When a woman dislikes the man who is courting her, she parries him cleverly, like a willow in the wind.

The bitter winds in February were sometimes called the First East Winds, but the longing for spring somehow made them seem more piercing.

The line between life and death is not thicker than an eyelid.

It's no good to want to win still more when you have already won.

The summit is believed to be the object of the climb. But its true object--the joy of living--is not in the peak itself, but in the adversities encountered on the way up.

It does happen, of course, that the priesthood has been on bad terms with womankind for some three thousand years. You see, Buddhism teaches that women are evil. Fiends. Messengers of hell. I've spent years immersed in the scriptures, so it's no accident that you and I fight all the time.

Not only must a warrior be strong with his bow, but he must have a heart full of pity for all living creatures.