Top 100 Yamamoto Tsunetomo Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “A warrior is worthless unless he rises above others and stands strong in the midst of a storm.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Strong Quotes

2. “The way of the Samurai is found in death.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Warrior Quotes

3. “This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai: 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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Warrior Quotes

4. “The end is important in all things.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

5. “There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man’s whole life is a succession of moment after moment. There will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

6. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

7. “One should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

8. “Nothing is impossible in this world. Firm determination, it is said, can move heaven and earth. Things appear far beyond one’s power, because one cannot set his heart on any arduous project due to want of strong will.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Strong Quotes

9. “It is a good viewpoint to see the world as a dream. When you have something like a nightmare, you will wake up and tell yourself that it was only a dream. It is said that the world we live in is not a bit different from this.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

10. “The deepest love is often hidden.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

11. “Light matters should be dealt with seriously. Serious matters should be dealt with lightly.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

12. “Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase, “Form is emptiness.” That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, “Emptiness is form.” One should not think that these are two separate things.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

13. “It is said that one should not hesitate to correct himself when he has made a mistake. If he corrects himself without the least bit of delay, his mistakes will disappear.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

14. “Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retaliate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Real Quotes

15. “It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

16. “Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

17. “A samurai will use a toothpick even though he has not eaten. Inside the skin of a dog, outside the hide of a tiger.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

18. “To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Firsts Quotes

19. “As everything in this world is but a sham. Death is the only sincerity.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

20. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

21. “When one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

22. “In the Kamigata area, they have a sort of tiered lunchbox they use for a single day when flower viewing. Upon returning, they throw them away, trampling them underfoot. The end is important in all things.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

23. “Bushido is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. There is no other reasoning.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

24. “The basic meaning of etiquette is to be quick at both the beginning and end and tranquil in the middle.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

25. “A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Featured in: Real Quotes

26. “Common sense will not accomplish great things. Simply become insane and desperate.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

27. “If you are slain in battle, you should be resolved to have your corpse facing the enemy.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

28. “Having only wisdom and talent is the lowest tier of usefulness.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

29. “A warrior should not say something fainthearted, even casually. He should set his mind to this beforehand. Even in trifling matters the depths of one’s heart can be seen.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

30. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

31. “By inconsistency and frivolity we stray from the Way and show ourselves to be beginners. In this we do much harm.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

32. “Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it were somewhere else.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

33. “All abilities come from one mind.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

34. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

35. “To desire with one’s very soul every second of every day to accomplish one’s aim.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

36. “The person who practices an art is an artist, not a samurai, and one should have the intention of being called a samurai.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

37. “By bringing shame to a person, how could one expect to make him a better man?”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

38. “A person who is discreet in speaking will be useful during the good times and will avoid punishment during the bad.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

39. “It is a wretched thing that the young men of today are so contriving and so proud of their material posessions. Men with contriving hearts are lacking in duty. Lacking in duty, they will have no self-respect.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

40. “There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to all things.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

41. “If a retainer will just think about what he is to do for the day at hand, he will be able to do anything. If it is a single day’s work, one should be able to put up with it. Tomorrow, too is but a single day.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

42. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

43. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

44. “Even if one’s head were to be suddenly cut off, he should be able to do one more action with certainty.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

45. “If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than a defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

46. “When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

47. “Go ahead and gamble a lie. A person who will not tell you seven lies within a hundred yards is useless as a man.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

48. “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.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

49. “Continue to spur a running horse.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo

50. “Singlemindedness is all-powerful.”

— Yamamoto Tsunetomo