Yoshida Shoin Quotes
1830–1859 Japan
Yoshida Shoin (吉田 松陰 Yoshida Shōin, September 20, 1830 – November 21, 1859) was a Japanese scholar, military and political philosopher and teacher.
- Japan
- Academics
- Educators
- Philosophers
- Politicians
Also known as: Shoin, Yoshida
Random Yoshida Shoin quote
11 quotes
If Heaven does not completely abandon this land of the Gods, there must be an uprising of grass-roots heroes.
If the body dies, it does no harm to the mind, but if the mind dies, one can no longer act as a man even though the body survives.
Life and death, union and separation, follow hard upon one another. Nothing is steadfast but the will, nothing endures but one's achievements. These alone count in life.
To consider oneself different from ordinary men is wrong, but it is right to hope that one will not remain like ordinary men.
Once the will is resolved, one’s spirit is strengthened. Even a peasant's will is hard to deny, but a samurai of resolute will can sway ten thousand men.
What is important in a leader is a resolute will and determination. A man may be versatile and learned, but if he lacks resoluteness and determination, of what use will he be?
If, on the contrary, arms are taken up in a selfish struggle to win land, goods, people, and the implements of war, is it not the worst of all evils, the most heinous of all offenses?
It seems hopeless, hopeless. Those who eat meat [at public expense] are a mean, selfish lot, and so the country is doomed. Our only hope lies in the grass-roots folk who eat our traditional food.
Once a man’s will is set, he need no longer rely on others or expect anything from the world. His vision encompasses Heaven and earth, past and present, and the tranquility of his heart is undisturbed.
As things stand now the feudal lords are content to look on while the shogunate carries on in a highhanded manner. Neither the lords nor the shogun can be depended upon, and so our only hope lies in grass-roots heroes.
One who aspires to greatness should read and study, pursuing the True Way with such a firm resolve that he is perfectly straightforward and open, rises above the superficialities of conventional behavior, and refuses to be satisfied with the petty or commonplace.