The Art of War a Samurai Master Class
The Samurai and the Tea Primary
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This traditional story from Nippon is about the time a Samurai warrior challenged a tea main to a duel. It shows how if you lot are the master of yourself, yous can exist the master of annihilation.
The steadfastness of the Japanese character has been much on display during the backwash of the recent Tsunami. People all over the world have been filled with admiration for the dignity and manner in which the Japanese nation has endured so much suffering.
We hope that you will bask this story which is full of wisdom about how to be the master of yourself in the face of not bad danger.
Proofread by Claire Deakin.
Read by Natasha. Adjusted past Bertie from diverse sources.
Duration 12.32.
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A samurai warrior is as spiritual as a monk. He is the ruler of of his mind as much every bit of his body. He trains his spirit through the course of meditation known every bit zen. He can sit still for hours on end, gradually reducing his thoughts until his sole focus is on his breath.
He can endure the bitterest common cold or the fiercest heat. When faced with expiry itself, his mind is perfectly still. The odds, the dangers and the enemies may exist massively against him and still his concentration, as sharp equally his sword, may cut through them all.
Such self-command is not confined to the fighters of Japan, yet. The Principal of the Japanese tea ceremony performs his peaceful duties with just the same concentration and focus of attention, as this story from Ancient Japan shows.
Several centuries ago, a tea master worked in the service of Lord Yamanouchi. No one else performed the manner of the tea to such perfection. The timing and the grace of his every move; from the unfurling of the mat, to the setting out of the cups, and the sifting of the greenish leaves, was beauty itself. His master was so pleased with his servant, that he bestowed upon him the rank and robes of a samurai warrior.
When Lord Yamanouchi travelled, he always took his tea chief with him, so that others could appreciate the perfection of his fine art. On one occasion, he went on business to the great city of Edo, which nosotros at present know every bit Tokyo.
When evening barbarous, the tea principal and his friends ready out to explore the pleasure district, known as the floating world. As they turned the corner of a wooden pavement, they found themselves face to confront with 2 samurai warriors.
The tea master bowed, and politely step into the gutter to allow the fearsome ones laissez passer. Although one warrior went by, the other remained rooted to the spot. He stroked a long black whisker that decorated his face, gnarled by the sun, and scarred by the sword. His optics pierced through the tea maker'due south heart like an pointer.
He did not quite know what to make of the beau who dressed similar a boyfriend samurai, notwithstanding who would willingly step aside into a gutter. What kind of warrior was this? He looked him up and down. Where were wide shoulders and the thick neck of a homo of force and muscle? Instinct told him that this was no soldier. He was an impostor who by ignorance or impudence had donned the uniform of a samurai. He snarled, "Tell me, oh strange i, where are you from and what is your rank?"
The tea master bowed once again. "It is my laurels to serve Lord Yamanouchi and I am his main of the fashion of the tea."
"A tea-sprout who dares to vesture the robes of samurai?" Exclaimed the rough warrior.
The tea master'southward lip trembled. He pressed his hands together and said, "My Lord has honoured me with the rank of a samurai and he requires me to wear these robes."
The warrior stamped the ground similar a raging a bull and exclaimed, "He who wears the robes of a samurai must fight like a samurai. I challenge yous to a duel. If you die with dignity, you will bring accolade to your ancestors. And if you die like a dog, at to the lowest degree you lot will be no longer insult the rank of the samurai!"
By now, the hairs on the tea master'southward cervix were continuing on terminate similar the feet of a helpless centipede that has been turned upside downwards. He imagined he could feel that border of the samurai blade against his skin. He thought that his last second on globe had come.
The corner of the street was no identify for a duel with honour, however. Death is a serious matter, and everything has to exist arranged just so. The samurai's friend spoke to the tea master'southward friends, and gave them the time and the identify for the mortal contest.
When the fierce warriors had departed, the tea master's friends fanned his face and treated his faint nerves with smelling salts. They steadied him as they took him into a nearby place of rest and refreshment. In that location they assured him that there was no need to fear for his life. Each one of them would give freely of money from his own purse, and they would collect a handsome enough sum to purchase the warrior off and make him forget his desire to fight a duel. If by take chances the warrior was non satisfied with the ransom, then surely Lord Yamanouchi would give generously to salvage his much-prized primary of the fashion of the tea.
These generous words brought no cheer to the tea primary. He thought of his family, and his ancestors, and of Lord Yamanouchi himself, and he knew that he must not bring them whatsoever reason to be aback of him.
"No," he said with a firmness that surprised his friends. "I accept ane day and one nighttime to learn how to die with honour, and I will practice and then."
So speaking, he got upwardly and returned solitary to the court of Lord Yamanouchi. There he constitute his equal in rank, the master of fencing, he was skilled as no other in the art of fighting with a sword.
"Master," he said, when he had explained his tale, "Teach me to die like a samurai."
But the master of fencing was a wise man, and he had a dandy respect for the master of the tea ceremony, and so he said, "I will teach y'all all y'all require, but get-go, I enquire that you perform the way of the Tea for me ane terminal fourth dimension."
The tea master could not refuse this request. As he performed the ceremony, all trace of fearfulness seemed to get out his face. He was serenely concentrated on the uncomplicated merely beautiful cups and pots, and the delicate aroma of the leaves. There was no room in his heed for anxiety. His thoughts were focused on the ritual.
When the ceremony was complete, the fencing main slapped his thigh and exclaimed with pleasure:
"There yous have it. No need to larn anything of the way of death. Your country of mind when you perform the tea ceremony is all that is required. When you see your challenger tomorrow, imagine that you are about to serve tea for him. Salute him courteously, express regret that you could not meet him sooner, take of your coat and fold it as you lot did just now. Wrap your head in a silken scarf and and do it with the same serenity equally you dress for the tea ritual. Draw your sword, and hold information technology high above your head. Then close your eyes and gear up yourself for gainsay."
That is exactly what the tea master did when, the post-obit morning, at the crevice of dawn he met his opponent. The samurai warrior had been expecting a quivering wreck and he was amazed past the tea primary'southward presence of mind every bit he prepared himself for combat. The samurai'southward eyes were opened and he saw a different man altogether. He thought he must take fallen victim to some kind of trick or charade, and now it was he who feared for his life. The warrior bowed, asked to be excused for his rude behaviour, and left the place of gainsay with every bit much speed and nobility as he could muster.
And that was the story of The Samurai and the Tea Principal. Bertie loves this story because it shows that if you can gain mastery over your mind and spirit, you can overcome virtually any difficulty or danger. In fact, the incommunicable volition soon become get possible.
Natasha'south Post Recording Annotate
Storynory
Zen and The Faith of The Samurai,
Dearest Listeners,
The principles of Zen used past the Samurai soldiers, which formed office of their practice, nosotros can encounter as the guiding principle for the characters in this story.
The philosophy of Zen was formed by the Japanese into xiii sects and is part of their Northern Schoolhouse of Buddhism. Information technology was adopted by The Japanese in the Confucian era. The Confucian soldier Wang Yang Ming used its principles as part of the basis for his military school in the training of young men to become samurai soldiers. Its distinctive elements were of utilise to its art and do, equally follows:
Principals of Zen Philosophy.
It denounces emphasis on scriptural authority and places more than importance on the deed of heed, trunk and the spoken give-and-take to convey religious truth; providing a good guide for the concrete and mental training for the Confucian soldiers.
Information technology holds Buddha equally a spiritual model they hope to obtain; someone of an acclaimed position that they worship and follow, useful for Confucian soldiers in learning how to follow the hierarchy of a ruling leader.
It expresses its religious exercise through the deed of specific physical actions like the picking up of a sword or the moving of a chair or a loud weep, extremely useful for the precise military machine deportment carried out past the soldiers with a characteristic slicing activeness and ' hi ya' sound of the sword.
These are but some of the aspects of Zen used by the Samurai soldiers and evidence how information technology hands became the faith first of the Samurai in the Sung Dynasty between 1358 and 1659. And was hugely influential to men of the military, statesmen and messages.
And furthermore Zen's overriding principle; to obtain a harmony of mind, both concrete and mental, non to rash or non likewise calm, not too emotional or unsympathetic not too stressed or relaxed just a balanced equal both of mind and body combined, is one that nosotros westerners can still larn from. The Japanese and Chinese are still devoted to Zen Buddhism today and it is prominent in their culture.
In the meantime, I exercise hope you enjoy the far eastern story of The Samurai and The tea master and the expert principles of Zen that it implies.
N*
Source: https://www.storynory.com/the-samurai-and-the-tea-master/
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