Bigg Elephant

“To speak of things that are important to a Samurai in their order of importance, the first is to commit one’s life unstintingly to one’s lord. As for what one should do over and above that, inwardly, one should fully develop oneself in the virtues of wisdom (chi) fellow feeling (jin) and courage(yu). It appears for an ordinary person to be fully developed in all three virtues is not possible, but actually it is easy. Wisdom is nothing more than to discuss things with others. There is an inexhaustible wisdom in this. Fellow feelings means to act with the view  to the benefit of others. One simply needs to compare oneself with others and always choose what will be good for the other person. Courage means to grit one’s teeth. All one needs to do is grit one’s teeth and, without thinking of before and after, charge forward resolutely until the thing is done. I know of no way of holding one’s mind that is better than this.”