The warrior who serves is said to sometimes borrow the authority of his lord. There are also times when he might be said to steal that authority. Moreover, there are times when the lord might loan his authority to a retainer. And there are times when a retainer is occasioned to steal it.
The reasons are as follows.
A warrior may be entrusted to an important job, and perhaps because of his youth or low status, or perhaps because of the disposition of his retainers, if he does not act using the lord's authority, the job will not get done. Thus, in the end, temporarily borrowing the lord's authority, covering oneself in his influence, and dealing with one's work for his sake might be called "borrowing the lord's authority."
When such has been the case and all involved have responded well without any harm done to the lord, it is best to return the lord's authority, and continue to serve prudently at one's original job with the authority proper to it.
However, there are times when a man commands the respect not only of his own associates, but that of people from other clans as well by announcing himself as the representative of such and such a lord, enjoying his influence and becoming greedy by virtue of having obtained a secret strength in being able to use people. This, in the end, is harvesting the lord's authority as one's own and would have to be called "stealing the lord's authority."
Moreover, there are instances when, according to the situation of the times, the lord may wish to loan his authority to a retainer, thus making that retainer more influential, and there are many examples of this from the famous lords and clever generals of the past. This would be called "a loan of the lord's authority.''
However, once the job has been done and everything is as it should be, the lord's authority that was loaned out should be gradually returned. But it may happen that, through the lord's patience and the long-continuing loan, something occurs and it later becomes difficult to make the return. In the end the retainer makes that authority his own. This is called "having authority stolen by a retainer."
If such a thing happens, it is not only a great disgrace to the lord, but it can also bring him a number of losses. The first is that if the authority attached to the retainer is excessive, the lord's authority will naturally pale. Those in low positions will finally think that, as everything-including the lord's affairs--rests on this retainer, they must first obtain his permission and understanding to get things done. This is the same as having two suns shining in the sky, and is not a good thing at all.
Secondly, all the samurai and underlings of the dan will consider it essential to ingratiate themselves with this retainer, and will treat the lord's affairs with little regard. Thus, the relation between lord and follower will weaken, less warriors of loyalty and righteousness will appear in the dan, and as a result, if some disturbance were to arise, the master would certainly be lacking in good men.
Thirdly, not only samurai employed at insignificant jobs, but also those serving close to the lord, and even those men in sensitive positions will fear the authority of this one retainer and cower before him. Even though they know the situation is not a good one for the lord, they will not speak out at all, but will only regret the matter in their heart of hearts, murmuring about it in whispers among their intimate friends and associates. Not one will come forward to explain the matter to the lord, and thus there will be no way for him to know about this retainer's greed, selfishness, prejudice and secret luxury. In this way, if the lord simply thinks that everything this retainer does is fine, and is unattentive to the situation, it is certain that great disaster will befall him, the world scorning him as a man who does not know people well, and as one lacking the character to be called lord or general. Moreover, in his arrogance the man will have no fear or respect for what the lord sees or hears, and will care nothing for the thoughts of his associates. By cajoling the underlings, he will send presents (charged to his lord's expenses) to his cronies, and will count as his own the gifts he receives in return. People from other clam and domains who are entertained by him will have sake, fish, tea, and cakes "from the lord's kitchen" paraded before them. Thus, he will consider the lord's things as his own and certainly his own things as his own, and in the end will weaken the lord's own finances, putting them at a loss.
When a warrior who understands this principle well is noticed and treated kindly by his lord, it is essential that he humble himself and control the pride in his heart all the more, and that he wish for nothing more than the lord's authority to shine brightly.
I have heard an ancient saying that goes "a loyal retainer knows that his lord exists, but knows not that he himself exists."
Even if, according to the time and circumstances, one is loaned the lord's authority, he must not hold it for long, but return it in due time, never taking the name of a thief of the lord's authority. To this one must be resolved.
There are three kinds of warriors serving as retainers to a lord. The first are samurai of devotion, the second are samurai of faithful service, and the third are samurai of both devotion and faithful service.
First, the samurai of devotion will exert himself for his lord at least once in his life in some important endeavor in which his comrades were unable to function, no matter what that endeavor might be. Because even the lord will recognize his labors as not being remiss, all of the elders will know this too, and not consider him as lacking. And even if his daily labors are done somewhat poorly, because this person's virtues are special, he will have a clear conscience.
Second, although the warrior of faithful service cannot be said to do anything particular of uncommon devotion, he somehow always places importance in his lord. If there is some way of serving, he not only does his regular work night and day, but cheerfully and without the least bit of negligence helps out where others in the same employment are sick or otherwise hindered. He naturally does his own work faithfully and with care. This is the warrior of faithful service.
Finally, there is the warrior of both devotion and faithful service. While in his heart he harbors the sincerity of devotion, outwardly he strives to work in faithful service, just as a horse will have two stirrups. And, although the warriors mentioned who are either one-sidedly devoted or one-sidedly serve faithfully cannot be said to be bad, when compared to the warrior who combines both of these qualities they are left far behind.
If one understands this point well and has committed himself as a retainer, his aim must be in intending to be called a warrior who combines devotion with faithful service. But a warrior who achieves not even one of these three is a sluggard in the warrior's service.
No matter how high or low his rank, the man who would be a warrior must have a good understanding of the meaning of the character "to win". More specifically, the character "to win is also read "to excel," and in any case, a man who does not excel others in some way cannot be said to be a good warrior.
For example, if a man were to spend long years putting great effort into learning all the martial arts and yet did not become a master of those arts, if he could at least be thought of as generally skillful, he would have excelled others. On the other hand, in serving one's lord, if one goes beyond many of his companions and has discharged his duties well in the eyes of all, he is said to have served in a way that has excelled. Above all, at times of altercation on the battlefield, to think of advancing when others are doing so, or to make a stand along with the others is neither very impressive nor praiseworthy. But for one person to advance where all of his compatriots considered it impossible, or for a single man to hold his ground where the others could not make a stand is the mark of a brave warrior who has excelled.
Beyond these things, it is essential for a man to strive with all his heart, and to understand that it is difficult even to reach the average if he does not have the intention of surpassing others in whatever he does.
For the man who would be a warrior, regardless of high or low rank, his very first consideration should be the quality of the moment of his physical end, when his fate runs out. No matter how clever or good at talking a man seems to be, if, in his final moments he is so panicky that he loses consciousness or otherwise faces his end poorly, all his former good behavior will become as water. Such a man will be scorned by people of understanding, and this will be a great shame. Facing a warrior's battlefield, committing feats of martial excellence and establishing one's name all rest upon having secured beforehand an absolute resolution to be struck down in battle. Being thus resolved, when one's luck has gone for the worse and he has suffered defeat from the enemy, his head about to be taken, when asked his name he will give it clearly and fully, laughing coldly and inviting his head to be cut off while his complexion shows not a hairsbreadth of intimidation. On the other hand, even if one has sustained a severe wound beyond the treatment of medicine, while still conscious he will speak with certainty before his group and section leaders and all his fellows, ignoring his wounds and meeting his end as though it were an everyday occurrence. Such is the primary correctness of a warrior.
Consequently, although we live in a time of peace, when a man who considers well what it means to be a warrior--and this goes without saying for the old, but also concerns the young--contracts a grave illness unresponsive to treatment and gradually grows worse, he will have established beforehand that same resolution and will not have the least bit of anxiety concerning this world. Naturally, if his responsibilities had been great, but even if he had only served in a light capacity, when he feels that he will not bear up much longer, but is still capable of speaking, he will beckon his group and section leaders. Facing them he will express that, as for many years he had received great kindness from his lord, he had wanted in some way to be useful, and though he had always kept this in mind, he had now contracted this grave illness. Though he had taken various treatments, a recovery seemed difficult. Thus, he was going to die of disease without having been useful at all, and though he felt this to be regrettable at this time, it seemed unavoidable. He will also express his gratitude for his great blessings up to this moment, and, should he at length die, have his situation reported to the fief elders and his final obeisance related to his lord. Finally, he should speak of whatever private matters that happen to remain. This is only reasonable. Once having completed this, when he takes his final leave of his relatives and intimate friends, he should draw his children to him and express the fact that it is not the true intention of a warrior to die of illness after having received the great kindness of their lord for so many years. He will explain that, as these are times of peace, it is unavoidable. And, although they are still young, carrying on with his aspirations, they should be absolutely resolved to be of use to their lord in the case of something unexpected. Thus constantly striving in their determination to be devoted and to commit acts of loyalty, they will not likely be negligent in the Way of Service. It is also correct for a warrior to strictly charge them with one's last words, saying that they should understand that if they go against these last words of one's final hours and be disloyal and unrighteous, they will be disinherited, even from within the grave. There was a Chinese sage who said, "What a man says at his death will be good," and this is to that effect.
Something similar to this is truly what the final hour of the warrior should be. However, should one not be resolved to the disaster of an incurable disease and play odds with death, rejoicing when people say it is only light, or feeling bad when they say it is serious, complaining in various ways to the doctor, and becoming confused to the point of saying useless prayers and supplications, being neither resolved to one's end nor having any words to leave although the disease gradually worsens--all these things are the same as a dog or cat dying of disease, and a man will in this way damage the final hours of the only life he has. Such a person has not kept death constantly in mind as advocated in the beginning of this book, but, hearing of the death of another, finds it merely vexing, and thinks that he himself should be able to exist in this world forever. His own death will be tainted with deep greed and a craving for life. Say a person living in these peaceful times were attacked by a serious illness, took various treatments which had no effect, and though he found himself gradually pressed by the disease, did not establish a resolution to die. With such a cowardly disposition how could this man face the battlefield and meet with an enemy that bore him no grudge at all? Nor could he be struck down splendidly in battle with only thoughts of not being lacking in righteousness. Thus, for a man who is constantly aware of what it means to be a warrior, dying of illness in bed can be said to be an important unique event in the one life we receive.
As stated, regardless of high or low rank, the warrior of today who has a lord, serves and puts his life on the line even though the land is at peace. This is not just a matter of one's own generation or one's father's generation, or even a matter of decades. It is not in the Way of the Warrior to die of an illness in bed while spending the excessive stipend so generously given, postponing one's last words to his descendants, and lacking even the consideration of bidding the final obligatory obeisance to the lord who has shown one great kindness. Only a man undeserving of the name warrior would instead pay attention in one's final hours solely to sending for his group and section leaders in order to secure the succession of his own line. These things are extremely regrettable, and are not the correctness of a warrior.
When a bird is at the point of death, his cries will be plaintive; when a man is at the point of death, his words will be good.
In the Way of the Warrior it is a matter of course that a disposition of strength is considered to be above all things. But to be one-sided and have strength alone, one will look like a warrior risen from the farmers, with the appearance of a peasant or rustic, and this is not the way things should be. Although such things as scholastics, the study of poetry, and the tea ceremony are not considered to be martial arts, it is desirable to have an understanding of them.
First, if one has done no study, he will not be able to decipher ancient and modern literature as he should. Thus no matter how much worldly knowledge he may happen to have or how clever he may happen to be, it will be difficult for him to make judgments of right and wrong according to situations and their particulars. With a deep and detailed knowledge of both foreign countries and our own, and with careful consideration of the three factors of time, place and position concerning them; if one follows the good perceived and settles his affairs accordingly, he will not be so much at loss. However, when one's attitude is incorrect and he carries on his studies in error, generally he will become prideful and hold illiterate men in disrespect, regardless of their being determined and good warriors. Moreover, even though there is reason in earnestly believing that Chinese ways alone are good, it is a wretched situation indeed to insist one-sidedly on something without discerning its uselessness to our country at this time. Specifically speaking, the many nobility and men of fame throughout Japan's past were not of shallow understanding and resource. Thus, they learned in detail not only Chinese matters, but also those of farther-off India. Sending men directly to these countries, they added effort and under- standing to what they observed. The more than 66 provinces of Japan, then, were ruled by only one king. The three holy jewels were especially handed down in succession, the families of the five lines of regents were established, and further, the difference between nobility and commoner was strictly defined. All of these practices are limited to Japan. Not only this, but attention was paid to all manner of things: the appearances of men and women, the making of their dress and habitations, and even the production of utensils and other equipment. Generally speaking, they followed practices of foreign countries while changing the appearance of those practices al- together. As all the customs of China and Japan were kept different, even a man of no judgment like myself can surmise that this was in accord with the ageless unchanging Way of the gods.
The young warriors of today, however, carry on their studies in error. They think there is nothing superior to Chinese fashions, and despise the ways of Japan, the land of their birth and ancestry. Such men are far inferior to those who, in their illiteracy, deeply feel the Way of Bushido to be in strength alone. In scholastics one should be very discriminating concerning this matter. Next, the study of poetry as a custom in our land has been practiced--naturally enough--by the nobility, but also by the warrior class. In both past and present there have been many famous generals and brave warriors who were accomplished men in the Way of Poetry. Thus, it is desirable for even warriors of low rank to enter into this study and compose a poor verse or two from time to time.
However, when one goes into his study of poetry amiss and takes too much of a liking to it, he will feel he must read the difficult poems written by the masters of past and present. Thus, he will disregard all other activities and regard poetry as the highest pursuit, becoming soft in both mind and appearance in the twinkling of an eye, and viewed as an effete samurai, lost to the customs of the warrior. Especially when one becomes too fond of the haikai that is so popular these days, he is apt to make puns, clever verses and other witticisms even when conversing with his reserved companions. Although those present at the time may be amused, puns and clever remarks are generally things not praised by the warriors of either past or present, and it is essential that one be circumspect in this point.
As for the tea ceremony, because it has been an amusement of the warrior class since the days of the Kyoto Shogunate, even if one does not practice it himself, there are likely to be times when he will be involved in it, either invited by another or while in the company of high-ranking nobility. At such times there are a number of proper ways of understanding how to approach and enter the teahouse, how to appreciate the various utensils, how to partake of the refreshments and how to drink the tea. Thus, one should obtain a teacher in the Way of Tea and come to some understanding of it. The teahouse is a place to avoid the wealth and opulence of the world, and should be an area of solitude and tranquility.
Thus, no matter how prosperous or official the place may be, one should plant trees in the garden, giving it the air of nature, and consider it proper to equip the teahouse with such things as bamboo rafters, pillars retaining the bark of the wood, thatched eaves, a window of bamboo foundations, rough rattan blinds, a gate for the mid-garden, and a door of rough branches.
The utensils for the tea and its accompanying refreshments should be modest, and the vulgar ways of the world should be loathed and avoided. The richness of tranquility must be earnestly embraced. Because of this, it can be thought that it agrees with the meaning of Bushido and is a reinforcement to it. Such being the case, it would not be amiss for even a warrior of low rank to build a place for tea at the side of his residence, practicing the tea ceremony in quiet taste, equipped with such items as a newly penned scroll, a recently fired tea container and tea bowl and an earthenware tea kettle. In everything, however, trifling matters easily become important to a person, and by and by one takes pride in these things. Seeing the famous tea kettle another man possesses, one's own earthenware pot becomes repugnant to him and gradually he wants only fine goods for all his utensils. Just in desiring such things a warrior of low rank finds that highly respected utensils are not easy to come by. From this point a change takes place. He sets his mind on seeking them out, learns how to judge them, and concentrates his faculties on obtaining good wares. On the other hand, if he finds something that strikes his eye among the utensils of another, he may earnestly state his desire for it.
Again, along with the utensils, one will begin to think only of obtaining gain and avoiding loss in his own regard. Thus, with the same appearance in character as a merchant who deals in brokerage, he will inevitably lose the correctness of Bushido, becoming a man of comparatively poor character. Rather than becoming such a dilettante, it would be better to have no knowledge of the Way of Tea at all, and to be unpolished to the point of not even knowing how to lift the bowl. This would be no hindrance to Bushido.