hagakure quotes

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.


But 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. He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded. He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end. It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, "I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself."


When the time comes, there is no moment for reasoning. Above all, the Way of the Samurai should be in being aware that you do not know what is going to happen next, and in querying every item day or night.


If one does not get it into his head from the very beginning that the world is full of unseemly situations, for the most part his demeanor will be poor and he will not be believed by others.


It is not good to settle into a set of opinions. it is a mistake to put forth effort and obtain some understanding and then stop at that. At first putting forth great effort to be sure that you have grasped the basics, then practicing so that they may come to fruition is something that will never stop for your whole lifetime. Do not rely on following the degree of understanding that you have discovered, but simply think, "this is not enough."


"As a human being, what is essential in terms of purpose and discipline?"
"It is to become of the mind that is right now pure and lacking complications."


There is nothing outside the thought of the immediate moment.


There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get 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 everything.