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Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Top 10 Best Quotes

“There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. There will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.”

“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.”

“To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.”

“It is a wretched thing that the young men of today are so contriving and so proud of their material posessions. Men with contriving hearts are lacking in duty. Lacking in duty, they will have no self-respect.”

“Bushido is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. There is no other reasoning.”

“When one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll.”

“Matters of great concern should be treated lightly.” Master Ittei commented, “Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.”

“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.”

“There is nothing we should be quite so grateful for as the last line of the poem that goes, 'When your own heart asks.”

“In the Kamigata area, they have a sort of tiered lunchbox they use for a single day when flower viewing. Upon returning, they throw them away, trampling them underfoot. The end is important in all things.”

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Book Keywords:

sacrifice, death, courage, japanese, kodex, philosophy, bushido, diligence, buddhism, samurai, honor, zen

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