"The man who would be a warrior regards it his most basic objective to keep death in mind always, day and night, from the time he picks up his chopsticks to enjoy his morning meal on New Year's Day to the evening of the last day of the year. When a warrior constantly keeps death in mind, both loyalty and filial piety are realized, and myriad evils and disasters are avoided; he is without illness or mishap and lives out a long life. In addition, even his character is improved. Such are the many benefits of this practice." "When speaking of bushidō, the three qualities considered essential are loyalty, integrity, and courage. When these three virtues are perfectly combined in one man, he is called a samurai of the highest quality. It is easy to link the three in one breath, but a weighty matter to understand them in one's heart and then put them into practice. It has been said since ancient times that it is rare to find a samurai of the highest quality even among a hundred or a thousand warriors." --from Budōshoshinshu Excerpted from Budoshoshinshu: Essential Teachings on the Way of the Warrior by Daidoji Yuzan All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
