Source: blog.yahoo.co.jp Before I continue with this post, I should state that while I did say last week that I would be putting up translated parts of the Kōyō Gunkan together with their original Japanese script, time constraints have meant that I have to forego the latter part of that promise. I do apologize.
Nonetheless, the following is the introduction (or more correctly, forward) to the Kōyō Gunkan, a military treatise written in the latter part of the sixteenth century (for a more comprehensive explanation, see here - in Japanese). The numbers in brackets at the end of each paragraph refers to the page number in the volume Satō Masahide (ed), Kōyō Gunkan, Chikuma Shobō, Tokyo 2006.
Forward
Item, there is no significance behind the use of kana in this work. Were a scholar to read this work, he would snigger at the number of mistakes it contains. I am a peasant. In the Spring of my sixteenth year I was unexpectedly called up by Lord Shingen, whereupon I took the name Kasuga Gengorō, and rose from humble origins to a position of authority. As I served my lord without fail I had no time to devote myself to study, and so I knew nothing of letters, a state in which I still remain. Although my mistakes are just that, when considering the principles I am attempting to convey, I would like the reader to think of them (the mistakes) as evidence of the warrior code that applies to both high and low, and which extends from the present Lord Katsuyori to his heir Tarō Nobukatsu. (014)
Item, Lord Nagasaka Chōkanrō and Lord Atobe Ōi no Suke remember the following quite vividly. During the reign of Lord Shingen, the former ruler, all matters, not only those regarding legal cases, were discussed in detail and the merits exposed. However not all matters were written down. At times when there were differences of opinion and no firm consensus could be reached, both Shingen and his councillors would discuss matters at hand and then make a decision on them. One or two of these decisions would then be written down. (014)
Item, though some may wonder why this work was written using kana, there is no point transcribing the work into kanbun (Chinese script). I do not mind if the parts in kanbun are re-written in kana. However, in such instances a single volume should be written out exactly like the original, and then a kana version should be made of this. The original of which I speak are the 57 precepts (or laws) of Lord Shingen. (015) There are probably no scholars among the great number of people who read books written in kana. It is these unlettered people that read kana, and kana allows both young and old to take a book in hand and read on rainy days. (015)
Item, warriors, both high and low born, should strive to study and acquire knowledge. However as to what written works they should read, they should read one book, or two or three at the most and be satisfied if they can apply the lessons therein. There is no need to read a large number of books. Moreover, there is no need to study Chinese poetry or Chinese literature. There are (and have been) generals that hold half the realm in their hands, who excel in their studies, read both Chinese poetry and literature, and are praised for their abilities even after their deaths. Yet it is often the case that although a general may hold the realm in their grasp, those generals that have more book volumes than successes in battle are thought of as weak. This is something that must be carefully considered. (015)
Item, for example, although questions might emerge regarding a general who holds on to a province and yet dedicates too much of his time to his studies, a lower born warrior who aspires to become the first chosen for public office and then spends his time studying will ignore his duties, lose his position, and be thought of as disloyal. An official position in a lord’s residence during peace time equates to glory against an enemy in battle. (016) No matter what one’s line of work, to ignore one’s duty is unforgivable. The duty of those born into a warrior household is to serve. There are two types of service; that which is exercised in a lord’s household, and glory in battle. (016)
The Buddhist priest follows the practices of Buddhism, the Confucian scholar practices Confucian thought, the town dweller trades, and the peasant tends to his fields, for that is his profession. Even carpenters and artisans should apply themselves to learning the profession they were born into. It is not acceptable to neglect one’s duty and pour all of one’s efforts into other pursuits. The priest that neglects his studies and applies himself to warfare, or the warrior that becomes absorbed in study or Nō drama and puts aside his duty gravely insults his true profession. (016)
However, it is indeed good for there to be one or two educated warriors among a hundred or so. Famous generals that hold the realm in their grasp have learned priests in their service. While it would be better for lower level generals with two or three hundred saddles at their command, or generals with only a minimal force divided into three to have priests in their service, an educated warrior is a treasure as valuable as a horse that can accommodate two saddles. This is the reason it is very fortunate to have one or two educated warriors among the hundred one commands. (016)
Item, lower level warriors, even if they are educated and have acquired knowledge of Chinese poetry and verse, should not flaunt these abilities in the open. Though they may receive praise, such warriors are like those Ashikaga priests that return to the secular world, and are in most cases quite pathetic. Although they are priests, they pretend to have the learning of the Zen priests of Daitokuji or Myōshinji, their penmanship is poor, they can only perform meditation with one leg folded, and are harshly scolded by priests who are dedicated to the practice of Zen. (017)
Item, a warrior must exercise loyalty and fealty towards their lord whether they be asleep, drunk, or having a meal. (017)
Item, when speaking of a general that holds the realm (or province) in their grasp, even if they are an enemy general, they should not be referred to as that ‘foolish general’, but should merely be referred to as ‘general’. To insult and demean an enemy general is a cowardly tactic used by the weak. Hence one should respectful terms whether one is writing or speaking to the ruler of a province, be he an enemy or an ally. (017)
When counting the number of generals throughout the realm that rule over an entire province, there are perhaps sixty six in total, not even a hundred. Should the said general be from an established family, one should praise their heritage. Should they have recently risen to prominence, one must consider their intelligence and dedication to the protection of the gods and bodhisattva and avoid insulting them. Insulting the enemy is a strategy used by households that are poor in battle. (017)
Battles are usually won by the side that is strongest, however it is possible for a weaker side to win as a result of good fortune. However a weaker side, when it defeats a stronger, will always insult the enemy general. For example, when a town dweller beats a warrior in a duel, he will praise his own exploits and bad-mouth his opponent. As he had not fought a warrior in earnest before he thought he had little chance of victory. So when he unexpectedly wins, he insults his opponent by telling him that he’s not much of a warrior. Moreover, when a warrior fights against town dweller, should it take the warrior more than the usual amount of effort to beat the town dweller, the town dweller will be praised rather than the warrior because he offered up a much better fight than was expected from him.(018)
In a similar way, in the case of battle, to insult an enemy general and making up various lies about the enemy implies that one did not believe one could win in the first place and that victory was totally unexpected. This then makes one vulnerable to being manipulated by other provinces. In the household of Lord Katsuyori, it is forbidden to speak ill of an enemy. (018)
There were no household rules in place during the reign of Lord Shingen, yet the warriors under his rule took it upon themselves to act appropriately, and did not make up fables about the enemy or engage in insulting behaviour towards them. Many years ago, during the battles between the Taira and Minamoto households, the armies of the Taira would belittle the Minamoto. When the Taira won the night battle of Taikenron, they insulted the enemy, and spoke of ‘that bastard Yoritomo’. Thereafter, when the Minamoto defeated the Taira, the armies of the Minamoto referred to the Taira as ‘Lord Kiyomori’, ‘Lord Komatsu’ or ‘Lord Councillor’, and did not speak a word of ill against them. The fact that Lord Yoshitsune shed tears upon viewing the head of his enemy, Taira no Atsumori, is proof of how the warriors of the Minamoto did not insult the Taira. One must therefore be able to discern between the merits and faults of such behaviour. (018)
Item, when providing hospitality towards members of one’s own retinue, or household councillors, or immediate family, or any large group of people, the host should always test for poison himself. This is not for anyone else’s benefit but his. One should also be wary of those who don’t do such things. This must also be considered for its merits and faults.
The nine precepts outline here thus constitute the forward to what follows. (019)
Nonetheless, the following is the introduction (or more correctly, forward) to the Kōyō Gunkan, a military treatise written in the latter part of the sixteenth century (for a more comprehensive explanation, see here - in Japanese). The numbers in brackets at the end of each paragraph refers to the page number in the volume Satō Masahide (ed), Kōyō Gunkan, Chikuma Shobō, Tokyo 2006.
Forward
Item, there is no significance behind the use of kana in this work. Were a scholar to read this work, he would snigger at the number of mistakes it contains. I am a peasant. In the Spring of my sixteenth year I was unexpectedly called up by Lord Shingen, whereupon I took the name Kasuga Gengorō, and rose from humble origins to a position of authority. As I served my lord without fail I had no time to devote myself to study, and so I knew nothing of letters, a state in which I still remain. Although my mistakes are just that, when considering the principles I am attempting to convey, I would like the reader to think of them (the mistakes) as evidence of the warrior code that applies to both high and low, and which extends from the present Lord Katsuyori to his heir Tarō Nobukatsu. (014)
Item, Lord Nagasaka Chōkanrō and Lord Atobe Ōi no Suke remember the following quite vividly. During the reign of Lord Shingen, the former ruler, all matters, not only those regarding legal cases, were discussed in detail and the merits exposed. However not all matters were written down. At times when there were differences of opinion and no firm consensus could be reached, both Shingen and his councillors would discuss matters at hand and then make a decision on them. One or two of these decisions would then be written down. (014)
Item, though some may wonder why this work was written using kana, there is no point transcribing the work into kanbun (Chinese script). I do not mind if the parts in kanbun are re-written in kana. However, in such instances a single volume should be written out exactly like the original, and then a kana version should be made of this. The original of which I speak are the 57 precepts (or laws) of Lord Shingen. (015) There are probably no scholars among the great number of people who read books written in kana. It is these unlettered people that read kana, and kana allows both young and old to take a book in hand and read on rainy days. (015)
Item, warriors, both high and low born, should strive to study and acquire knowledge. However as to what written works they should read, they should read one book, or two or three at the most and be satisfied if they can apply the lessons therein. There is no need to read a large number of books. Moreover, there is no need to study Chinese poetry or Chinese literature. There are (and have been) generals that hold half the realm in their hands, who excel in their studies, read both Chinese poetry and literature, and are praised for their abilities even after their deaths. Yet it is often the case that although a general may hold the realm in their grasp, those generals that have more book volumes than successes in battle are thought of as weak. This is something that must be carefully considered. (015)
Item, for example, although questions might emerge regarding a general who holds on to a province and yet dedicates too much of his time to his studies, a lower born warrior who aspires to become the first chosen for public office and then spends his time studying will ignore his duties, lose his position, and be thought of as disloyal. An official position in a lord’s residence during peace time equates to glory against an enemy in battle. (016) No matter what one’s line of work, to ignore one’s duty is unforgivable. The duty of those born into a warrior household is to serve. There are two types of service; that which is exercised in a lord’s household, and glory in battle. (016)
The Buddhist priest follows the practices of Buddhism, the Confucian scholar practices Confucian thought, the town dweller trades, and the peasant tends to his fields, for that is his profession. Even carpenters and artisans should apply themselves to learning the profession they were born into. It is not acceptable to neglect one’s duty and pour all of one’s efforts into other pursuits. The priest that neglects his studies and applies himself to warfare, or the warrior that becomes absorbed in study or Nō drama and puts aside his duty gravely insults his true profession. (016)
However, it is indeed good for there to be one or two educated warriors among a hundred or so. Famous generals that hold the realm in their grasp have learned priests in their service. While it would be better for lower level generals with two or three hundred saddles at their command, or generals with only a minimal force divided into three to have priests in their service, an educated warrior is a treasure as valuable as a horse that can accommodate two saddles. This is the reason it is very fortunate to have one or two educated warriors among the hundred one commands. (016)
Item, lower level warriors, even if they are educated and have acquired knowledge of Chinese poetry and verse, should not flaunt these abilities in the open. Though they may receive praise, such warriors are like those Ashikaga priests that return to the secular world, and are in most cases quite pathetic. Although they are priests, they pretend to have the learning of the Zen priests of Daitokuji or Myōshinji, their penmanship is poor, they can only perform meditation with one leg folded, and are harshly scolded by priests who are dedicated to the practice of Zen. (017)
Item, a warrior must exercise loyalty and fealty towards their lord whether they be asleep, drunk, or having a meal. (017)
Item, when speaking of a general that holds the realm (or province) in their grasp, even if they are an enemy general, they should not be referred to as that ‘foolish general’, but should merely be referred to as ‘general’. To insult and demean an enemy general is a cowardly tactic used by the weak. Hence one should respectful terms whether one is writing or speaking to the ruler of a province, be he an enemy or an ally. (017)
When counting the number of generals throughout the realm that rule over an entire province, there are perhaps sixty six in total, not even a hundred. Should the said general be from an established family, one should praise their heritage. Should they have recently risen to prominence, one must consider their intelligence and dedication to the protection of the gods and bodhisattva and avoid insulting them. Insulting the enemy is a strategy used by households that are poor in battle. (017)
Battles are usually won by the side that is strongest, however it is possible for a weaker side to win as a result of good fortune. However a weaker side, when it defeats a stronger, will always insult the enemy general. For example, when a town dweller beats a warrior in a duel, he will praise his own exploits and bad-mouth his opponent. As he had not fought a warrior in earnest before he thought he had little chance of victory. So when he unexpectedly wins, he insults his opponent by telling him that he’s not much of a warrior. Moreover, when a warrior fights against town dweller, should it take the warrior more than the usual amount of effort to beat the town dweller, the town dweller will be praised rather than the warrior because he offered up a much better fight than was expected from him.(018)
In a similar way, in the case of battle, to insult an enemy general and making up various lies about the enemy implies that one did not believe one could win in the first place and that victory was totally unexpected. This then makes one vulnerable to being manipulated by other provinces. In the household of Lord Katsuyori, it is forbidden to speak ill of an enemy. (018)
There were no household rules in place during the reign of Lord Shingen, yet the warriors under his rule took it upon themselves to act appropriately, and did not make up fables about the enemy or engage in insulting behaviour towards them. Many years ago, during the battles between the Taira and Minamoto households, the armies of the Taira would belittle the Minamoto. When the Taira won the night battle of Taikenron, they insulted the enemy, and spoke of ‘that bastard Yoritomo’. Thereafter, when the Minamoto defeated the Taira, the armies of the Minamoto referred to the Taira as ‘Lord Kiyomori’, ‘Lord Komatsu’ or ‘Lord Councillor’, and did not speak a word of ill against them. The fact that Lord Yoshitsune shed tears upon viewing the head of his enemy, Taira no Atsumori, is proof of how the warriors of the Minamoto did not insult the Taira. One must therefore be able to discern between the merits and faults of such behaviour. (018)
Item, when providing hospitality towards members of one’s own retinue, or household councillors, or immediate family, or any large group of people, the host should always test for poison himself. This is not for anyone else’s benefit but his. One should also be wary of those who don’t do such things. This must also be considered for its merits and faults.
The nine precepts outline here thus constitute the forward to what follows. (019)
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