With the appearance of a flower and its bamboo-like qualities*
Although the ninja has a strong image of fighting, he was a survivor who prioritized survival. The ninja made it a point to survive and pass on helpful information for the peace and order of the country and the region. Although he was always in danger of losing his life, he made a goal like ” living like a flower and with a mind that is as strong and straight as the nature of bamboo.” Does this sound a little surprising?
Even if no one takes care of the flowers that bloom in the wild, when the time comes, they will bloom, delighting our eyes, emitting their fragrance, and enriching our hearts. Even so, they never make a strong statement; they just bloom and fall, become fruits and leave seeds, and bloom beautifully when the time comes again. The blooming of a flower is something that makes people feel the splendor and the crystallization of life, and at the same time, it is also a part of our daily lives.
Bamboo has an amazing vitality called “with great vigour (from the way splitting bamboo goes all down the stick).” Some types of bamboo can be eaten, and if processed, it can be transformed into a variety of tools that are useful in daily life. It is also lush and beautiful, growing straight and supple.
Now, it was the mark of an excellent ninja to perform his duties without being noticed by anyone. There were also many humble and down-to-earth missions, sometimes taking years to build an infiltration point for a single task or changing identities to infiltrate enemy territory and build relationships from scratch. On the other hand, it also required boldness and the ability to exploit the blind spots in people’s psychology.
It would have taken an extraordinary amount of mental strength to carry out a mission with conflicting elements (precision and boldness, planning and flexibility of response, perseverance and action, etc.) depending on the situation, without losing sight of the objective even in a harsh environment. As such, the ninja may have been looking for a way to coexist with themselves and others by borrowing the power of nature to keep their minds in moderation and achieve a flowery-emotional bamboo nature.
As an earthquake-prone country, Japan’s buildings are designed to have “room” in order to absorb and reduce the impact and shaking of earthquakes. The bamboo also “bends” to maintain its strength so that it cannot be easily broken. We, as humans, can easily lose heart if we are always on edge, chasing after right and wrong, winning and losing, but we can get back on track by having “room in our heart” to absorb shocks and “bounce” to release shocks.
It is said that “The softness overcomes the hardness.” and perhaps making room in mind and being flexible is an important secret that connects the hardness and the softness.
*Interpretation by NINJA FOREST
