The Art of Letting Go: What Musashi Taught About Non-Attachment
"I will not regret my deeds." "I will not be sad when I must take my leave of any way." "I will be free of desire throughout my whole life."
Half of Musashi's twenty-one principles deal with one concept: letting go.
But this wasn't about becoming an emotionless robot or withdrawing from life. Musashi's approach to non-attachment was devastatingly practical—it was about engaging fully with life without being controlled by outcomes.
The difference is everything.
What Non-Attachment Actually Means
Most people misunderstand non-attachment. They think it means:
- Not caring about anything
- Avoiding emotional investment
- Living like a monk
- Suppressing feelings
That's not what Musashi taught.
Real non-attachment means: Engaging completely while holding outcomes lightly. You can care deeply, work intensely, and love fully—without being destroyed when things change.
Think of a master archer. They aim with complete focus, release with total commitment, then let the arrow fly without trying to control its path. The result matters, but their peace doesn't depend on it.
This is Musashi's way.
The Five Areas of Letting Go
Musashi identified specific attachments that create suffering and limit effectiveness:
1. Attachment to Pleasure
"I will not seek pleasurable activities."
This doesn't mean avoiding pleasure—it means not being driven by the constant need for it.
The trap: Chasing pleasure creates a cycle. The more you pursue happiness, the more elusive it becomes. You start organizing your entire life around the next hit of satisfaction.
The practice: Enjoy pleasure when it comes naturally, but don't make its pursuit your primary motivation. Find contentment in simplicity rather than constantly seeking the next experience.
Modern application: Notice when you're scrolling social media out of boredom, buying things to feel better, or always needing entertainment. Feel the urge, then choose your response consciously.
2. Attachment to Desires
"I will be free of desire throughout my whole life."
Musashi wasn't advocating for eliminating all wants—that's impossible. He was teaching mastery over desire rather than being mastered by it.
The trap: Uncontrolled desires become your master. Every craving demands immediate attention, pulling you away from your chosen path.
The practice: Acknowledge desires without automatically acting on them. Create space between feeling and reaction.
Modern application: When you want to check your phone, buy something impulsively, or seek validation, pause. Feel the desire fully, then decide whether acting on it serves your deeper goals.
3. Attachment to Past Mistakes
"I will not regret my deeds."
Regret traps you in the past, preventing forward movement. It's emotional quicksand—the more you struggle with it, the deeper you sink.
The trap: Replaying past mistakes rarely changes anything but consistently drains present energy and focus.
The practice: Extract the lesson, make amends if possible, then move forward without carrying the emotional weight.
Modern application: When you catch yourself mentally replaying embarrassing moments or past failures, ask: "What can I learn from this?" Then consciously redirect attention to present opportunities.
4. Attachment to Situations
"I will not be sad when I must take my leave of any way."
Life constantly changes. Jobs end, relationships evolve, circumstances shift. Fighting these transitions creates unnecessary suffering.
The trap: Clinging to situations that are naturally ending prevents you from embracing what's next.
The practice: Honor transitions without being trapped by them. Appreciate what was while staying open to what's coming.
Modern application: When facing career changes, relationship endings, or life transitions, focus on what you've gained from the experience rather than what you're losing.
5. Attachment to Blame and Excuses
"I will not seek excuses and will hold no grudge against myself or others."
Blame and excuses keep you stuck. They redirect energy away from solutions toward justifications.
The trap: Making excuses or holding grudges gives the illusion of control while actually making you powerless.
The practice: Take responsibility for your response to every situation, regardless of who caused it.
Modern application: When something goes wrong, skip the explanation of why it wasn't your fault. Ask instead: "What was my role?" and "What can I control going forward?"
The Buddhist Influence
Musashi's approach drew heavily from Buddhist concepts, particularly mujō—the impermanence of all things. He saw Buddhist non-attachment as a practical tool for mental clarity in combat and daily life.
The Buddhist insight: Suffering comes not from events themselves but from our resistance to change.
When you truly accept that everything is temporary—success, failure, pleasure, pain, relationships, even life itself—you can engage fully without being destroyed by inevitable changes.
The Warrior's Advantage
For Musashi, non-attachment wasn't philosophical theory—it was combat strategy. A warrior attached to outcomes fights desperately, making poor decisions. A warrior who holds outcomes lightly fights with clarity and effectiveness.
This principle applies beyond combat:
In business: You can work intensely toward goals without being paralyzed by fear of failure.
In relationships: You can love deeply without being possessive or controlling.
In creativity: You can pour yourself into projects without being crushed if they don't succeed.
In competition: You can give everything while maintaining perspective on results.
Common Misconceptions
Misconception: Non-attachment means not caring. Reality: It means caring without being controlled by outcomes.
Misconception: You have to suppress emotions. Reality: You feel everything fully but don't let emotions dictate your actions.
Misconception: Non-attachment leads to passivity. Reality: It enables more effective action by removing emotional interference.
Misconception: It's about avoiding commitment. Reality: It allows deeper commitment by removing the fear of loss.
The Practice of Letting Go
Start small and build:
Daily Practice:
- Notice one attachment that controls you (need for approval, comfort, control)
- Practice feeling the pull without automatically responding
- Ask: "What would I do if I weren't attached to this outcome?"
Weekly Practice:
- Identify one area where you're holding too tightly
- Experiment with loosening your grip while maintaining effort
- Notice what changes when you're less attached
Monthly Practice:
- Review what you've learned to release
- Identify attachments that still limit your effectiveness
- Practice deeper letting go in challenging areas
The Freedom in Letting Go
Musashi's final years show the power of this approach. Living in a cave, facing death from cancer, he wrote his greatest works. No attachment to comfort, reputation, or even life itself—just complete engagement with his final purpose.
His death poem captures this perfectly: "I have crossed the sea of the Musashi plain / Yet mountains remain before me"
Even facing death, no clinging to what was accomplished, only openness to whatever comes next.
The Modern Application
In our attachment-driven culture—to outcomes, possessions, opinions, identities—Musashi's teaching offers radical freedom:
- Work intensely without being defined by results
- Love deeply without being possessive
- Pursue goals without being destroyed by setbacks
- Engage fully while holding everything lightly
This isn't about caring less. It's about caring in a way that makes you more effective, more resilient, and ultimately more free.
The path of non-attachment doesn't lead away from life—it leads deeper into it, without the chains of desperate clinging that make most people afraid to truly live.
For detailed exploration of all principles on non-attachment and letting go, see "Dokkōdō: Walking Your Path to Self-Reliance". Practice implementing these teachings with structured exercises in the companion "Workbook".
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Path of the Sword Sage earns from qualifying purchases. This doesn't affect your price.