« I am not perfect. | Home | Happy Memorial Day…. »
Ronin, pt II
By philip | May 19, 2008
The Ronin awoke to the sound of muffled voices talking amongst themselves. He opened his sleepy eyes and saw four missionaries dressed in plain brown clothes standing at a cross road some distance away.
As the Ronin approached, he noticed first their slack eyes and hunched shoulders. One amongst them looked his way briefly with mild annoyance, never once interrupting the slow, exasperated flow of barely audible conversation.
“Hello”, he spoke.
His greeting was received only with peripheral glances and slight tilts of the head.
“Where are you going?” he questioned.
“Isn’t it obvious?”, one of them replied. “We’re going where we are supposed to go”.
Accustomed to such strange answers from the zen monks of his education, he dismissed the vague reply as misunderstood, then asked instead,
“What are you doing?”
The group, no longer able to ignore the stranger’s presence, turned to him.
“We are discussing our objective”. They replied, almost in unison, though barely louder than a sigh.
“Which is what?” pressed the young warrior.
“To get to where we were going and do what we said we would do. I told you this.” said the one who had answered before.
“We are going to the end of the road to bring people news,” said the apparent leader of the party, “and are just trying to figure out the best way to walk there”.
“And are you the one in charge?” asked the samurai.
“Can’t you tell? Of course I am the leader here. I am in charge. But we all have to have a say in where we are going, otherwise we might not get there in the most amiable fassion. Besides”, the man stated, “we all know where we are going. We don’t need just one person to lead”.
This stunned the soldier into silence. In his training and his experience, no group of many could lead itself. It would be like a flock of sheep without a shepherd, or a horse without reins. The flock would wander and feed and the horse would run, but the sheep would be afraid and the horse would do no work.
All men are willing to give themselves to a cause they believe in. Samurai are the most noble example of this ideal. They give their lives and even their deaths for the safety of the people of their land, and empower those they protect to live free and on their own terms. But the samurai follow the lead of their lord, without whom they are merely wandering, as the Ronin himself was doing.
But he had no cause, he had no one to serve. These missionaries in the road needed to deliver their news to those waiting at their destination. There was no time for mild discussion on such things as how to walk or which foot to place first. Did they not believe it was possible to be friends and efficient at the same time?
The Ronin attempted to interject his thoughts, but grew frustrated and remembered that this was not his fight.
Leaving the group to their mission, the Ronin had no doubt they would reach their destination. But his was a path of effort and of intention and of motivated action, not slow, encumbered deliberation.
And so he walked on into the new day, pondering what he had heard and questioning his way.
Topics: life, as it comes |
May 20th, 2008 at 8:25 am
There are lessons everywhere! The Ronan is truly on his own path….one of enlightend observation and spiritual growth.
Love you Ronan!
May 21st, 2008 at 8:51 am
You inspire so many Philip. ..