Quotes from Eiji Yoshikawa

Great character is forged through hardships.

It is easy to crush an enemy outside oneself but impossible to defeat an enemy within.

Fighting isn't all there is to the Art of War. The men who think that way, and are satisfied to have food to eat and a place to sleep, are mere vagabonds. A serious student is much more concerned with training his mind and disciplining his spirit than with developing martial skills.

you're going to find people from all over the country, everyone hungry for money and position. You won't make a name for yourself just doing what the next man does. You'll have to distinguish yourself in some way.

I want to lead an important life. I want to do it because I was born a human being.

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 its depth?

Enemies were teachers in disguise.

Hold on to your life and make it honest and brave.

There's nothing more frightening than a half-baked do-gooder who knows nothing of the world but takes it upon himself to tell the world what's good for it.

Her only weapons were her tears.

Think what you like. There are people who die by remaining alive and others who gain life by dying.

bukan sekadar membaca, tetapi mempertemukan antara satu buku dengan yang lain, mempertemukan mereka dengan realitas lalu menemukan sintesis dan membuat tulisan kita sendiri.

Not only must a warrior be strong with his bow, but he must have a heart full of pity for all living creatures.

It is easy to surpass a predecessor, but difficult to avoid being surpassed by a successor.

Manusia ingin percaya bahwa mereka hidup dan bertindak berdasarkan kemauan mereka sendiri, namun pada kenyataannya mereka hanya dipaksa oleh keadaan.

You seem to be under the misconception that if you perform one brave deed, that alone makes you a samurai. Well it doesn't! You let that one act of loyalty convince you of your righteousness. The more convinced you became, the more harm you caused yourself and everyone else.

There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.

The greatest happiness of life was to stand at the difficult border between success and failure.

Don't yield! Keep up your courage! The same sun looks down on all of us!

Die? Then so be it.

The line between life and death is not thicker than an eyelid.

Orang yang benar-benar berani adalah yang mencintai hidup dan mendambakannya sebagai harta kekayaan yang sekali hilang takkan dapat ditemukan kembali.

Call them robbers and cutthroats--were they not amiable enough when they had sufficient to fill their bellies? Something was out of joint in a world that drove these men to steal.

It's no good to want to win still more when you have already won.