ARTICLES FOR TIMES OF PEACE

Samurai nichiyō kokorogake no koto

THE FIRST THING THAT A SAMURAI SHOULD KEEP IN MIND IN DAILY LIFE

The primary principle that samurai should keep in mind during daily life is: ‘During a state of order you should consider and prepare for war and in a time of disorder you should think for the best way to bring about peace.’ This is called nichiyō kokorogake.

Heishi sabetsu no koto

DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN SOLDIER AND SAMURAI

The ideogram hei means ‘a soldier with a short reach’. One theory states that the ideogram for hei was created to mean ‘those who are strong enough to deal with the weight of twenty kin³⁰ with ease’. Furthermore, it is thought that the ideogram hei was adopted because of its use in the Seven Chinese Military Classics, when it was used in the term gohei – the five weapons. According to the annotations, these are:

1halberd – this has a horizontal head

2shield – this is also known as a kan

3halberd – a halberd with a horizontal blade and spearhead

4pike – this is two jo four shaku long

5pike – this is two jo long

These above are all ‘hooked’.

There is another reference saying the five weapons are:

1bow

2arrow

3halberd with horizontal head

4spear

5halberd with spiked collar

That being said, here and now hei means samurai. The samurai who rules the country is called shōgun or kubō, a samurai who rules a province or provinces is called a kokushi, while the remaining samurai are known as heishi . Among these heishi there are a few subdivisions. However – apart from the two shinka, or ministers – each clan has different systems of service and rituals for the positions of kumigashira (group captains), bugyō (commanders and officials) and other positions. Generally speaking, the term hei is used in the time of war while samurai is used at normal times. The word hei is often considered as ikusa kotoba, the ‘language of war’. Details of this are mentioned in the scroll Ippei Yōkō.

Shikan meimoku kore wo wakimaeru koto

UNDERSTANDING THE TYPES OF POSITIONS OF SERVICE

There are different names in each clan for ministers, senior counsellors and various kinds of captains and commanders, etc. Those samurai who have served a lord’s clan for generations are called fudai-mono, ‘generational retainers’, while those who have newly entered the service of a lord and their family through their skills and abilities in various arts are called shinzan-mono – ‘newcomers’. Remember, within those above there are samurai who have prowess in military matters and they are called monoshi no ie (those from a clan of excellence) – or alternatively they are known as buhen no ie (‘those from a clan of military prowess’); these terms can be applied to both generational retainers and newcomers.

Bugeisha no shinajina no koto

THE TYPES OF MARTIAL ARTISTS

Bugeisha, or martial artists, are those samurai who serve through martial achievements and teach their paths to other samurai. The following list displays the kinds of arts in which samurai should train themselves:

•yumi – archery

•uma – horsemanship

•kenjutsu – swordsmanship

•sōjutsu – spearsmanship

•gunjutsu – the skills of war

•yawara torite – wrestling and grappling

•teppō – marksmanship

•suiren – aquatic training

There are myriad other styles. However, they are offshoots from the above and branch off into unlimited possibilities. Study each of these arts from someone who is skilled in that way.

Shūmochi inshi yūki ittō no koto

THOSE WHO SERVE AND THOSE WHO DO NOT SERvE ARE THE SAME IN TERMS OF COURAGE

In addition to those mentioned above, there are other types of bushi-warrior, including those who hold grudges against their lords or who cannot adapt themselves to the times and therefore live discreetly in townhouses or in temples and shrines – these people are called rōnin. Many of them still follow the path of the samurai and are filled with courage. Therefore, whether a person is a rōnin³¹ or whether a person is a serving samurai,³² valour can be equal to all.

Gunpō gunbai gunsha sabetsu no koto

DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN MILITARY PERSONNEL

Gunpōsha

A gunpōsha is a person who knows the foundation of morals and who has mastered the Goji nanakei shidō no hō³³ in full and who has a godlike understanding of all aspects of victory and defeat in every detail. Furthermore, this person fully understands castles, ground plans, mandates concerning military gear, astrology and astronomy, topography, human affairs and also the arts of gunbai [see below]. In the ancient Tang Dynasty the gunpōsha had seventy-two people under his command and he knew well the duties of all those below him. If a person does not understand these points wholly and completely, he should not be called a gunpōsha.

In the ‘King’s Wings’ chapter of the Six Secret Teachings scroll, it says:

The general has seventy-two trusted retainers and assistants in order to respond to any events which may happen. This number is according to heaven’s way.

Gunbaisha

A gunbaisha is a person who has a full understanding of religious services, manners and customs, and rituals of the army. He is also able to predict the auspicious and inauspicious by considering divination by date, time, direction, lunar mansion, weather and other factors based on the Destruction Cycle and the Creation Cycle.

Gunsha

Gunsha are samurai who are engaged in military service.

Gunpōsha, gunbaisha and gunsha³⁴ may have similar names, but they are quite different. Some people misunderstand and misuse military titles, and not only these three. Samurai may misunderstand certain points when discussing other subjects because they are not educated in such ways, but take note: a samurai should be educated on this subject so that they will not speak ambiguously when discussing military matters; if not, this is considered a misaligned attitude. Do not discuss issues that you do not understand. Once someone talked to their master and used the term utte iru – ‘to erect war curtains’. The master asked him, ‘Do you mean utte sueru?’ At this the student was embarrassed and blushed with shame saying that he did not know whether to use the verb utsu or haru for erecting curtains. Although the master did not intend to raise a question on the subject of war curtains, the student was embarrassed due to his lack of knowledge about this matter – be aware of this.

Chūgi ni oite shi wo osorezaru kokoroe no koto

PREPARING TO BE WITHOUT FEAR OF DEATH IN THE NAME OF LOYALTY³⁵

For a bushi it is essential to comprehend the following primary principle: as you have been born a samurai you must understand the difficulty of devoting and sacrificing yourself for righteousness and loyalty and you must value your name highly. The truth is that samurai, just like everyone else, have a fear of death. However, if your understanding deepens it is not so difficult to enter death. It is possible to die from illness, drowning, fire, to be killed in a moment of rage or even through lust. Even humble townsfolk and farmers can die such a death. Of course, for those born into a military family it is natural to die upon the field of battle. Therefore, if you are prepared in full for any destiny, be it glorious or ignominious, and if you are determined upon the above primary principle, then be aware that to die is not such a difficult act.

Inujini yōsha no koto

CONSIDERING A DOG’S DEATH

If someone depends only upon luck then it is as if they are a monk who has failed to reach enlightenment.³⁶ Such a person will be careless in what he does and will die a dog’s death. He is called a kenkyōnin – a ‘flustered person’. Even in times of peace this is the highest disgrace for a bushi. You should avoid a dog’s death and take care to die in the correct place. The ‘correct place’ is in the service of loyalty and justice.

Chūgi ni mi wo wasururu koto

SACRIFICING YOURSELF FOR LOYALTY AND JUSTICE

While chūgi – loyalty and justice – are aspects that a samurai should keep in mind, they are difficult to demonstrate in practice. Loyalty and justice are not reserved just for periods of war but apply to all times. Keep both loyalty and justice in mind and within your conduct throughout your life. On a battlefield this is easy to fulfil. A sense of loyalty and justice means to think nothing of death and to stick to the Way in the service of your lord, but it also means to discipline yourself and follow law and order, and deeply study the philosophies of military conduct. Without conducting these things at all times, loyalty and justice cannot be fulfilled.

Shinōkōshō no itoku sabetsu no koto

DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THE MINDSETS OF THE FOUR PATHS OF SAMURAI, FARMER, ARTISAN AND MERCHANT

Be aware that the four classes – samurai, farmer, artisan and merchant – have very different requirements. Generally it is accepted that farmers, artisans and merchants need less loyalty and justice, while samurai should be aware that they are not permitted to lapse in loyalty or justice even for a single moment of their service. They discipline themselves at all times for the sake of chūgi. Samurai differ depending on their position but above all things it is essential to cultivate the mental attitude of budō, ‘the way of the warrior’, and to restrain your mind, and avoid amusements, merrymaking, lust and greed.

Bugei manabubeki tokushin no koto

BE FULLY AWARE OF THE NEED TO LEARN MARTIAL ARTS

Concerning the arts samurai should learn, it is recommended that bushi should engage in any kind of art and study to the extent where a good knowledge of it is attained. Learn a martial art that you are especially fond of and remain within a single school until its deepest secrets have been discovered – this will also be helpful in the development of other skills. In any one given art, if you do not distinguish yourself or master it, then only empty words will spread out to the world and hollow arguments will be brought forth. In this case you will have not acquired anything for yourself and sometimes ignorance will be permitted to flourish. This is something you should be careful to avoid.

As well as the above, know a little of the tea ceremony, verse linking, noh chanting and the reading of Chinese classics, but you do not have to be reputed as good at them – for example, in reading all that is required is to obtain enough knowledge to read the texts with the aid of phonetic markers.³⁷ If your interest in such subjects increases and you become overinvolved in their meanings, negligence in budō will follow.

Mi wo osamuru wo senyō no koto

THE IMPORTANCE OF INNER DISCIPLINE

Not only samurai but also lower people should maintain discipline within. In the chapter of Great Learning in the Book of Rites it says, ‘Cultivate oneself’, therefore samurai should hone themselves by first disciplining their minds. Alongside mastery over the mind should be mastery over the body. ‘Discipline’ means preparation and to be ‘prepared in the body’ means that a samurai must carry certain basic weapons, such as the katana long sword and the wakizashi short sword and various other kinds of martial tools. The toolsets for peace times and for the battlefield are explained in detail in the scroll Heigu Yōhō. Other than the above, there are more things to always be prepared with and these should also be considered among the basics of self-discipline.

Enryo sen’itsu no koto

DISCRETION IS OF THE UTMOST IMpORTANCE

You should keep yourself disciplined and avoid places where trouble may start, particularly in your private affairs. An exception to this rule is when you have been given an order by the lord. Even if you have to venture to such places of trouble and while you may have the ability to quickly settle any issues that may arise, it is best to not be there at all. If you are present at such a place then it is better to prevent any issues from escalating.

While the face you are born with cannot be changed, then, as mentioned above, you can still perfect the preparation of your military gear and mindset, but only if you study such matters deeply. First of all you should not forget that you are a samurai, this means that you must have loyalty to your lord, filial devotion to your father and your mother and fidelity towards your friends. Even if your katana, wakizashi, their mountings, scabbard and cord are not resplendent, you should still maintain and sharpen them, carefully inspect the mekugi rivet and the same shark-skin grip and keep the blade from becoming blunt by polishing and sharpening it. These are the teachings of those who have gone before us and details of this are mentioned later. Correct preparation will encourage discretion – above all, never forget that you are a bushi.

Kajin ni shimeshioku yōgo no koto

INFORMATION WHICH YOU SHOULD ALWAYS TELL THE MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY

Keep reminding your wife, children and other family members of the position that you hold and that all are also indebted to the lord and that if the lord should order so, you must sacrifice your lives to expunge this debt. This is mononofu no michi – the way of the warrior. Even lower servants should clearly understand this matter. Everyone, men and women alike, should know the correct procedure in the case of a commotion, fire, earthquake, combat and for when sanctuary seekers arrive. Give specific instructions for each case, so that when you are away at an inn, for example, and others are minding your residence, they will know what to do.

Kōshoku yōsha no koto

CONSIDERATION ON LUST

Lust is what mononofu military men should especially avoid. In ancient times there were cases where kings and emperors were ruined because of beautiful women. However, if it were not for affairs between men and women the human race would die out – take note that monks are not allowed to participate. Without question, a samurai should refrain from overindulgence in love. If you overindulge in lust towards women, you will lose budō.

Don’yoku seiki no koto

THE ERUPTION OF GREED

Humans have desire, they desire life and therefore they grasp on to existence. They have desire for sex and therefore they copulate. They have a desire for wealth and therefore they seek gold and silver. Although individual tendencies will depend on the person’s nature, they are sometimes triggered by incidents or by friends. Even those who would not normally withdraw from danger may do so if they observe and sympathize with farmers who are in fear of death. If a beautiful woman or man is seen, it encourages people’s lustfulness. If people associate with merchants then they may develop a desire for wealth and naturally seek gold. Know that friends reflect upon a person’s heart. Those who follow a specific way will talk of the absolute advantages of that way and even evil people or thieves find their own way beneficial. However, it is the same with those on the correct path.³⁸ Remember that in both Japan and China there have been many cases where people from the lower classes were mentally and physically disciplined and became courageous warriors. Therefore, it is difficult to treat all cases the same. However, the ancient sayings ‘If you brush against red you will be stained red’ and ‘Water will fit into the shape of its vessel’ should be remembered.

Yōjin kanyō no koto

THE IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISING CAUTION

Samurai should always be cautious. Never leave a wakizashi unattended at any point, and in whatever you do keep it at the waist. If you are attacked without a sword to hand, then it will cause you dishonour. It is an indiscretion that a samurai should never commit.

Concerning clothes: do not wear garments that have oversized sleeves, or which are too long or are restricted at the legs. Some say that even if the kimono is too long and the sleeves are oversized, the excess length can be tucked into the obi-belt or the sleeves can be pulled up, and that only devotion is important for a bushi. Taking that into account, if your clothes are too feminine it is considered ill,³⁹ yet on the other hand, if they are too practical you may resemble a servant, which is also an issue. Warriors should shave the front of their heads and prepare their hair themselves.

It was asked, ‘What should you do if an emergency arises while you are shaving your head?’ In answer: bushi in older times would carry a sanjaku tenugui, a three-foot cloth, and if an emergency arose, they would leave straight away even in the middle of shaving.⁴⁰ This was the way of a well-prepared samurai in older times and they did not forget budō at any moment – keep this in mind.

Yōjin ayamatte oku to nasu kahi no koto

POINTS ON MISTAKING CONSIDERATION FOR COWARDICE

Some say that being careful is a sign of cowardice as a samurai. However, this is completely erroneous. If you do not take care and you lose your life as a result, then this is a dog’s death and, as previously discussed, a dishonour for a samurai. The correct way for samurai is to cherish life and only sacrifice it for loyalty. You must engage in even small matters carefully and sensibly. Consider fire – it starts in minuteness but can escalate into tremendous destruction. Even a small issue can lead to achievement, dishonour or defeat. Remember, ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Be aware that the gods reside in a true and honest heart, therefore take care in your behaviour and do not behave just as you please.

Keiko kokoroe no koto

POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND ABOUT TRAINING

There are points you should be aware of when learning various arts. Anyone, including a samurai, who is not determined or has not studied any of the arts until he is around twenty-four or twenty-five years of age may be invited by a friend to participate in such arts. However, because of his deficiencies he may be disgraced. This person may suddenly decide upon the study of an art themselves and afterwards have intense devotion, mentally and physically, day and night, for half of a year or even one or two years, but eventually he will become bored and give up. This situation will not produce a skilled person nor one who has mastered that path. It is like when trying to make a fire with Japanese cypress wood – if you suddenly speed up your drilling when you think the fire is about to ignite, the fire will in fact die and you will be exhausted. Instead, steady drilling with a bamboo pipe is required and it is at the point when the wood actually does catch fire that you should start to drill with increased intensity, so that the tinder fully bursts into flames. Likewise, when studying an art, start slowly and carefully and when the ‘fire’ ignites within, study with intensity. This is the path to excellence. Remember, if you ‘drill’ in haste then no art can be learned.

Kagyō ni arazaru gei wa tokushitsu no koto

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ARTS OUTSIDE YOUR FAMILY PROFESSION

Do not spend your time on arts that are of fleeting interest and have no major connection to your own position. In any art, if you venture too far along that path then it will have effects upon you, more than anticipated, and you will neglect your profession. Since olden days it has been said that an excellent swimmer can die in a river or a deer hunter may miss the mountains because they may over-concentrate and forget their own profession. Therefore, a samurai should enjoy the warrior arts and keep a loyal death in mind and regard other amusing arts as a pastime only.

Nichiyō dōgu no koto

TOOLS FOR DAILY USE

•katana – long sword

•wakizashi – short sword

As mentioned previously, it is desirable that they are well sharpened so they can cut with ease and that they have two rivets.

Items that should be kept on your person:

•a quick rope⁴¹

•a compass⁴²

•a set square

•a stone pencil

•gold and silver

•a mirror

•tweezers

•a comb

•a cloth to clean a katana blade

•powder to clean a katana blade

•a sword-rivet remover

•medicine for sudden illness and breathlessness, be it for a person or a horse

•a fire striker⁴³

•a wooden taper⁴⁴

•one or two sheets of paper for the writing of oaths⁴⁵

You should not carry something with writing upon it. However, depending on the situation, you can carry paper with your family name.

The above items should be carried in a kinchaku draw-string pouch or a hanagami-bukuro small belongings bag. You should also carry a sanjakutenugui three-foot cloth with you at all times. Be prepared like this when travelling and even during normal times. The above are called nichiyō dōgu – tools for daily life.

Aigyō senyō no koto

THE IMPORTANCE OF A FRIENDLY ATTITUDE

Samurai should cherish the concept of aigyō – love and respect⁴⁶ – and not let their status as bushi make them arrogant. Never slander people or talk of a desire for money or complain about the quality of food, be it in word or by behaviour. Consider the following when choosing friends to associate with. While past generations warned against being too selective about people, there is an appropriate way to do this. Keep the concepts of ‘distant’ and ‘close’ in your mind. You may get close to monks and ask them about karma from the path of Buddhism. However, you do not have to become a monk to learn Buddhism. It is also beneficial to ask a Zen monk about the meaning of life and of death – you should know about these things at normal times. Understanding the principle of the path to enlightenment may make death less daunting.⁴⁷

Δ Tradition says:

The following eleven points are traditions concerning the previous twenty-two points. You should study them and understand them for what they are. They are called hiden – secret traditions – and they should be kept in mind at all times.

Wasururu to wasurezu no sanji

THINGS TO FORGET AND THINGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN

Forget the following to aid loyal devotion:

•wives and children

•treasure and properties

•your body and your life

Do not forget the following to aid loyal devotion:

•determination in loyalty

•the name of your family

•parents and ancestors

Samurai wa shinjin wo mochiiru

SAMURAI SHOULD HAVE A BELIEF IN THE GODS

This is especially true for someone who is a captain of people. If those of a high position do not trust in the gods then lower retainers will become suspicious.

Shichisan no gengo

SEVEN OUT OF TEN POINTS IN YOUR SPEECH

Nine parts of your mind are for thinking, while one is for speaking. Of this one part, reveal only seven details out of ten and leave three unsaid.

Yū wo tsukuru no narai

TEACHINGS ABOUT INSTILLING COURAGE

When discussing war, if someone says he wishes to gain achievements in battle, never tell him that he cannot do so. A proverb says: ‘Cattle wish for a ring to be put through their nose.’⁴⁸

Ikkō no kenshin

TO FACE OFF WITH A SWORD-LIKE HEART

If you avoid soft speech then courage will manifest itself within you. When you ‘face off’ then have a ‘sword-like heart’.⁴⁹

Gō oku miwake

TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE FORMIDABLE AND THE COWARD

If someone’s expression changes⁵⁰ at a time of emergency they have no courage, while those who show no surprise are courageous.

Bugu soō

HAVING APPROPRIATE MILITARY TOOLS

Make sure you have the correct military tools, as your spirit will rise and fall because of them.

Bōkei sanwa ichigō

TACTICS INTEGRATING THREE PLANS INTO ONE

This concept was used while Minamoto no Yoritomo was exiled to Izu and is transmitted in the scroll Kōketsu.

Katana wakizashi okiyō

POSITIONING YOUR KATANA AND WAKIZASHI

When going to sleep, place one sword on each side, with them slightly drawn. How to sleep with them when travelling or when under a mosquito net will be explained later.

Shoshō no shina tsuketari shijūhachi ji

CONCERNING WRITTEN EVIDENCE

Supplementary: the forty-eight-letter iroha alphabet

If there is something delicate that cannot be written normally transmit it orally or write in code, remembering that writing can serve as evidence. Here ‘forty-eight letters’ means the coded communication of the iroha alphabet.

Kurai no kotoba

WORDS FOR DETERMINING DOMINANCE

Use this way of asserting your dominance when meeting someone for the first time. Avoid strong mannerisms but move your words to strength later on. Also, it is sometimes better to have your servant greet the person or talk to them first and you yourself should say nothing until you have formed a better understanding of the person before you.

The above thirty-three points, including the twenty-two initial points and eleven traditions, are points that samurai should use in normal life.

The following seventeen points are on the construction of houses, walls, gates and doors and also paper sliding doors. These seventeen points are secret traditions. At the beginning of the list the ideogram for house has been written. There are also a further seven points, which start at the point marked by the words ‘tradition says’ – this makes twenty-four points in total.

30 - an old unit of weight, 1 kin is about 600 grams.

31Here Natori uses the alternative term inshi, a ‘hidden warrior’, but in this context he is referring to a rōnin, ‘one without employment’.

32 – literally, ‘one who has a lord’.

33. The first part, , refers to the five constant factors and seven considerations taken from Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The latter part,, consists of the four ways: jūhō (‘flexible’), jakuhō (‘weak’), gōhō (‘rigid’), and kyōhō (‘strong’).

34All three are based on the ideogram gun – ‘military’.

35The titles from here have kaeriten, or speech-order markers alongside them. These show the reader how to decipher the classical Japanese kanbun text, by indicating the correct word order.

36 satori, a form of enlightenment.

37Kana are small markers that allow the more difficult Chinese ideograms to be spelled out phonetically.

38If a samurai engages in correct ways with friends or situations, then a desire for the correct way will emerge. Samurai should not place themselves in the way of lust and greed but put themselves in correct situations instead.

39This implies that to wear clothes that are too fashionable and oversized is detrimental to the samurai.

40If a samurai has to leave suddenly he can cover his head with the cloth and hide any unkempt hair.

41 hayanawa – a thin rope for binding criminals with a hook attached to the end.

42 jishaku – it can also be interpreted as ‘magnet’.

43 hiuchi – a striker to create a spark.

44 tsukegi – a paper-thin section of wood ignited with the above striker.

45 goō – paper stamped by a temple or shrine and which can be used to write out a written oath if a situation requires it.

46 – literally, ‘love and respect’ – to cherish and to respect others.

47Literally, ‘death will become lighter’.

48i.e. people desire hardship.

49This teaching could apply to any form of confrontation, speech included.

50There is an underlying message at play with the ideograms. They imply that in such a situation the coward loses colour in his face.