I have...

I have no parents: I make the heavens and 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
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 wit my talent.
I have no friends: I make my mind my friend.
I have no enemy: I make carelessness my enemy.
I have no armor: I make benevolence and righteousness my
armor.
I have no castle: I make immovable-mind my castle.
I have no sword: I make absence of self my sword.

Annonymous Samurai, fourteenth century

(c) Tamu Ngina, All Rights Reserved.