I recently decided to reread my copy of Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo (I have the William Scott Wilson translation) and in reading the Foreward I discovered that it’s an abridged version. William Scott Wilson decided only to publish about 300 of the roughly 1300 passages in the actual Hagakure. Mister Wilson has done a very good job of choosing ~300 exceptional passages, but it leaves me wanting. I have my principles (some eccentric) and I don’t like reading books in an abridged form.
As a further note, I have looked to see if there are any unabridged copies in English and come up with nothing. I was also unable to locate any complete copies in the original Japanese (though this may be my fault and not due to their non-existence).
I thought I was the only one I’ve been looking for all 1300 entries for almost a year now and have come up with the same 0!
I have been looking for a passage of from this book in its original text. It is from the second chapter:
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There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man’s whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment .
Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it were somewhere else. No one seems to have noticed this fact. But grasping this firmly, one must pile experience upon experience. And once one has come to this understanding he will be a different person from that point on, though he may not always bear it in mind.
When one understands this settling into single-mindedness well, his affairs will thin out. Loyalty is also contained within this single-mindedness.
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Does anyone have this section in original text or know of some sites I can go to find it?
Thanks for your help.