"A warrior should not say something fainthearted, even casually. He should set his mind to this beforehand. Even in trifling matters the depths of one's heart can be seen." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"All of man's work is a bloody business. That fact, today, is considered foolish, affairs are finished cleverly with words alone, and jobs that require effort are avoided. I would like young men to have some understanding of this." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"As long as people overlook matters, then inferiors can, without any fear, lead an easy and peaceful life." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Be true to the thought of the moment and avoid distraction. Other than continuing to exert yourself, enter into nothing else, but go to the extent of living single thought by single thought." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"By being impatient, matters are damaged and great works cannot be done." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well. When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they are not unrelated to these three things." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it was somewhere else. No one seems to have noticed this fact. But grasping this firmly, one must pile experience upon experience. And once one has come to this understanding he will be a different person from that point on, though he may not always bare it in mind. When one understands this settling into single-mindedness well, his affairs will thin out." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"If a warrior is not unattached to life and death, he will be of no use whatsoever. The saying that All abilities come from one mind sounds as though it has to do with sentient matters, but it is in fact a matter of being unattached to life and death. With such non-attachment one can accomplish any feat." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"It is a principle of the art of war that one should simply lay down his life and strike. If one's opponent also does the same, it is a even match. Defeating one's opponent is then a matter of faith and destiny." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"It is better not to become acquainted with men about whom you have formerly had doubts. No matter what you do, they will be people by whom you will be tripped up or taken in." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"It is not good to settle into a set of opinions. It is a mistake to put forth effort and obtain some understanding and then stop at that. At first putting forth great effort to be sure that you have grasped the basics, then practicing so that they may come to fruition is something that will never stop for your whole lifetime. Do not rely on following the degree of understanding that you have discovered, but simply think, 'This is not enough.'" (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"It is said that one should not hesitate to correct himself when he has made a mistake. If he corrects himself without the least bit of delay, his mistakes will disappear." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Not to borrow the strength of another, nor to rely on one's own strength; to cut off past and future thoughts, and not to live within the everyday mind [...] then the Great Way is right before your eyes." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Nothing is impossible in this world. Firm determination, it is said, can move heaven and earth. Things appear far beyond one's power, because one cannot set his heart on any arduous project due to want of strong will." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"One must know the so-called 'lesson of a downpour. A man, caught in a sudden rain en route, dashes along the road not to get wet or drenched. Once one takes it for granted that in rain he naturally gets wet, he can be in a tranquil frame of mind even when soaked to the skin. This lesson applies to everything." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"One should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"One should be wary of talking on end about such subjects as learning, morality or folklore in front of elders or people of rank. It is disagreeable to listen to." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase, 'Form is emptiness.' That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, "Emptiness is form." One should not think that these are two seperate things." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"Sincerity does not only complete the self; it is the means by which all things are completed. As the self is completed, there is human-heartedness; as things are completed, there is wisdom. This is the virtue of one's character, and the Way of joining the internal and external. Thus, when we use this, everything is correct." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai: if by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. his whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"What is called generosity is really compassion. In the Shin'ei it is written 'Seen from the eye of compassion, there is noone to be disliked. One who has sinned is to be pitied all the more.' There is no limit to the breadth and depth of ones heart. There is room enough for all. That we still worship the sages of the three ancient kingdoms is because their compassion reaches us yet today." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"When someone is giving you his opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless. If you don't, he will not tell you the things that he has seen and heard about you again." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
"You cannot tell whether a person is good or bad by his vicissitudes in life. Good and bad fortune are matters of fate." (Yamamoto Tsunetomo, "Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai", cca. 1716)
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