Quotes by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
***
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.
There is a saying of the elders' that goes, "Step from under
the eaves and you're a dead man. Leave the gate and the enemy
is waiting." This is not a matter of being careful. It is to consider
oneself as dead beforehand.
***
The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes
to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not
particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that
dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the
frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of
life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim.
We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic
according to what we like. But not having attained our aim
and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous
line. To die without gaming one's aim is a dog's death and
fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. 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.
***
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.
***
Although it seems that taking special care of one's appear-
ance is similar to showiness, it is nothing akin to elegance. Even
if you are aware that you may be struck down today and are
firmly resolved to an inevitable death, if you are slain with an
unseemly appearance, you will show your lack of previous re-
solve, will be despised by your enemy, and will appear unclean.
For this reason it is said that both old and young should take
care of their appearance.
***
The person without previous resolution to inevitable death
makes certain that his death will be in bad form. But if one is
resolved to death beforehand, in what way can he be despicable?
One should be especially diligent in this concern.
***
As everything in this world is but a shame, Death is the only
sincerity. It is said that becoming as a dead man in one's daily
living is the following of the path of sincerity.
***
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When
meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to pet 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 still
get the same soaking. This understanding extends to every-
thing.
***
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. If one fully understands the present moment,
there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue.
Live being true to the single purpose of the moment .
Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it
as though he thought it were 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 bear it in mind.
When one understands this settling into single-mindedness
well, his affairs will thin out. Loyalty is also contained within
this single- mindedness.
Source - full text of Hagakure
