Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, with a revised Introduction and translated from the Japanese by William Scott Wilson (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) ("To hate injustice and stand on righteousness is a difficult thing. Furthermore, to think that being righteous is the best one can do and to do one's utmost to be righteous will, on the contrary, bring many mistakes. The Way is in a higher place than righteousness. This is very difficult to discover, but it is the highest wisdom. When seen from this standpoint, things like righteous are rather shallow. If one does not understand this on his own, it cannot be known. There is a method of getting to this Way, however, even if one cannot discover it by himself. This is found in consultation with others. Even a person who has not attained this Way sees others from the side. It is like the saying from the game of go: 'He who sees from the side has eight eyes.' The saying, 'Thought by thought we see our mistakes,' also means that the highest Way is in discussion with others. Listening to the old stories and reading books are for the purpose of sloughing off one's own discrimination and attaching oneself to that of the ancients." Id. at 11-12. "A certain swordsman in his declining years said the following: 'In one's life, there are levels in the pursuit of study. . . . " "But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all. This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never thinks of himself as having finished. He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded. He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end. It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, "I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself.: Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never-ending.'" Id. at 12-13. From the "Introduction": "According to Zen Buddhism, it is our sense of self that hinders true freedom and becomes a fixation without our being aware of it. Thinking of our 'self' as being a distinct entity, we separate ourselves from our environment, and thus create a dualism that bifurcates reality; from thence it is always 'me' and 'mine' on the one side and the rest of the world on the other. . . ." "Buddhism brings the good news that such a self does not really exist, or that it has no reality of its own. It is simply an illusion fed by memory, culture and the five senses. Further, Zen Buddhism holds that this illusion may be swept away through the discipline of meditation, or zazen. This requires courage as well as concentration, for after the ego is gone one finds that the self no longer exists, and one has died what Zen calls the Great Death, daishi. . . With that death, though, we have at last become free." "This is the substance of the Hagakure, and the meaning of its most famous but least understood passage: 'The Way of the Samurai is found in death. . . . 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. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.' Zen teaches us that we should live as though not only our bodies but our egos were already dead. . . ." Id. at xxi-xxii.).
Inazo Nitobe, Bushido: The Spirit of the Samurai (Boston & London: Shambhala Library, 2005) (From the bookjacket: "There are eight virtues of Bushido, the code of the samurai: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty, and self-control. Therese virtues comprise the essence of Japanese cultural beliefs, which are still present today." "Inazo Notobe . . . explores the ethical code of the samurai and contextualizes it within Japan's traditions of Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism. He then compares and contrast Eastern values with those present in Western societies. . . .").
Thomas Cleary, ed. & trans., Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2009) (Nakae Toju: "In the Book of the Shadow of the White Flag it says that a skillful attack cannot match warlike soldiers, warlike soldiers cannot beat elite knights, elite knights cannot match a disciplined system, a disciplined system cannot oppose humanity and justice. The sense of this statement should be thoroughly savored." Id. at 41. Kaibara Ekken: "When among people, if anyone is impolite or insulting to you, as long as it is not a dishonor you should put up with it, pretending you didn't hear it. You wouldn't really want to get into an angry argument with that ignoramus." "However, if he doesn't understand this and arrogantly looks down on you thinking he has shamed you then, considering the concern that he might embarrass you again another day, call him out where no one's around and rebuke him." Id. at 71-72.).
Daidoji Yuzan, Busoshoshinshu: The Warrior's Primer, translated from the Japanes by Willliam Scott Wilson, illustrated by Gary Miller Haskins, edited by Jack Vaughn (Burbank, CA: Ohara Publications, 1984) ("MAKE LIFE REPLETE, CONSTANTLY THINKING OF DEATH: The man who would be a warrior considers it his most basic intention to keep death always in mind, day and night, from the time he picks up his chopsticks in celebrating his morning meal on New Year's Day to the evening of the last day of the year. When one constantly keeps death in mind, both loyalty and filial piety are realized, myriad evils and disasters are avoided, one is without illness and mishap, and lives out a long life. In addition, even his character is improved. Such are the may benefits of this act." Id. at 19. "GOSSIP AND BACK-TALK ARE INEXCUSABLE: It is essential that a warrior in the service of a lord has the prudence not to gossip about the wrong-doings he observed concerning his companions. This is because one should be circumspect enough to consider that he himself is no saint or sage, and that over a long period of time has certainly made mistakes and had misunderstandings." Id. at 33.).
Takuan Soho, The Unfettered Mind: Writings From a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman, translated from the Japanese by William Scott Wilson (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) ("The sword, the spiritual exercise, and the unfettered mind are the pivots upon which these essays turn. With effort and patience, the writer reminds us, they should become one. We are to practice, practice with whatever we may have at hand, until the enemies of our own anger, hesitation, and greed are cut down with the celerity and decisiveness of the stroke of a sword." Id. at ix. "[Takuan's] life may be summed up by his own admonition, 'If you follow the present-day world, you will turn your back on the Way; if you would not turn your back on the Way, do not follow the world.'" Id. at xiii. From "The Clear Sound of Jewels": "A person may be as eloquent as a rushing steam, but if his mind has not been enlightened and if he has not seen into his own true nature, he will not be someone to be relied upon. We should be able to discern this quickly from a person's behavior." Id. at 52-53.).
