Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:23 am
An inspirational story for budding samurais:
Miyamoto Musashi once accepted an invitation by the Kumamoto daimyo to come to his castle and train an elite corps of samurai to become the daimyo's personal retainers. So great was the daimyo's respect for Musashi that he had all of his samurai - several hundred of them -form a processional line on both sides of the street, extending from the castle gates to the town.
As Musashi strode between the two columns of men, each bowed reverently at his passage. But, as Musashi's keen eye detected, even these elite samurai averted their gaze from his bold stare. Only one among them seemed not to be intimated by Musashi's mere countenance.
When Musashi finally reached the daimyo and his counselors, the daimyo asked if any of his samurai had particularly impressed Musashi, perhaps testing to see if Musashi could discern his most skillful swordsmen at just a passing glance.
Musashi led the daimyo back to the one man who had not cast his eyes down as Musashi passed.
"This man!" Musashi announced.
"I don't understand." the daimyo blustered, "He has little training and only modest rank. In fact, his main duty is stonecutting for the castle."
"This may be so," Musashi answered, "But he is your best trained samurai."
Turning to the man, Musashi asked him, "Tell me, how do you train that you have no fear of death?"
"I hardly train at all," the samurai humbly admitted, "When I go to bed each night, I simply unsheathe my sword and hang it above my face by a slender thread. Then I lie down beneath it and gaze up at its point until I fall asleep."
"This is indeed your best trained samurai," Musashi told the daimyo, with a knowing smile. "He alone of all your men faces death every day, for he knows that it would take little for that tiny thread to break and end his life. I will train this man to be your personal bodyguard."
Miyamoto Musashi once accepted an invitation by the Kumamoto daimyo to come to his castle and train an elite corps of samurai to become the daimyo's personal retainers. So great was the daimyo's respect for Musashi that he had all of his samurai - several hundred of them -form a processional line on both sides of the street, extending from the castle gates to the town.
As Musashi strode between the two columns of men, each bowed reverently at his passage. But, as Musashi's keen eye detected, even these elite samurai averted their gaze from his bold stare. Only one among them seemed not to be intimated by Musashi's mere countenance.
When Musashi finally reached the daimyo and his counselors, the daimyo asked if any of his samurai had particularly impressed Musashi, perhaps testing to see if Musashi could discern his most skillful swordsmen at just a passing glance.
Musashi led the daimyo back to the one man who had not cast his eyes down as Musashi passed.
"This man!" Musashi announced.
"I don't understand." the daimyo blustered, "He has little training and only modest rank. In fact, his main duty is stonecutting for the castle."
"This may be so," Musashi answered, "But he is your best trained samurai."
Turning to the man, Musashi asked him, "Tell me, how do you train that you have no fear of death?"
"I hardly train at all," the samurai humbly admitted, "When I go to bed each night, I simply unsheathe my sword and hang it above my face by a slender thread. Then I lie down beneath it and gaze up at its point until I fall asleep."
"This is indeed your best trained samurai," Musashi told the daimyo, with a knowing smile. "He alone of all your men faces death every day, for he knows that it would take little for that tiny thread to break and end his life. I will train this man to be your personal bodyguard."
ROFL 
