Yamamoto Tsunetomo Quotes

A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm.

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

Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like.

Light matters should be dealt with seriously. Serious matters should be dealt with lightly.

The way of the Samurai is found in death.

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.

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.

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

The end is important in all things.

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

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.

Tether even a roasted chicken.

By bringing shame to a person, how could one expect to make him a better man?

Continue to spur a running horse.

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

By being impatient, matters are damaged and great works cannot be done

Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness.

A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger.

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

To desire with one’s very soul every second of every day to accomplish one’s aim.

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.

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.

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.

Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.

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

If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than a defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat.

It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness.

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.

When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.

There are few people who will make mistakes with fire after having once been burned.

Singlemindedness is all-powerful.

The deepest love is often hidden.

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.

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

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.

You cannot tell whether a person is good or bad by his vicissitudes in life. Good and bad fortune are matters of fate.

A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death.

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

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

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.

By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm.

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.

All abilities come from one mind

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.

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.

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.

Purity is something that cannot be attained except by piling effort upon effort.

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

As long as people overlook matters, then inferiors can, without any fear, lead an easy and peaceful life.

A person who is discreet in speaking will be useful during the good times and will avoid punishment during the bad.