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Rod Nobuto Omoto There is nothing wrong with preparing to die. In fact, it's better to prepare than not to prepare. Why think about dying? I will die because I was born. I will never be completely ready for death, no matter how well I prepare. But the thing is to live until I die, live fully, and enjoy life while living. And take care of my health, both physical and mental. Because I do not know when I am going to die, or where, or under what circumstances. I have no choice whatsoever. I will have to accept it when the time comes. . . A school teaches how to kill, a dojo teaches how to die.
Noboyuki Kamogawa Using a bow is seeking what the heart of the bow seeks.
Pat Yoshitsugu Murosako I tell my students not to try to be too good right away, not to be overly ambitious.
Probably on the last day of my life I'll realize what Kendo's greatest lesson has been for me.
Keiko Fukuda An instructor needs patience, which is why we have to have love.
Yoshimitsu Takeyasu The final goal is to find the right method of living- to go through life the right way.
Mitsusuke Harada In the martial arts, in Budo, we search for a truth, a spirit, a mental attitude.
Eiji Yoshikawa The sword was to be far more than a simple weapon; it had to be an answer to life's questions.
Yamada Jirokichi The way of the sword and the way of Zen are identical, for they have the same purpose- that of killing the ego.
Iwakura Yoshinori If you seek mastery of the sword, seek first sincerity of the heart, for the former is a reflection of the latter.
Miyamoto Musashi It is said that the way of the warrior is the twofold way of the pen and the sword.
Shuuryu Suzuki The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, and to let things go as they go.
Confucius Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising every time we fall.
Daichi The sky disintegrates and turns to dust, the great Earth becomes peaceful, no one can see it. Abruptly, the dry tree opens its one flower. Calling to another spring, beyond history.
A Japanese Proverb Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.
Michael Noire What is it we have weaknesses for? When others do not share these weaknesses? Some give talk of cosmic balance, and others of life. Here then, perhaps, there is wisdom. Our weaknesses are to teach us Humility. For Humility is the first thing any student can learn, before learning any wisdom. That is why we are born."
"Let me tell you a story, about a Man. I did not know this man personally.
He had many names over the span of his carreer, but after a while, most people began to call him "The Master" or to say Sensei. This is interesting, for there is a saying, even cited by famous Actors...
"Once somebody is a Sensei, it is proper protocol to refer to them as Sensei, whether it is on the mats or off the mats, they are always Sensei. However, protocol also says that if you do not respect that person as Sensei, never call him Sensei, not once not ever. "
Therefore, I could only conclude that this wanderer had gained a great amount of respect, from everyone he knew. Well, as the story goes, during his travels, he came upon a Student with green hair. His name was Agari. He was very small, and very fast, but very prideful. Agari took to following the Master through the wilderness and through the cities of lost civilizations and strange Oni and Demons.
One day, while Agari was travelling, a powerful weapon master came upon him, and challenged him. The weapon master was conflicted within himself, and held back from a killing blow against Agari. So Agari took the opportunity to kill him, and then gloat in the bloodlust of his victory....
So, the Sensei, or 'Master' seeing this, turned to Agari, and challenged him, right then and there. Yet something was different. The master dropped all of his weapons save for a crudely forged mockery of a wakazashi. He then blind folded himself, and wielded the weapon with his off hand. Agari at first refused, fearing his sudden death from the man who he knew had NEVER been defeated. Yet the Master would not let him back out of the fight, blind, poorly armed, and disoriented, the Master engaged Agari in battle. And Agari won. Yes... Agari did win the battle. He used his most powerful technique he had mastered, yet the Master faught as if there were no techniques. He faught with half his strength and a fraction of his speed, like a common student, blind folded. And he lost.
Agari then shouted for joy that he had defeated the Master, yet the entire crowd looked at him, in shock, with bitter disgust, and shame. Agari lost what shred of Honor he had that day, and he knew it. The master had won, for the Master was Sensei. His weapon was to teach. Once a Sensei, they are always a Sensei.
Agari lived the rest of his life in shame, attempting forever to live down his hollow victories, and vanity, doomed to walk the Earth in atonement.
Debra-Ann Pine Our ancestors are watching to see if we will make a life for those yet unborn and teach the care of our Mother Earth to all races of man.
Pablo Picasso Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
King Lear Poor naked wretches, weresoe'er you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, Your loop'd and windows'd raggedness, defend you From seasons such as these? O, I have ta'en too little care of this! Take physic, pomp; Expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, That thou mayst shake the superflux to them And show the heavens more just.
Gosen Waka Shuu To tell others that It is a rumor Will not do. When your own heart asks, How will you respond?
C.S. Lewis There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, "Thy will be done." and those to whom God says, "All right, then, have it your way."
Theodore Roosevelt To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
Thomas Jefferson Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
A democracy is nothing more than an angry mob, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.
Immanuel Kant Democracy is necessarily despotism, as it establishes an executive power contrary to the general will; all being able to decide against one whose opinion may differ, the will of all is therefore not that of all: which is contradictory and opposite to liberty.
I am never to act otherwise than so that I could also will that my maxim should become a universal law.
George Orwell War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength.
Matthew 5:44 - 45(NRSV) But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you, so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
Somerset Maugham The ability to quote is a serviceable substitute for wit.
Koji Murasame · Mon Nov 08, 2004 @ 06:23pm · 1 Comments |
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