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.

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.

Living the life I wanted was my ultimate responsibility. Learning to forgive was my ultimate act of self-love.

Their eyes persecuted him everywhere, eventually following him all the way into the darkness around his bed and into his dreams, like a madness that threatened to overpower him.

I liked math - that was my favorite subject - and I was very interested in astronomy and in physical science.

There's no greater feeling in the world than when you can put a smile on somebody's face just by walking into a room. It's unbelievable. And if I have that power, who am I to waste it, you know?

PAIN, n. An uncomfortable frame of mind that may have a physical basis in something that is being done to the body, or may be purely mental, caused by the good fortune of another.

I do believe that non-violent civil disobedience is a very important and useful tactic.

I don't think film is the writer's medium, and so I was interested to see what a director would do with it.

Make your life about something bigger than your life.

Sweet. remembrance of the Master is the sum total, of all practices.

Did it [cocaine] for about eight years. Not a terribly long time to be an addict I guess, but it is longer than World War II.