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 to partake in drinking, but I will try to refrain. If I say that I have given up drinking, people will assume it is because I am a bad drunk. Instead, I will say that it does not agree with me, and empty the cup two or three times. This way, people will not be so inclined to insist on making me drink. Also, when I bow, I will prostrate so deeply that my back hurts, and will not speak unless called upon to do so.”
This is a commendable attitude. To think of such things in advance is the basis for excellence. Master Jōchō commented: “Indeed this is good preparation. Act in a way that people will think you may have become weakened through illness, and compared to the old days, that you have calmed down considerably. Your first words are so very important [in the way that you frame things].”
39. The priest Tannen67 said to me once: “I can’t accept that all priests teach the complicated doctrine of munen-mushin68 in order to reach an enlightened state. A mind ‘free of thought’ (munen) is one that is pure with ‘correct thought’ (shōnen).” Certainly, this is a salient point. I was also informed by the nobleman Sanenori69 that “Following the Way (michi) is to keep one’s mind absolutely uncontaminated from evil, even in a single breath.” It is not that there is no nen (thought). The point is to have correct thoughts without letting evil thoughts manifest. That being the case, the Way is one—but nobody is able to see the light, and understand this reasoning easily. It is only possible to reach a level of unadulterated purity after many years of diligent training.
40. There is nothing so profound as the last part of a certain poem that asks, “How will you reply when your own heart asks questions?” This sentiment could even rival Buddhist sutra, and many know of it. Recently, erudite people put on pretences and feign wisdom—an act that makes them lower than ordinary men. At least ordinary men are forthright. If one asks this very question, there will be nowhere to hide from the truth. It is a penetrating “judge” of one’s mind. Thus, it is prudent to avoid shameful behavior in anticipation of an introspective judgment of guilt.
41. There is a doddering retainer whom I think may have gone somewhat senile.70 He is often asked to lecture here and there, and it is said he is a passionate speaker. For the past several years, he has been preoccupied with helping others in their duties, and through his zest for service he has been very useful to the clan. Nevertheless, it is remarked that when people age and lose their marbles, they tend to become obsessed with the things they are accustomed to; so he is “service senile.” Even if intentions are good, such deterioration of mental faculties is precarious. An old man in this state will seem dignified if he refrains from going out, and this is a far more respectable culmination of his life.
42. The Chinese character “gen” can also be read as “maboroshi.”71 In India, sorcerers are referred to as “genshutsushi” (“illusionists”). Everyone in this world is like a puppet [controlled by other forces], which is why the character gen is fitting.
43. When a betrothal was arranged, one of the bride’s attendants voiced his opposition.72 The following information requires serious consideration by young men. The attendant’s disapproval surely had merit, and some saw it as the mark of a devoted retainer. Indeed, it can be assumed that the retainer felt compelled to express his disapproval and would