Dō

Dō is a path which leads to enlightenment. Dō (literally: “the Way”) is the Japanese pronunciation for the Tao that Lao-tzu spoke of the in the Tao Te Ching.

Dō typically manifests itself as an art which is practiced as a way of life. Dō is hard to explain, since the Western tradition does not use arts, crafts, or sports as a means to teach spiritual or ethical truths. The closest equivalent in Western philosophy would be to achieve araté through phronesis.

Dō and jutsu are linked, like the two sides of a coin. They are complements, not opposites. Dō is not opposed to jutsu; dō is gradually revealed through a series of epiphanies, induced by a serious commitment to jutsu.

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