Jirinden 24 “The sword protects us from and corrects the wicked.”
「The sword’s true purpose is a tool to prevent wickedness」（Heishū Jirinden, Vol. II, Ōhen Hakkyoku）
・The sword’s true purpose is a tool to protect from evil
In the ancient past, it is said that when an evil giant serpent hid a treasured sword called “Murakumo-no-ken”in its tail, the tail was always covered in clouds. However since the giant snake was a wicked serpent who knew nothing of the ways men should follow, in the end it was killed by Susanou-no-mikoto. That is to say, even though it is said that virtues are said to inhabit the clouds, when the sword is in the hands of the wicked it is of no use. ( Katayama-ryu The Teating / Ōhen hakkyoku )
The The sword’s true purpose is to prevent wickedness in one’s heart. One will not make company with unjust colleagues. There is no virtue in the sword. It is through the virtue of those that wield it, that virtue comes into the sword. Those who wield the sword should not lessen its virtue in the manner of that giant serpent. Even if it is unavoidable, the act of drawing one’s sword and killing another lessens one’s virtue. The warriors of old honored the direction of the right as exalted, while looked down upon the left as being coarse or lowly. Humbling oneself into action when it is unavoidable is therefore called Saryū (literally “left dragon”).
(Presented by Yuji Wada, Costantino Brandozzi, Rennis Buchner, Constantin von Richiter)
