Learning from Shinobi (Ninja) for 2021Written in a Kanji character, "Shinobu/nin" may have been a passion that people all over the world experienced in common this year. This character originated from the hieroglyph of a blade pointing at the heart. It is translated into English as put up with, bear, and it might be expressed as "sustained stress of life" in Earth Language, but this Kanji calls a more concrete and stronger image. This character is the Nin of Ninja. Actually Ninja is the modern name of Shinobi. Shinobi had to survive a tightrope crossing between life and death to execute his mission.This year, an invisible blade called Covid19 rained down on human society, and everyone was put in Shinobu(verb of Shinobi) position, sharing the "stress" of continuing to have the potential to kill each other's lives. While carrying this kind of stress from early childhood until his death, Shinobi could not fail to fulfill their mission. What wisdom did they survive with in the incessant stress? I tried to read the book "The Law of Ninja" by Jin-ichi Kawakami, heir to the Koga Ninjutsu style, a martial artist, Ninjutsu researcher, and Mie University professor. This book reveals the contents of the old 'Secret Book.' As "Nin-no-i" or the fundamental spirit of "Shinobi," it shows the Kanji, "Nin" in the middle of the red circle. The red circle is a symbol of the sun and also a Ring or a Circle where everything is connected in harmony. In other words, we can read this sign as "Shinobi's final aim is to be in harmony with the entire human society and great nature, while gaining energy from nature to continue overcoming the predicament." A Sinobi was trained to challenge the limits of patience by hurting his body against the elements of nature, such as training with fire in the summer, training in the ice in winter, holding his urine and excrement, etc., also gaining education in various fields in order to infiltrate various societies. But he hid his ability, not to be self-assertive, not to be remarkable, and to serve quietly for others. And 'The Secret Book' emphasizes that Shinobi had to be gentle like a flower, and to be obedient like a bamboo. Oh, I want to meet a real Shinobi! He must always keep his smile on his temples linking up with the sun, while calmly dealing with the virus. December 2020
Yoshiko McFarland
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忍者に学ぶ2021年の生き方 「忍」は、今年世界中の人々が共通体験した心情だったのではないだろうか。 「忍」は、心臓に刃を突き付けた象形文字が起源。put up with、bearなどと簡単に英訳され、地球語でも「命のストレスの持久」と表せそうなことばだが、漢字は具体的な強いイメージを呼ぶ。忍者の「忍」である。忍者は近代語で、江戸期には忍びと呼ばれた。忍びは、使命のために生死の境を綱渡りで生きるスパイのプロだった。 今年、ヒト社会にウィルスという見えない刃が降って湧き、誰もが互いに命を殺めかねない可能性を抱え続けるストレスを共有した。 幼児期から死ぬまでストレスを抱え続けながら、情報スパイの密命を帯びた忍者は、殺されては使命を果たせない。いったい彼らは、どんな知恵で生き延びていたのだろう？ 甲賀流の継承者で武術家・忍術研究家の川上仁一さんの著書『忍者の掟』を読んでみた。 忍術の『秘伝書』には、「忍之意」として、赤丸の真ん中に「忍」の字を書いたサインが、「忍び」（忍者・忍術）の根本精神を示すとある。赤丸は太陽、そしてすべてが調和してつながる「和・輪」の象徴。つまり、大自然からエネルギーを得て苦境を忍び克服し続けながら、忍者が目ざす真の目的は、自然とヒト社会全体の大調和だというのだ。 忍びの訓練は、夏に火、冬に氷の中の修業、大小便の我慢など、自然の摂理に逆らって自分の体を痛めつける、忍耐の限界への挑戦だった。また、多様な社会に潜入するため、彼らは多方面の教養も積んだ。しかしその能力は隠し、自己主張せず目立たず、他のために静かに奉仕。そして花のように優しく、竹のように素直であれと『秘伝書』は説いている。 本物の忍びにお会いしてみたい！もし今忍びがいるとすれば、彼はウィルスに取り巻かれても冷静に対処し、こめかみの笑みでいつも太陽とつながって、ストレスを溜めはしないだろう。 2020年12月 Yoshiko McFarland |