I have no parents: I make the heavens and the 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 with my talent. I have no friends: I make my mind my friend. I have no enemy: I make carelessness my enemy. I have no armour: I make benevolence and righteousness my armour. I have no castle: I make immovable mind my castle. I have no sword: I make absence of self my sword.
~ Anonymous Samurai 14th Century