level of “Ichidou Man Gei.”
Comentarios