When Takuan had sentenced him to confinement, he had said, “You may read as much as you want. A famous priest of ancient times once said, ‘I become immersed in the sacred scriptures and read thousands of volumes. When I come away, I find that my heart sees more than before.

To him, any place could serve as home – more than that: wherever he happened to be was the universe.

It’s not just my body. I’m cold inside. Not disciplined properly. That’s what it is. I still long to cling to warm flesh, like a baby, and I give in too quickly to sentimentality. Because I’m alone, I feel sorry for myself and envy people who have nice warm houses. At heart, I’m base and mean! Why can’t I be thankful for independence and freedom to go where I choose? Why can’t I hold on to my ideals and my pride?

You’re safer out in the open than you are crouching in the woodshed listening for footsteps and going crazy.

If the young cannot harbor great dreams in their souls, who can?

There’s not much benefit in attacking an empty house.

Still, in a fight like that, you never know. There’s a superhuman element involved. All warriors have to face it; winning or losing is partly a matter of luck.

The world is always full of the sound of waves. The little fishes, abandoning themselves to the waves, dance and sing, and play, but who knows the heart of the sea, a hundred feet down? Who knows it depth?

If a man wanted to put the entire universe in his breast, he couldn’t do it with his chest stuck out.

If you trust me enough to tell me a secret, I certainly promise to keep it. Please speak freely, on any subject.