“Write each character without fear of tearing through the paper with your brush. The merits of the character can be decided by a calligraphy expert—do not be discouraged just because it does not go well.”
30. When Lord Mitsushige was still a boy and trying to read a book in the presence of the priest Kaion Oshō, he exclaimed: “Acolytes, come forth and listen. It is difficult to recite when there is no audience.” Kaion was impressed, and told his young charges, “You should all have such an eager attitude for everything.”
31. Morning worship should commence with a show of reverence to one’s lord, parents, the clan deity (ujigami), and guardian Buddha respectively.61 Giving priority to your master will please your parents, and the gods will surely respond to your supplications. Samurai need not think of anything else other than serving their lord. As long as you are brimming with this desire, you will always be aware of him [and his needs]. Moreover, a woman should obey her husband as her master in the same way.
32. Conventions teach that the kanji for “protocols of courtesy”62 should be read as date, which means “elegance.” Etiquette without elegance is substandard.
33. It happened in spring of the third year of Shōtoku (1713). Discussions were convened regarding the rain ceremony at the Kinryū Shrine. An opinion was voiced at the administration headquarters: “The yearly event is a huge burden for all concerned. The festival should be carried out enthusiastically this year, but if the desired effects are not forthcoming, then it should be stopped thereafter.” Many orchestras, dance troupes, and kyōgen performers from 33 villages were summoned to participate. The rain ritual at the Kinryū Shrine is always miraculous in its efficacy, but not on this occasion. On the day, the drummers did not beat their drums as they had been taught, and the instructors ripped the drumsticks away from them, starting a fracas. There were sword fights and brawling in the lower area of the shrine, and some people were killed. Spectators also got into violent tussles and came away with injuries.
At the time, rumors abounded among the lower classes that the unrest was due to the wrath of the gods, provoked through the diabolical insincerity shown by the administrators. Sanjō-nishi Dainagon Sanenori63 once remarked: “Unlucky events that occur during rituals to the deities are portents of calamity.” Indeed, during the same year a number of officials at the domain headquarters were beheaded because of their deceptions, and many were killed in the tsunami that crashed into Terai. This was surely related with the lower precinct of the Kinryū Shrine being near the seashore. Also, there was the matter of Hara Jūrōzaemon killing a colleague in the palace.64 Such misfortunes surely corroborate what Sanenori said.
34. A certain priest is a man of rare talent in recent times. He is extremely tolerant. As such, he manages a big temple very well. The other day he said, “As I am too ill, I am sure to fail in my undertaking of overseeing this great temple. I am doing what I can to satisfy this responsibility, but when I am under the weather, I entrust all of the duties to my deputy and try to circumvent any kind of catastrophe.”
Two generations earlier, the priest at this temple had been too strict, and nobody was prepared to follow him. The previous priest left everything up to his subordinates and was quite lazy. Since the current priest took charge, there are few complaints and his acolytes are obedient. He considers the big picture as well as the smaller details, and he leaves the staff alone to do their jobs. If he is asked a question, he explains with such clarity that there are no misunderstandings. This is why he has a good reputation for managing the temple successfully.
Once, there was another [Zen] monk who spouted shallow ideas with an air of authority. The priest summoned this man and said, “You misrepresent correct Buddhist Law. I must now beat you to death.” The poor fellow was crippled after the beating he received. Still, the priest has many fine attributes. He uses illness as a front [to ensure his temple is run efficiently through delegation].
35. The gaze of retainers today seems to be very low. Their eyes resemble those of crooks driven by covetousness and cunning. Even if a samurai seems to have spirit, this is merely a feigned exterior. A samurai is not a true retainer without placing himself in absolute servitude at the feet of his lord, thinking of himself as already dead, like a ghost, always mindful of his lord’s wellbeing from the bottom of his heart, and thinking of sound solutions for the resolution of problems within the domain. This is the same for samurai who occupy stations both high and low. He must be completely unflinching in his resolve, even if it falls contrary to the bidding of the gods or Buddha.
36. I once heard that the physician Matsugumasaki-no-Kyōan65 said, “In the profession of medicine, treatments for men and women are meted out differently in accordance with positive and negative energy (yin-yang). The pulse of a man is different to that of a woman. Still, in the past five decades or so, the variance between the pulses between the sexes has become indistinguishable. Since noticing this, I have modified my treatment of eye ailments in men to comply with how I treat women. Male patients show little response to traditional male treatments. I have come to the realization that manly essence is absent in many of them, and they have become very feminine as a sign of the worsening times. This is an observation gleaned from medical treatment that I keep secretly to myself.”
After hearing this, I realized how true it was; so many men now seem to have the pulse of a woman. There are few who can be thought of as a real man. This means that one man can surpass others by making just a small effort.
That manly courage has faded is evident when few men show enough nerve to behead a criminal with his hands bound behind his back. In the case of performing kaishaku for a man who is to commit seppuku, it’s considered prudent or solicitous these days to decline the request. Four or five decades ago, when matanuki66 was considered to be proof of manliness, no man dared show an unscathed thigh to others, so he would inflict cuts on himself. Such actions validated his valor and virility. A man’s work was bloody indeed. Nowadays, however, such acts are condemned as foolish, and matters are resolved with a clever tongue, while difficult work is avoided altogether. This is a matter that young warriors should chew over thoroughly.
37. There are retainers who still serve into their sixties and seventies. I, however, took up the tonsure when I was only 42 years of age; so, in retrospect, my career as a retainer was brief. I look back with a feeling of gratitude. When my lord passed, I resolved to die in a manner of speaking also, which is why I became a monk. I am sure I would be besieged by all manner of problems had I continued being a retainer. The last 14 years have instead been a time of peace and tranquillity, and immense contentment. Moreover, being acknowledged by others as ‘a cut above the rest,’ I have received courteous treatment. I feel pangs of guilt when I reflect introspectively on what I have actually accomplished, and wonder if I ought not be punished in some way for the undue kindness I have had bestowed upon me.
38. Once, a man was to accompany his master on his round of New Year greetings. “This time I am prepared. As we will be going to the countryside it is likely that we will be invited
