Zen is like soap. First you wash with it, and then you wash off the soap. Yamaoka Tesshu More Quotes by Yamaoka Tesshu More Quotes From Yamaoka Tesshu As a samurai, I must strengthen my character; as a human being I must perfect my spirit Yamaoka Tesshu samurai perfect character If you want to obtain the secrets of such wonderful techniques, drill yourself, harden yourself, undergo severe training, abandoned body and mind; follow this course for years and you will naturally reach the profoundest levels. To know if water is hot or cold you must taste it yourself. Yamaoka Tesshu secret water years Do not think that this is all there is. More and more wonderful teachings exist. Yamaoka Tesshu teaching truth thinking Thirst for victory leads to defeat; not tiring of defeat leads to victory. Yamaoka Tesshu tire defeat victory The world is wide, full of happenings. Keep this in mind and never believe 'I'm the onlyone who knows.' Yamaoka Tesshu truth mind believe The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the water think to reflect, in the Hirosawa Pond. Yamaoka Tesshu moon reality thinking