Hagakure
Her har jeg samlet et beskedent uddrag af Hagakure. Den danske introduktion er mit frit oversatte sammendrag fra engelsk, iblandet nogle af mine egne tanker, og de følgende tekster på engelsk er oversat fra japansk af William Scott Wilson. Den første tekst menes at være gået tabt, og der eksisterer japanske kopier som ikke stemmer fuldstændigt overens med hinanden. Den engelske oversættelse er fra en sådan kopi.
Enhver uoverensstemmelse med William Scott Wilsons oversættelse er helt og holdent min.
Den 16. maj år 1700, døde Nabeshima Mitsushige, den tredje daimyo (en lensherre eller krigsherre) over det område, der nu kendes som Saga Præfektur, i en alder af 69 år. En af hans tætteste hirdsmænd, Yamamoto Tsunemoto, som havde tjent Mitsushige siden sin barndom, var på det tidspunkt 42 år gammel. Grundet forbud mod at skære sin mave op i sympati med sin herres død, både af reglerne i lenet og reglerne i Tokugawas regering, og skuffelse over Mitsushiges efterfølgers tendenser, bad Tsunemoto om tilladelse til at trække sig tilbage og blive buddhistisk præst, og blev den givet. Den sommer flyttede han som eneboer til et lille sted kaldet Kurotsuchibaru, omkring tolv kilometer nord for Saga Borg, og levede der, næsten helt tilbagetrukket fra omverdenen. I 1710 begyndte han at få besøg af Tashiro Tsuramoto, en ung samurai som af ukendte årsager var frisat af sin tjeneste som skriver året forinden. Deres samtaler varede i syv år, og på den 10. september 1716, blev Yamamotos udtalelser, som nedfældet af Tsuramoto, ordnet i en bog og givet titlen Hagakure, et ord som kan betyde “skjult af bladene”, “i skyggen af blade” eller “skjulte blade”. Tre år senere døde Yamamoto (formentligt af naturlige årsager), 61 år gammel.
For at introducere Hagakure er det måske bedst først at sige hvad det ikke er. Det er ikke en velgennemtænkt filosofi, hverken i den forstand at den indeholder velræsonneret eller logisk argumentation, ejheller i emnevalg. Tværtimod antager den en antiintellektuel og antiskolastisk vinkel, og da det er en optegnelse af syv års samtaler, varier emnet betragteligt, lige fra forfatterens dybeste følelser omkring samuraiens vej, til diskussioner om te-ceremoniens redskaber eller hvordan et bestemt hus fik sit navn.
Den oprindelige bog har over 1300 tekster. William Scott Wilson har i sit uddrag valgt 300 som repræsenterer hvad han føler er kernen i bogen. Selv om han har baseret sit udvalg på valgene i andre redigerede værker, har han også valgt mange som er udeladt i japanske udgivelser, hvis han har fundet dem centrale, illustrative, eller blot interessante for den vestlige læser.
Jeg har af de 300 udvalgt knap 70 som taler til mig. Nogle af teksterne spejler min egen verdensopfattelse og mine værdibegreber, mens jeg i andre tekster ser folk omkring mig. Nogle tekster afspejler ting jeg vil stræbe efter eller påvirke folk omkring mig med. I mange af teksterne gælder det at jeg ikke er helt enig – måske endda komplet uenig – men at teksten er lærerig idet jeg reflekterer over min egen modstand overfor den. Der er tekster iblandt som taler til mig på en symbolsk måde, selv om indholdet er meget konkret og i den form slet ikke brugbart i min dagligdag. Pointen med de udvalgte tekster er at fremhæve noget jeg finder interessant, at provokere til (om)tanke, samt at danne en basis jeg kan vende tilbage til og spejle mig i. Ligesom jeg har fundet det lærerigt at genlæse De Fem Ringes Bog efterhånden som jeg er blevet bedre til kendo, tænker jeg at det vil være givtigt at genlæse Hagakure efterhånden som jeg raffinerer mit syn på indholdet.
Der er en kort ordliste nederst. God fornøjelse.
From the 1st Chapter
To give a person one’s opinion and correct his faults is an important thing. It is compassionate and comes first in matters of service. But the way of doing this is extremely difficult. To discover the good and bad points of a person is an easy thing, and to give an opinion concerning them is easy, too. For the most part, people think that they are being kind by saying the things that others find distasteful or difficult to say. But if it is not received well, they think that there is nothing more to be done. This is completely worthless. It is the same as bringing shame to a person by slandering him. It is nothing more than getting it off one’s chest.
To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not. One must become close with him and make sure that he continually trusts one’s word. Approaching subjects that are dear to him, seek the best way to speak and to be well understood. Judge the occasion, and determine whether it is better by letter or at the time of leave-taking. Praise his good points and use every device to encourage him, perhaps by talking about one’s own faults without touching on his, but so that they will occur to him. Have him receive this in the way that a man would drink water when his throat is dry, and it will be an opinion that will correct faults.
This is extremely difficult. If a person’s fault is a habit of some years prior, by and large it won’t be remedied. I have had this experience myself. To be intimate with all one’s comrades, correcting each other’s faults, and being of one mind to be of use to the master is the great compassion of a retainer. By bringing shame to a person, how could one expect to make him a better man?
*
When a certain person was saying that present matters of economy should be detailed, someone replied that this is not good at all. It is a fact that fish will not live where the water is too clear. But if there is duckweed or something, the fish will hide under its shadow and thrive. Thus, the lower classes will live in tranquility if certain matters are a bit overlooked or left unheard. This fact should be understood with regard to people’s conduct.
*
According to a certain person, a number of years ago, the late Matsuguma Kyoan told this story:
In the practice of medicine there is a differentiation of treatment according to the Yin and Yang of men and women. There is also a difference in pulse. In the last fifty years, however, men’s pulse has become the same as women’s. Noticing this, in the treatment of eye disease I applied women’s treatment to men and found it suitable. When I observed the application of men’s treatment to men, there was no result. Thus I knew that men’s spirit had weakened and that they had become the same as women, and the end of the world had come. Since I witnessed this with certainty, I kept it a secret.
When looking at the men of today with this in mind, those who could be thought to have a woman’s pulse are many indeed, and those who seem like real men few. Because of this, if one were to make a little effort, he would be able to take the upper hand quite easily. That there are few men who are able to cut well in beheadings is further proof that men’s courage has waned. And when one comes to speak of kaishaku, it has become an age of men who are prudent and clever at making excuses. Forty or fifty years ago, when such things as matanuki were considered manly, a man wouldn’t show an unscarred thigh to his fellows, so he would pierce it himself.
All of man’s work is a bloody business. That fact, today, is considered foolish, affairs are finished cleverly with words alone, and jobs that require effort are avoided. I would like young men to have some understanding of this.
*
The priest Tannen used to say, “People come to no understanding because priests teach only the doctrine of ‘No Mind.’ What is called ‘No Mind’ is a mind that is pure and lacks complication.”[#] This is interesting.
Lord Sanenori said, “In the midst of a single breath, where perversity cannot be held, is the Way.” If so, then the Way is one. But there is no one who can understand this clarity at first. Purity is something that cannot be attained except by piling effort upon effort.
[#] Munen mushin: “No thoughts, no mind.” In Buddhism, the state in which one is free from all worldly thoughts.
*
To hate injustice and stand on righteousness is a difficult thing. Furthermore, to think that being righteous is the best one can do and to do one’s utmost to be righteous will, on the contrary, bring many mistakes. The Way is in a higher place than righteousness. This is very difficult to discover, but it is the highest wisdom. When seen from this standpoint, things like righteousness are rather shallow. If one does not understand this on his own, it cannot be known. There is a method of getting to this Way, however, even if one cannot discover it by himself. This is found in consultation with others. Even a person who has not attained this Way sees others from the side. It is like the saying from the game of go: “He who sees from the side has eight eyes.” The saying, “Thought by thought we see our own mistakes,” also means that the highest Way is in discussion with others. Listening to the old stories and reading books are for the purpose of sloughing off one’s own discrimination and attaching oneself to that of the ancients.
*
A certain swordsman in his declining years said the following:
In one’s life, there are levels in the pursuit of study. In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskillful. At this point he is worthless. In the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others. In a higher level he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and laments the lack of ability in his fellows. This man has worth. In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.
These are the levels in general. But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all. This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never thinks of himself as having finished.[#] He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded. He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end. It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, “I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself.”
Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never-ending.
[#] Way: Do can mean either a discipline, as in kendo, the “Way of the Sword,” or the universal way of Taoism or Buddhism. There is often no clear distinction between the two, the idea being that the greater can be reached through the lesser.
*
At the time when there was a council concerning the promotion of a certain man, the council members were at the point of deciding that promotion was useless because of the fact that the man had previously been involved in a drunken brawl. But someone said, “If we were to cast aside every man who had made a mistake once, useful men could probably not be come by. A man who makes a mistake once will be considerably more prudent and useful because of his repentance. I feel that he should be promoted.”
Someone else then asked, “Will you guarantee him?”
The man replied, “Of course I will.”
The others asked, “By what will you guarantee him?”
And he replied, “I can guarentee him by the fact that he is a man who has erred once. A man who has never once erred is dangerous.” This said, the man was promoted.
*
It is not good to settle into a set of opinions. It is a mistake to put forth effort and obtain some understanding and then stop at that. At first putting forth great effort to be sure that you have grasped the basics, then practicing so that they may come to fruition is something that will never stop for your whole lifetime. Do not rely on following the degree of understanding that you have discovered, but simply think, “This is not enough.”
One should search throughout his whole life how best to follow the Way. And he should study, setting his mind to work without putting things off. Within this is the Way.
*
How should a person respond when he is asked, “As a human being, what is essential in terms of purpose and discipline?” First, let us say, “It is to become of the mind that is right now pure and lacking complications.” People in general all seem to be dejected. When one has a pure and uncomplicated mind, his expression will be lively. When one is attending to matters, there is one thing that comes forth from his heart. That is, in terms of one’s lord, loyalty; in terms of one’s parents, filial piety; in martial affairs, bravery; and apart from that, something that can be used by all the world.
This is very difficult to discover. Once discovered, it is again difficult to keep in constant effect. There is nothing outside the thought of the immediate moment.
*
Learning is a good thing, but more often it leads to mistakes. It is like the admonition of the priest Konan. It is worthwhile just looking at the deeds of accomplished persons for the purpose of knowing our own insufficiencies. But often this does not happen. For the most part, we admire our own opinions and become fond of arguing.
*
There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.
*
There was a certain person who was a master of the spear. When he was dying, he called his best disciple and spoke his last injunctions:
I have passed on to you all the secret techniques of this school, and there is nothing left to say. If you think of taking on a disciple yourself, then you should practice diligently with the bamboo sword every day. Superiority is not just a matter of secret techniques.
Also, in the instructions of a renga teacher, it was said that the day before the poetry meeting one should calm his mind and look at a collection of poems. This is concentration on one affair. All professions should be done with concentration.
*
There is a way of bringing up the child of a samurai. From the time of infancy one should encourage bravery and avoid trivially frightening or teasing the child. If a person is affected by cowardice as a child, it remains a lifetime scar. It is a mistake for parents to thoughtlessly make their children dread lightning, or to have them not go into dark places, or to tell them frightening things in order to stop them from crying.
*
Ordinarily, looking into the mirror and grooming oneself is sufficient for the upkeep of one’s personal appearance. This is very important. Most people’s personal appearance is poor because they do not look into the mirror well enough.
Training to speak properly can be done by correcting one’s speech when at home.
Practice in letter writing goes to the extent of taking care in even one-line letters.
It is good if all the above contain a quiet strength. Moreover, according to what the priest Ryozan heard when he was in the Kamigata area, when one is writing a letter, he should think that the recipient will make it into a hanging scroll.
*
The proper manner of calligraphy is nothing other than not being careless, but in this way one’s writing will simply be sluggish and stiff. One should go beyond this and depart from the norm. This principle applies to all things.
*
Because of some business, Morooka Hikoemon was called upon to swear before the gods concerning the truth of a certain matter. But he said, “A samurai’s word is harder than metal. Since I have impressed this fact upon myself, what more can the gods and Buddhas do?” and the swearing was cancelled. This happened when he was twenty-six.
*
When something out of the ordinary happens, it is ridiculous to say that it is a mystery or a portent of something to come. Eclipses of the sun and moon, comets, clouds that flutter like flags, snow in the fifth month, lightning in the twelfth month, and so on, are all things that occur every fifty or one hundred years. They occur according to the evolution of Yin and Yang. The fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west would be a mystery, too, if it were not an everyday occurrence. It is not dissimilar. Furthermore, the fact that something bad always happens in the world when strange phenomena occur is due to people seeing something like fluttering clouds and thinking that something is going to happen. The mystery is created in their minds, and by waiting for the disaster, it is from their very minds that it occurs.
The occurrence of mysteries is always by word of mouth.
*
It is spiritless to think that you cannot attain to that which you have seen and heard the masters attain. The masters are men. You are also a man. If you think that you will be inferior in doing something, you will be on that road very soon.
Master lttei said, “Confucius was a sage because he had the will to become a scholar when he was fifteen years old. He was not a sage because he studied later on.” This is the same as the Buddhist maxim, “First intention, then enlightenment.”
*
In the words of the ancients, one should make his decisions within the space of seven breaths. Lord Takanobu said, “If discrimination is long, it will spoil.” Lord Naoshige said, “When matters are done leisurely, seven out of ten will turn out badly. A warrior is a person who does things quickly.”
When your mind is going hither and thither, discrimination will never be brought to a conclusion. With an intense, fresh and undelaying spirit, one will make his judgments within the space of seven breaths. It is a matter of being determined and having the spirit to break right through to the other side.
*
Being superior to others is nothing other than having people talk about your affairs and listening to their opinions. The general run of people settle for their own opinions and thus never excel. Having a discussion with a person is one step in excelling him. A certain person discussed with me the written materials at the clan office. He is better than someone like me in writing and researching. In seeking correction from others, you excel them.
*
It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. It is the same for anything that is called a Way. Therefore, it is inconsistent to hear something of the Way of Confucius or the Way of the Buddha, and say that this is the Way of the Samurai. If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own.
*
When someone is giving you his opinion, you should receive it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless. If you don’t, he will not tell you the things that he has seen and heard about you again. It is best to both give and receive opinions in a friendly way.
*
If one is but secure at the foundation, he will not be pained by departure from minor details or affairs that are contrary to expectation. But in the end, the details of a matter are important. The right and wrong of one’s way of doing things are found in trivial matters.
*
When reading something aloud, it is best to read from the belly. Reading from one’s mouth, one’s voice will not endure. This is Nakano Shikibu’s teaching.
*
In carefully scrutinizing the affairs of the past, we find that there are many different opinions about them, and that there are some things that are quite unclear. It is better to regard such things as unknowable. Lord Sanenori once said, “As for the things that we don’t understand, there are ways of understanding them. Furthermore, there are some things we understand just naturally, and again some that we can’t understand no matter how hard we try. This is interesting.”
This is very profound. It is natural that one cannot understand deep and hidden things. Those things that are easily understood are rather shallow.
From the 2nd Chapter
Meeting with people should be a matter of quickly grasping their temperament and reacting appropriately to this person and that. Especially with an extremely argumentative person, after yielding considerably one should argue him down with superior logic, but without sounding harsh, and in a fashion that will allow no resentment to be left afterwards. This is a function of both the heart and words. This was an opinion given by a priest concerning personal encounters.
*
A certain priest said that if one thoughtlessly crosses a river of unknown depths and shallows, he will die in its currents without ever reaching the other side or finishing his business. This is the same as when one is indiscriminately eager in being a retainer without understanding the customs of the times or the likes and dislikes of the master and, as a result, is of no use and brings ruin upon himself. To try to enter the good graces of the master is unbecoming. One should consider first stepping back and getting some understanding of the depths and shallows and then work without doing anything the master dislikes.
*
A faultless person is one who withdraws from affairs. This must be done with strength.
*
It is said that what is called “the spirit of an age” is something to which one cannot return. That this spirit gradually dissipates is due to the world’s coming to an end. In the same way, a single year does not have just spring or summer. A single day, too, is the same.
For this reason, although one would like to change today’s world back to the spirit of one hundred years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation. This is the mistake of people who are attached to past generations. They have no understanding of this point.
On the other hand, people who only know the disposition of the present day and dislike the ways of the past are too lax.
*
Be true to the thought of the moment and avoid distraction. Other than continuing to exert yourself, enter into nothing else, but go to the extent of living single thought by single thought.
*
It was once said to Gon’nojo that “right now” is “at that time,” and “at that time” is “right now.” One will miss the occasion if he thinks that these two are different. For example, if one were called before the master to explain something right away, he would most likely be perplexed. This is proof that he understands the two to be different. If, however, a person makes “right now” and “at that time” one, though he will never be an advisor to the master, still he is a retainer, and in order to be able to say something clearly, whether it be in front of the master, the elders or even the shogun at Edo Castle, it should be practiced beforehand in the corner of one’s bedroom.
All things are like this. Accordingly, one should inquire into things carefully. It is the same for martial training as for official business. When one attempts to concentrate things in this manner, won’t daily negligence and today’s lack of resolve be understood?
*
The priest Tannen used to hang up wind-bells but said, “It’s not because I like the sound. I hang them in order to know the wind conditions in the event of fire, for that is the only worry in having a large temple.” When the wind blew, he himself walked about at night. Throughout his whole life the fire in his brazier was never out, and he always put a paper lantern and lighter by his pillow. He said, “People are flustered during an emergency, and there is no one to quickly strike a light.”
*
If one makes a distinction between public places and one’s sleeping quarters, or between being on the battlefield and on the tatami, when the moment comes there will not be time for making amends. There is only the matter of constant awareness. If it were not for men who demonstrate valor on the tatami, one could not find them on the battlefield either.
*
Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like. It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like. But it is important never to tell this to young people as it is something that would be harmful if incorrectly understood.
Personally, I like to sleep. And I intend to appropriately confine myself more and more to my living quarters and pass my life away sleeping.
*
I had a dream on the night of the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month in the third year of Shotoku. The content of the dream changed gradually to the extent that I strengthened my will. The condition of a person is revealed by his dreams. It would be good to make companions of your dreams and to put forth effort.
*
According to what the Buddhist priest Kaion said, a person becomes more and more prideful if he gains a little understanding because he thinks he knows his own limits and weak points. However, it is a difficult thing to truly know one’s own limits and weak points.
*
Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well. When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they are not unrelated to these three things. Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.
*
One should be careful and not say things that are likely to cause trouble at the time. When some difficulty arises in this world, people get excited, and before one knows it the matter is on everyone’s lips. This is useless. If worse comes to worse, you may become the subject of gossip, or at least you will have made enemies by saying something unnecessary and will have created ill will. It is said that at such a time it is better to stay at home and think of poetry.
*
Feeling deeply the difference between oneself and others, bearing ill will and falling out with people – these things come from a heart that lacks compassion. If one wraps up everything with a heart of compassion, there will be no coming into conflict with people.
*
A person who knows but a little will put on an air of knowledge. This is a matter of inexperience. When someone knows something well, it will not be seen in his manner. This person is genteel.
*
When going someplace for a talk or something similar, it is best to let the person know ahead of time, and then go. To go without knowing whether the other party is busy, or when he has some particular anxiety, is awkward. There is nothing that surpasses not going where you have not been invited. Good friends are rare. Even if someone is invited somewhere, he should use understanding. It is difficult to feel deeply the sensitivities of people other than those who go out only rarely. Fiascos at pleasure gatherings are numerous.
However, you should not be brusque towards a person who has come to visit, even if you are busy.
*
The late Nakano Kazuma said that the original purpose of the Tea Ceremony is to cleanse the six senses. For the eyes there are the hanging scroll and flower arrangement. For the nose there is the incense. For the ears there is the sound of the hot water. For the mouth there is the taste of the tea. And for the hands and feet there is the correctness of form. When the five senses have thus been cleansed, the mind will of itself be purified. The Tea Ceremony will cleanse the mind when the mind is clogged up. I do not depart from the heart of the Tea Ceremony for twenty-four hours a day, yet this is absolutely not a matter of tasteful living. Moreover, the tea utensils are something that should be in accord with one’s social position.
In the poem, “Under the deep snows in the last village / Last night numerous branches of plum blossomed,” the opulence of the phrase “numerous branches” was changed to “a single branch.” It is said that this “single branch” contains true tranquillity.
*
When intimate friends, allies, or people who are indebted to you have done some wrong, you should secretly reprimand them and intervene between them and society in a good manner. You should erase a person’s bad reputation and praise him as a matchless ally and one man in a thousand. If you will thus reprimand a person in private and with good understanding, his blemish will heal and he will become good. If you praise a person, people’s hearts will change and an ill reputation will go away of itself. It is important to have the single purpose of handling all things with compassion and doing things well.
*
A certain person said the following.
There are two kinds of dispositions, inward and outward, and a person who is lacking in one or the other is worthless. It is, for example, like the blade of a sword, which one should sharpen well and then put in its scabbard, periodically taking it out and knitting one’s eyebrows as in an attack, wiping off the blade, and then placing it in its scabbard again.
If a person has his sword out all the time, he is habitually swinging a naked blade; people will not approach him and he will have no allies.
If a sword is always sheathed, it will become rusty, the blade will dull, and people will think as much of its owner.
*
If your strength is only that which comes from vitality, your words and personal conduct will appear to be in accord with the Way, and you will be praised by others. But when you question yourself about this, there will be nothing to be said. The last line of the poem that goes, “When your own heart asks,” is the secret principle of all the arts. It is said that it is a good censor.[#]
[#] The poem is from the Gosen waka shu: “To tell others that / It is a rumor / Will not do. / When your own heart asks, / How will you respond?”
*
When you are listening to the stories of accomplished men and the like, you should listen with deep sincerity, even if it’s something about which you already know. If in listening to the same thing ten or twenty times it happens that you come to an unexpected understanding, that moment will be very special. Within the tedious talk of old folks are their meritorious deeds.
From the 3rd Chapter
Lord Naoshige once said, “There is nothing felt quite so deeply as giri. There are times when someone like a cousin dies and it is not a matter of shedding tears. But we may hear of someone who lived fifty or a hundred years ago, of whom we know nothing and who has no family ties with us whatsoever, and yet from a sense of giri shed tears.”
From the 4th Chapter
When Nabeshima Tadanao was fifteen years old, a manservant in the kitchen committed some rude act and a foot soldier was about to beat him, but in the end the servant cut the soldier down. The clan elders deemed the death sentence appropriate, saying that the man had in the first place erred in matters concerning the ranks of men, and that he had also shed the blood of his opponent. Tadanao heard this and said, “Which is worse, to err in matters concerning the ranks of men or to stray from the Way of the Samurai?”
The elders were unable to answer. Then Tadanao said, “I have read that when the crime itself is unclear, the punishment should be light. Put him in confinement for a while.”
*
Once, when Lord Katsushige was hunting at Shiroishi, he shot a large boar. Everyone came running up to see it and said, “Well, well. You have brought down an uncommonly large one!” Suddenly the boar got up and dashed into their midst. All of them fled in confusion, but Nabeshima Matabei drew his sword and finished it off. At that point Lord Katsushige covered his face with his sleeve and said, “It sure is dusty.” This was presumably because he did not want to see the spectacle of his flustered men.
*
When Lord Katsushige was young, he was instructed by his father, Lord Naoshige, “For practice in cutting, execute some men who have been condemned to death.” Thus, in the place that is now within the western gate, ten men were lined up, and Katsushige continued to decapitate one after another until he had executed nine of them. When he came to the tenth, he saw that the man was young and healthy and said, “I’m tired of cutting now. I’ll spare this man’s life.” And the man’s life was saved.
From the 7th Chapter
Narutomi Hyogo said, “What is called winning is defeating one’s allies. Defeating one’s allies is defeating oneself, and defeating oneself is vigorously overcoming one’s own body.
“It is as though a man were in the midst of ten thousand allies but not a one were following him. If one hasn’t previously mastered his mind and body, he will not defeat the enemy.”
*
Once when Lord Katsushige was hunting at Nishime, for some reason he got very angry. He drew his sword from his obi, scabbard and all, and began beating Soejima Zennojo with it, but his hand slipped and his sword fell into a ravine. Zennojo, in order to stay with the sword, tumbled down into the ravine and picked it up. This done, he stuck the sword in his lapel, crawled up the precipice, and just as he was, offered the sword to his master. In terms of quick-mindedness and reserve this was matchless resource.
*
In the generation of Lord Katsushige there were retainers who, regardless of high or low rank, were requested to work before the master from the time they were young. When Shiba Kizaemon was doing such service, once the master was clipping his nails and said, “Throw these away.” Kizaemon held them in his hand but did not stand up, and the master said, “What’s the matter?” Kizaemon said, “There’s one missing.” The master said, “Here it is,” and handed over the one that he had hidden.
*
Sawabe Heizaemon was ordered to commit seppuku on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the second year of Tenna. As this became known to him on the night of the tenth, he sent a request to Yamamoto Gonnojo [Tsunetomo] to be kaishaku. The following is a copy of Yamamoto’s reply. (Tsunetomo was twenty-four years old at this time.)
I am in accord with your resolution and accept your request for me to function as kaishaku. I instinctively felt that I should decline, but as this is to take place tomorrow there is no time for making excuses and I will undertake the job. The fact that you have chosen me from among many people is a great personal satisfaction to me. Please set your mind at ease concerning all that must follow. Although it is now late at night, I will come to your house to talk over the particulars.
When Heizaemon saw this reply, it is said that he remarked, “This is a matchless letter.”
From ages past it has been considered ill-omened by samurai to be requested as kaishaku. The reason for this is that one gains no fame even if the job is well done. And if by chance one should blunder, it becomes a lifetime disgrace.
*
It is said that every time Oki Hyobu’s group gathered and after all their affairs were finished he would say, “Young men should discipline themselves rigorously in intention and courage. This will be accomplished if only courage is fixed in one’s heart. If one’s sword is broken, he will strike with his hands. If his hands are cut off, he will press the enemy down with his shoulders. If his shoulders are cut away, he will bite through ten or fifteen enemy necks with his teeth. Courage is such a thing.”
*
Shida Kichinosuke said, “At first it is an oppressive thing to run until one is breathless. But it is an extraordinarily good feeling when one is standing around after the running. More than that, it is even better to sit down. More than that, it is even better to lie down. And more than that, to put down a pillow and sleep soundly is even better. A man’s whole life should be like this. To exert oneself to a great extent when one is young and then to sleep when he is old or at the point of death is the way it should be. But to first sleep and then exert oneself… To exert oneself to the end, and to end one’s whole life in toil is regrettable.” Shimomura Rokurouemon told this story.
A saying of Kichinosuke’s that is similar to this is, “A man’s life should be as toilsome as possible.”
From the 10th Chapter
When faced with a crisis, if one puts some spittle on his earlobe and exhales deeply through his nose, he will overcome anything at hand. This is a secret matter. Furthermore, when experiencing a rush of blood to the head, if one puts spittle on the upper part of one’s ear, it will soon go away.
*
A certain man said, “I know the shapes of Reason and of Woman.” When asked about this, he replied, “Reason is four-cornered and will not move even in an extreme situation. Woman is round. One can say that she does not distinguish between good and evil or right and wrong and tumbles into any place at all.”
*
A certain person said, “When a castle is being surrendered, as long as there are one or two men within it who are determined to hold on, the defending forces will not be of one accord, and in the end no one will hold the castle.”
“In the taking of the castle, if when the man who is to receive it approaches and the one or two men who are determined to hold on to it lightly fire on him from the shadows, the man will be alarmed and the battle will be on. In such a case, even though it is unwillingly done, the castle will have to be stormed. This is called being forced to besiege a castle by those besieged.”
*
One of Matsudaira Sagami no kami’s retainers went to Kyoto on a matter of debt collection and took up lodgings by renting living quarters in a townhouse. One day while standing out front watching the people go by, he heard a passerby say, “They say that Lord Matsudaira’s men are involved in a fight right now.” The retainer thought, “How worrisome that some of my companions are involved in a fight. There are some men to relieve those at Edo staying here. Perhaps these are the men involved.” He asked the passerby of the location, but when he arrived out of breath, his companions had already been cut down and their adversaries were at the point of delivering the coup de grace. He quickly let out a yell, cut the two men down, and returned to his lodgings.
This matter was made known to an official of the shogunate, and the man was called up before him and questioned. “You gave assistance in your companions’ fight and thus disregarded the government’s ordinance. This is true beyond a doubt, isn’t it?”
The man replied, “I am from the country, and it is difficult for me to understand everything that Your Honor is saying. Would you please repeat that?”
The official got angry and said, “Is there something wrong with your ears? Didn’t you abet a fight, commit bloodshed, disregard the government’s ordinance, and break the law?”
The man then replied, “I have at length understood what you are saying. Although you say that I have broken the law and disregarded the government’s ordinance, I have by no means done so. The reason for this is that all living things value their lives, and this goes without saying for human beings. I, especially, value my life. However, I thought that to hear a rumor that one’s friends are involved in a fight and to pretend not to hear this is not to preserve the Way of the Samurai, so I ran to the place of action. To shamelessly return home after seeing my friends struck down would surely have lengthened my life, but this too would be disregarding the Way. In observing the Way, one will throw away his own precious life. Thus, in order to preserve the Way of the Samurai and not to disregard the Samurai Ordinances, I quickly threw away my life at that place. I beg that you execute me immediately.”
The official was very impressed and later dismissed the matter, communicating to Lord Matsudaira, “You have a very able samurai in your service. Please treasure him.”
*
Once a group of ten blind masseuses were traveling together in the mountains, and when they began to pass along the top of a precipice, they all became very cautious, their legs shook, and they were in general struck with terror. Just then the leading man stumbled and fell of the cliff. Those that were left all wailed, “Ahh, ahh! How piteous!”
But the masseuse who had fallen yelled up from below, “Don’t be afraid. Although I fell, it was nothing. I am now rather at ease. Before falling I kept thinking ‘What will I do if I fall?’ and there was no end to my anxiety. But now I’ve settled down.[#] If the rest of you want to be at ease, fall quickly!”
[#] There is an untranslatable pun on the word meaning, “settle (calm) down,” written with Chinese characters meaning, “fall” and “arrive”.
*
When there is something to be said, it is better if it is said right away. If it is said later, it will sound like an excuse. Moreover, it is occasionally good to really overwhelm your opponent. Also, in addition to having spoken sufficiently it is the highest sort of victory to teach your opponent something that will be to his benefit. This is in accordance with the Way.
From the 11th Chapter
In the “Notes on Martial Laws” it is written that:
The phrase, “Win first, fight later,” can be summed up in the two words, “Win beforehand.” The resourcefulness of times of peace is the military preparation for times of war. With five hundred allies one can defeat an enemy force of ten thousand.
When advancing on the enemy’s castle and then pulling back, do not retreat by the main road, but rather by the side roads.
One should lay one’s dead and wounded allies face down in the direction of the enemy.
It is a matter of course that a warrior’s attitude should be to be in the vanguard during an attack and in the rear during a retreat. In approaching for the attack he does not forget to wait for the right moment. In waiting for the right moment he never forgets the attack.
*
A helmet is usually thought to be very heavy, but when one is attacking a castle or something similar, and arrows, bullets, large rocks, great pieces of wood and the like are coming down, it will not seem the least bit so.
*
To calm one’s mind, one swallows his saliva. This is a secret matter. When one becomes angry, it is the same. Putting spittle on one’s forehead is also good. In the Yoshida school of archery, swallowing one’s spittle is the secret principle of the art.
*
Among the words spoken by great generals, there are some that were said offhandedly. One should not receive these words in the same manner, however.
*
People who have an intelligent appearance will not be outstanding even if they do something good, and if they do something normal, people will think them lacking. But if a person who is thought of as having a gentle disposition does even a slightly good thing, he will be praised by people.
Vocabulary
Daimyo: a feudal lord.
Do: can mean either a discipline, as in kendo, the “Way of the Sword,” or the universal way of Taoism or Buddhism. There is often no clear distinction between the two, the idea being that the greater can be reached through the lesser.
Giri: a debt of gratitude, duty, justice, obligation, a sense of honor.
Go: a game in which the board is empty at the beginning and the players add pieces, called “stones,” to capture territory.
Kaishaku: the assistant at seppuku who administered the coup de grace by beheading the condemned man.
Kendo: the Way of the Sword. A discipline of Japanese swordfighting.
Matanuki: a practice thought to have involved piercing one’s own thigh with a sword or some other sharp object as a demonstration of courage.
Renga: linked verse.
Seppuku: suicide by disembowelment. The ceremony had many forms and changed from period to period.
Tatami: thick straw mats with an area of about three by six feet used to cover the floor.