I was just wanting to know if anyone has seen the last samurai and if it affected you the same way it did me. For me it completely changed my life. I see life in a different way, and try to take nothing for granted. If your wondering what brought this about, I immediatle bought Hagakure and then began to research buddhism, and buddhas teachings about life. If anyone has any tips about how to become a better person, I would be very grateful. PLEASE do not laugh at me or chew me out because I feel very strongly about this and am serious

If we could see the miracle of a single floower clearly, our whole life would change

~ Buddha

stick to buddhism because that is a beautiful way of living, try joining a buddhist temple or just read everything you can on buddha's philosophies. and yeah the last samurai is a great film

While The Last Samurai was a very emotional and powerful film, it is important to understand that much of the code of Bushido was designed to make the Samurai better puppets for the Emperor.

Many things in Bushido are highly illogical and highlight the cultural and political conditions in which the people of the time lived in.

The philosophy however, is some pretty top-notch shit. While I wouldn't recommend cutting down someone for making fun of you, it does still teach a powerful lesson about how people get away today with shit that would have guaranteed them death back then in asian cultures.

"In Hong Kong, you would already be dead"

i just recently bought the hagakure too. i've been taking single passages that resonate with my life right now, and meditating on them for a few days, like the movie 'ghost dog.' see that movie if you haven't yet, it's largely about the samurai code, you'll like it.

this one passage that i've been applying for a few days just became crystal clear after a talk from my uncle. paraphrased, it says how 'contemplating the void often leads to perverse thoughts'.

it made sense to me when i read it, but when i had a conversation yesterday with my uncle, he drove the point straight into my heart... he was speaking of his life experiences, and he shared something that he learned. he said basically, 'the pleasure of satisfaction you receive from getting a thing done, no matter how difficult, is greater than the indulgence of putting it off.'