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 life 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 lightening 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.

Anonymous Samurai, fourteenth century