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.”

Ifs Giving Should War Opinion Heard Gratitude Worthless You Again Deep Gratitude

Book: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.

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.”

Persons War Punishment Good Times Discreet

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“One should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths.”

Should War Space Decision Breaths Seven

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Ifs Thinking War Winning Victory Defeat

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Mind War Happens Waiting Mystery Ordinary Ridiculous Disaster Portents

Book: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.

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?”

Men Persons War Shame Better Man

Author:Yamamoto Tsunetomo

“As everything in this world is but a sham, Death is the only sincerity.”

World War This World Sincerity

Author:Yamamoto Tsunetomo

“Even if one's head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty.”

Ifs Should War Able Action Cutting Certainty

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

War Ends Middle Etiquette Tranquil Beginnings And Ends

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Ifs Should Made Said War Bits Mistake Disappear Delay Made A Mistake

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Men War Self Shows Hands Sides Laughing Self Respect Affected Carelessness Slits

Book:Hagakure: Selections: Or, the Way of the Samurai

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.”

People Long War Matter Easy Peaceful Inferiors Peaceful Life

Book:Bushido: The Way of the Samurai

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.”

Men Feels Should War Eye He Man Areas Should Have Mercy Faults Size Pity Limitless Hateful

Author:Yamamoto Tsunetomo

“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.”

Important War Hands Written Materials Letters Release Delivering

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Way War Shows Harm Beginners Inconsistency Frivolity

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Persons War Matter Fate Fortune Good Life Good And Bad Vicissitudes Bad Fortune

Book: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.

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.”

Thinking Way Persons War Certain Levels Finished Excellent Entering Transcending

Book: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.

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.”

People Should War Ends Talking Subjects Fronts Morality Elders Disagreeable Folklore

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Art War Body Aids Ruins Regions Samurai Clans

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

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.”

Ifs World Wells Looks War Happens Three Things Happen Bad Things Foolishness Three Things Covetousness Bad Things Happen When Bad Things Happen

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai.”

Should Persons Art War Artist Practice Art Is Should Have Intention Samurai

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“Go ahead and gamble a lie. A person who will not tell you seven lies within a hundred yards is useless as a man.”

Men Persons War Lying Hundred Seven Useless Yards Gamble

Book: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.

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 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.”

Should Mind Heart War Matter Depth Warrior Trifling

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.”

War Humanity Bravery Good Things Excluded

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“The Four Oaths: Never be late with respect to the way of the warrior; be useful to the lord; be respectful to your parents; get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man.”

Men Way War Parent Grief Lord Four Late Warrior Respectful Oath Be Respectful Way Of The Warrior Beyond Love

Author:Yamamoto Tsunetomo

“It is better to have some unhappiness while one is still young, for if a person does not experience some bitterness, his disposition will not settle down.”

Ifs Persons Doe Stills War Young Settling Unhappiness Bitterness Disposition Settling Down

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“There is not a man who does not get senile by the time he reaches sixty. And when one thinks that he will not be senile, he is already so.”

Thinking Men Doe War Sixty Senile

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“If you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy.”

Ifs Should War Enemy Battle Corpses

Book:Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

Source: Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai

“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.”

Ifs Should Doe Art War Matter Principles Destiny Military Lays Strikes Opponents Art Of War

Book: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.

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.

“I have found that the Way of the samurai is death. This means that when you are compelled to choose between life and death, you must quickly choose death.”

Way Mean War Found Life And Death Compelled Samurai Between Life And Death

Author:Yamamoto Tsunetomo

About the Author

Born: June 11, 1659
Died: November 30, 1719
Known for: Author
Quotes: 88

Books & Sources

Hagakure: The Book of the SamuraiRelated source material

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.Related source material

Hagakure: Selections: Or, the Way of the SamuraiRelated source material

The Hagakure - The Way of the SamuraiRelated source material

The Hagakure: Yamamoto TsunetomoRelated source material

Bushido: The Way of the SamuraiRelated source material

Hagakure (Bushido) The Way of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo: New Modern EditionRelated source material

Similar Authors

Carl von ClausewitzBrowse related quotes
Miyamoto MusashiBrowse related quotes
Napoleon BonaparteBrowse related quotes
Takenaka ShigekataBrowse related quotes
Tsukahara BokudenBrowse related quotes
Niccolo MachiavelliBrowse related quotes
Yagyu Jubei MitsuyoshiBrowse related quotes
William Tecumseh ShermanBrowse related quotes
Sandy FussellBrowse related quotes
Robert E. LeeBrowse related quotes