C.S. Sloan's Integral Strength

 Essays and Thoughts on The Dokkodo Part Nineteen Do Not Seek to be Rich in Your Old Age Bodhidharma sits facing the wall (Reigen Eto, 18th century) Bodhidharma is considered the founder of Zen Buddhism, and his "style" of meditation may be something that "helps" us with what we REALLY need for old age. Although Musashi died at the "ripe old age" of 60 or 61 - there is some disagreement as to the date of his birth - he lived to be surprisingly old considering both his occupation and the number of duels that he participated in.  Most samurai - especially  those who lived before the Tokugawa era - would have died at a significantly younger age.  Interestingly, it is only because  Musashi lived to be so old (for a samurai) that he understood the wisdom of this musing.  With age does  come wisdom in many cases, and so you can look at the whole of The Dokkodo  in this same vein.  He knows the wisdom of these "precepts" because he has lived t...