Today, let's explore some quotes by Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
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 will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.
And then you don't need to forget that cool Mythbuster experiment where you should walk and not run in the raid. So, I always knew it was way better to form a spontaneous dance party in the street than to think it would make you wet.
The rain is not just about getting wet; it's about our futile attempts to avoid the inevitable. No matter how we react, the outcome remains unchanged. Let's stop wasting energy in panic and resistance. Embrace the storm, accept the soaking, and find peace. This simple truth is clear: life’s storms are unavoidable, but our mindset amidst them makes all the difference.
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.
Life is like a buffet. Instead of piling your plate high with regrets from the past and worries for the future, savor each moment as if you've just discovered chocolate fondue for the first time. So, next time you're stuck in traffic, don't simmer in frustration; crank up your favorite tune and turn your car into a karaoke booth. The present moment is all about rocking out like nobody's watching.
I'm not too fond of sweets, but at least I enjoy good music.
Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.
"Irrational Death" sounds like an excellent name for a coffee. I typically sleep on my back, looking up with no care in the world – just as you should! So throw that hot coffee in your enemy's face; who knows - it might be the "Irrational Death" blend.
To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.
Even if the person asks for your advice, they might want to confirm their opinion and not find the solution to the problem – a lesson that took me too much to learn.
A small reminder of the circle.
Matters of great concern should be treated lightly. [...] Matters of small concern should be treated seriously.
I always tell jokes when talking about important things. I'm not sure it helps the discussion go further, but I receive great feedback on my humor.
When one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll.
Kakemonos is a form of art, beauty, and simplicity—these qualities must be part of our daily conversations.
Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one’s 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 one’s master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead
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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.
This made me watch a Dumb Ways to Die video.
