On Beheading Medousa

[sdi]

I briefly mentioned Teiresias's killing of the snakes and Perseus's killing of Medousa as a reference to mastering the fear of death yesterday (note 3B). I spent some time searching up a favorite Zen story which I originally heard from D. T. Suzuki concerning the same thing:

Murakawa Soden tells the story that a certain vassal of the shogun once came to the great swordsmaster Yagyu Tajima no Kami Munenori and asked to become his student. Master Yagyu said, "You seem to already be very accomplished in some school of martial arts! First, tell me which school you've practiced under, and then we can make arrangements."

The man replied, "But I have never practiced any martial arts."

Master Yagyu said, "What, have you come to make fun of me? Do you think you can fool the teacher of the shogun himself?" But the man persisted, and so Master Yagyu said, "Well, I'll believe you, but I insist that you must be a master of something. What is it?"

The man thought for a moment and said, "Ever since I was a boy, it seemed to me that a warrior should be somebody who is not afraid of death. Because of that, I have grappled with the problem of death for many years and now I no longer fear it. That's the only thing I think I can honestly say that I have mastered."

Master Yagyu was deeply impressed and said, "That's it! I know a master when I see one. You see, the ultimate principle of swordsmanship is freedom from the fear of death. I have trained many hundreds of students, but until now, not a single one has mastered that final principle. You need no technical training. I will initiate you right now." And he gave the man a certificate right then and there.

(Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure XI, as adapted from several translations by yours truly.)