Yamamoto Tsunetomo Quotes on Life
Yamamoto Tsunetomo was a Japanese samurai and philosopher of the early Edo period, a retainer of the Saga domain who, on the death of his lord in 1700, was forbidden by Tokugawa law from following him in death and instead retired to a hermitage to dictate the long oral memoir that became Hagakure, In the Shadow of the Leaves. This page collects quotes attributed to Yamamoto Tsunetomo on the topic of life, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“The eleven volumes of this book are to be burned after they are read. There are some people in this book who are still alive and this book may anger them, so make sure the book is burned. Tsunetomo said this repeatedly.”
Wikiquote -
“I have found that the Way of the samurai is death. This means that when you are compelled to choose between life and death, you must quickly choose death.”
Hagakure(c. 1716) -
“The supreme style of love is unknown love. If the affection is known by the beloved, that love is snob. If you sacrifice your life for the beloved, and she recognises your love after you die, your soul would be appraised.”
Hagakure(c. 1716) -
“By the Way of the warrior is meant death. The Way of the warrior is death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. It means nothing more than this. It means to see things through, being resolved.”
Hagakure(c. 1716)