Make life replete, constantly thinking of death
The man who would be a warrior
considers it his most basic intention to keep
death always in mind, day and night, from the
time he first picks up his chopsticks in
celebrating his morning meal on New Year's
Day to the evening of the last day of the year.
When one constantly keeps death in mind,
both loyalty and filial piety are realized,
myriad evils and disasters are avoided, one is
without illness and mishap, and lives out a
long life. In addition, even his character is
improved. Such are the many benefits of this
act.
Considering this, we generally see a man's life as rather fleeting, like the dew in the evening or the frost of the morning. And herein is something particularly dangerous: when a man with the life of a warrior has the notion that he will be able to live for a long time doing exactly as he pleases, he will feel that he has many years to serve his lord and attend to his parents. Thus, when some event does occur, he will be lacking in duty and shabby in his devotion. Being resolved that a man may be alive today but not tomorrow, one will be aware that today may be his last chance to serve his lord and attend to his parents. Thus, when before his lord receiving orders or looking on his parents with thoughts that it may be for the last time, and his concern for them will be sincere. Accordingly it is said that one fulfills both loyalty and filial piety.
Moreover, a mind that is negligent and forgetful of death will beget a lack of prudence. Arguments will be started over insensitive speech, and controversies will flare up concerning matters that could have been finished simply by ignoring them.
While walking around without reserve in the midst of crowds on useless temple sight-seeing trips, bumping into strange fools and getting into unexpected fights, one will lose his life, drag out the honored name of his lord, and bring trouble on his family. All these disasters occur from the negligence of not keeping death constantly in mind. When one does have death constantly in mind, being of warrior rank, he will understand the importance of discrimination in words, both in addressing others and in answering what others have addressed to him. He will have no reasonless arguments because of this, and, of course, will not go to 'unnecessary places even when invited. Thus, he will not get involved with any unexpected issues. For this reason it is said that one can avoid myriad evils and disasters.
No matter whether he be of high or low rank, if a man forgets about death, he will constantly eat and drink too much, will become involved in lasciviousness and all manner of unhealthful activities, and will bring on disaster to his viscera and an unexpected early death. Even if he did live, he would, in the end, become a useless invalid. When a man has death constantly in mind, even though he may be young and healthy, if he will consistently be aware of the preservation of his health, eat and drink in moderation, and train himself to prudently keep sexual indulgence at a distance, his body will remain sound. It is exactly for this reason that it is said that he will live out a long life without disease or incident.
Moreover, when a man sees death as something far away and feels that his stay in this world will be a lengthy one, he will be beset with various ambitions and deep avarice. Coveting the possessions of others and holding his own too dear, he will develop the disposition of a merchant or farmer. When death is held constantly in mind and this world is seen in its triviality, the greed in one's heart will weaken as a matter of course, and the squalid tempers of avarice and selfishness will not so much intrude themselves. For this reason it is said that even one's character will improve.
One must always keep death in mind. Yet, there was a monk, Shinkai, mentioned in Yoshida Kenko's Tsurezuregusa, who constantly cowered and waited, thinking of his final hour 24 hours a day. Now although it may be an austerity keeping death in the mind of a monk, it is not in accord with the basic intention of the discipline of a warrior. To approach death in such a manner would be in no way good, for one would abandon the Way of loyalty to his lord and filial piety toward his parents, and be lacking in his calling as a warrior. Day and night without fail, as one is involved in all his business, both public and private, when there is just a moment for the heart to be calm, death should be kept in mind. Such is this matter. Tradition has it that Kusunoki Masashige instructed his son, Masatsura, with the words, "Constantly learn death."
The man who would be a warrior considers it essential to keep in mind the spirit of battle 24 hours a day. Our country is different from others, for here, even the lowliest merchant, farmer, or artisan is attentive enough to carry with him a rusty old sword. This is the custom of the people of the warrior nation of Japan, and is the Way of the gods, unchanged for ten thousand generations.
Be that as it may, the people of the three classes (of farmer, artisan, and merchant) do not have a martial calling. For those in the warrior class, right down to the lowest type of menial, attendant, and lackey, there is an established manner of never parting oneself from his sword. It goes without saying that for those above the rank of samurai, one's sword does not leave his side even for an instant. Thus, a true warrior will always be prepared, even to the extent of having a bladeless or wooden sword with him when he bathes. This is due to his intention to keep the spirit of battle within him. One maintains this attitude in his own home, and all the more so when he leaves his own surroundings and goes out to other places. Then he should keep in mind the possibility of having the unexpected circumstances of meeting madmen, drunkards, and all manner of fools along the road or even at his destination. This is akin to the saying of the ancients, "Leaving his gate, he sees the enemy."
Because a man with the position of warrior fastens swords to his side, he should never forget the spirit of battle. When one does not forget the spirit of battle, the reality of keeping death in mind will be fulfilled. A samurai who fastens swords to his side and yet does not have the spirit of battle always in mind is not at all different from a merchant or farmer wearing a warrior's skin.
As a man who would be a warrior stands above the other three classes and carries the duties of administration, it is fitting that he be involved in Learning, and be able to distinguish broadly the nature of things.
Be this as it may, the warriors who were born in times of confusion invariably served in full capacity in their first campaign by the age of 15 or 16. Accordingly, by the time they were 12 or 13 years old, it was proper for them to be skilled in horsemanship, archery, riflery, and all the other martial arts. They had hardly any time to face a book-prop and open reading materials, or to sit at a desk taking up a brush. Thus they were naturally unlearned and illiterate, being unable to write a single Chinese character.
Although there were any number of warriors like this during the Warring States Period, it was not necessarily on ac- count of their having no intentions (toward Learning) or by being poorly educated by their parents. They were unlearned because they labored solely in the Way of the Warrior and were used in that capacity at that time. Today, although warriors are born into times when the land is at peace, it cannot be advocated that they treat their intentions in the Way of the Warrior lightly. However, neither is it a generation like the times of confusion when warriors would absolutely serve in their first campaign when they were 15 or 16. Thus, when a boy passes the age of ten, he should be instructed to read such works as the Four Books, the Five Classics, and the Seven Books, and to practice calligraphy and writing. Moreover, by the age of 15, as his physical strength increases and his health becomes sound, he should learn archery and horsemanship, and be made skillful in all the martial arts. These should be one's basic intentions in bringing up the child of a warrior in times of peace. There is, to a certain extent, an excuse for the previously mentioned illiteracy of the warrior of troubled times. Excuses cannot be made for a ignorant and illiterate warrior in times of peace. Nor can the situation be blamed on the youth and weakness of children. It is simply a matter of parents' negligence and carelessness, and in the end is due to ignorance of the proper way to love a child.
The man who would be a warrior considers it foremost to discharge his filial duties to his parents with tender care. Even if a man is clever and intelligent, excels others, is an eloquent speaker, and was born with a pleasing appearance, if he is unfilial to his parents he will be useless. In Bushido one considers it essential to know the difference between the root and the branch, and to act accordingly. A man who has difficulty in discerning the root from the branch will likely have no understanding of duty, and it is difficult to call a man who does not understand duty a warrior. Knowing the difference between the root and the branch, one will consider his parents as the root of his body, and his body as the branch of their flesh and blood. However, when a man's true desire is to raise himself in this world and in some event treats his parents shabbily, it is because he has no discernment of root and branch.
There are, moreover, two levels in discharging one's filial duties to his parents. For example, there is nothing impressive about a child who consistently completes his filial duties to parents who are completely devoted. Parents of this caliber are of a gentle disposition and, loving the child sincerely, consider his upbringing with tenderness. They spend their hard-earned stipend on his weaponry, riding materials and household goods, making sure that nothing is lacking. They also find him a good wife, and when they finally retire, leave him their entire inheritance. The reason for this follows: once becoming intimate and mutually concerned even with a perfect stranger, if the stranger put out efforts on one's behalf, one would, even when unobserved by others, not treat him with indifference, but rather would consider his affairs as significant. One would postpone one's own problems and put the stranger's matters to the fore. How much more then, when one's own parents act with loving benevolence, leaving no stone unturned in his behalf? No matter how much a child exhausted his strength in discharging his filial duties in such a case, it could not be said to be sufficient. This would be common filial piety and thus would have nothing praiseworthy about it.
There are parents, however, who are not at all tender- hearted, who, growing old and senile, make nothing but trivial complaints, leave nothing as a inheritance, but rather bring their already hard-pressed child into dangerous circumstances, and are unaware that simply bringing up a child should be a satisfaction to them. They do nothing but complain about their daily food and clothing, and, in addition to all this, think nothing of having their child lose face in public by telling others they meet that they have gone through terrible strains and burdens because their son was an unfilial sort, caring little that they were growing old. To respect even such parents as these, facing difficult hazards and earnestly lamenting their decrepitude, never ignoring them, and always discharging one's filial duties with sincerity is the true awareness of the filial son.
A warrior with such a disposition will have a good understanding of the Way of loyalty and duty when serving a lord. He will labor in true loyalty, not only when his lord's power is flourishing, but even when his master has met with something unexpected and is in trouble. Such a warrior will not leave his lord's side even if their allies have dwindled from 100 horsemen to ten, or from ten to only one. No matter how the enemy's arrows rain down, he will stand to meet them without a second thought for his life, discharging his duties with martial loyalty. Although the words, parent and lord, filial piety and loyalty, are different, in the sincerity of the mind they are one. Thus, it has been said in the words of the ancients: "Look for a loyal retainer in the house of a filial child." It is, then, unreasonable to say that a man may be unfilial to his parents yet loyal and correct to his lord.
A man whose mind is so immature that he is not filial to his very source will certainly not feel duty or obligation, nor fully act with loyalty toward a lord with whom he lacks the bond of nature.
Although a man who has been unfilial to his parents at home may go out and serve under a lord, he will always keep an eye on his lord's circumstances, and, if he sees that they decline in the least way he will quickly change his design, leaving in the midst of battle, and making his way out through the rain of arrows. That such a man will be unrighteous enough to even conspire with or defect to the enemy has been established in both past and present. This a matter for both a sense of shame and circumspection.