Hagakure

  The philosophy of Hagakure represents an attitude far removed from our modern pragmatism and materialism.  Its appeal is intuitive rather than rational, and one of its prime suppositions is that a person can go anywhere he likes by means of simple cerebration.  Intuition based on sincerity and moral guidance leads one back to the bedrock.

  It has nothing to say about either time or profit, nor does it advocate wasting time with vague contemplations of the Void.  One lives in the world and reacts to things around him.  The question is where one plants his feet.

  On May 16, 1700, Nabeshima Mitsushige, the third daimyo of the area now known as Saga Prefecture, died at the age of sixty-nine.  One of his closest retainers, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, who had gone into the service of Mitsushige as a child, was at that time forty-two years of age.

  Prohibited from commiting disembowelment in sympathy with his master's death by edicts of his own fief and of the Tokugawa government, and disappointed by the tendancies of Mitsushige's successor, Tsunetomo requested and was granted permission to retire and become a Buddhist priest.

  That summer he moved to a small hermitage in a place called Kurotsuchibaru, about twelve kilometers north of Saga Castle, and lived there in semi-seclusion.  In 1710 he began to be visited by Tashiro Tsuramoto, a young samurai who for unknown reasons had been released from his service as a scribe the year before.

  There conversations lasted for seven years, and on September 10, 1716, Yamamoto's utterances, as recorded by Tsuramoto, were arranged as a book and given the title of Hagakure, a word that could mean either "hidden by the leaves" or "hidden leaves".  Three years later, Yamamoto passed away at the age of sixty-one.

  To speak of Hagakure it is perhaps best to state first what it is not: that is, a well-thought-out philosophy, either in the sense of containing a closely reasoned or logical argument, or in terms of the subject matter.

  On the contrary, in contains and antiintellectual or antiscolastic bent throughout, and being a record of a seven-year-span of conversations, the subject matter varies considerably, ranging from the author's deepest feelings concerning the Way of the Samurai to discussions on the implements of the Tea Ceremony or how a certain mansion acquired its name.

  The book, moreover, does not seem to have been intended for public reading.  In a preface the author advocated that in the end all eleven chapters were to be thrown into the fire, and he later quotes his father as saying, "After reading books and the like, it is best to burn them or throw them away.  It is said that reading books is the work of the emperial court, but the work of the House of Nakano is found in military valor, grasping the staff of oak."

  It is a moot point, at any rate, as to whether Yamamoto really intended that the result of his efforts of seven years was to be disregarded, or whether he was simply prefacing his work with the kind of protestations not uncommon in Eastern literature, but it is certain that he never dreamed that his reading audience would be as wide as it finally was.

  He was the absolute samurai, his thoughts for the most part stopping at the boundries of the Nabeshima fief, and for years the book remained the secret property of the Nabeshima clan.

  The way of the samurai is found in death.  When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death.  It is not particularly difficult.  Be determined and advance.  To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisiticates.  When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim.

  We all want to live.  And in large part we make our logic according to what we like.  But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice.  This is a thin dangerous line.  To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism.  But there is no shame in this.  This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.  If by setting ones head right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way.  His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.

  According to their nature, there are people who have both quick intelligence, and those who must withdraw and take time to think things over.  Looking into this thoroughly, if one thinks selflessly and adheres to the four vows of the Nabeshima samurai, surpassing wisdom will occur regardless of the high or low points of one's nature.

  People think that they can clear up profound matters if they consider them deeply, but they exercise perverse thoughts and come to no good because they do their reflecting with only self-interest at the center.

  It is difficult for a fool's habits to change to selflessness.  In confronting a matter, however, if at first you leave it alone, fix the four vows in your heart, excluded self-interest, and make an effort, you will not go far from your mark.

  [The four vows:  1. Never to be outdone in the Way of the Samurai.  2. To be of good use to the master.  3. To be filial to my parents.  4. To manifest great compassion, and to act for the sake of Man.]

  Because we do most things relying only on our own sagacity we become self-interested, turn our backs on reason, and things do not turn out well.  As seen by other people, this is sordid, weak, narrow and inefficient.

  When one is not capable of true intelligence, it is good to consult with someone of good sense.  An advisor will fulfill the Way when he makes a descision by selfless and frank intelligence because he is not personally involved.

  This way of doing things will certainly be seen by others as being strongly rooted.  It is, for example, like a large tree with many roots.  One man's intelligence is like a tree that has been simply stuck in the ground.

  To give a person one's opinions and correct his faults is an important thing.  It is compassionate and comes first in matters of service.  But the way of doing this is extrememly difficult.  To discover the good and bad points of a person is an easy thing, and to give an opinion concerning them is easy, too.  For the most part, people think that they are being kind by saying the things that others find distasteful or difficult to say.  But if it not received well, they think that there is nothing more to be done.  This is completely worthless.  It is the same as bringing shame to a person by slandering him.  It is nothing more than getting it off one's chest.

  To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not.  One must become close with him and make sure that he continually trusts one's word.  Approaching subjects that are dear to him, seek the best way to speak and to be well understood.  Judge the occasion, and determine whether it is better by letter or at the time of leave-taking.  Praise his good points and use every device to encourage him, perhaps by talking about one's own faults without touching on his, but so that they will occur to him.  Have him receive this in a way that a man would drink water when his throat is dry, and it will be an opinion that will correct faults.

  This is extremely difficult.  If a person's fault is a habit of some years prior, by and large it won't be remedied.  I have had this experience myself.  To be intimate with all one's comrades, correcting each other's faults, and being of one mind to be of use to the master is the great compassion of a retainer.  By bringing shame to a person, how can one expect to make him a better man?

  To hate injustice and stand on righteousness is a difficult thing.  Furthermore, to think that being righteous is the best one can do and to do one's utmost to be righteous will, on the contrary, bring many mistakes.

  A certain swordsman in his declining years said the following:

  In one's life, there are levels in the pursuit of study.  In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskillful.  At this point he is worthless.  In the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others.  In a higher level he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and laments the lack of ability in his fellows.  This man has worth.  In the highest level a man has the look of knowing nothing.

  These are the levels in general.  But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all.  This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never thinks of himself as having finished.  He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks that he has succeeded.  He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end.  It is said that Master Yagyu once remarked, "I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself."

  Throughout your life advance daily, becoming more skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today.  This is never-ending.

  At the time when there was a council concerning the promotion of a certain man, the council members were at the point of deciding that promotion was useless because of the fact that the man had previously been involved in a drunken brawl.  But someone said, "If we were to cast aside every man who had made a mistake once, useful men could probably not be come by.  A man who makes a mistake once will be conciderably more prudent and useful because of his repentance.  I feel that he should be promoted."

  Someone else then asked, "Will you guarantee him?"

  The man replied, "Of course, I will."

  The others asked, " By what will you guarantee him?"

  And he replied, "I can guarantee him by the fact that he is a man that has erred once.  A man who has never once erred is dangerous."  This said, the man was promoted.

  According to Master Ittei, even a poor penman will become substantial in the art of calligraphy if he studies by imitating a good model and puts forth effort.  A retainer should be able to become substantial too, if he takes a good retainer as a model.

  Today, however, there are no models of good retainers.  In light of this, it would be good to make a model and to learn from that.  To do this, one should look at many people and choose from each person his best point only.  For example, one person for politeness, one for bravery, one for the proper way of speaking, one for correct conduct and one for steadiness of mind.  Thus will the model be made.

  An apprentice will not be up to his teacher's good points in the world of the arts either but will receive and imitate only his bad ones.  This is worthless.  There are people who are good at manners but have no uprightness.  In imitating someone like this, one is likely to ignore the politeness and imitate only the lack of uprightness.  If one perceives a person's good points, he will have a model teacher for anything.

  Last year at a great conference there was a certain man who explained his dissenting opinion and said that he was resolved to kill the conference leader if it was not accepted.  His motion was passed.  After the proceedures were over the man said, "Their assent came quickly.  I think they are too weak and unreliable to be councelors to the master."

  According to the situation, there are times when you must rely on a person for something or other.  If this is done repeatedly, it becomes a matter of importuning that person and can be rather rude.  If there is something that must be done, it is better not to rely on others.

  There is a way of bringing up the child of a samurai.  From the time of infancy one should encourage bravery and avoid trivially frightening or teasing the child.  If a person is affected by cowardice as a child, it remains a lifetime scar.  It is a mistake for parents to thoughtlessly make their children dread lightning, or to have them not go into dark places, or to tell them frightening things in order to stop them from crying.

  Furthermore, a child will become timid if he is scolded severely.

  One should not allow bad habits to form.  After a bad habit is ingrained, although you admonish the child he will not improve.  As for such things as proper speaking and good manners, gradually make the child aware of them.  Let him not know avarice.  Other than that, if he is of normal nature, he should develope well by the way he is brought up.

  Moreover, the child of parents who have a bad relationship will be unfilial.  This is natural.  Even the birds and the beasts are affected by what they are used to seeing and hearing from the time they are born.  Also, the relationship between a father and child may deteriorate because of a mother's foolishness.  A mother loves her child above all things, and will be partial to the child that is corrected by his father.  If she becomes the child's ally, there will be discord between the father and son.  Because of the shallowness of her mind, the woman sees the child as her support in old age.

  It is said that one should not hesitate to correct himself when he has made a mistake.  If he corrects himself without the least bit of delay, his mistakes will quickly disappear.  But when he tries to cover up a mistake, it will become all the more unbecoming and painful.  When words that one should not use slip out, if one will speak his mind quickly and clearly, those words will have no effect and he will not be obstructed by worry. 

  If there is, however, someone who blames a person for such a thing, one should be prepared to say something like, "I have explained the reason for my careless speech.  There is nothing else to be done if you will not listen to reason.  Since I said it unwittingly, it should be the same as if you did not hear it.  No one can evade blame."

  And one should never talk about people or secret matters.  Furthermore, one should only speak according to how he judges the listener's feelings.

  You cannot tell whether a person is good or bad by his vicissitudes in life.  Good and bad fortune are matters of fate.  Good and bad actions are Man's Way.  Retribution of good and evil is taught simply as a moral lesson.

  Because of some business, Morooka Hikoemon was called upon to swear before the gods concerning the truth of a certain matter.  But he said, "A samurai's word is harder than metal.  Since I have impressed this fact upon myself, what more can the gods and Buddhas do?" and the swearing was cancelled.  This happened when he was twenty-six.

  It is spiritless to think that you cannot attain to that which you have seen and heard the masters attain.  The masters are men.  You are also a man.  If you think that will be inferior in doing something, then you will be on that road very soon.

  Master Ittei said, "Confucious was a sage because he had the will to become a scholar when he was only fifteen years old.  He was not a sage because he studied later on."  This is the same as the Buddhist maxim, "First intention, then enlightenment."

  A warrior should be careful in all things and should dislike to be the least bit worsted.  Above all, if he is not careful in his choice of words he may say things like, "I'm a coward," or "At that time I'd probably run," or "How frightening," or "How painful."  These are words that should not be said even in jest, on a whim, or when talking in one's sleep.  If a person with understanding hears such things, he will see to the bottom of the speaker's heart.  This is something that should be carefully thought about beforehand.

  When one's own attitude on courage is fixed in his heart, and when his resolution is devoid of doubt, then when the time comes he will of necessity be able to choose the right move.  This will be manifested by one's conduct and speech according to the occasion.  One's word is especially important.  It is not for exposing the depths of one's heart.  This is something that people will know by one's everyday affairs.

  It is said that even after one's head has been cut off, he can still perform some function.  This fact can be known from the examples of Nitta Yoshisada and Ono Doken.  How shall one man be inferior to another?  Mitani Jokyu said, "Even if a man is sick to death, he can bear up for two or three days."

  Illnesses and the like become serious because of one's feelings.  I was born when my father was seventy-one years old and was hence a rather sickly child.  But because I have had the great desire to be of use even in old age, when the chance came I improved my health and haven't been sick since.  And I have abstained from sex and have consistently taken moxa cautery.  There are things that I feel have definitely had effect.

  There is a saying that even though one burns up a mamishi seven times, it will return each time to its original form.  This is my great hope.  I have always been obsessed with one idea: to be able to realize my own heart's desire, which is that, though I am born seven times, each time I will be reborn as a retainer of my clan.

  It is bad when one thing becomes two.  One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai.  It is the same for anything else that is called a Way.  Therefore, it is inconsistent to hear something of the Way of Confucious or the Way of Buddha, and say that this is the Way of the Samurai.  If one understands things in this manner, he should be able to hear about all Ways and be more and more in accord with his own.

  A warrior should not say something fainthearted even casually.  He should set his mind to this beforehand.  Even in trifling matters the depths of one's heart can be seen.

  No matter what it is, there is nothing that cannot be done.  If one manifests the determination, he can move heaven and earth as he pleases.  But because man is pluckless, he cannot set his mind to it.  Moving heaven and earth without putting forth effort is simply a matter of concentration.

  Until the age of forty it is best to gather strength.  It is appropriate to have settled down by the age of fifty.

  When someone is giving you his opinion, you should recieve it with deep gratitude even though it is worthless.  If you don't, he will not tell you the things he has seen and heard about you again.  It is best to both give and receive opinions in a friendly way.

  When I was young, I kept a "Diary of Regret" and tried to record my mistakes day by day, but there was never a day when I didn't have twenty or thirty entries.  As there was no end to it, I gave up.  Even today, when I think about the day's affairs after going to bed, there is never a day when I do not make some blunder in speaking or in some activity.  Living without mistakes is truly impossible.  But this is something that people who live by cleverness have no inclination to think about.

  When reading something aloud, it is best to read from the belly.  Reading from one's mouth, one's voice will not endure.  This is Nakano Shikibu's teaching.

Master Ittei said, "If one were to say what it is to do good, in a single word it would be to endure suffering.  Not enduring is bad without exception."

  Meeting with people should be a matter of quickly grasping their temperment and reacting appropriately to this person and that.  Especially with an extremely argumentative person, after yielding considerably one should argue him down with superior logic, but without sounding harsh, and in a fashion that will allow no resentment to be left afterwards.  This is a function of both the heart and swords.  This was the opinion given by a priest concerning personal encounters.

  Dreams are truthful manifestations.  When I occasionally have dreams of dying in battle or committing seppuku, if I brace myself with courage, my frame of mind within the dream gradually changes.

  This concerns the dream I had on the night of the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month.

  There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.

  Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it were somewhere else. No one seems to notice this fact. But grasping this firmly, one must pile experience upon experience. And once one has come to this understanding he will be a different person from that point on, though he may not always bear it in mind.

  When one understands this settling into single-mindedness well, his affairs will thin out. Loyalty is also contained within this single-mindedness.

  If one makes a distinction between public places and one's sleeping quarters, or between being on the battlefield and on the tatami, when the moment comes there will not be time for making amends.  There is only the matter of constant awareness.  If it were not for men who demonstrate valor on the tatami, one could not find them on the battlefield either.

  At times of great trouble or disaster, one word will suffice.  At times of happiness, too, one word will be enough.  And when meeting or talking with others, one word will do.  One should think well and then speak.  This is clear and firm, and one should learn it with no doubts.  It is a matter of putting forth one's whole effort and having the correct attitude previously.  This is very difficult to explain but is something that everyone should work on in his heart.  If a person has not learned this in his heart, it is not likely that he will understand it.

  Human life is truly a short affair.  It is better to live doing the things that you like.  It is foolish to live within this dream of a world seeing unpleasantness and doing only things that you do not like.  But it is important never to tell this to young people as it is something that would be harmful if incorrectly understood.

  Personally, I like to sleep.  And I intend to appropriately confine myself more and more to my living quarters and pass my life away sleeping.

  I had a dream on the night of the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month in the third year of Shotoku.  The content of the dream changed gradually to the extent that I strengthened my will.  The condition of a person is revealed by his dreams.  It would be good to make companions of your dreams and to put forth effort.

  Covetousness, anger and foolishness are things to sort out well.  When bad things happen in the world, if you look at them comparatively, they are not unrelated to these three things.  Looking comparatively at the good things, you will see that they are not excluded from wisdom, humanity and bravery.

  To talk about other people's affairs is a great mistake.  To praise them, too, is unfitting.  In any event, it is best to know your own ability well, to put forth effort in your own endeavours, and to be discreet in speech.

  The heart of a virtuous person has settled down and he does not rush about at things.  A person of little merit is not at peace but walks about making trouble and is in conflict with all.

  Feeling deeply the difference between oneself and other, bearing ill will and falling out with people- these things come from a heart that lacks compassion.  If one wraps up everything with a heart of compassion, there will be no coming into conflict with people.

  When you are listening to the stories of accomplished men and the like, you should listen with deep sincerity, even if it's something about which you already know.  If in listening to the same thing ten or twenty times it happens that you come to an unexpected understanding, that moment will be very special.  Within the tedious talk of old folks are their meritorious deeds.

  It is said that every time Oki Hyobu's group gathered and after all their affairs were finished he would say, "Young men should discipline themselves rigorously in intention and courage.  This will be accomplished if only courage is fixed in one's heart.  If one's sword is broken, he will strike with his hands.  If his hands are cut off, he will press the enemy down with his shoulders.  If his shoulders are cut away, he will bite through ten or fifteen enemy necks with his teeth.  Courage is such a thing.

  Once when a number of men had gathered on the platform of the inner citadel of the castle, a certain man said to Uchida Shouemon, "It is said that you are a teacher of the sword, but judging by your everyday attitude, your teaching must be very wild indeed.  If you were requested to perform kaishaku, I can imagine that instead of cutting the neck you'd probably cut the top of the man's head."

  Shouemon rejoined, "Such is not the case.  Draw a little ink spot on your own neck, and I'll show you that I can cut without being off by a hair."

  In Yui Shosetsu's military instructions, "The Way of the Three Ultimates," there is a passage on the character of karma.  He received an oral teaching of about eighteen chapters concerning the Greater Bravery and the Lesser Bravery.  He neither wrote them down nor committed them to memory but rather forgot them completely.  Then, in facing real situations, he acted on impulse and the things that he had learned became wisdom of his own.  This is the character of karma.

  A certain person said, "In the Saint's mausoleum there is a poem that goes:

If in one's heart
He follows the path of sincerity,
Though he does not pray,
Will not the gods protect him?

  What is this path of sincerity?"

  A man answered him by saying, "You seem to like poetry.  I will answer you with a poem.

As everything in the world in but a sham,
Death is the only sincerity.

  It is said that becoming as a dead man in one's daily living is the following of the path of sincerity."

  Once when the priest Ungo of Matsushima was passing through the mountains at night, he was set upon by mountain bandits.  Ungo said, "I am a man of this area, not a pilgrim.  I have no money at all, but you can have these clothes if you like.  Please spare my life."

  The bandits said, "Well, our efforts have been in vain.  We don't need anything like clothes," and passed on.

  They had gone about two hundred yards when Ungo turned back and called to them, "I have broken the commandment against lying.  In my confusion I forgot that I had one peice of silver in my moneybag.  I am truly regretful I said that I had nothing at all.  I have it here now, so please take it."  The mountain bandits were deeply impressed, cut off their hair right there, and became disciples.

  Hojo Awa no kami once gathered together his disciples in the martial arts and called in a physiognomist, who was popular in Edo at the time, to have him determine whether they were brave men or cowards.  He had them see the man one by one, telling them, "If he determines 'bravery,' you should strive all the more.  If it is 'cowardice,' you should strive by throwing away your life.  It's something that you're born with, so there's no shame in it."

  Hirose Denzaemon was then about twelve or thirteen years old.  When he sat down in front of the physiognomist, he said in a bristling voice, "If you read cowardice in me, I'll cut you down with a single blow!"

  When there is something to be said, it is better if it is said right away.  If it is said later, it will sound like an excuse.  Moreover, it is occasionally good to really overwhelm your opponent.  Also, in addition to having spoken sufficiently it is the highest sort of victory to teach your opponent something that will be to his benefit.  This is in accordance with the Way.

These are the teachings of Yamamoto Jin'emon:

Singlemindedness is all-powerful.

Tether even a roasted chicken.

Continue to spur a running horse.

A man who will criticize you openly carries no connivance.

A man exists for a generation, but his name lasts to the end of time.

Money is a thing that will be there when asked for. A good man is not so easily found.

Walk with a real man one hundred years and he'll tell you at least seven lies.

To ask when you already know is politeness. To ask when you don't know is the rule.

Wrap your intentions in needles of pine.

One should not open his mouth wide or yawn in front of another.

Do this behind your fan or sleeve.

A straw hat or helmet should be worn tilted toward the front.

  If a warrior is not unattached to life and death, he will be of no use whatsoever.  The saying that "All abilities come from one mind" sounds as though it has to do with sentient matters, but it is in fact a matter of being unattached to life and death.  With such non-attachement one can accomplish any feat.  Martial arts and the like are related to this insofar as they can lead to the Way.

  Matsudaira Izu no kami said to Master Mizuno Kenmotsu, "You're such a useful person, it's a shame that you're so short."

  Kenmotsu replied, "That's true.  Sometimes things in this world don't go the way we would like.  Now if I were to cut off your head and attach it to the bottom of my feet, I would be taller.  But that's something that couldn't be done."

  People who have an intelligent appearance will not be outstanding even if they do something good, and if they do something normal, people will think them lacking.  But if a person who is thought of as having a gentle disposition does even a slightly good thing, he will be praised by people.

  The essentials of speaking are in not speaking at all.  If you think you can finish something without speaking, finish it without saying a single word.  If there is something that cannot be accomplished without speaking, one should speak with few words, in a way that will accord well with reason.

  To open one's mouth indiscriminately brings shame, and there are many times when people will turn their backs on such a person.

  Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku (ritual suicide) at the death of one's master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead.

  There is a saying of the elders that goes, "Step from under the eaves and you're a dead man. Leave the gate and the enemy is waiting." This is not a matter of being careful. It is to consider oneself as dead beforehand.