Talk:Nabeshima Naoshige

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LORD NABESHIMA'S WALL INSCRIPTIONS

LORD NABESHIMA'S WALL INSCRIPTIONS

Nabeshima Naoshige (1538-1618 A.D.)

In 1584, while attempting to extend his domains, the Lord of Hizen was killed in the fighting at Shimabara by the forces of the powerful Shimazu clan. His fief would have soon fallen into the hands of his enemies had it not been for the machinations of his chief retainer, Nabeshima Naoshige, who managed to delude the Shimazu into thinking that resistance to their invasion would be formidable. From that point on, Nabeshima was the real power in the fief.

In 1587 he fought again against the Shimazu and by 1590 was daimyo of Hizen in all but title. During the next ten years he was active in the Korean campaigns, developing a friendship there with Kato Kiyomasa and with Tokugawa Ieyasu upon his return to Hizen. At the battle of Sekigahara, Nabeshima's son, Katsushige, was persuaded to pit his forces against Tokugawa's, but was quickly recalled by his father and sent instead to attack Toku­gawa's enemies in Kyushu, thus saving the clan from disaster.

Nabeshima Naoshige took official command of Hizen in a public and dignified way when the bakufu recognized that the true heir, Ryuzoji Masaie, was not suited for the tasks of a feudal lord. Nabeshima was never officially installed as Lord of Hizen, but allowed that honor to fall to his son, thus avoiding the public censure and reputation of a gekokujo daimyo. Nabeshima faced near-disaster a number of times in his life, yet survived to secure a strong foundation for the perpetuity of his clan. His sayings and activities are recorded in the third chapter of the Hagakure, a book defining the ideals of the warrior code (written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, a retainer of Nabeshima's grandson Mitsushige).

The Wall Inscriptions were written by a man with a quick in­telligence and an ability to grasp the situation, and they are more expressions of everyday wisdom than house laws proper. The author would seem to have been a survivor, rather than a scholar or great tactician. The Wall Inscriptions are in diction simple and laconic to the point of being open to interpretation. To remedy this situation, a rather wordy elaboration of Wall Inscriptions was written by the 17th-century Confucian scholar Ishida Ittei. The translation used here, however, is based primarily on a direct read­ing of Nabeshima's work.

Lord Nabeshima's Wall Inscriptions

Intelligence is the flower of discrimination. There are many ex­amples of the flower blooming but not bearing fruit.

The arts are difficult to master by one's self. When one is unable to produce good judgment, he will for the most part do injury to himself.

Consider the minds of your underlings well, for it will be dif­ficult to be wide of the mark when judging things in comparison from their standpoint.

Encourage and listen well to the words of your subordinates. It is well known that gold lies hidden underground.

The prayers of a descendant should be the memorial services for his ancestors.

The Law is the judgment of subordinates. There is a Principle beyond the faculty of reason.

The consequences of an ancestor's good or evil depends on the receptiveness of his descendants.

Faith is for the cleansing of one's mind, and should not be acted upon so as to disturb the minds of others. Prayer is the hedge that protects this flower.

Coming up in the world should be done in the same way as as­cending a stairway.

In all things, think with one's starting point in man.

A man's whole life is determined in his youth. One should act so that his fellows will not lose confidence in him.

A faultfinder will fall into punishment from others.'

Great events should be considered lightly.2

In all things, think with one's starting point in man.

Do all things with patience.

Written materials miss the essence of reality.

Divination is simply a matter of chance, and relying upon it will likely bring error.3

When affairs are carried out lackadaisically, seven out of ten will turn out badly.

During a battle, one should be resolved not to fall into the ploy of the enemy. When one can judge the instant, the victory will def­initely be his.

In a fight, one should be rough and reckless. Not so in everyday affairs.4

No matter whether a person belongs to the upper or lower ranks, if he has not put his life on the line at least once he has cause for shame.

Everyone should personally know exertion as it is known in the lower classes.

Notes

1 This might be read as: "Judge not that ye be not judged."

2In other words, great events should be thought out thoroughly long before they come to a crisis.

3In 1569, Saga Castle was surrounded by a force of 60,000 men under Otomo Sorin. Capitulation was considered, but Nabeshima, at the time a vas-sal of Ryuzoji Takanobu, suggested a divination. Before the diviner came be-fore Ryuzoji, Nabeshima strictly ordered the man to give a judgment favor-able to the defense of the castle. Resistance thus determined, the Otomo forces withdrew.

4Another saying of Nabeshima in a similar vein: "Bushido is in being crazy to die. Fifty or more could not kill one such a man." Yamamoto Tsunetomo added, "Great works will not be done with simple determination. One must become insane and crazy to die." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.6.206.163 (talk) 03:05, 10 December 2007 (UTC)