"The Life-Giving Sword", por Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646)

Alguns excertos de um dos meus livros preferidos:


Do not read written works and think, "This is the Way."
Written works are like the gate to approach the Way. Thus, there are people who remain ignorant of the Way regardless of how much they have learned and how many Chinese characters they know. Though they face the pages and read as skillfully as though they were annotating from the ancients, they are ignorant of the truth and so do not make they Way their own. Nevertheless, is it quite difficult to approach the Way whithout studying. Still, one cannot say that a man embodies the Way simply because he has studied and speaks well. There are also people who are naturally in harmony with the Way and who have never studied at all
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When you beging to study, there is something in your mind; you are obstructed by that thing, and it becomes difficult to do anything at all. If you can clear from your mind those things you have learned, they too will become nothing; and when you preform the techniques in the various Ways, the techniques will come easily regardless of what you have learned and without being contrary to it. When you preform an action you will be in harmony with what you have learned, without even being aware of it.
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A lord may be accompanied by flatters who, when facing their superior, will put on the appearence of men of the Way; but when regarding their inferiors, will flash looks of anger.
If one does not curry favor with such men, good deeds will be reported as evil, the guiltless will suffer and the criminals will be praised.
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When you practice archery, if your mind is occupied with shooting the arrow, the shot will be disturbed, and will not be settled (smooth). If you are wielding the long sword, and your mind is fixed on wielding the sword, the sword will not move smoothly. The archer should forget about shooting the arrow, and shoot as he would doing nothing special. Then the shot will be smooth. When wielding the long sword, or riding a horse, do it as though you would not wield a sword or ride a horse. Stop doing everything, have an empty, everydays mind, even when you have lots of things to do, do it easily, smoothly. The man who has nothing on his heart is the man of the Way.