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.

There was once a man in China who liked pictures of dragons. His clothing and his furniture were therefore accordingly adorned with dragons. This deep affection for their kind was brought to the attention of the Dragon Lord, who one day sent a real dragon to stand outside the man's window. It is said that he probably died of fright.

When confronted with two alternatives, life and death, one is to choose death without hesitation.

By the Way of the warrior is meant death. The Way of the warrior is death. This means choosing death whenever there is a choice between life and death. It means nothing more than this. It means to see things through, being resolved.

Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day one should meditate on being carried away by surging waves, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease.

There is no greater solitude than that of the samurai unless it is that of the tiger in the jungle... Perhaps...