"The one who does good deeds and expects to be appreciated, does something better then committing a bad deed. However, he does so for his own benefit and not for others. A truly righteous man does good deeds without letting his beneficiary know of his deeds. He does good deeds freely and does not expect that in the future someone will recognize his deeds. A monk must have resolve far greater then this. In treating all sentient beings, he must not discriminate between those who are close to him and those who are scarcely known to him." Dôgen (1200-1253)

In The Samurai's Garden, the morals of a true samurai show through particularly clearly in one character. Throughout the development of the plot, Matsu continuously situates himself into a position where he helps other people, whether it is someone he truly loves, or someone he has grown fond...