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Samurai Credo

  I have no parents:

 I make heaven and earth my parents.

  I have no homeland:...

I make mindfulness my homeland.
  I have no life or death:

  I make breathing my life and death.

  I have no divine power:
 I make honesty my divine power.

   I have no means:
 I make understanding my means.
  I have no magic secret.
 I make character my magic secret.
  I have no body:
 I make endurance my body.
  I have no eyes:
 I make panoramic awareness my eyes.
  I have no ears:
 I make sensibility my ears.
  I have no limbs:
 I make promptness my limbs.
  I have no strategy:
 I make non-thought my strategy.
  I have no attachments.
 I make precise action my attachments.
  I have no miracles:
 I make right-timing my miracles.
  I have no principles.
 I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.
  I have no tactics:
 I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.
  I have no talents:
 I make right-speech my talent.
  I have no friends.
 I make my clarity my friend.
I have no enemy:
 I make ignorance my enemy.
  I have no armor:
 I make compassion and courage my armor.
  I have no castle:
 I make immovable-mind my castle.
  I have no sword:
 I make absence of self my sword.

 

— Anonymous samurai, 14th century