Tannen used to say the following: “If a Buddhist monk is not compassionate on the outside and courageous inside his heart, he will never become enlightened in the Buddhist Way. In the case of a samurai, unless he is courageous on the outside and bursting his gut with great compassion on the inside, he will be unable to execute his duties. Through mingling with samurai, the Buddhist monk is able to understand courage, and conversely, the samurai learns compassion from the monk.

“Over years of traveling I have met with many sagacious priests throughout the country, but not one was useful in my study. If I got wind of some heroic samurai nearby, I would visit him without carping about the difficult road to find him. I remember how listening to warrior tales helped me greatly in my quest to study the Buddhist Way. First of all, with his weapons in hand the warrior has the strength to charge forth into the enemy lines. The monk has only his rosary beads, and can’t storm into a wall of spears and long swords with only an attitude of gentleness and compassion.

“One cannot advance without great courage. As proof of this, priests are sometimes seen trembling nervously when offering incense at a large Buddhist gathering. It is because they lack courage. The priest needs to be incredibly brave to trample down the evil spirits trying to return, and to hoist the dead from the chasms of the netherworld.

“Nevertheless, monks in the present day concern themselves with trivialities, and are wrapped up in becoming ‘docile’ and ‘gentle,’ making them unable to realize the Way. It is also regretful to see monks encouraging samurai to seek enlightenment through Buddhist teachings, transforming them into hopeless wimps. It is a mistake for a young warrior to obsess for Buddhist teachings as it makes him perceive the world in two [contradictory] perspectives. A warrior will never achieve anything unless he holds true to a single direction.

“A samurai who has retired from his duties to lead a life as a recluse may venture to attend sermons on the Way of Buddhism. A warrior in service must unremittingly bear the bone-breaking burden of loyalty [to his lord] and filial duty [to his parents] on one shoulder, squared with courage and compassion on the other, and fulfill his calling to stand as an honorable samurai.

“Chanting ‘My Lord! My Lord!’ during morning and evening worship, day in and day out, is surely just as meritorious as a priest citing the sacred Buddha’s name or mantras. Also, ujigami should be worshiped as this will augur good fortune. Many examples are known from the old days, and now, of warriors brimming with valor but lacking in compassion, who spiral downward into their destruction.”