Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when oneโs body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of oneโs master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead
Yamamoto TsunetomoThere 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.
Yamamoto TsunetomoBushido 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.
Yamamoto TsunetomoA real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death.
Yamamoto TsunetomoLooking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo