One lesson from Yamabushi training is that you be ready as soon as you can. It’s kind of like the scouts motto of always be prepared, and an important point is that if you are ready, you can better help others who may not be.

This is as simple as packing your bag the night before, rather than the morning of, and thinking of contingency plans in advance, which, admittedly, isn’t very Yamabushi as it takes you out of the moment.

The thing with always being prepared like this is that it means you have the best chance to take opportunities when they arise. It also means you reduce the likelihood of forgetting something important.

When you know you’re going to have to do something, get ready for it as soon as you can, in other words.