“Fundamentally culture and warriorhood are a unified character, not separate things.. Just as the creative force of the universe is one energy distinguished into yin and yang, the sensitivity and efficacy of human nature are a single quality with distinctions of cultural and martial. Culture without warriorhood is not true culture; warriorhood without culture is not true warriorhood…”
Just a yin is the root of yang, and yang is the root of yin, culture is the root of warriorhood, and warriorhood is the root of culture. With heaven as the warp and earth as the woof, governing the nation and keeping social relations in order is called culture. Where there are perverse and unprincipled people who obstruct the course of culture without fear of divine order, to bring them to punishment or raise an army to attack them and unify the government of the whole land, is called warriorhood.”
–Nakae Toju (1608-1648)
Source: Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook
Thomas Cleary, translator & editor
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