Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Yamamoto Tsunetomo, also read Yamamoto Jōchōwas a samurai of the Saga Domain in Hizen Province under his lord Nabeshima Mitsushige. For thirty years Yamamoto devoted his life to the service of his lord and clan. When Nabeshima died in 1700, Yamamoto did not choose to follow his master in death in junshi because the master had expressed a dislike of the practice in his life. Instead, Yamamoto followed his lord's wishes and refrained from junshi. After some disagreements with Nabeshima's...
NationalityJapanese
ProfessionSoldier
Date of Birth11 June 1659
CountryJapan
The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai.
The end is important in all things.
It is better not to become acquainted with men about whom you have formerly had doubts. No matter what you do, they will be people by whom you will be tripped up or taken in.
When someone is giving you his opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless. If you don't, he will not tell you the things that he has seen and heard about you again.
A person who is discreet in speaking will be useful during the good times and will avoid punishment during the bad.
If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than a defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat.
Be true to the thought of the moment and avoid distraction. Other than continuing to exert yourself, enter into nothing else, but go to the extent of living single thought by single thought.
As long as people overlook matters, then inferiors can, without any fear, lead an easy and peaceful life.
The Four Oaths: Never be late with respect to the way of the warrior; be useful to the lord; be respectful to your parents; get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man.
Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.
As everything in this world is but a sham. Death is the only sincerity.
It is better to have some unhappiness while one is still young, for if a person does not experience some bitterness, his disposition will not settle down.
Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well. When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they are not unrelated to these three things.
The saying 'the arts aid the body' is for samurai of other regions. For samurai of the Nabeshima clan the arts bring ruin to the body.