--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The samurais were very interested in Zen…" description: "\"The samurais were very interested in Zen because they admired the tremendous precision that the Zen Masters had, their lack of fear and pain and their ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg" --- # The samurais were very interested in Zen because they… ![“The samurais were very interested in Zen because they admired the tremendous precision that the Zen Masters had, their lack of fear and pain and their absolute lack of fear of death.” quote by Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg) > “The samurais were very interested in Zen because they admired the tremendous precision that the Zen Masters had, their lack of fear and pain and their absolute lack of fear of death.” [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Samurai admired Zen for its precise mastery, fearlessness, and acceptance of death, which enhanced their combat discipline. **In simple terms:** Zen teaches calm precision and fearlessness. Key Takeaway Practice mindfulness for mastery. Themes discipline mindfulness martial arts Mood reflective focused serene Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - Military training - sports performance - high‑pressure decision making Key Concepts Zen philosophy combat readiness Questions to Reflect On - How does fearlessness affect performance? - Can mindfulness replace physical training? A Different Perspective Zen may not address all practical combat variables. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Athletics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/athletics/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-of-death/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Precision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precision/) [Samurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/samurai/) [Zen master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zen-master/) ## Related quotes > [You have to begin to develop a repertory of jokes, multi-plane spiritual jokes, the sort of things the Zen masters tell each other when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-have-to-begin-to-develop-a-repertory-of-jokes-multi-plane/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When I go visit my brother monks in Japan and sit down with other Zen Masters, they look at my crazy clothes and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/when-i-go-visit-my-brother-monks-in-japan-and-sit-down-with-other-zen/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The samurais lived with death constantly. They wore a short dagger to take their own life if need be. At any moment they might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-samurais-lived-with-death-constantly-they-wore-a-short-dagger-to/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [As the Japanese Zen masters say, “Don't seek the truth; just drop your opinions”. Drop your theories; don't seek the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/as-the-japanese-zen-masters-say-don-t-seek-the-truth-just-drop-your/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Zen masters say you cannot see your reflection in running water, only in still water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/zen-masters-say-you-cannot-see-your-reflection-in-running-water-only/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The Zen masters have the right idea-no pain no gain: thwack a silly nebbish and he'll remember it far longer and more indelibly than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-smith/the-zen-masters-have-the-right-idea-no-pain-no-gain-thwack-a-silly/) [Kenny Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-smith/) > [How many Zen masters does it take to screw in a light bulb? The plum tree in the garden!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/how-many-zen-masters-does-it-take-to-screw-in-a-light-bulb-the-plum/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/i-have-lived-with-several-zen-masters-all-of-them-cats/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [If you want to travel the Way of Buddhas and Zen masters, then expect nothing, seek nothing, and grasp nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-travel-the-way-of-buddhas-and-zen-masters-then-expect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I got interested in Zen when I was a teenage beatnik on the streets of San Francisco. And it was my interest in Zen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-hamill/i-got-interested-in-zen-when-i-was-a-teenage-beatnik-on-the-streets/) [Sam Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-hamill/) > [I've always been in love with samurais, that kind of classic idea about a hero who has a sword with an intense skill and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/i-ve-always-been-in-love-with-samurais-that-kind-of-classic-idea/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [Hit Japan and I'm instagram camera shy. Samurais. Fucking up a Jerm beat. Teach you how to vandalize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-miller/hit-japan-and-i-m-instagram-camera-shy-samurais-fucking-up-a-jerm/) [Mac Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-miller/) > [Naturally, the Zen Master Rama philosophy is to have a high state of awareness and material success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/naturally-the-zen-master-rama-philosophy-is-to-have-a-high-state-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [There are two primary ways of studying Zen. Either an individual will enter into a Zen monastery and study with a Zen master there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-two-primary-ways-of-studying-zen-either-an-individual-will/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The majority of the ten thousand states of mind cannot be discussed. It is rather a question of teaching a person to step outside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-majority-of-the-ten-thousand-states-of-mind-cannot-be-discussed/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Frederick Lenz > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Karma means changing planes of reality or changing fields of attention. There will be perhaps a resulting physical action stemming from the change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-means-changing-planes-of-reality-or-changing-fields-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Why waste your time being around people who drag you down? You don't live forever, at least in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/why-waste-your-time-being-around-people-who-drag-you-down-you-don-t/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Explore all 4,399 Frederick Lenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. But there is perfect injustice, and we know it when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-is-no-perfect-justice-just-as-there-is-no-absolute-in-ethics/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [If you live in a material universe where acquiring things is very important to you, then family is an absolute deterrent to maintaining that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/if-you-live-in-a-material-universe-where-acquiring-things-is-very/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [ Their \[the U.S.’s\] defense budget in absolute figures is almost 25 times bigger than Russia’s. This is what in defense is referred to as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/their-the-u-s-s-defense-budget-in-absolute-figures-is-almost-25-times/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Conservative political opinion in America cleaves to the tradition of the judge as passive interpreter, believing that his absolute loyalty to authoritative law is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/learned-hand/conservative-political-opinion-in-america-cleaves-to-the-tradition-of/) [Learned Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/learned-hand/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“The Gods know what it is to be eternal, and they love to toy with mortals who use absolutes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/the-gods-know-what-it-is-to-be-eternal-and-they-love-to-toy-with/) [Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [I was asked the other day if I would be interested in the Nobel Prize, but I think that for me it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-was-asked-the-other-day-if-i-would-be-interested-in-the-nobel-prize/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [The only "definitive truth" for Buddhism is the absolute negation of any one truth as the Definitive Truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-only-definitive-truth-for-buddhism-is-the-absolute-negation-of/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [The nature of the Absolute is neither perceptible nor imperceptible; and with phenomena it is just the same. But to one who has discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huangbo-xiyun/the-nature-of-the-absolute-is-neither-perceptible-nor-imperceptible/) [Huangbo Xiyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huangbo-xiyun/) > [Joining a company is an act that calls for absolute loyalty in big matters and little ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson/joining-a-company-is-an-act-that-calls-for-absolute-loyalty-in-big/) [Thomas Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson/) > [In fine, a life of good or evil, the hope of Heaven or the despair of Hell, Faustus stands as a reminder that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-fine-a-life-of-good-or-evil-the-hope-of-heaven-or-the-despair-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,016 Absolutes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The samurais were very interested in Zen because they admired the tremendous precision that the Zen Masters had, their lack of fear and pain and their absolute lack of fear of death.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Lenz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen-because-they-admired-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Absolutes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen-because-they-admired-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/acb/frederick-lenz-8_absolutes_the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen_959715.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The samurais were very interested in Zen because they admired the tremendous precision that the Zen Masters…” — Frederick Lenz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frederick Lenz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The samurais were very interested in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen-because-they-admired-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-samurais-were-very-interested-in-zen-because-they-admired-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```