Battle Quote by Kaiten Nukariya
““(O-yo-mei) won a splendid victory over the rebel army which threatened the throne of the Ming dynasty. During that warfare Wang was giving a course of lectures to a number of students at the headquarters of the army, of which he was the Commander-in-chief. At the very outset of the battle a messenger brought him the news of defeat of the foremost ranks. All the students were terror-stricken and grew pale at the unfortunate tidings, but the teacher was not a whit disturbed by it. Some time after another messenger brought in the news of complete rout of the enemy. All the students, enraptured, stood up and cheered, but he was as cool as before, and did not break off lecturing. Thus the practiser of Zen has so perfect control over his heart that he can keep presence of mind under an impending danger, even in the presence of death itself. [FN#240]””
About This Quote
A Zen master remains unshaken while his students panic over battle news, illustrating mastery of mind that stays calm even amid death.
In simple terms: The teacher kept teaching despite war news.
Key Takeaway
Inner composure transcends external chaos.
Themes
Zen
mindfulness
leadership
war
Mood
serenity
detachment
Type
parable
philosophical
When to use this quote
- crisis management
- military training
- meditation retreats
Key Concepts
detachment
mental discipline
Practical Applications
- practice steady focus under pressure
- model calm for teams
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders balance calm with compassionate response?
- What practices cultivate such equanimity?
A Different Perspective
Extreme calm may be misread as indifference, reducing empathy for those suffering.
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![“2. The Errors of Philosophical Pessimists and Religious Optimists. Philosophical pessimists[FN#214] maintain that there are on earth many more causes of pain than of pleasure; and that pain exists positively, but pleasure is a mere absence of pain because we are conscious of sickness but not of…” quote by Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/584/kaiten-nukariya-793_hope_2-the-errors-of-philosophical-pessimists_98837.jpg)
