SWORD WITH HEAVEN & EARTH

Vagabond presents itself as a unified testament of deep philosophical thought and gruesome action of which there have been very few to match within the manga industry. Authored by the great Tahiko Inoue, the story in its most simplest terms follows a young ronin named Miyamoto Musashi on his personal path of growth and understanding through the discipline of swordsmanship. The story is loosely based off the real Miyamoto Musashi who in Japan stands as one of the greatest thinkers and warriors in the nation’s history.

A throughline for the series throughout each arc is Musashi’s never ending search to become deemed as someone “invincible under the sun.” His hunt to be an unparalleled warrior without equal brings him down some of the most spiraling lows the story has to offer.

But within this quest he also begins to conceive of what true strength really is.

Throughout his travels, Musashi is confronted with numerous swordsmen with differing mentalities on why they wield the sword. And through their battles, he gains a new perspective on how to better improve his own skills. But within the world of Vagabond, the strongest swordsmen hold a common philosophy that elevates them above simply being amazing fighters but broadens them with an outlook beyond the senseless ego that consumes most other characters.

During his travels, Musashi attempts to duel the most renowned swordsman in the land, Yagyu Sekishusai, who stood as the living embodiment of all Musashi dreamed of becoming. And once finally granted the opportunity to meet face to face with the man he only dreamed of defeating, Musashi was greeted with an overwhelming power that completely destroyed his understanding of true strength. Within their encounter, Sekishusai not only overpowered Musashi without ever touching a blade but preached an ideology that would echo for the remainder of the series.

Although initially confused, Musashi listened in to understand what trials must be overcome to achieve the same unrivaled strength as the revered swordsman before him. To which Sekishusai simply replied that:

This viewpoint altered the trajectory of Musashi’s journey who struggled to grasp the meaning of this message, but the more he grappled with it the more effect it had in his forthcoming actions within the story. But what did Sekishusai mean in his lesson? What real life thought could be absorbed by words that appear to be so abstract and whimsically based in a fictional story on sword fighting?

Kamiizumi Ise No Kami Hidetsuna is held as the indisputable greatest fighter to ever live within the series as well as the man to chronologically first express this outlook. While teaching his disciples whose minds were so preoccupied on physical strength, unrivaled greatness and egotistical improvement, Hidetsuna believed that this preoccupation with the self was the inevitable downfall of achieving in the very field they wanted success in. The way of the sword that so many within the story called themselves living by was in fact trivialized by the misfocused intentions of why they fought. And that when your blade is truly one with heaven and earth, one does not even need to use a sword at all.

Again the message is outwardly confusing and appears very limited to the story in which it takes place. But the emphasis on the self is not a conjuration of fiction but an all too real phenomenon in our daily lives. In a profession or passion there is an eternally lingering sense of egotistical desire that appears in many forms. The recognition of those around us, the proof of acknowledgement by those who spurn us or the refusal to fail as to not bring humiliation to oneself. Whether it’s swords, sports, acting or any other activity we choose to have pride in, most of it is fueled by a desire to serve ourselves.

It’s a phrase that demands deeper introspection to truly consider the short minded thinking we often fall victim to and confront the origin of the true fears dictating our battles. Your pain is just a reflection of your true weakness. In Vagabond, this could be seen in the struggles of Musashi in each conflict as they are self-created. His fear of not being the strongest and inability to live up to his potential are the main issues blurring his mind within each fight. But if he was to rid himself of such a surface level understanding of what that would bring him, his mind would be clear to actually see what is in front of him.

I believe being one with Heaven and Earth is growing beyond the superficialities that life presents and finding a perfect harmony in who we really are that thinks above just “me.” By confronting that true enemy that stands at the basis of most of our worries, everything else gradually dissolves. Virtues like compassion, patience, and overall development of character (Heaven) thereby fuel our mental and physical strength (Earth) to achieve our desires. And with willingness to stay supremely flexible in how we are able to grow, we then become capable of enduring any storm that life eventually presents. This fundamental lesson from the series is without one explanation and the search for a tangible answer is what the series is all about. But the concept of strength does stand beyond any of the physical bounds that we often leash on the word. And our attachment to the idea of being strong too often wears us down due to pressures that never existed in the first place. Through Vagabond, many have found the errors in their narcissistic ideals of grandeur and have come to understand life in itself is too complex to think so limited. It is only by identifying your true fight that you can begin growing stronger and realize what it is you’re really searching for.