“In pursuing a ‘way,’ Japanese typically move beyond an interest in craftsmanship to a kind of sacred search for the ultimate.”

“Physics is really nothing more than a search for ultimate simplicity, but so far all we have is a kind of elegant messiness.”

“There are three ways to ultimate success:The first way is to be kind.The second way is to be kind.The third way is to be kind.”

“In literature and in life we ultimately pursue, not conclusions, but beginnings.”

“Old Japanese saying, live scorpion in pants makes life interesting.”

“Most problems of teaching are not problems of growth but helping cultivate growth. As far as I know, and this is only from personal experience in teaching, I think about ninety percent of the problem in teaching, or maybe ninety-eight percent, is just to help the students get interested. Or what it usually amounts to is to not prevent them from being interested. Typically they come in interested, and the process of education is a way of driving that defect out of their minds. But if children['s] ... normal interest is maintained or even aroused, they can do all kinds of things in ways we don't understand.”