明鏡止水
meikyō shisui
"A polished mirror and still water — the untroubled mind; the temperament his Dead Calm turns into swordsmanship"
生殺与奪
seisatsu yodatsu
"Life, death, giving, taking — absolute power over another's fate; the four characters that open his most famous line"
笑止千万
shōshi senban
"Utterly laughable, absurd beyond measure — the icy verdict he passes on begging"
泰然自若
taizen jijaku
"Composed and unmoved, whatever comes — calm as a standing condition, not an effort"