Quot es f r om" Hagakure" wr i t t en by

Yamamoto Tsunetomo ( 1659 - 1719)

appear i ng i n t he movi e " Ghost - Dog" ( 199)
di r ect ed by Jim Jarmush
The Way of the Samurai is found in death.
Medi t at i on on i nevi t abl e deat h shoul d be per f or med dai l y.
Ever y day, when one' s body and mi nd ar e at peace,
one shoul d medi t at e upon bei ng r i pped apar t by ar r ows,
r i f l es, spear s, and swor ds, bei ng car r i ed away by sur gi ng waves,
bei ng t hr own i nt o t he mi dst of a gr eat f i r e, bei ng st r uck by l i ght ni ng,
bei ng shaken t o deat h by a gr eat ear t hquake,
f al l i ng f r omt housand- f oot cl i f f s,
dyi ng of di sease or commi t t i ng seppuku at t he deat h of one' s mast er .
And ever y day, wi t hout f ai l , one shoul d consi der hi msel f as dead.
Thi s i s t he subst ance of t he Way of t he Samur ai .
***
I t i s bad when one t hi ng becomes t wo.
One shoul d not l ook f or anyt hi ng el se i n t he Way of t he Samur ai .
I t i s t he same f or anyt hi ng t hat i s cal l ed a Way.
I f one under st ands t hi ngs i n t hi s manner ,
he shoul d be abl e t o hear about al l ways
and be mor e and mor e i n accor d wi t h hi s own.
***
I f one wer e t o say i n a wor d what t he condi t i on of bei ng a samur ai i s,
i t s basi s l i es f i r st i n ser i ousl y devot i ng one' s body and soul t o hi s
mast er .
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I t i s a good vi ewpoi nt t o see t he wor l d as a dr eam.
When you have somet hi ng l i ke a ni ght mar e,
you wi l l wake up and t el l your sel f t hat i t was onl y a dr eam.
I t i s sai d t hat t he wor l d we l i ve i n i s not a bi t di f f er ent f r omt hi s.
***
Among t he maxi ms on Lor d Naoshi ge' s wal l , t her e was t hi s one:
" Mat t er s of gr eat concer n shoul d be t r eat ed l i ght l y. "
Mast er I t t ei comment ed,
" Mat t er s of smal l concer n shoul d be t r eat ed ser i ousl y. "
***
Even i f one' s head wer e t o be suddenl y cut of f ,
he shoul d be abl e t o do one mor e act i on wi t h cer t ai nt y.
Wi t h mar t i al val or , i f one becomes l i ke a r evengef ul ghost
and shows gr eat det er mi nat i on, t hough hi s head i s cut of f ,
he shoul d not di e.
***
I n t he wor ds of t he anci ent s,
one shoul d make hi s deci si on wi t hi n t he space of seven br eat hs.
I t i s a mat t er of bei ng det er mi ned and havi ng t he spi r i t
t o br eak t hr ough t o t he ot her si de.
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Ther e i s somet hi ng t o be l ear ned f r oma r ai nst or m.
When meet i ng wi t h a sudden shower ,
you t r y not t o get wet and r un qui ckl y al ong t he r oad.
But doi ng such t hi ngs as passi ng under t he eaves of houses,
you st i l l get wet . When you ar e r esol ved f r omt he begi nni ng,
you wi l l not be per pl exed, t hough you st i l l get t he same soaki ng.
Thi s under st andi ng ext ends t o ever yt hi ng.
***
Our bodi es ar e gi ven l i f e f r omt he mi dst of not hi ngness.
Exi st i ng wher e t her e i s not hi ng i s t he meani ng of t he phr ase,
"form is emptiness."
That al l t hi ngs ar e pr ovi ded f or by not hi ngness i s t he meani ng of t he
phr ase,
"Emptiness is form."
One shoul d not t hi nk t hat t hese ar e t wo separ at e t hi ngs.
***
When one has made a deci si on t o ki l l a per son,
even i f i t wi l l be ver y di f f i cul t t o succeed by advanci ng st r ai ght
ahead,
i t wi l l not do t o t hi nk about doi ng i t i n a l ong, r oundabout way.
One' s hear t may sl acken, he may mi ss hi s chance,
and by and l ar ge t her e wi l l be no success.
The Way of t he Samur ai i s one of i mmedi acy,
and i t i s best t o dash i n headl ong.
***
I t i s sai d t hat what i s cal l ed t he Spi r i t of an Age
i s somet hi ng t o whi ch one cannot r et ur n.
That t hi s spi r i t gr adual l y di ssi pat es i s due t o t he wor l d' s comi ng t o an
end.
I n t he same way, a si ngl e year does not have j ust spr i ng or summer .
A si ngl e day, t oo, i s t he same.
For t hi s r eason, al t hough one woul d l i ke t o change t oday' s wor l d
back t o t he spi r i t of one hundr ed year s or mor e ago, i t cannot be done.
Thus i t i s i mpor t ant t o make t he best out of ever y gener at i on.
***
n t he Kami gat a ar ea, t hey have a sor t of t i er ed l unchbox
t hey use f or a si ngl e day when f l ower vi ewi ng.
Upon r et ur ni ng, t hey t hr ow t hemaway, t r ampl i ng t hemunder f oot .
The end is important in all things.
***