The Lesson on Silence
The Lesson on Silence
Do we belong to Destiny, or does Destiny belong to us? Find out in this tale inspired by Japanese wisdom.
There is a Japanese proverb that says: "If it's not right, don't do it. If it's not true, don't say it". That was what Sensei Hayashi taught his students.
The Traditional Hayashi School
The students studied at the traditional Hayashi clan school since a tender age. They only left the institution after receiving the last graduated apprenticeship learning title.
Among the students, there was one named Niten Shuntoku. At sixteen, he counted on his fingers the days that would take him outside the bamboo walls of that school.
His greatest dream was to pursue his father, grandfather, and two older brothers' career. He wanted to be a samurai and an accomplished warrior, earning his clan and others' respect from his sword skills.
However, years before, his mother had been very ill. Before she died, she whispered to her husband, as a last wish, that Shuntoku dedicates himself exclusively to letters (Calligraphy) or to the religious life.
Moved, Niten San decided to comply with his wife's request and sent his youngest son Shuntoku to the Hayashi clan school.
The Inspiration You Seek Is Already Within You. Be Silent and Listen. Rumi
The Change on the Path
Day after day, sun after sun, moon after moon, Shuntoku was bored with the teachings and school life. He would only have a boring administrative career or days spent in the monastery at the end of the day.
One day, during a full moon night, Niten Shuntoku decided to something dishonorable. While the Buddhist prayers of repentance were being recited in the temple, he forgot the importance of his honor and decided to tell a lie
Without blinking for a second, Shuntoku forged a letter requesting that he be released from school as a request from his father. According to the forgery, he was to go to the family home to bury an elder in the clan.
