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Quote by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Work

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.

The collection includes 'The Book of Five Rings' by Miyamoto Musashi, a seminal work on strategy and swordsmanship; 'Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai' by Toda Seigen, offering insights into the samurai mindset; and 'Bushido: The Soul of Japan' by Inazo Nitobe, a comprehensive look at samurai ethics and values. more

Author

Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a samurai and philosopher from the Edo period in Japan. His life and contributions are not well-documented. more

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“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.”

“Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one’s body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one’s master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead”

“It is a good viewpoint to see the world as a dream. When you have something like a nightmare, you will wake up and tell yourself that it was only a dream. It is said that the world we live in is not a bit different from this.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it were somewhere else.”