Think of Death

Few people contemplate death, viewing it as something distant and ephemeral, so there's no point in worrying about it. There's still a wealth of time--and shouldn't we simply enjoy life, every moment of it, instead of pondering on sad things?
But our life is an extremely fragile substance, a thread that can tear at the most unexpected and inconvenient moment. And then it turns out that we haven't conceived life and simply wasted the precious time on mundane fuss, never really having lived as a free person...
Unlike most people, the samurai comprehended the innermost meaning of death like no other; from a very young age they learned to treat it not like a nemesis and the worst tragedy that should be avoided at all costs, but like the final brightest point in their honorable life filled with great deeds. Only death could help their noble and courageous souls ascend into a completely different plane of being and reach the level of gods. The realization that death is constantly lurking nearby and is inevitable helped them to be active, strive for perfection and never betray the ideals of bushido for earthly matters.
Practically every samurai author writes about it, and thid painting is inspired by Yamamoto Tsunetomo's thoughts expressed in Hagakure. Meditation on death and mental preparation for it were freeing samurai’s soul and making mind crystal:

"If by setting one’s heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he pains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling."

Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure