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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.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Age: 60 †
Born: 1659
Born: June 11
Died: 1719
Died: November 30
Bushi
Philosopher
Writer
Hizen Domain
Means
Death
Found
Must
Samurai
Mean
Compelled
Way
Quickly
Life
Choose
War
More quotes by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness.
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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.
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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.
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To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.
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The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai.
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Go ahead and gamble a lie. A person who will not tell you seven lies within a hundred yards is useless as a man.
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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. There will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.
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Even if one's head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty.
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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.
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One should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths.
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As everything in this world is but a sham, Death is the only sincerity.
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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.
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As long as people overlook matters, then inferiors can, without any fear, lead an easy and peaceful life.
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Singlemindedness is all-powerful.
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The end is important in all things.
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If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than a defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
