Whether people be of high or low birth, rich or poor, old or young, enlightened or confused, they are all alike in that they will one day die.
Yamamoto TsunetomoRead
Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it was somewhere else. No one seems to have noticed this fact. But grasping this firmly, one must pile experience upon experience. And once one has come to this understanding he will be a different person from that point on, though he may not always bare it in mind. When one understands this settling into single-mindedness well, his affairs will thin out.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present and accumulating experiences to transform oneself.
Yamamoto Tsunetomo's quote reflects on the common tendency for individuals to allow the present to fade away while seeking it elsewhere. It suggests that true growth and transformation occur when one consciously engages with the present moment and builds upon their experiences, leading to a profound understanding of life that can alter one's perspective and approach even if it is not always at the forefront of the mind.
Themes
PresentExperienceTransformationAwarenessSingle-Mindedness
In practice
Example use cases
During a mindfulness workshop, one might use this quote to encourage attendees to focus on their present experiences.
More from Yamamoto Tsunetomo
All quotes βEvery day without fail one should consider himself as dead. There is a saying of the elders that goes, 'Step from under the eaves and you're a dead man. Leave the gate and the enemy is waiting.' This is not a matter of being careful. It is to consider oneself as dead beforehand.
Yamamoto TsunetomoRead
When one has made a decision to kill a person, even if it will be very difficult to succeed by advancing straight ahead, it will not do to think about going at it in a long roundabout way. One's heart may slacken, he may miss his chance, and by and large there will be no success. The Way of the Samurai is one of immediacy, and it is best to dash in headlong.
Yamamoto TsunetomoRead
Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day one should meditate on being carried away by surging waves, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease.
Yamamoto TsunetomoRead
What is called generosity is really compassion. In the Shin'ei it is written "Seen from the eye of compassion, there is noone to be disliked. One who has sinned is to be pitied all the more." There is no limit to the breadth and depth of ones heart. There is room enough for all. That we still worship the sages of the three ancient kingdoms is because their compassion reaches us yet today.
Yamamoto TsunetomoRead
The way of the Samurai is found in death.
Yamamoto TsunetomoRead
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