I do not know how to defeat others. All I know is the path to defeat myself. Today one must be better than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today.… - Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Bushido is realized in the presence of death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. There is no other reasoning.

Military affairs are not matters for one person alone, regardless of how useful he tries to be. Money is something that one can borrow from people, but a good man cannot suddenly be come by. One should sustain a man kindly and well from the first. And in having retainers it will not do to nourish oneself alone. If you divide what you have and feed your lower ranks, you will be able to hold good men.

Kai ta­vo pro­tas blaš­ko­si tai šen, tai ten, ap­mąs­ty­mai niekuomet ne­virs tei­sin­go­mis iš­va­do­mis. Tik bū­da­mas tvir­tos, skais­čios ir ne­mir­tin­gos dva­sios žmo­gus įstengs pro­tin­gai nuspręs­ti įkvė­pęs ir iš­kvė­pęs sep­ty­nis kar­tus. Ta­čiau tam jis pri­va­lo bū­ti ryž­tin­gas ir pa­si­ren­gęs nu­šluo­ti vi­sa sa­vam ke­ly­je.