More texts/random-gems from 'Hagakure - The Book of the Samurai' mentioned in Ghost Dog.
- When I was young I kept a 'Diary of Regret' and tried to record my mistakes day by day, but there was never a day when I didn't have twenty or thirty entries. As there was no end to it, I gave up. Even today, when I think about the day's affairs after going to bed, there is never a day when I do not make some blunder in speaking or in some activity. Living without mistakes is truly impossible. But this is something that people who live by cleverness have no inclination to think about.
- When reading something aloud, it is best to read from the belly. Reading from one's mouth, one's voice will not endure. This is Nakano Shikibu's teaching.
- Bravery and cowardice are not things that can be conjectured in times of peace. They are in different categories.