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BUSHIDO Quotes
BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
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Bohdi Sanders16 ratings, 4.62 average rating, 2 reviews
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BUSHIDO Quotes
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“When someone stabs you in the back and then apologizes, accept the apology, but don't give him the knife back to do it again!”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“Train to be able to defend yourself against any attack, and at the same time, retain your good heart towards other people. Don't allow bad people to turn your heart hard, but always be ready to defend yourself should you have to.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“Don’t train to be ordinary; train to be extraordinary. You have to go beyond the ordinary in order to become extraordinary. You must develop a style that works for you.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“Be independent of the opinions of others. Don’t be easily influenced by what they say or what they believe. You have to take the time to meditate on what you know is right and wrong. Know what your code of ethics is and do not allow the arguments of others to cause you to doubt what you know is right. You must remain true to your convictions, even if everyone else disagrees with you.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“I am not a warrior because I know what to do in a fight. I am a warrior because I know how to behave in every situation.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“Don't allow anyone to do your thinking for you. Think for yourself and live YOUR LIFE by YOUR RULES, not someone else's rules.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“The man who does not plan for the future will come to regret it.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“December 21
Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. Ralph Waldo Emerson The warrior has to trust his instinct, even if it goes against what everyone else thinks is right. Warriors must be able to count on their own sense of right and wrong, and be able to choose the right course of action. This only comes with time. You have to develop confidence in your own intuition. Your intuition will not lead you in the wrong direction, but you do have to learn how to listen to it. A few years back my wife and I were both teaching school in a small school district in Missouri. We were not happy there and wanted to get back to the Rocky Mountains, but couldn’t find teaching positions for the both of us in the same area. The choice was for us to stay where we were or just pick up, pack a truck, and move back to Colorado without any jobs. Now this would seem like an obvious choice to most people – keep your job. But we decided to listen to our instinct instead and stepped out on a limb. Our instinct told us it was time to go, so we packed a truck and moved to Colorado with no job prospects. Everyone who knew us thought that this was a ridiculous decision, but we felt it was right. In the end, we both found great jobs and everything worked out for the best. We listened to that inner voice instead of all the outside voices and outside reasoning, even though what our intuition was telling us seemed to be the unwise move to make. Always trust your instinct, even when you can’t figure out the logic behind it. I trust my intuition and it always guides me right.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. Ralph Waldo Emerson The warrior has to trust his instinct, even if it goes against what everyone else thinks is right. Warriors must be able to count on their own sense of right and wrong, and be able to choose the right course of action. This only comes with time. You have to develop confidence in your own intuition. Your intuition will not lead you in the wrong direction, but you do have to learn how to listen to it. A few years back my wife and I were both teaching school in a small school district in Missouri. We were not happy there and wanted to get back to the Rocky Mountains, but couldn’t find teaching positions for the both of us in the same area. The choice was for us to stay where we were or just pick up, pack a truck, and move back to Colorado without any jobs. Now this would seem like an obvious choice to most people – keep your job. But we decided to listen to our instinct instead and stepped out on a limb. Our instinct told us it was time to go, so we packed a truck and moved to Colorado with no job prospects. Everyone who knew us thought that this was a ridiculous decision, but we felt it was right. In the end, we both found great jobs and everything worked out for the best. We listened to that inner voice instead of all the outside voices and outside reasoning, even though what our intuition was telling us seemed to be the unwise move to make. Always trust your instinct, even when you can’t figure out the logic behind it. I trust my intuition and it always guides me right.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“December 19
Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Aesop As a warrior, you have to see things as they really are, not just as they appear to be. The majority of people are moved by hollow appearances of things. Just look at how many people actually believe the empty campaign rhetoric spewed out by politicians each year. Rational people realize that these politicians are little more than pandering liars, but people still vote for them. It is disgraceful! Don’t be like the sheep that just go along, believing whatever is presented to them as the truth. Look beyond the shadow and see the substance that is casting the shadow. It is easy to lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Fish never see the hook, only the bait. You have to remain aware. Don’t be conned. Don’t allow your attention to be side tracked to the shadow, while the substance goes unnoticed. This is what seems to happen to the majority of the people; they focus on the shadow instead of the physical reality. The substance of your martial arts is self-defense and character training. The shadows are tournaments, perfecting your forms, points, decorum, or anything that distracts you from your true objectives. I’m not saying that all of these things do not have a place in the martial arts, but the warrior must never mistake these things for the actual purpose of his training. Don’t be caught striving to appear to be a warrior, be a warrior. Cultivate the root and the leaves and branches will take care of themselves. I always look at the reality behind the shadow.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Aesop As a warrior, you have to see things as they really are, not just as they appear to be. The majority of people are moved by hollow appearances of things. Just look at how many people actually believe the empty campaign rhetoric spewed out by politicians each year. Rational people realize that these politicians are little more than pandering liars, but people still vote for them. It is disgraceful! Don’t be like the sheep that just go along, believing whatever is presented to them as the truth. Look beyond the shadow and see the substance that is casting the shadow. It is easy to lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Fish never see the hook, only the bait. You have to remain aware. Don’t be conned. Don’t allow your attention to be side tracked to the shadow, while the substance goes unnoticed. This is what seems to happen to the majority of the people; they focus on the shadow instead of the physical reality. The substance of your martial arts is self-defense and character training. The shadows are tournaments, perfecting your forms, points, decorum, or anything that distracts you from your true objectives. I’m not saying that all of these things do not have a place in the martial arts, but the warrior must never mistake these things for the actual purpose of his training. Don’t be caught striving to appear to be a warrior, be a warrior. Cultivate the root and the leaves and branches will take care of themselves. I always look at the reality behind the shadow.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“December 11
My enemy is not the man who wrongs me, but the man who means to wrong me. Democritus Every enemy has the capability to disrupt your life, some in a small way and others to a much larger capacity, but not many of them go to the effort to cause you harm. The fact that you don’t openly see enemies attacking you physically, verbally or discreetly behind your back, doesn’t mean that you do not have any enemies. It simply means that your enemies are not malevolent enough or energetic enough to make the effort to cause you harm, but their lack of effort should not be mistaken for a lack of malevolence toward you. As Democritus taught, just because a man does you no harm, it doesn’t mean he is not your enemy. You have to look deeper than that. You have to read between the lines. Your enemy is not only the man who wrongs you, but also the man who longs to see you wronged. He is the man who is happy when you are hit with misfortune, the man who celebrates your downfall. Your enemy is the person who wishes you calamity, even if he doesn’t have the courage to openly state the fact or to actually try to act on it. Be careful who you trust. You don’t always know who your enemies are. They are not always those who openly oppose you. The enemies of a good man are usually not men of character and backbone. They are more likely to be men of low character who lack the courage to openly come against you. Instead, they find it easier to simply sit back and think malicious thoughts of your ruin. Be wise and learn to read people’s spirits. Be careful who you trust. I always guard myself well. No enemy can hurt me!”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
My enemy is not the man who wrongs me, but the man who means to wrong me. Democritus Every enemy has the capability to disrupt your life, some in a small way and others to a much larger capacity, but not many of them go to the effort to cause you harm. The fact that you don’t openly see enemies attacking you physically, verbally or discreetly behind your back, doesn’t mean that you do not have any enemies. It simply means that your enemies are not malevolent enough or energetic enough to make the effort to cause you harm, but their lack of effort should not be mistaken for a lack of malevolence toward you. As Democritus taught, just because a man does you no harm, it doesn’t mean he is not your enemy. You have to look deeper than that. You have to read between the lines. Your enemy is not only the man who wrongs you, but also the man who longs to see you wronged. He is the man who is happy when you are hit with misfortune, the man who celebrates your downfall. Your enemy is the person who wishes you calamity, even if he doesn’t have the courage to openly state the fact or to actually try to act on it. Be careful who you trust. You don’t always know who your enemies are. They are not always those who openly oppose you. The enemies of a good man are usually not men of character and backbone. They are more likely to be men of low character who lack the courage to openly come against you. Instead, they find it easier to simply sit back and think malicious thoughts of your ruin. Be wise and learn to read people’s spirits. Be careful who you trust. I always guard myself well. No enemy can hurt me!”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“December 8
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. Thomas Mann How does a man of action think? Well, to start with, he thinks about what can be done to solve the problem at hand or to make things better. The man of action is a go-getter. He doesn’t wait to see what others think or depend on others to step up while he minds his own business. The man of action wants to get things done and make things right. His thoughts center on accomplishing his goals, and doing so in the most efficient manner possible. “Do it now and do it right” is his mantra. The man of thought on the other hand, likes to think things through before he makes a move. He examines all the possible outcomes of his actions and tries to see the situation from all sides. Realizing that there is more to most things than meets the eye, he delves deeper into things in order to develop a true understanding of them. He searches for the truth so he can make decisions based on facts rather than emotions. Justice and honor are foremost on his mind. The warrior should find balance between the traits of the two types of men. Think like a man of action, but act like a man of thought. Be ready for action and know what action is needed should things come to that, but at the same time, be calm, collected and rational like a man of thought. Think things through before you speak or act. Don’t be rash. Integrate these traits into one and find a sense of balance between the two. A calm, rational mind which is always ready for action is a trait of the true warrior. I think like a man of action. I act like a man of thought.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. Thomas Mann How does a man of action think? Well, to start with, he thinks about what can be done to solve the problem at hand or to make things better. The man of action is a go-getter. He doesn’t wait to see what others think or depend on others to step up while he minds his own business. The man of action wants to get things done and make things right. His thoughts center on accomplishing his goals, and doing so in the most efficient manner possible. “Do it now and do it right” is his mantra. The man of thought on the other hand, likes to think things through before he makes a move. He examines all the possible outcomes of his actions and tries to see the situation from all sides. Realizing that there is more to most things than meets the eye, he delves deeper into things in order to develop a true understanding of them. He searches for the truth so he can make decisions based on facts rather than emotions. Justice and honor are foremost on his mind. The warrior should find balance between the traits of the two types of men. Think like a man of action, but act like a man of thought. Be ready for action and know what action is needed should things come to that, but at the same time, be calm, collected and rational like a man of thought. Think things through before you speak or act. Don’t be rash. Integrate these traits into one and find a sense of balance between the two. A calm, rational mind which is always ready for action is a trait of the true warrior. I think like a man of action. I act like a man of thought.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“December 3
Only one who continually reexamines himself and corrects his faults will grow. The Hagakure Anyone seeking to perfect his character has to continually examine himself in order to correct the things in his life that need to be corrected. All men have faults. Every man has his own personal shortcomings, yes, even the best trained warriors and men of honor have faults that they need to continually keep in check and correct. This is just part of being human. One of the differences between the warrior and other men is that he continually tries to correct his faults, instead of just ignoring them. He is not satisfied allowing them to control his life or parts of his life. He continually examines himself and molds his life in the way that he knows he should live. Every morning, recall the code that you strive to live by, and every night reflect on whether or not you have been successful in living up to your code of honor. Look for ways in which you have fallen short in your quest and determine what you should have done differently, and know that you will handle that situation differently the next time. Strive to improve your life and your character every day. Little by little your character will be perfected, just as drop by drop the water wears away the stone. Be patient with yourself and continue with your quest. Successes, whether in the warrior lifestyle or any other endeavor, consist of not giving up. Don’t quit, just continue to press on with each new day. Every day is a new chance to start with a clean slate. I reexamine myself regularly and correct my faults.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Only one who continually reexamines himself and corrects his faults will grow. The Hagakure Anyone seeking to perfect his character has to continually examine himself in order to correct the things in his life that need to be corrected. All men have faults. Every man has his own personal shortcomings, yes, even the best trained warriors and men of honor have faults that they need to continually keep in check and correct. This is just part of being human. One of the differences between the warrior and other men is that he continually tries to correct his faults, instead of just ignoring them. He is not satisfied allowing them to control his life or parts of his life. He continually examines himself and molds his life in the way that he knows he should live. Every morning, recall the code that you strive to live by, and every night reflect on whether or not you have been successful in living up to your code of honor. Look for ways in which you have fallen short in your quest and determine what you should have done differently, and know that you will handle that situation differently the next time. Strive to improve your life and your character every day. Little by little your character will be perfected, just as drop by drop the water wears away the stone. Be patient with yourself and continue with your quest. Successes, whether in the warrior lifestyle or any other endeavor, consist of not giving up. Don’t quit, just continue to press on with each new day. Every day is a new chance to start with a clean slate. I reexamine myself regularly and correct my faults.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“December 1
Because a human being is so malleable, whatever one cultivates is what one becomes. Lao Tzu Lao Tzutells us in theTao Te Ching,that whatever you cultivate, whatever you practice, you become. You have to be careful of your thoughts and your actions. Your thoughts become your actions, your actions become your habits, and your habits become your character. Be aware of what kind of character traits you are cultivating and make sure that they are the character traits of a warrior. If you have cultivated something in your garden that you don’t want growing there, take steps to remove it from the roots. Keep your garden weed free. Don’t keep the weeds under control, remove them. Science tells us that it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days for something to become a habit. That is, if you want to make something a part of your life, practice it for 30 to 45 days, without skipping a day. This fixes that behavior in your mind and causes it to become a habit. It doesn’t matter what the behavior is. Your mind and body do not discriminate. They will accept whatever you decide to cultivate. For this reason it is important that you carefully consider your actions, especially the actions which are part of your daily routine. Bad habits are easy to develop; quality habits take more discipline, at least in the beginning. After something becomes a habit, it takes very little effort to continue to make it part of your life. It becomes natural and essentially automatic. This is the point that you want to reach in your character training, as well as the other vital parts of the warrior lifestyle. I cultivate courage, honor, and integrity.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Because a human being is so malleable, whatever one cultivates is what one becomes. Lao Tzu Lao Tzutells us in theTao Te Ching,that whatever you cultivate, whatever you practice, you become. You have to be careful of your thoughts and your actions. Your thoughts become your actions, your actions become your habits, and your habits become your character. Be aware of what kind of character traits you are cultivating and make sure that they are the character traits of a warrior. If you have cultivated something in your garden that you don’t want growing there, take steps to remove it from the roots. Keep your garden weed free. Don’t keep the weeds under control, remove them. Science tells us that it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days for something to become a habit. That is, if you want to make something a part of your life, practice it for 30 to 45 days, without skipping a day. This fixes that behavior in your mind and causes it to become a habit. It doesn’t matter what the behavior is. Your mind and body do not discriminate. They will accept whatever you decide to cultivate. For this reason it is important that you carefully consider your actions, especially the actions which are part of your daily routine. Bad habits are easy to develop; quality habits take more discipline, at least in the beginning. After something becomes a habit, it takes very little effort to continue to make it part of your life. It becomes natural and essentially automatic. This is the point that you want to reach in your character training, as well as the other vital parts of the warrior lifestyle. I cultivate courage, honor, and integrity.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“November 30
Hear all sides and you will be enlightened. Hear one side and you will be in the dark. Wei Zheng Everyone perceives things through their own lens. There are very few people who can give you an unbiased opinion on any subject. If you have five people who witness a fight, you will get five different accounts of what happened, maybe not on the main points, but they will differ concerning the details. For this reason, it is always wise to hear all sides of the story before you form any opinions. True life court shows on television demonstrate this fact. They will go through the evidence and present the prosecution’s side of the case, and you think to yourself, “this guy is guilty as sin,” but when the defense presents their case, many times you start to see things in a different light. Don’t be too quick to form a decision. Once you have heard all sides of the issue, then you can form your opinion concerning the matter at hand. Strive to see things as they really are, not as they appear. Look for the truth. Too many people make decisions without having all of the pertinent information needed to come to a wise conclusion. Without all the information, you’re just guessing. Don’t be too quick to totally trust the information that you receive from someone else. Trust but verify. Don’t be duped, hear all sides before you make important decisions. Make sure that what you think is truly what you think, and not simply someone else’s thoughts which have been seeded in your mind. I hear all sides before I act.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Hear all sides and you will be enlightened. Hear one side and you will be in the dark. Wei Zheng Everyone perceives things through their own lens. There are very few people who can give you an unbiased opinion on any subject. If you have five people who witness a fight, you will get five different accounts of what happened, maybe not on the main points, but they will differ concerning the details. For this reason, it is always wise to hear all sides of the story before you form any opinions. True life court shows on television demonstrate this fact. They will go through the evidence and present the prosecution’s side of the case, and you think to yourself, “this guy is guilty as sin,” but when the defense presents their case, many times you start to see things in a different light. Don’t be too quick to form a decision. Once you have heard all sides of the issue, then you can form your opinion concerning the matter at hand. Strive to see things as they really are, not as they appear. Look for the truth. Too many people make decisions without having all of the pertinent information needed to come to a wise conclusion. Without all the information, you’re just guessing. Don’t be too quick to totally trust the information that you receive from someone else. Trust but verify. Don’t be duped, hear all sides before you make important decisions. Make sure that what you think is truly what you think, and not simply someone else’s thoughts which have been seeded in your mind. I hear all sides before I act.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“November 29
Lay down for yourself, at the outset, a certain stamp and type of character for yourself which you are to maintain whether you are by yourself or are meeting with people. Epictetus You may be thinking that it must be exhausting having to make all these decisions every day concerning what is right and what is wrong, as you walk the path of the warrior. But that is really not the way it is. The warrior does not have to mentally debate every issue that comes along to decide which action is right or wrong. The issue of how the warrior will live has already been decided. He has already set the standards that he will live by, and he knows what he stands for and what he will not stand for. These decisions have already been made. What the warriormust do on a daily basis isactually liveby the standards that he has set for himself. He knows what is right and what is wrong, and he knows that it is his duty to maintain his character and to have the courage to do what is right. His code is not for show. He doesn’t use it to impress people. It is his way of life. It is who he is. The warrior knows all of this. All that is left for him to do is to put all these things into action. Whether he is alone or with others, he must live up to his standards. He has determined the type of character that he wants for himself, and he knows in order to develop and maintain that character, he must make it a vital part of who he is, whether alone or with other people. Make a firm decision concerning how you will live your life, and stick to it. I decide what my character will be and I choose to be a warrior.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
Lay down for yourself, at the outset, a certain stamp and type of character for yourself which you are to maintain whether you are by yourself or are meeting with people. Epictetus You may be thinking that it must be exhausting having to make all these decisions every day concerning what is right and what is wrong, as you walk the path of the warrior. But that is really not the way it is. The warrior does not have to mentally debate every issue that comes along to decide which action is right or wrong. The issue of how the warrior will live has already been decided. He has already set the standards that he will live by, and he knows what he stands for and what he will not stand for. These decisions have already been made. What the warriormust do on a daily basis isactually liveby the standards that he has set for himself. He knows what is right and what is wrong, and he knows that it is his duty to maintain his character and to have the courage to do what is right. His code is not for show. He doesn’t use it to impress people. It is his way of life. It is who he is. The warrior knows all of this. All that is left for him to do is to put all these things into action. Whether he is alone or with others, he must live up to his standards. He has determined the type of character that he wants for himself, and he knows in order to develop and maintain that character, he must make it a vital part of who he is, whether alone or with other people. Make a firm decision concerning how you will live your life, and stick to it. I decide what my character will be and I choose to be a warrior.”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
“Rise from the ashes of the old year like the phoenix and become the person you truly want to be. Bohdi Sanders”
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
― BUSHIDO: The Way of the Warrior
