

                  CREED OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

           By an anonymous Samurai, fourteenth century



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 designs:  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 self my sword.

