"A Warrior's Creed"


I have no parents:
 I make the heavens and Earth my parents.

I have no home: 
I make awareness my home.

I have no life or death: 
I make the tides of breathing my life and death.

I have no divine power:
 I make honesty my divine power.

I have no means: 
I make understanding my means.

I have no magic secrets:
 I make character my magic secret.

I have no body:
 I make endurance my body.

I have no eyes: 
I make the flash of lightning my eyes.

I have no ears: 
I make sensibility my ears.

I have no limbs:
 I make promptness my limbs.

I have no strategy: 
I make "unshadowed by thought" my strategy.

I have no design:
 I make "seizing opportunity by the forelock" my design.

I have no miracles:
 I make right action my miracles.

I have no principles: 
I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles.

I have no tactics:
 I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.

I have no talents:
 I make ready wit my talent.

I have no friends: 
I make my mind my friend.

I have no enemy: 
I make carelessness my enemy.

I have no armor:
 I make benevolence and righteousness my armor.

I have no castle:
 I make immovable mind my castle.

I have no sword: 
I make absence of mind my sword.

--Anonymous Samurai; 14th century