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

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
Lightly
Dealt
Seriously
Matters
Serious
Light
Matter

More quotes by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

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To desire with one’s very soul every second of every day to accomplish one’s aim.
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By being impatient, matters are damaged and great works cannot be done
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Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.
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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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If a retainer will just think about what he is to do for the day at hand, he will be able to do anything. If it is a single day's work, one should be able to put up with it. Tomorrow, too is but a single day.
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When something out of the ordinary happens, it is ridiculous to say that it is a mystery or a portent of something to come... the mystery is created in (their) minds, and by waiting for disaster, it is from their very minds that it occurs.
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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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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.
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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.
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By bringing shame to a person, how could one expect to make him a better man?
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If you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy.
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There are few people who will make mistakes with fire after having once been burned.
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Purity is something that cannot be attained except by piling effort upon effort.
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All abilities come from one mind
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Not to borrow the strength of another, nor to rely on one's own strength to cut off past and future thoughts, and not to live within the everyday mind... then the Great Way is right before your eyes.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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Sincerity does not only complete the self it is the means by which all things are completed. As the self is completed, there is human-heartedness as things are completed, there is wisdom. This is the virtue of one’s character, and the Way of joining the internal and external. Thus, when we use this, everything is correct.
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A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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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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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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When one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll.
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