Hagakure Kikigaki (jp. 葉隠聞書, “Notes Hidden in the Leaves”) is a practical and spiritual warrior’s guide composed of the reflections of the samurai Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
Many of the prescriptions of bushido still apply to modern life, which is why some of its principles were adopted by both military and criminal structures, including the Yakuza.
To me, Hagakure feels like a treatise on bushido and at the same time like the advice of a wise father to his son.
I commented on some of the sayings, tried to describe them in a short phrase, or added my own subjective interpretation.
Learning
Once, when Lord Mitsushige was still a boy, the priest Kaion ordered him to read something from a book out loud. Then Lord Mitsushige called in other children and servants and said to them: “Please come and listen. It is hard to read when no one is listening.” The priest was moved and said to those present: “Here is an example of how everyone should act.”
Share knowledge. Do not waste effort for nothing.
In a person’s life there are stages in mastering a teaching. At the first stage, a person studies, but it leads nowhere, and so he considers himself and others inexperienced. Such a person is useless. At the second stage, he is still useless, but he is already aware of his own imperfection and sees the imperfection of others. At the third stage, he is proud of his abilities, glad to be praised by others, and saddened by the shortcomings of his friends. Such a person can already be useful. At the highest stage, a person looks as though he knows nothing. These are the general stages. But there is one more stage, more important than all the others. At this stage a person comprehends the endlessness of improvement on the Path and never thinks that he has arrived. He knows his flaws exactly and never thinks he has succeeded. He is free of pride and, thanks to humility, walks the Path to the end. It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked: “I do not know how to defeat others; I know how to defeat myself.” Study diligently all your life. Every day become more skillful than you were the day before, and the next day more skillful than today. Improvement has no end.
A modern truth written 300 years ago.
When the time comes, there is no time for reflection. And if you have not thought everything through beforehand, you will most likely disgrace yourself. Reading books and listening to other people is needed only so that you may fill yourself with resolve. Fill yourself with knowledge, gather resolve, and when it is time to act, act.
It is bad to attach yourself to one set of ideas. If you made an effort to understand something and then became satisfied with your understanding, you are mistaken. First you need to make sure you have understood the main thing, and then put it into practice. A person should act this way constantly. Never think you have reached the needed level of understanding. Always tell yourself: “This is not enough.”
If you have learned something, put it into practice, learn something new, and try to apply it.
A samurai picks his teeth with a toothpick even if he has eaten nothing.
Practice regularly.
The main principle of calligraphy is not to make careless movements, but because of that the brushstrokes can become awkward and constrained. One must go beyond that and learn to depart skillfully from the norm. This principle should guide other matters as well.
Knowing the rules and breaking them is one of the conditions of growth.
When you meet difficulties, you must rush forward boldly and joyfully. Overcoming obstacles one by one, you will act according to the saying: “The more water, the higher the ship.”
Samurai time management
Among the scrolls hanging on Lord Naoshige’s wall there was one that said: “Important matters should be treated lightly.” Seeing this scroll, Master Ittei added: “Trifling matters should be treated seriously.” Among human affairs, only one or two can be called important. They become clear if you think about them over the course of the day. The point is to think your matters through in advance and then deal with them lightly when the time comes. It is hard to deal with an event if you have not thought about it beforehand, because you can never be sure that you will succeed. But if you have thought everything through in advance, you will be guided by the principle: “Important matters should be treated lightly.”
What seems unimportant at first glance is often the most important thing. The non-obvious matters. You need to rethink a task’s value and think through the stages of carrying it out. There are not as many truly important tasks as it seems. Ludwig Bystronovsky has similar thoughts in his lecture “Interest and Importance. On Importance”.
People
During a meeting where one man was being nominated for a responsible position, it was decided that he did not deserve so high a post because once, during a drunken gathering, he had made a disgraceful scene. But someone objected: “If we reject everyone who has stumbled even once, we will most likely never find the right person. A man who has made only one mistake will be more cautious and principled, because he has repented. I believe this person should take the post.” “Do you vouch for him?” the others asked. “Yes, I do,” the speaker replied. “Why do you vouch for him?” they asked. “I vouch for him because he has made one mistake. A person who has never made a mistake is dangerous.” After that, the man was appointed.
Everyone makes mistakes, and the suspicious one is the person who never seems to.
Fifty or sixty years ago, every morning samurai would wash, shave their foreheads, oil their hair, trim the nails on their hands and feet, rub their hands and feet with pumice and then with wood sorrel, and generally do everything to look neat. Naturally, they gave special attention to their weapons as well: they wiped them down, polished them, and kept them in exemplary order.
Moreover, over the last thirty years customs have changed greatly. These days samurai gather only to talk about money, good purchases, new styles of clothing, and their love affairs. Old traditions are dying before our eyes.
Ha. In our times… and yet this was written 300 years ago. Same problems.
Therefore one should create such an ideal and imitate it. To do that, one must meet many people and take only the best from each of them. From one person, courtesy; from another, courage; from a third, eloquence; from a fourth, proper conduct; from a fifth, steadfastness of purpose.
Notice the qualities in other people that you would like to develop in yourself and learn from them.
Calm
If you are caught in the rain, you can take a useful lesson from it. If the rain begins unexpectedly, you do not want to get wet and so you run through the street toward home. But once you get home, you notice that you are wet anyway. If from the very beginning you decide not to hurry, you will still get wet, but you will not fuss. One should act the same way in other similar circumstances.
You are going to get wet either way. Whether you fuss or not is your choice.
Fall seven times, get up eight. The seriousness of illness and other misfortunes is determined by our attitude toward them. One may also single out three major outward manifestations of a person: appearance, manner of writing, and speech. An impeccable person is one who steps away from bustle. This must be done decisively. People are prone to losing the present moment and then searching for it as if it were somewhere far away. But it seems no one notices this. Be faithful to your present thought and do not let yourself be distracted. Instead of exhausting yourself with many thoughts, follow one thought, but allow it to change from moment to moment. A person should reflect daily on the words: “Now is the time.” He should try to engrave them on his mind.
Communication
Others will trap you if you lack resolve. Moreover, if you become distracted during a conversation, it may happen that someone asks you a question and you answer absentmindedly, “Of course, of course!” They may ask you about something you actually disagree with, but others will think you support it. Therefore you should not allow yourself to be distracted even for a moment during a conversation.
Be attentive in conversation. Do not agree with things you do not understand.
The rules of letter-writing require that you always answer a letter with a letter, even if your response is only a single line long. It is good when your letters carry a calm strength. Furthermore, do not forget what was said to the priest Ryozan when he was in the Kamigata area: “When you write a letter, write it in such a way that it would not be shameful to hang it on a wall.”
Good rules. They work for email too.
A person’s words are very important. They should not reveal the depth of the soul. A person’s soul is judged by everyday actions. I never started a conversation if the matter could be settled without words. And even when words were needed, I tried to put the force of ten ordinary words into each one. To surpass other people is nothing more than allowing them to speak about your affairs and carefully listening to their advice. Ordinary people cling to their own opinions and therefore rarely surpass others. And yet speaking with another person is one step toward surpassing them. When someone offers you an opinion, you should be deeply grateful, even if you do not need it. If you are not grateful, next time they will not tell you what people are saying about you. When close friends, well-wishers, or people to whom you owe something have done something wrong, you should speak to them about it in private, so that they can recover in the eyes of society. You should forget a person’s bad reputation and elevate them as your like-minded companion, as one worthy person among a thousand. If you speak to them privately, their mistake can be corrected, and afterward they will be more careful. If you praise that person publicly, people will change their attitude toward them and their bad reputation will soon be forgotten. It is important to act correctly and to treat people with compassion.
It matters not to scold publicly. A private conversation gives a person a chance to correct themselves without unnecessary pressure.
In the art of eloquence, the main thing is the ability to remain silent. If it seems to you that some matter can be handled without words, work without uttering a single one. If, however, words are needed, speak briefly and clearly.
Feedback
Expressing your opinion to people and correcting their mistakes is very important. Before telling a person what you think, consider whether they are capable of accepting it. To do that, first become closer to them and make sure they trust you. When speaking about things that matter to them, choose the right wording and do everything possible to make sure you are understood correctly. Depending on the circumstances, think through whether it is better to do this by letter or while parting. Praise the person’s good qualities and use any opportunity to support them. Perhaps you should speak about your own shortcomings without mentioning theirs directly, but in such a way that they begin to reflect on them themselves. Make sure they receive your advice the way a thirsty person receives water, and then your guidance will help them correct their mistakes.
This way of giving feedback resembles the “sandwich” principle. Negative feedback is easier to accept if you first highlight something good. Pointing to a problem through your own example makes it easier to gain goodwill and to be heard. A person’s own thoughts always feel truer than someone else’s.
Some suggest being strict with people, but I do not agree. It is known that fish will not live where there is only clear water. But if the water is covered with duckweed and other plants, fish will hide under them and multiply abundantly. Servants too will live more calmly if some sides of their lives are left without scrutiny. It is very important to understand this when evaluating people’s behavior.