"The mind is just like water or a
mirror. Water or a mirror does not move itself but is still and
serene. However, it is stained by dust or dirt from outside, or moved
by wind or men. It then loses its stillness and serenity and does not
reflect anything truly, if anything should stand in front of it."
~Bansenshukai (from Chapter Two - The Right Mind).
Note: Bansenshukai is twenty-two scrolls from the 17th century Japan teaching the way of the Ninja.
One of the great Ninja philosophies is that the mind of mankind is guided at one of two levels. It either serves the "nature" of man, with all his failings (lust, desire, greed, strife, ego, etc...) or "principle" which is also translated as "heaven's path" (faith, loyalty, benevolence, mercy, honesty, integrity, and the protector).
By nature, mankind is swayed from the proper mind and is influenced by the cares of this world and lust for pleasure. Therefore, to properly serve humanity, the path of heaven is the way that the ninja is supposed to walk. That's a far cry from the depictions of Hollywood.
Just as Socrates spoke of virtue as the root of good things, the person who walks in principle walks with the virtuous. That is the path of heaven.
It is amazing that ancient teachings, germinating in China and migrating to Japan, speak to modern people when they stop and listen. Amid the hustle of today's world, in the shadows there is a faint whisper. It is the wisdom of Japan's shinobi warrior-- the protector, the observer, the poet, the philosopher.
What you see in the mirror is your reality. Coming to understand yourself, you will know if you are serving the "nature" of mankind, or principle, the path of heaven.
It can be summed up in this simple instruction: Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
Note: Bansenshukai is twenty-two scrolls from the 17th century Japan teaching the way of the Ninja.
One of the great Ninja philosophies is that the mind of mankind is guided at one of two levels. It either serves the "nature" of man, with all his failings (lust, desire, greed, strife, ego, etc...) or "principle" which is also translated as "heaven's path" (faith, loyalty, benevolence, mercy, honesty, integrity, and the protector).
By nature, mankind is swayed from the proper mind and is influenced by the cares of this world and lust for pleasure. Therefore, to properly serve humanity, the path of heaven is the way that the ninja is supposed to walk. That's a far cry from the depictions of Hollywood.
Just as Socrates spoke of virtue as the root of good things, the person who walks in principle walks with the virtuous. That is the path of heaven.
It is amazing that ancient teachings, germinating in China and migrating to Japan, speak to modern people when they stop and listen. Amid the hustle of today's world, in the shadows there is a faint whisper. It is the wisdom of Japan's shinobi warrior-- the protector, the observer, the poet, the philosopher.
What you see in the mirror is your reality. Coming to understand yourself, you will know if you are serving the "nature" of mankind, or principle, the path of heaven.
It can be summed up in this simple instruction: Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
