Art of Ninja 2

## Who is the Stone Boat?

#### **Legend of the Rock Slashed in Half (一刀石)**

I've forgotten what I told and wanted to tell while visiting the event and trip in autumn. Maybe, about the Stone Boat. He was so sentimental that I turned sentimental in falling leaves.

##### **Yagyu Village**

http://mihawk-in-japanese.wikia.com/wiki/Template:Photo\_Yagyu

I've red my articles on wiki, draft of notebook and some notes in the books again... Umm. I happened to laugh. I'm not a writer, but a reader...

By the way, the wikipedia article on the Stone Boat in English has much more information than in Japanese, such as Heihō Hyakka (兵法百歌, "One-hundred Songs of Strategy"), a large rock called Itto-seki(一刀石), which was believed that he split in half with simply a slash.

I like reading wikipedia articles of various language version with Google translation. The articles of the same subject in different languages have some different contents, images and links. They show me some "Reformierte" views.

I didn't know 新陰流(Shinkage-ryū) called "Reformierte Schatten-Schule" in Deutsch. I guess that "reformed" is more precise for their school in the point that they made new paradigm of swordsmanship. I'll try to think about that when I'll mention the founder, or the reformer, 秀綱:Yidetsuna.

The Stone Boat in Deutsch is almost completely the head of Ninja... That's very like him. There are some links in Deutsch page.

##### **ninja.ch**

http://www.ninja.ch/

That illustration is very nice. I like their mention of Fukuro Shinai, the bamboo sword with soft cover.

中文(Chinese) page has a link to 宗嚴（石舟齋）兵法百首(the 100 poems for swordsmanship).

##### **宗嚴（石舟齋）兵法百首**

https://web.archive.org/web/20070210173105/http://www.shuhari.info/muneyoshi.html

I like the article in Tie'ng Viet. It includes the reason why his title was the Stone Boat with vivid lyrical imagination. I like lyrical imagination very much.

> *So he later took the name Sekishūsai, in which "sekishū" means "stone boat", the boat just sinks to the bottom of the water and does not float to overcome the turbulent life of fluctuations Ocean.*
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He had turbulent life of fluctuations Ocean. I feel so, too. I think that's true. Nevertheless I doubt whether he really thought himself as a stone boat sank to the bottom. Rather, he thought himself as the basic stone wall or the stone bridge to build the tough castle of his intellectual son.

The rock called Itto-seki is granite. The granite have been used as stone materials for bridges and walls of the castle, front guard frames, gravestone, milestones and so on.

He was like a milestone of his young son, Munenori. Hop, Son! Step on me! Jump to the top!

#### **Hundred Poems for Swordsmanship (兵法百首)**

The Stone Boat is a sentimental poet because Japanese poets are sentimental. Takuan banned from old temples by new Tokugawa Shogunate was also sentimental. He also composed sentimental poems in his letters to the closest friends.

> 都へと　むかしの人も　今の身も　便あらはの　白河の関 - 沢庵
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> *To the City...!*
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> *People in the past and now I myself feel regret at no connection.*
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> *At the @ of Shirakawa - Takuan*
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> 本歌：refers to;
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> たよりあらば　いかで都へ　告げやらむ　けふ白河の関は越えぬと - 平兼盛
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> *If I had a connection, I wanted to tell my present condition to the City.*
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> *Today, I've passed the famous checkpoint of Shirakawa. - Kanemori*
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##### **平兼盛 : Taira no Kanemori**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira\_no\_Kanemori

白河の関(Shirakawa no Seki), 鼠ヶ関(Nezu ga Seki), 勿来関(Nakoso no Seki) were the three noted checkpoint on the road in 奥州(Ou-shu) far from the capital city of Kyoto. They were often referred in Waka poetry as a topic, as if they are @(atmark) or #(hashtag) in the SNS today.

To the City...! If I had a connection...! I wish I could tell my condition, what I feel, how I am, to my old friend far from me... They are far from me... I'm alone far from them.

That's Japanese sentiment, or the manner of banned officials in the center. He should mention his regret as poetry why he happened to be banned from the central city to show his mentality. He doesn't seem insain any longer. We can call him back our office in the next season. Now he is sain. He can control his feeling in orthodox manner.

The Stone Boat also sometimes composed sentimental poems. But most of them are, unfortunately, not so sentimental but comical... Some of them are like traffic safety slogans of children, by children, for children on the street today.

> 兵法の　ならひはうとく　きろきろと　めくばりまでを　するぞおかしき - 石舟斎
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> *That's fun.*
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> *He watched right and left as if he was a careful swordsman.*
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> *Acctually he is restless because he dosen't know swordsmanship well. - Sekishu-sai*
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No comment. - 但馬守

Too severe.

Too severe, Munenori...who is usually called the official title 但馬守: Tajima no Kami. He has no popular alias in popular culture like his father 石舟斎: *Sekishu-sai* and his son 十兵衛: Jubei.

His poems were so charming that his fifth son, 但馬守,  completely ignored them in the logical book...because he often described his pretty little son who tried to mimic his swordsmanship.

I like 石舟斎. I'll comment on the poem instead of 但馬守.

歌詠みの　ならひはうとく　ぞろぞろと　弟子衆までに　やるぞおかしき

That's fun.

He sent his collection to right and left as if he was a skillful poet.

Acctually he is skillless because he dosen't know poetry well.

> p.45:
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> ー　章歌の心付の事
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> - *Learning songs*
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> まひもうたひも、しやうがしらずしては、はやされまひ事也。兵法にも、章歌の心もちあるべき事也。敵の太刀のはたらき如何様にあるぞ、何としたるさばきぞと、とくと見すへて、そこをしるが、舞うたひの章歌よく覚えたる心なるべし。敵のはたらき振舞よくしりたらば、こちのしかけ自由なるべし。
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> *They can not accompany with dancing and singing unless they know songs. We have to mind our songs in swordsmanship. How doed the sword on the opponent work? How does he deal it? We should make sure the bottom of them carefully. That's our mind as same as learning songs well in dansing and singing. If we know working and moving of our opponent, our setup will be free.*
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> P.109:
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> 一　摩拏羅尊者の偈に云く、心は万境に随って転ず、転処実に能く幽なり
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> *- Holy Manorhita says in his gatha (poetic verse of a scripture),*
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> *Our mind turns in turn for every tone,*
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> *Every zone in turn, in fade, has gone.*
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##### **摩拏羅:Manorhita**

http://buddhaspace.org/dict/fk/data/%25E6%2591%25A9%25E6%258B%258F%25E7%25BE%2585.html

摩拏羅:Manorhita was the 22nd successor of Zen in India, in the 28 Indian Patriarchs. He was the second son of the king in Kshatriya caste. At the age of thirty, he met the 21st successor 婆修盤頭(known as 世親):Vasubandhu, and made a monkhood. He succeeded to Dharma from Vasubandhu and acted in west India. Later, he reached the country of 大月氏:Greater Yuezhi. He transmited Dharma to the 23th successor 鶴勒那:Manorhita and died.〔Baolin Volume IV, Zu Tang Volume II, Jingde Chuan Volume II〕

##### **Dharma transmission**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma\_transmission

> p.109:
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> 右の偈は、参学に秘する事也。兵法に此意簡要なる故に、引合ひて爰に之を記す。参学せざる人は、とうと心得がたかるべし。万境とは、兵法ならば敵の数々のはたらき也。其一つ一つのはたらきに、心がてんずる也。たとへば、敵が太刀をふりあぐれば、其太刀に心がてんじ、右へまはせば右へ心がてんじ、左へまはせば左へてんずる。是を万境に随って転ずと云ふ也。転処実に能く幽なりと云ふ所が兵法の眼也。其所に心があとを残さずして、(\*)こぎ行く舟のあとのしら波と云ふごとく、あとはきえてさきへ転じ、そっともとまらぬ処を、転処実に能く幽なりと心得べし。幽なりとは、かすかにて見えぬ事也。心をそこそこにとどめぬと云う儀也。・・・(\*)おもひうちにあれば、色外にあらはるる也。・・・
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> *The right (above) gatha is the secret of Zen practice and learning. This meaning is the point of swordsmanship. Therefore I refer to note it here. It is hard to get the point without Zen practice and learning. Every tone means, in swordsmanship, each working of the opponent. Our mind turns to his working one by one. For example, our mind turns to his sword, turns to the right when he turns it to the right, turns to the left when he turns it to the left. We say this as the phrase, our mind turns in turn for every tone. The phrase, every zone in turn in fade has gone, is the eye of swordsmanship. Our mind won't leave any trace on the zone, (\*)like white trace on the wave of the boat going. It disappears and moves forward. It won't stagnate at all. Mind it. Every zone in turn in fade has gone. "In fade" means slightly and gradually ceasing to be visible. We mean not to stop our mind there. ... (\*)Idea inside, sign outside. ...*
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"White trace on the wave of the boat going" is reference of this poem.

> 世の中を　何にたとへん　朝ぼらけ「漕ぎゆく舟の　跡のしら浪」 - 沙弥満誓 in 拾遺集
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> *How will we liken the world?*
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> *Or with what parable will we illustrate it?*
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> *That's "white trace on the wave of the boat going" at dawn. - Sami Mansei*
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##### **沙弥満誓 : Sami Mansei**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami\_Mansei

"Idea inside, sign outside" is reference of this poem.

> しのぶれど　色に出でにけり　わが恋は　物や思ふと　人の問ふまで - 平兼盛 in 拾遺集
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> *I fail to keep my love in my mind.*
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> *The color leaves my face.*
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> *They inquire me.*
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> *What's up? - Kanemori*
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So, maybe, Kanemori happened to go to the checkpoint... or Jubei happened to go to the other castle...

I think that Munenori and Takuan were very close friends in the same generation. Their tastes of poetry are very close. They like 拾遺集 (Collection of Gleanings).

##### **拾遺集: Shūi Wakashū**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%ABi\_Wakash%C5%AB

Munenori's references of poetry were not his father, but some noted Buddhists or famous poets, 兼盛:Kanemori, 西行:Saigyo...

But, it's OK. The Stone Boat is a great swordsman. I decide to refer to his poems instead of his son.

> きりあひは　こころのてうし　ある物を　かまへによると　いふぞはかなき - 石舟斎
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> *Matching with swords depends on tuning tone of mind.*
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> *But you say "tell me the form!"*
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> *That's not reliable.*
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> 兵法の　かまへさそくは　とにもあれ　かつはこころの　つもり成けり - 石舟斎
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> *The forms and moves of swordsmanship are important.*
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> *But the most important victory is voluntary mind.*
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> へいほうは　まづなにがしの　やくにして　心にかけて　ならひつつしめ - 石舟斎
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> *Swordsmanship is something evil.*
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> *Keep it in mind while learning and moderate it.*
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#### **Knowing Destiny (知命)**

> p.89:
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> 一　捧心の心持の事
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> *- Voluntary mind in mind*
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> ・・・空と云ふ事、仏法の眼也。空に虚空と真空の差別あり。虚はいつはりとよむ。真はまこととよむ。然れば、虚空とはいつはりむなしき空にて、何もなき事のたとへに引く也。真空とは、真実の空也。即ち心空也。心はかたちなき事は、虚空のごとくなれ共、一心は此身の主人にて、よろずのわざをする事、皆心にあり。其心うごきてはたらく事、心のする所也。心のうごかぬは空也。空のうごくは心也。空がうごひて、心となりて手足へはたらく也。・・・
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> *... The Void is the eye of Buddhism. There is a difference between a false void and a true void in the Void. False means a lie. True means honesty. Then, we refer a false void as a dishonest untrue void as if it has nothing reliable. A true void is the Void of truth. It equals the Void of mind. Mind is like a false void on the point that it doesn't have any form. But, a single mind is a master of this body and doing everything is on his mind. What mind moves and works is where mind does. No moving of mind is the Void. The Void moving is a mind. The Void moves, turns into a mind, and arms and legs work.*
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The Void is a class object. A mind is an instance of the Void class moment by moment. Their coding style is zero-origin.

> 太刀かたな　それのみならず　よけはづし　心にかけて　きづかいをせよ - 石舟斎
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> *Your swords! Mind them.*
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> *Pay attention to not only atachiment but also detachment.*
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> 兵法の　極意はよろづ　なにごとも　しあん遠慮の　よけはづし也 - 石舟斎
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> *The key of swordsmanship is detachment.*
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> *Everything is detachment of thinking, considering far and deep in mind.*
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The process should be finished and the used memory should be collected. Or zombie process and stack-overflow.

Everyone is a beginner when begins. At the beginning, Munenori was an ordinary restless child. At last, he was a calm swordsman.

Munenori got the third eye, the third person eye, which could watch himself with his father's comical poetry in his childhood. He got tough mentality to listen and accept the severe criticism or banter without agitation in his childhood.

His son ignored his poems as poetry, but emphasized his key as the eye of everything.

> P.83:
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> 一　心をかへす事
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> *- Returning mind.*
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> 右の心持は、一太刀うつて、うつたよとおもへば、うつたよとおもふ心がそのままそこにとどまる也。うつた所を心がかへらぬによりて、うつかと成りて二の太刀を敵にうたれて、先を入れたる事も無に成り、二の太刀をうたれて負也。心をかへすと云ふは、一太刀うつたらば、うつた所に心ををかず、うつてから心をひつかへして敵の色を見よ。
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> *The right (above) mind means as following; When we attack first and think we've attacked, our mind we think we've attacked stays on there. Because our mind will not come back from where we attacked, we get the second slash from our enemy carelessly, our first hit turns useless, we get the second slash to be defeated. We say returning mind as following; Once you attacked, not to stop your mind where you attacked. Return your mind to watch the enemy's sign as soon as you attacked.*
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Munenori's book has a lot of anti-patterns that he seems to have once done to be defeated by his father in his childhood, compared with his father's poems. The paragraph of "Returning mind" looks like almost a favorite phrase of his father.
That's the same of my instructors' phrase. Don't forget to initialize! Don't forget to clean up! Use your head while alive!

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> ・・・予人と成り、手に刀柄を握つて父の業を継ぐと雖も、未だ曾て自由ならず。漸く知命の年を過ぎ、此の道の滋味を得たり。・・・
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> *I turned to be a man, and hold the hilt of a sword to succeed to my father, but I had not felt free to handle it. I have passed the age of fifty, referred as knowing destiny, and I got my taste of this way.*
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知命(the age of fifty) comes from the second chapter 為政:Wei Zheng (The practice of government) of 論語:lúnyǔ(Edited Conversations).

> 子曰：「吾十有五而志於学；三十而立；四十而不惑；五十而知天命；六十而耳順；七十而従心所欲、不踰矩。」
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> *The Master said, "When I was fifteen, I decided to study. At thirty, I'd established it. At forty, I had no confusion. At fifty, I'd known my destiny. At sixty, I could listen to anything I heard. At seventy, I do not overstep the rule as I follow my mind into where he wants to go."*
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The each status turns into each alias of the age.

##### **為政 (The practice of government)**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%82%BA%E6%94%BF

##### **論語 : Analects**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analects

> 世をたもち　国のまもりと　成人の　こころに兵法　つかはぬはなし - 石舟斎
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> *No man wont't use swordsmanship in his mind,*
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> *who will keep the people and protect the country.*
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I like 不踰矩. I guess that Munenori(宗矩)'s 矩 comes from it. 宗:Mune means heart, center, core, kernel, point, root, respect, value, think as important. 矩 means a metal measure, (a carpenter's) square, rule, code, model, pattern, example. That's very like him.

> P.99:
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> *〇無刀之巻*
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> *The chapter of no sword*
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> 一　無刀と云ふは、人の刀をとる芸にはあらず、諸道具を自由につかはむが為也。刀なくして、人の刀をとりてさへ、わが刀とするならば、何かわが手に持ちて用にたたざらん。扇を持ちて也共、人の刀に勝つべし。無刀は此心懸なり。刀もたずして、竹杖つひて行く時、人寸の長き刀をひんぬひてかかる時、竹杖にてあひしらひても人の刀を取り、もし又とらず共、おさへてきられぬが勝也。此心持を本意とおもふべし。
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> *- We mean that no sword is not a show of capturing someone's sword, but for using various tools freely. Even if I capture someone's sword without my sword, and I use it as my sword, anything is useful in my hands. We should defeat someone's sword even when we have only a fan with us. That's care of no sword. When I go without my sword and with a bamboo stick, and someone attacks with his long sword, I handle with my bamboo stick, and capture his sword, or not, I defeat him to get no slash. That's our victory. You should think that this care is true meaning.*
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The Stone Boat has such an episode. He went to hot-spring cure. When he played with his hawk on the veranda, someone attacked him. He defeated the attacker with his stick known as Yagyu stick. Later, his grand-son Jubei reformed it to be called Jubei stick.

Some of his poems were like traffic safety slogans because sudden attacks were a sort of traffic accident for famous swordsmen...

There are a lot of rocks around Itto-seki in the mountain at Yagyu village. Munenori and his son Jubei had been there. Both are famous great swordsmen. But the Stone Boat got credit for legend of the rock split in half. The legend says that the Stone Boat cut it while training with Tengu monsters in the mountain.

It was considered that it most probably split by lightning or earthquake today. The Stone Boat was believed as a natural monster-class swordsman who got credit for such a natural phenomenon in his legend.

He was not a pessimistic retired old man, but an optimistic active swordsman who cultivated the next generation with new paradigm of swordsmanship.

That's detachment.

The Stone Boat knew the many battle fields and met the Big Three Unifiers, Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu in the late war age because his village in Wa no kuni was near the capital and key-point of land route. He knew the process of conquest.

What he had to do after the founder died in their village and Ashikaga Shogunate fallen down was keeping their reformed philosophy and transferring their unique technique for the next generation. Fortunately, he had the fifth son at the age of 45. He could tell all he knew and give his wholehearted support to his little son.

> p.117:
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> ・・・今、此の上下両巻は、習の外の別伝なり。亡父一生此の道を以て、寝食の間之を忘れず。故に此の道に於て妙理を得、平生予を左右に置き、妙を談じ玄を説く。・・・
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> *Both of these volumes, the top and the bottom, are another development from leaning. My last father never forgot it all the time on this way even while sleeping and eating. Therefore he got the principle of phenomena on this way. He usually put me aside him right or left to talk about phenomena and explain their source.*
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"The top and the bottom" in original text indicates the second and the third volumes of the book. In Japan, there are different types of counting volumes of the set of books depending on total number of volumes.

In the case of two volumes, they are called "the top (= 1st) and the bottom (= 2nd)". In the case of three, they are called "the top, the middle and the bottom". In the case of more than four, they are called with number.

It is useful for motivation to read all volumes, or to find missing volumes in the bookshelf. Children are easy to give up reading books because of another curious attraction, and forget to return them to the shelf.

#### **Original movements Tengu Selection (天狗抄)**

The Stone Boat made an illustrated guide book of his original movements, named 天狗抄. His naming and illustration of each movements are very nice, like exciting Manga.

##### **武術塾　柳生天狗堂**

http://yagyutengudo.net/

The hero of this picture book is 天狗:Tengu, a long-nosed bird-man monster with wings and bird-like legs. Tengu is a famous monster of the mountain who trained 牛若丸:Ushi-waka-maru (the childhood name of 源義経) at Mt. Kurama in the north-east of Kyoto. There are Kurama Temple and Kifune Shrine at Mt. Kurama.

##### **Photo 鞍馬寺: Kurama Temple**

   http://mihawk-in-japanese.wikia.com/wiki/Template:Photo\_Kurama

##### **Photo 貴船神社: Kifune Shurine**

http://mihawk-in-japanese.wikia.com/wiki/Template:Photo\_Kifune

##### **源 義経(牛若丸): Minamoto no Yoshitsune**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamoto\_no\_Yoshitsune

Ushi-waka-maru is literally "young bull". He is the most popular Samurai in Japan, and there are a lot of legends and tragic stories with his lover 静御前:Shizuka Gozen.

> しづやしづ　しづのをだまき　くり返し　昔を今に　なすよしもがな - 静御前
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> *Wish you back now, dear yesterdays.*
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> *I wish I would know how to spool round and round.*
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##### **静御前: Shizuka Gozen**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shizuka\_Gozen

Their elegant brutal image appears on the noble double-faced swordsman, powerful speedster, Hakuba.

> 弁慶が　うしわか殿を　よきしうと　たのみし事も　兵法のとく - 石舟斎
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> *Benkei trusted the prince Ushi-waka as his load.*
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> *That's also virtue of martial arts.*
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Tengu the Hero in the illustration of the Stone Boat tried to fight against Samurai attackers, such as a sudden attack from both sides on the narrow mountain path.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9F%B3%E7%94%9F%E5%AE%97%E5%8E%B3#/media/File:Yagyu01.jpg

My dear son? How to avoid a fatal battle in this case?

- I think that Tengu the Hero doesn't want to kill human beings, and he doesn't want to be killed by them.

My dear son? How are you going to avoid them?

- I think that Tengu the Hero only cut their hand or arm to grip their swords. That's enough to cut his way through the enemies. What he wants to take is just enemy's fighting ability or fighting spirits.

Very good! Very very good, my dear son!

> 命とて　おもきたからを　持人の　兵法をして　蔵にせよかし - 石舟斎
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> *We have a heavy treasure, life.*
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> *You build our store, alaya-vijnana, for our treasure.*
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> *That's our swordsmanship.*
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He used poems and pictures to tell something important to his little son.

Poems and pictures are often used as caricature. The deference of the character of the Big Three Unifiers were often mentioned by short caricature poems made in the Tokugawa Shogunate.

I was surprised that Nobunaga's short poem was mentioned in the article in Português while I was reading some articles of Luís Fróis.

> *Se o pássaro não canta, eu o mato. (If the bird does not sing, I'll kill it.)*
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In Japanese, they say;

> 鳴かずんば殺してしまへ時鳥 - Nobunaga
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> *Kill the cuckoo. If he won't tell the time.*
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> なかずともなかせて聞かう時鳥 - Hideyoshi
>
>

> *Let's listen to the time to make the cuckoo tell even if he won't.*
>
>

> なかぬならなく時聞かう時鳥 - Ieyasu
>
>

> *Let's listen to the time when the cuckoo tells.*
>
>

A little cuckoo in Japanese sometimes written with "時鳥(bird of the time)" who tells the season, the time of the year.
Those poems show their idea on timing, hard time, out of time, from pinch to chance of victory.

> 兵法は　こころのおくの　太刀なれば　ときにしたがふ　寸尺ぞかし - 石舟斎
>
>

> *Our swordsmanship is a sword deep in our mind.*
>
>

> *That's space which accompanies time.*
>
>

#### **Meeting the art of war and swordsmanship**

Today, Nobunaga is the most popular historical person in Japan, because his global view and QDQA (Quick Decision Quick Action) are match for globalism in the internet age.

He progressed in his radical idea without any hesitation whether spring comes or not, though the concern of Japanese was the season or the weather, the cuckoo tells spring or not, the frog tells it will rain or not. Because most of Japanese were farmers or fishers, but often armed, in those days. Good season of the year and timely weather were important concern.

Some of his episode were known by the reports of Portuguese Missionary, Luís Fróis. His reports such as "Historia de Iapam" are important documents for historical study today.

##### **Luís Fróis**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lu%C3%ADs\_Fr%C3%B3is

> *Nobunaga não acredita em vida após a morte nem em nada que ele não possa ver com seus próprios olhos". "[...] Nobunaga faz muito segredo quanto aos seus planos, é um especialista na arte da guerra, muito pouco ou nada disposto a aceitar conselho ou admoestação de seus subordinados, muito temido e respeitado por todos. [...] Possui grande capacidade de discernimento, pensamento claro, e despreza as deidades xintoístas e budistas e todas as formas de idolatria e superstição. Ele é um adepto nominal da seita Hokke (Lotus) mas ele declara publicamente que não existem coisas como um Criador do Universo ou a imortalidade da alma, ou vida após a morte. Extremamente refinado e limpo em sua vestimenta e na nobreza das suas ações.*
>
>

> *Nobunaga does not believe in life after death or anything that he can not see with his own eyes. "" [...] Nobunaga is very secretive about his plans, he is an expert in the art of war, very little or not at all willing to accept advice or admonition from his subordinates, much feared and respected by all. [...] He possesses great capacity for discernment, clear thinking, and despises the Shinto and Buddhist deities and all forms of idolatry and superstition. He is a nominal adept of the Hokke (Lotus) sect but he publicly declares that there are no such things as a Creator of the Universe or the immortality of the soul, or afterlife. Extremely refined and clean in his garment and in the nobility of his actions.*
>
>

If "the Shinto and Buddhist deities" means a cuckoo, cherry brossomes, frogs, automn leaves, insects on the ground, his comments are correct. Nobunaga was not famous for his poetry on the matter of the season or the weather. Generally, poets comment moody nature in their poems even though they are warriors class.
Whether it rained or not, he progressed. His well-known episodes are not sensational nor sentimental, but ideal. For example, the suite of song with him is 敦盛:Atsumori of recitative dance 幸若舞:Kōwakamai.

> 人間五十年、化天のうちを比ぶれば、夢幻の如くなり
>
>

> 一度生を享け、滅せぬもののあるべきか
>
>

> これを菩提の種と思ひ定めざらんは、口惜しかりき次第ぞ
>
>

> *Fifty years here are like a dream or vision,*
>
>

> *compared with the fifth domain Nirmānnarati.*
>
>

> *Once born, burning can run from burnt down?*
>
>

> *That is seeds of Bodhi as awakened nirvana.*
>
>

> *No decision on it, is a matter for regret.*
>
>

##### **平 敦盛 : Taira no Atsumori**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taira\_no\_Atsumori

##### **幸若舞 : Kōwakamai**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dwakamai

The expert in the art of war donated secretive gold as a long rain gutter in the shrine-temple for the deities of war who protect lands in both Shinto and Buddhist manners. His duty was the same of Hachiman Great Boddhisatva, the deities of war.

The reason why he was so hurry was that he knew the dangerous time and zone. Maybe, Hachiman deities would tell him the time. No time to hesitate. Wake up, Mara. Hurry up, Mara. Settle down the domestic war among the believers ASAP. Or we will be ruined. You are the only one who can cover our lands. Wake up.

Gold is insurance in the worst case to earn time to keep the sacred media for deities, such as an old bronze mirror, old iron sword, old stone, old wood, old paper and so on. In Shinto animism, not only natural primitive phenomena but also artificial sophisticated means are enshrined as sacred way for deities.

That's the reason why he liked keeping things tidy and neat in order. He kept in mind to maintain cleanliness and tidiness for deities of artificial means, vessels, tools he used. That's also one of the way of belief and practice to be Buddhahood, like 道元: Dogen.

##### **道元 : Dogen**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dgen

兵法者:Tsuwa-mono (A Master of Martial Arts) is a kind of 器物:U-Tsuwa-mono (Artificial Means).

The Stone Boat is A Master of Martial Arts.

The Stone Boat is a kind of Artificial Means, like a sophisticated cup for art of tea.

Art of tea was originally for Zen practice. The tea seeds 栄西: Eisai brought back from Song dynasty of China spread in Japan, and Zen Buddhists liked drinking tea in order to keep awake while training.

##### **Japanese tea ceremony**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese\_tea\_ceremony

Nobunaga looks like a hard-core believer of Buddhism with Shinto as much as the Stone Boat. They looks like believe Generator as the Universe, often referred as the Void.

His showy magnificent castle was reported by missionaries to Europe, because it was showy. But his wall which can stand for guns donated for Hachiman shrine-temple was very plane and simple. It was not showy but just tough. Safety first. Many plane tough walls donated by him on his way still remain today.

His showy donation for Hachiman deities was a long rain gutter made with pure gold within the deep main hall. Pure gold rain gutter! Very like him. No one notices from outside. Hachiman deities who go and come between living room and bed room in the main hall see his humorous showy donation everyday.

Hachiman deities laughed to allow him to call himself Mara. Mara in Japanese is a sicret code which means a mischievous son of men in the bed room to disturb his quiet meditation at night.

His belief was so hard that no one couldn't realize, except the Stone Boat, who was, in true, the Water Moon (水月:SuiGatsu).

#### **The Water Moon (水月)**

The Water Moon is a secret code of the top secret of New Shadow School which means spacing, safety zone, out of range. It is a sort of dead space, dead angles, blind spots, dark corners, and so on. Munenori mentions that how we should be should be oral instruction. It is no wonder the Stone Boat was also code name of Yagyu style.

The Stone Boat was like a shadow of the moon in the water. His letter to his family has a simple poem about the Water Moon. He is a poet, however, of gatha.

> 心法無形、通貫十万、水中ノ月、鏡裏ノ像
>
>

> *Dharma of Mind has No Form.*
>
>

> *It Goes Through Vast Lands.*
>
>

> *Like the Moon In the Water.*
>
>

> *An Image Behind the Mirror.*
>
>

十万(100,000) is abbreviation of 十万億土(10,000,000,000,000 of Buddha's lands). It means countless, faraway beyound countless lands, pure land, Paradise. Our mind can go through to reach the faraway pure land Paradise beyound countless lands, and the light from Paradise can reach us, via interactive Dharma immediately. The moon in the water is Boddhisatva. An image behind the mirror is deity.

The Stone Boat was the hidden shadow of the moon in the saefty zone of the last flagship stage of war age.

"信" means trust, believe, belief, truth, letter, sigh, mark, telling true, honesty, lengthen, prolong, extend. "長" means long, length, elder, leader, head, top, lengthen, grow, get better, excel.

Old Japanese had some chance to reform their name or use another alias at some event after coming-of-age. But his choice was always "信" & "長".

His first son is 信忠 changed from 信重. His second son is 信雄 changed from 具豊. His third son is 信孝 from 三七郎. From the fifth to the eleventh, every son has 信.

"忍:Nin" of "忍者:Ninja" read in native Japanese is "しのぶ[Shino-bu]". It means endure, hide, cover, keep in secret, do by stealth. "忍(しの)ぶ[Shino-bu]" is often referred as"信[No-bu]" such as the noted place 信夫[Si-No-Bu] in Waka poetry.

"忍:Nin" is also the third practice of ten Pāramitā (perfection, completeness) of Boddhisatva for Buddhahood in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

##### **Pāramitā**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81ramit%C4%81

> - 布施:Dāna (donation, generosity, charity, giving of oneself)
>
>

> - 持戒:Śīla (virtue, morality, discipline, proper conduct, purity of conduct)
>
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> - 忍辱:Kṣānti (patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance against insults)
>
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> - 精進: Vīrya (energy, diligence, vigor, effort, zeal)
>
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> - 禅定: Dhyāna (one-pointed concentration, contemplation, meditation, mental concentration)
>
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> - 般若: Prajñā (wisdom, insight, balance, coordination)
>
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> - 方便: Upāya (skillful means, ways and means of emptiness and detachment)
>
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> - 願: Praṇidāna (vow, resolution, aspiration, determination, decition)
>
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> - 力: Bala (spiritual powers, strength, force)
>
>

> - 智: Jñāna (knowledge, learning, study)
>
>

Most of the schools in Japanese Buddhists have the same fourfold vow: 四弘誓願 such as;

> 衆生無辺誓願度 Life has no limit. Vow to keep wide.
>
>

> 煩悩無尽誓願断 Want has no limit. Vow to root up.
>
>

> 法門無量誓願学 Gate has no limit. Vow to know all.
>
>

> 仏道無上誓願成 Path has no limit. Vow to full high.
>
>

There are some variations for each schools, but generally, they sound very powerful and strong with heavily rhymed verse in Japanese pronunciation borrowed Chinese pronunciation.

> [Shū jō mu hen sei gan do]
>
>

> [Bon nō mu jin sei gan dan]
>
>

> [Hō mon mu ryō sei gan gaku]
>
>

> [But-dō mu zyō sei gan jō]
>
>

##### **Bodhisattva vow**

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva\_vow

They look like Boddhisatva who practice ten Pāramitā by their own Upāya on their occupation.

It is said that Nobunaga was the only one who knew the global earth to listen to the missionaries and to see the global map and model far from the west beyond India at that time. I think that Yagyu family was another one who knew the global earth in the space. Their idea was both modern and traditional.

> p.80:
>
>

> 一　心は水の中の月に似たり、形は鏡の上の影の如し。
>
>

> *- Mind is like a moon in the water. The appearance is like an image on the mirror.*
>
>

> ・・・　人の心の物にうつる事は、月の水にうつるごとく也。いかにもすみやかにうつる物也。
>
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> *... A reflection of indivisual mind on something is like an image of the moon on the water. It reflects really speedy.*
>
>

> ・・・　月の水にかげをうつすは、いかにもすみやかなる物也。はるばる高き天にあれども、雲がのくといなや、はや水にかげがさす也。高天からそろそろと連々にくだりてうつる物にあらず。目まぢ一つせぬうちに、はやうつるなり。
>
>

> *... A reflection of the moon on the water is very quick. It is far up in the sky, but its image appears as soon as the clouds move aside. It doesn't come from slowly to arrive on sequentially from the sky. It appears on the instant without waiting for a blink of the eye.*
>
>

> ・・・　鏡にうつるかたちも、何にても物がむかふとはやうつる也。すみやかなと云ふたとへなり。
>
>

> *... The image on the mirror also appears as soon as anything faces. What we tell is immediacy without delay.*
>
>

Mirrors were originally a media of deity in Japan. They were usually under taboo and hidden deep in the shrine, as the Stone Boat said "an image behind the mirror". The modern usage of the mirror to look oneself without fear was popularized for make-up during Edo period.

I've heard that the production technique of the pre-modern mirror was top secret in some domain of Edo prieod for their income advantage. The craft-men who knew the technique were gathered at isolated land not to tell strangers. These mirrors were trousseau of the princess of the load at the beginning.

But, Munenori casually wrote about the face of mirror as a common ordinary tool as if he is living today, as if he faces to the Water Moon even while sleeping and eating.

#### **Active/Passive mode (縣待)**

This is not the time to worry about trivial things such as individual cultivation. The top priority is governance.

天下平(under the sky) -> 治國(state) -> 齊家(family) -> 修身(individual)

The famous Samurai loads and noted Samurai warriors seem to enjoy their battle to compete their brave martial arts. That's endless. The game of fame is endless. Whether win or lose, both can get fame for their heroic brave exploits. Rather, the losers are praised in poetry as a tragic hero with sympathy, like Yoshitsune.

If their personal brave martial arts are useless and the battle are monotone with massive guns by anonymous, the aim of the battle is focused into the goal. The game of goal has the end.

There is no time to explain how the global earth is. Most of the people believe Buddhist cosmology and be afraid of another world no one can see. However, what we have to be afraid of now is the navigation system to come from overseas to such isolated islands with guns and gun powders. Actually I have a smart gun system and imported massive gun powder. That idea didn't come to hit upon me unless seeing the first gun from overseas. But, now I understand.

Nobunaga who built his bases at the key point of water transportation in metropolitan area for logistics control could know the importance of transportation. While, Yagyu family covered at the key point of the land route in the mountain area.

Extremes meet.

The most famous swordsman at his age presented his famous technique "No Sword" to the first unifier and figured out his motive and achievement. His paradigm shift was turning game of fame into game of goal, from endless to end, from aimless to aim. His enterprise had been almost finished when he arrived at the goal with the latest Shogun he prompted.

> 兵法の　ならひのうへの　こころにも　かくすをひぢの　だい一とする - 石舟斎
>
>

> *The first secret is secret itself.*
>
>

> *The top secret of learning swordsmanship is to hide it.*
>
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> 兵法は　かくしつつしむ　心より　まさる極意は　あらじとぞ思ふ - 石舟斎
>
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> *Nothing but mind to hide and cover.*
>
>

> *That's the final for swordsmanship.*
>
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> 兵法は　知りても知らぬ　よしにして　いる折々の用にしたがへ - 石舟斎
>
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> *Pretend not to know swordsmanship.*
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> *Serve plenty of uses according to the case.*
>
>

Nobunaga hired the Stone Boat as a route guide of the mountain area. He didn't need the strongest body guard any longer because his duty had almost finished.

> p.48
>
>

> 一　風水の音をきく事
>
>

> *- Listen the voice of wind and water*
>
>

> ・・・　水も上より落つるには声なし。物にさはり、下へおちつきて、下にていそがはしく声がする也。是をたとへに引きて、上は静に、下は気縣に待つと云ふ也。
>
>

> *... Water has no voice while falling from the top. When he hits something or arrives at the bottom, we hear his noisy voice. We speak in this parable. We are passive in silence at the top, while wating with our active Qi on stanby for timing at the bottom.*
>
>

> ・・・ 縣待を内外にかけてすべし。一方にかたまりたるはあしし。陰陽たがひにかはる心持を思惟すべし。動くは陽也、静なるは陰也。陰と陽とは、内外にかはりて、内に陽うごけば、外は陰で静也。内陰なれば、うごひて外にあらはる。
>
>

> *... Set Active-Passive mode inside and outside. Gathering on only one side is the worst. We should think of the alternative mind switching Yin-Yang (positive-negative). Motion is Yang(positive). Stillness is Yin(negative). Yin and Yang alternate inside and outside. When Yang move inside, Yin stay still outside. When Yin turns into inside, Yang appears outside.*
>
>

> P.35
>
>

> 縣待二字子細の事
>
>

> *The chapter of Active/Passive mode*
>
>

> 一　身と太刀とに縣待の道理ある事
>
>

> *- The principle of Active/Passive mode on the body and sword*
>
>

> 身をば敵にちかくふりかけて縣になし、太刀をば待になして、身足手にて敵の先をおびき出して、敵に先をさせて勝つ也。
>
>

> *We cast our body near the enemy on active mode and set our sword on passive mode. We win to let our enemy attack us by the lure of our body, legs and arms.*
>
>

I think that Nobunaga himself has no intent to be King, or the long lasting ruler of the land. He was a single king maker. If he had intent to be King, he could hire the Stone Boat as his body guard to protect his successor to put safety first, like Sup-panda and Lucchi.

At least, Nobunaga could keep his first son to be the next king. He had a lot of wealth, fame and power to make his first son succeed to. But his first son also committed his concept.

Nobunaga disgusted anyone wearing their swords in his room. Only the Stone Boat who mastered no sword style could clear his disgusts. But Nobunaga let him go to his way, not to use him as his successor's shield.

> p.60
>
>

> 〇中峯和尚云く、放心心を具せよ。
>
>

> *〇Zen master Chuhou says; Keep free mind*
>
>

> 右の語に付きて、初重・後重あり。心を放ちかけてやれば、行さきにとどまる程に、心をとどめぬ様に、あとへちゃくちゃくとかへしかへせと教ゆるは初重の修行也。一太刀うつて、うつた所に心のとどまるを、わが身へもとめかへせと教ゆる也。後重には、心を放ちかけて、行き度き所へやれと也。はなしかけてやりても、とまらぬ心になして、心を放すなり。放心心を具せよとは、心を放すこころをもて、心を綱を付けて常に引きて居ては、不自由なぞ。放しかけてやりても、とまらぬ心を放心々と云ふ。此放心々を具すれば、自由がはたらかるる也。綱をとらへて居ては不自由也。犬猫も、はなしがひこそよけれ。つなぎ猫、つなぎ犬は、かはれぬ物也。
>
>

> *On the right (above) phrase, there are two points for beginners and experts. We tell a beginner to let his mind go and collect it steadily not to stop where it has gone. That's beginner's practice. We tell him to collect his mind into his body from where he has hit a slash not to stay there. As for an expert, we tell him to let his mind go and go where as he like. We grow our mind not to stagnate without watching and let it go. What we say "keep leaving mind in mind" means "have free mind to let it go". It is inconvenient to hold and pull our mind at the rope constantly. We say free mind not stop moving on without watching. When we keep free mind, freedom can work. It is not free to hold a rope. Unleashed dogs and cats are good, too. We don't want to keep leashed cats, leashed dogs.*
>
>

Munenori's note was not only abstract argument on generality of individual mind, but also an actual political guide modeled on his father's biography and the founder's biography who knew the political leaders of the land, for the third Shogun and his body guard, Jubei.

> p.52.
>
>

> 一　病をさるに初重・後重の心持ある事
>
>

> *- Two mind to leave illness, pre-mind and post-mind.*
>
>

> 病をさる初重
>
>

> *pre-mind to leave illness*
>
>

> 念に渉つて無念、着に渉つて無着。此心は、病をさらんとおもふは念也。心にある病をさらんとおもふは、念に渉る也。又病と云ふも、一筋におもひつめたる念也。病をさらんとおもふも念也。しかれば、念を以て念をさる也。念をされば、無念也。ここを以て、念に渉つて無念と云ふ也。念に残りたる病を、念を以てされば、後はさる念もさらるる念も共になくなる也。
>
>

> *No idea on idea. No touch on touch . It means that intent to leave illness is an idea. Intent to leave illness in mind goes around idea. Illness we say is an only one of fixed idea. Intent to leave illnes is also illness. Then, we leave an idea with idea itself. When we leave an idea (with idea itself), we hold no idea. We say it no idea. When we leave an illness on idea with idea itself, we don't have any idea to leave nor to be left.*
>
>

When we leave an illness on idea with idea itself, we don't have any idea to leave nor to be left.

That's like a gun system with Nobunaga, or Nubunaga with a gun system. He committed suicide with massive gun powder at the last checkpoint of Kyoto. He killed a lot of people during the war, and at last, himself.

That's his detachment. He didn't say "甲斐もなし: in vain." Death is inevitable for anyone.

> P.53:
>
>

> 後重
>
>

> *post-mind*
>
>

> 後重には、一向に病をさらんとおもふ心のなきが病を去るなり。さらんとおもふが病気也。病気にまかせて、病気のうちに交りて居るが、病気をさつたる也。
>
>

> *On the post-mind, no mind to leave illness at all has left illness. An idea to leave illness is illness. To leave illness to illness itself. To stay within illness is to have left illness.*
>
>

Munenori who grew up in the Water Moon looks like regret deeply that father and his young son when he reached at the age of 知命. Though, there were a lot of warriors who turned to be a monk to stay in this world through the ages.
Hey, Son! Don't be so disappointed with us! We did our best! At least I did my best! Of course, you are working for different duty in the different age, but...

> へいほうは　けいこたんれん　つねにして　いろにいださで　かくしつつしめ
>
>

> *Swordsmanship always requires usual practice and training.*
>
>

> *Hide and cover your color in the face.*
>
>

That's all of us. What we should do is usual practice and training seriously. By the way, do you remember him? You were a little boy when my master died. I've heard such a story like this;

> 夫兵法と勝負ハ、敵と我との心気の二ツに究する事也。此心と云ハ、いか成ル物そといふに、かけ形もなきもの也。形なきゆえに消うせす。然れは、生もなく、又死もなし。是を金剛の正躰と云。無相にして有なるの故に、古来行留事なく、往所さらになし。色相の生滅にあつかるによって無常と云也。是をあわれミかなしみ定離と云也。心にかわりなき所を尋よと云事也。何物か色相を去て敵とならむや。心ハ無始無終にして往ところさらになし。
>
>

> *Swordsmanship and the match, are finally two of energy of mind between opponent and self. What is such mind? How it is? It has no shadow nor shape. It does not disappear because it has no shape. Therefore, it has no birth nor death. That is true nature of diamond, Buddhist symbol of the indestructible truth. It has no property, but exists. Therefore, from old times it does not stay anywhere, nor leave for anywhere. Because of only apparent form, it is referred as uncertain. That is referred as pathos, sorrow, and fate of leaving. That means you ask at where unchanged in mind. Will anyone leave apparent form to be enemy? Mind does not open nor close. Needless to say, it leaves for nowhere.*
>
>

As a result, the Stone Boat in passive mode didn't sink nor burn down with Nobunaga in active mode. As a result, the Stone Boat grew his son Munenori from his childhood carefully in the hidden village. As a result, the Stone Boat with his son met the first Shogun Ieyasu to get his vow by switching Yin-Yang (positive-negative). As a result, the Stone Boat succeeded to transfer their method to the internet.

They are posteriori reasoning like butterfly effect and free reading of Art of Ninja. But, Munenori named the first volume, their swordsmanship from the founder of New Shadow School to the Stone Boat, "The Shoe-Presenting Bridge".

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