Knight of blacknes
2008-09-10, 22:49
Greetings journeyman (or woman),
All my adult life I have been searching for a teaching that could carve out a path to glory. I have ready many books on the subjects of war, philosophy and seen many movies about heroism and sacrifice. However, I have never read a book, so nimble in size yet so noble in content and so humbly tought. The book I am referring to is:
The book on the traditions of the art of war
Sometimes: The book on the family traditions of the art of war
Written by Yagyu Munenori.
The book or rather booklet comprises 3 chapters. The chapters are called "Death Bringing Sword" which deals with the subjects of swordfighting and how to react upon ones enemy. The second chapter is called "Life Giving Sword" which explains various mental tenchnique's and how to foresee the enemies movements and how to stabalize your own mental health by curing "sickness". Last but not at all least is the chapter "No Sword" where Yagyu explains that art of fighting without a sword and surviving and coupled to that the fact that it is the meaning behind the art of war and the life of a noble, enlightened man.
The book covers multiple fields of expertise. Subjects handled are Martial Arts, Sociology, Philosophy, Zen, Psychology, and other fields. You will soon find that this man was truly an expert in his field. I have read his book multiple times and never ceases to bore me. I see it as something to learn and then put into practice. The information is timeless and can be put to practice modularely interchangeable. Which means, with no changes in the text whatsoever.
About Yagyu Munenori. He was a japanese swordmaster that livesfrom 1571 to 1646. Making him contempory to Miyamoto Musashi. In some fictional works he is said to be the evil counterpart of Musashi, this is nonesense. Munenori was the head of security of the Tokugawa Shogunate and was detailed with the security of the royal family and ceremonies. He founded his own swordsmanship school which he had learned from his father. In 1641 he wrote "The book on the family traditions of the art of war" and presented it to the royal family.
This is a compilation of the texts and what I deemed most important to learn. However this is for me personally, other will find many other things more important to keep closeby. I will not discuss the whole book here but only a few parts from each chapter. The book however is filled with loads of other valuable interesting information.
-------------------------------------------
Death Bringing Sword
In Death Bringing Sword Yagyu starts by saying:
"There is an ancient saying that goes: "Weapons are the tools of fate, they are rejected by the Heavenly Path. They can only be used when it is unavoidable."
He explains this as such: "Weapons are rejected by the Heavenly Path because this path is the path that gives life. Thus something that deals death is indeed a tool of fate."
In his opening statement he immediately makes it clear that being a warior is not about battle prowess or about killing other people at leisure. Weapons are instruments of death and a menace to all living things. How then can the usage of weapons be justified? Yagyu states a similar question:
"Still the Heavenly Path says that their usage is allowed when it is unavoidable. Why is that? Even when the trees are flowering and the spring breeze brings ever more blossoms, when the autumn comes with the frost, the leaves will come of and the trees will shrivel. This is the logic of nature. There is a certain logical way to nature that when something is completed, it is destroyed."
Yagyu says here that eventhough the Heavenly Path is a life bringing path, it is also death dealing. Since everything knows an end. Death is only a natural path every living being must one day follow. Still this doesn't quite justify the usage of weapons. In the next few sentence's Yagyu gives a compact justification for death dealing methods.
"There can be instances where a great number of people suffer at the hands of one person's evil. In such a case a great number of people are saved by the killing of one person. Is this not a good example of 'the sword which kills is also the sword which brings life' ?"
This is the essence of Justice even when death is involved. It also shows us the importance of why we have learn the art of war if we want to take places of power and authority.
When oposed by a cunning oponent, we often find ourselves wondering what our next move should be. Yagyu explains the following:
"In his heart a commander must, when mentally leading a large army in battle, be occupied with two positions. This is the art of mental warfare."
Two positions, meaning his own and his enemy's position. Knowing what the enemy wants to do before he does it is just as important as thinking out what you are going to do. This is important in any case where you are opposed by someone strong.
For those who have climbed upon a seat of great power and authority Yagyu has timeless advice:
"The land is the land of the ruler. The people are the people of the ruler. Those who serve the ruler personally are just the same subjects, as those who serve him from a great distance. How far is the distance between them? In serving the ruler they are like the hands and the feet. Are the feet different from the hands only because are further away? And which can be called closeby and far off since both feel itch and pain? Therefore people will blaim even an honoust ruler if he allows those are near to him to extort those who serve him far away and make them suffer. There are only a hand full of people directly affiliated to the ruler, maybe five or ten. The majority have nothing to do with the ruler. When a large number of people have a grudge towards the ruler they will show it. When those near to the ruler have extorted the people for their own gain and the people have become to despise him for that, then those near to the ruler will be the first to abandon him. This is the blame of those directly around the ruler, not the ruler himself. It is wise to notice such warning and to not let those who serve the ruler from far away be deprived of his favors."
Yagyu sees the danger in the distance between the ruler and the common people. Even if the ruler means well, the system might not work out well for the people. As a person in charge of something important, governing many people' interest, it is wise to keep a close eye one things. So that they go the way you intended them to go and are not changed by people around you. Those people will be the first to leave you or even blame you when it goes wrong. Be thoughtful to those who serve you from far away and do not forget that they too are important.
On the matter of learning "The Great Learning" as he calls it Yagyu says something that can be a lesson to almost anyone of us.
"It is difficult too, to discern solely because of a person's virtue or his linguacy if he truly understands the Way."
Sometimes people use difficult words to make them seem more intelligent. I bet anyone is guilty on that charge somewhere.
Yagyu is also concerned with Sickness of the Mind. He says that being possessed by something is a Sickness which will ultimately deprive you of victory and can even kill you. Obsessive thought's like being obsessed of winning and putting the martial arts into practice or to keep sprouting out all your knowledge to others. Even the obsessive want to get rid of all the sickness is in itself a sickness. This is interesting because many people complain about "seeking the Way" but that in itself is a sickness. That's why they will never be cured. This is the reason why I quit my search for enlightment because it isn't working. Now I know why.
To be void of sickness means the following:
"A monk once asked a sage: "What is the Way?" The sage awnsered: "The normal spirit is the Way."
This has to do with having a normal, clear mind, cleared from sickness and of active thought about what you are doing. This is a difficult concept to learn. Yagyu says that when you shoot a bow whilst being clear of sickness, you don't think about shooting the bow. You are just holding it, and letting go of the arrow. It is already in the target. This can only be achieved by such practice and level of competence that you do not have to think about shooting the bow, it is just a routine to you to pick up the bow and shoot an arrow into the target. Once you can do that, you can shoot a bow without sickness. This applies to really everything there is to do in the world. Driving your car you can do with or without sickness. When you are actively thinking about how the shift gears next and at the same time steer to the left, you are driving your car with obsession and sickness. It is likely that you will miss a gear or oversteer. However if you do not have to think about these things whilst driving, you will drive well and not miss a single gear and make every turn perfect. You drive without sickness. A driver apprentice drives with much sickness in his mind. He/she is afraid of missing gears, of the rest of the traffic, about accelerating to fast or the slow, if the mirrors are placed correct and what the instructor thinks of his/her driving. Only after driving for many times does it become a routine and he/she will be able to drive without sickness. However as soon as the driver actively starts to think about this again, things will start to go wrong again.
So far my short compilation on "Death Bringing Sword"
All my adult life I have been searching for a teaching that could carve out a path to glory. I have ready many books on the subjects of war, philosophy and seen many movies about heroism and sacrifice. However, I have never read a book, so nimble in size yet so noble in content and so humbly tought. The book I am referring to is:
The book on the traditions of the art of war
Sometimes: The book on the family traditions of the art of war
Written by Yagyu Munenori.
The book or rather booklet comprises 3 chapters. The chapters are called "Death Bringing Sword" which deals with the subjects of swordfighting and how to react upon ones enemy. The second chapter is called "Life Giving Sword" which explains various mental tenchnique's and how to foresee the enemies movements and how to stabalize your own mental health by curing "sickness". Last but not at all least is the chapter "No Sword" where Yagyu explains that art of fighting without a sword and surviving and coupled to that the fact that it is the meaning behind the art of war and the life of a noble, enlightened man.
The book covers multiple fields of expertise. Subjects handled are Martial Arts, Sociology, Philosophy, Zen, Psychology, and other fields. You will soon find that this man was truly an expert in his field. I have read his book multiple times and never ceases to bore me. I see it as something to learn and then put into practice. The information is timeless and can be put to practice modularely interchangeable. Which means, with no changes in the text whatsoever.
About Yagyu Munenori. He was a japanese swordmaster that livesfrom 1571 to 1646. Making him contempory to Miyamoto Musashi. In some fictional works he is said to be the evil counterpart of Musashi, this is nonesense. Munenori was the head of security of the Tokugawa Shogunate and was detailed with the security of the royal family and ceremonies. He founded his own swordsmanship school which he had learned from his father. In 1641 he wrote "The book on the family traditions of the art of war" and presented it to the royal family.
This is a compilation of the texts and what I deemed most important to learn. However this is for me personally, other will find many other things more important to keep closeby. I will not discuss the whole book here but only a few parts from each chapter. The book however is filled with loads of other valuable interesting information.
-------------------------------------------
Death Bringing Sword
In Death Bringing Sword Yagyu starts by saying:
"There is an ancient saying that goes: "Weapons are the tools of fate, they are rejected by the Heavenly Path. They can only be used when it is unavoidable."
He explains this as such: "Weapons are rejected by the Heavenly Path because this path is the path that gives life. Thus something that deals death is indeed a tool of fate."
In his opening statement he immediately makes it clear that being a warior is not about battle prowess or about killing other people at leisure. Weapons are instruments of death and a menace to all living things. How then can the usage of weapons be justified? Yagyu states a similar question:
"Still the Heavenly Path says that their usage is allowed when it is unavoidable. Why is that? Even when the trees are flowering and the spring breeze brings ever more blossoms, when the autumn comes with the frost, the leaves will come of and the trees will shrivel. This is the logic of nature. There is a certain logical way to nature that when something is completed, it is destroyed."
Yagyu says here that eventhough the Heavenly Path is a life bringing path, it is also death dealing. Since everything knows an end. Death is only a natural path every living being must one day follow. Still this doesn't quite justify the usage of weapons. In the next few sentence's Yagyu gives a compact justification for death dealing methods.
"There can be instances where a great number of people suffer at the hands of one person's evil. In such a case a great number of people are saved by the killing of one person. Is this not a good example of 'the sword which kills is also the sword which brings life' ?"
This is the essence of Justice even when death is involved. It also shows us the importance of why we have learn the art of war if we want to take places of power and authority.
When oposed by a cunning oponent, we often find ourselves wondering what our next move should be. Yagyu explains the following:
"In his heart a commander must, when mentally leading a large army in battle, be occupied with two positions. This is the art of mental warfare."
Two positions, meaning his own and his enemy's position. Knowing what the enemy wants to do before he does it is just as important as thinking out what you are going to do. This is important in any case where you are opposed by someone strong.
For those who have climbed upon a seat of great power and authority Yagyu has timeless advice:
"The land is the land of the ruler. The people are the people of the ruler. Those who serve the ruler personally are just the same subjects, as those who serve him from a great distance. How far is the distance between them? In serving the ruler they are like the hands and the feet. Are the feet different from the hands only because are further away? And which can be called closeby and far off since both feel itch and pain? Therefore people will blaim even an honoust ruler if he allows those are near to him to extort those who serve him far away and make them suffer. There are only a hand full of people directly affiliated to the ruler, maybe five or ten. The majority have nothing to do with the ruler. When a large number of people have a grudge towards the ruler they will show it. When those near to the ruler have extorted the people for their own gain and the people have become to despise him for that, then those near to the ruler will be the first to abandon him. This is the blame of those directly around the ruler, not the ruler himself. It is wise to notice such warning and to not let those who serve the ruler from far away be deprived of his favors."
Yagyu sees the danger in the distance between the ruler and the common people. Even if the ruler means well, the system might not work out well for the people. As a person in charge of something important, governing many people' interest, it is wise to keep a close eye one things. So that they go the way you intended them to go and are not changed by people around you. Those people will be the first to leave you or even blame you when it goes wrong. Be thoughtful to those who serve you from far away and do not forget that they too are important.
On the matter of learning "The Great Learning" as he calls it Yagyu says something that can be a lesson to almost anyone of us.
"It is difficult too, to discern solely because of a person's virtue or his linguacy if he truly understands the Way."
Sometimes people use difficult words to make them seem more intelligent. I bet anyone is guilty on that charge somewhere.
Yagyu is also concerned with Sickness of the Mind. He says that being possessed by something is a Sickness which will ultimately deprive you of victory and can even kill you. Obsessive thought's like being obsessed of winning and putting the martial arts into practice or to keep sprouting out all your knowledge to others. Even the obsessive want to get rid of all the sickness is in itself a sickness. This is interesting because many people complain about "seeking the Way" but that in itself is a sickness. That's why they will never be cured. This is the reason why I quit my search for enlightment because it isn't working. Now I know why.
To be void of sickness means the following:
"A monk once asked a sage: "What is the Way?" The sage awnsered: "The normal spirit is the Way."
This has to do with having a normal, clear mind, cleared from sickness and of active thought about what you are doing. This is a difficult concept to learn. Yagyu says that when you shoot a bow whilst being clear of sickness, you don't think about shooting the bow. You are just holding it, and letting go of the arrow. It is already in the target. This can only be achieved by such practice and level of competence that you do not have to think about shooting the bow, it is just a routine to you to pick up the bow and shoot an arrow into the target. Once you can do that, you can shoot a bow without sickness. This applies to really everything there is to do in the world. Driving your car you can do with or without sickness. When you are actively thinking about how the shift gears next and at the same time steer to the left, you are driving your car with obsession and sickness. It is likely that you will miss a gear or oversteer. However if you do not have to think about these things whilst driving, you will drive well and not miss a single gear and make every turn perfect. You drive without sickness. A driver apprentice drives with much sickness in his mind. He/she is afraid of missing gears, of the rest of the traffic, about accelerating to fast or the slow, if the mirrors are placed correct and what the instructor thinks of his/her driving. Only after driving for many times does it become a routine and he/she will be able to drive without sickness. However as soon as the driver actively starts to think about this again, things will start to go wrong again.
So far my short compilation on "Death Bringing Sword"