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came to see him.
Once Lord Ieyasu gamed nothing in a battle, but in a later judgment it was said, "Ieyasu is a general of great courage.
Of his retainers who died in battle, not one of them died with his back turned. They all died facing the enemy lines."
Since a warrior' s daily frame of mind is manifested even after death, it is something that can bring shame to him.
As Yasuda Ukyo said about offering up the last wine cup, only the end of things is important. One's whole life should
be like this. When guests are leaving, the mood of being reluctant to say farewell is essential. If this mood is lacking,
one will appear bored and the day and evening's conversation will disappear. In all dealings with people it is essential
to have a fresh approach. One should constantly give the impression that he is doing something exceptional. It is said
that this is possible with but a little understanding.
Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase,
"Form is emptiness." That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase, "Emptiness is
form."' One should not think that these are two separate things .
Uesugi Kenshin said, "I never knew about winning from beginning to end, but only about not being behind in a
situation." This is interesting. A retainer will be dumbfounded if he is behind in a situation. In each and every instance
one's function or responsiveness will not be shallow if he is not behind .
One should be wary of talking on end about such subjects as learning, morality or folklore in front of elders or people
of rank. It is disagreeable to listen to.
In the Kamigata area they have a sort of tiered lunch box they use for a single day when flower viewing. Upon
returning, they throw them away, trampling them underfoot. As might be expected, this is one of my recollections of
the capital [Kyoto]. The end is important in all things.
While walking along the road together, Tsunetomo said, "Is not man like a well-operated puppet? It is a piece of
dexterous workmanship that he can run, jump, leap, and even talk though there are no strings attached. Will we not be
guests at next year's Ben Festival? This world is vanity indeed. People always forget this."
It was once said to one of the young lords 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?
Even though one has made some blunder in governmental work, it can probably be excused by pleading clumsiness or
inexperience. But what kind of excuse may be given for the failure of the men who were involved in this recent
unexpected event?" Master Jin'emon always used to say, "It is enough if a warrior is simply a stalwart," and this is
just such a case. If one felt that such a failure were a mortification, it would be the least he could do to cut open his
stomach, rather than live on in shame with a burning in his breast and the feeling that he had no place to go, and, as
his luck as a warrior had run out, he was no longer able to function quickly and had been given a bad name. But if one
regretted losing his life and reasoned that he should live because such a death would be useless, then for the next five,
ten or twenty years of his life, he would be pointed at from behind and covered with shame. After his death his corpse
would be smeared with disgrace, his guiltless descendants would receive his dishonor for having been born in his line,
his ancestors' name would be dragged down, and all the members of his family would be blemished. Such
circumstances are truly regrettable.
If one has no earnest daily intention, does not consider what it is to be a warrior even in his dreams, and lives through
the day idly, he can be said to be worthy of punishment.
Presumably it can be said that a man who has been cut down was lacking in ability and had run out of luck as a
warrior. The man who cut him down, compelled by unavoidable circumstances and feeling that there was nothing else
to be done, also put his life on the line, and thus there should be no evidence of cowardice. Being short-tempered is
inappropriate, but it cannot be said that two men who face each other are cowards. In this recent event, however, the
men who lived and covered themselves with shame were not true warriors .
One should every day think over and make an effort to implant in his mind the saying, "At that time is right now." It
is said that it is strange indeed that anyone is able to pass through life by one means or another in negligence. Thus,
the Way of the Samurai is, morning after morning, the practice of death, considering whether it will be here or be [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]