The Samurai Quotes

“Nights at the marshland were deep. No one who had never experienced a night at the marshland could know the true meaning of darkness or the stillness of that darkness. Stillness was not the absence of sound. Stillness was the rustle of leaves in the grove at the back, the occasional shrill call of a bird, and the shadow of a man staring at tiny flames in a sunken hearth. As he stared at the ashes the samurai pondered Nishi’s words. ‘The world was very wide. But I can no longer believe in people.’ ”
― Shūsaku Endō, The Samurai

“I suppose that somewhere in the hearts of men, there’s a yearning for someone who will be with you throughout your life, someone who will never betray you, never leave you—even if that someone is just a sick, mangy dog. That man became just such a miserable dog for the sake of mankind.”
― Shūsaku Endō, The Samurai