“That one's own district is unsophisticated
and unpolished is a great treasure. Imitating another style is simply a sham.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“You can't tell whether a person is good or bad by his vicissitudes in life. Good and bad fortune are matters of fate. Good and bad actions are man's way.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“Si alcanzáis demasiado rápido la gloria, la gente se volverá vuestro enemigo y no seréis de ninguna utilidad. Si os eleváis progresivamente en el mundo, las personas serán aliados vuestros y seréis felices. A la larga, que hayáis sido rápido o lento, en cuanto hayáis adquirido la comprensión de los otros, nada os amenaza. Se dice que la suerte que os es dada por otros es la más segura.”
Source: Hagakure (Bushido) The Way of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo: New Modern Edition
“All that matters is having single-minded purpose ( ichinen), in the here and now. Life is an ongoing succession of ‘one will’ at a time, each and every moment. A man who realizes this truth need not hurry to do, or seek, anything else anymore. Just live in the present with single-minded purpose. People forget this important truth, and keep seeking other things to accomplish.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.”
Source: The Hagakure - The Way of the Samurai
“A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“All abilities come from one mind”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“Light matters should be dealt with seriously. Serious matters should be dealt with lightly.”
“There is nothing we should be quite so grateful for as the last line of the poem that goes, 'When your own heart asks.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“It is said that what is called "the spirit of an age" is something to which one cannot return. That this spirit gradually dissipates is due to the world's coming to an end. For this reason, although one would like to change today's world back to the spirit of one hundred years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“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.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“Tether even a roasted chicken.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“Singlemindedness is all-powerful.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“Continue to spur a running horse.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: Selections: Or, the Way of the Samurai
“To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“When one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“If one is but secure at the foundation, he will not be pained by departure from minor details or affairs that are contrary to expectation. But in the end, the details of a matter are important. The right and wrong of one's way of doing things are found in trivial matters.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“Bushido is realised in the presence of death. In the case of having to choose between life and death you should choose death. There is no other reasoning.”
“The end is important in all things.”
Source: Hagakure: Selections: Or, the Way of the Samurai
“A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“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.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“A person who is discreet in speaking will be useful during the good times and will avoid punishment during the bad.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“One should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than a defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“When something out of the ordinary happens, it is ridiculous to say that it is a mystery or a portent of something to come... the mystery is created in (their) minds, and by waiting for disaster, it is from their very minds that it occurs.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“By bringing shame to a person, how could one expect to make him a better man?”
“As everything in this world is but a sham, Death is the only sincerity.”
“Even if one's head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“The basic meaning of etiquette is to be quick at both the beginning and end and tranquil in the middle.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“An affected laugh shows lack of self-respect in a man and lewdness in a woman. It is carelessness to go about with one's hands inside the slits in the sides of his hakama.”
Source: Hagakure: Selections: Or, the Way of the Samurai
“As long as people overlook matters, then inferiors can, without any fear, lead an easy and peaceful life.”
Source: Bushido: The Way of the Samurai
“In the eyes of mercy, no one should have hateful thoughts. Feel pity for the man who is even more at fault. The area and size of mercy is limitless.”
“When delivering something like an important letter or other written materials, grasp it firmly in your hand as you go and do not release it once, but hand it over directly to the recipient.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“You cannot tell whether a person is good or bad by his vicissitudes in life. Good and bad fortune are matters of fate.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“There is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all. This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never thinks of himself as having finished.”
Source: Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“The saying 'the arts aid the body' is for samurai of other regions. For samurai of the Nabeshima clan the arts bring ruin to the body.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
“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.”
Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
