Japanese Blades, First Period, Friday [12/07]

[battlewithstyle]

"Welcome everyone to our last regular class this term," Mitsutada started. "I don't want to take up too much time, and instead will let our guest speak."

He gestured to the guest, a pale man with a seemingly impossible amount of hair, in a dark blue suit with fancy white adornments.

"I am one of the Five Great Swords of Japan. You may call me Juzumaru Tsunetsugu," he introduced. "Through the long years, as people's values have changed again and again, I have fixed my gaze on the true meaning of Buddhism. A tool that cuts down people is protecting the way of the Buddha. I wonder if this state of affairs is a mistaken one."

"I was originally enshrined in the Kuon-ji temple, founded by Nichiren the Buddhist priest. However, I went missing from the temple in the 18th century. In 1920, Sugihara Shouzou, a member of the Imperial Household Agency, found me in a noble's collection. He bought me and attempted to return me to Kuon-ji, but the temple could not afford the price he sought. After years of negotiations, I was given to Honkou-ji temple instead."

"It is an honor to be here," Juzumaru added. "And I hope I can add to your enlightenment. It would be my humble duty to answer any questions you may have, about the history I have seen, about Nichiren, or even about the Touken Ranbu itself."

"It's the last class before the exam," Mitsutada said. "So now is the time to ask all your questions."

[ooc: Class open!]

Comments

Sign In

[battlewithstyle]

Like a humble servant of Buddha

Re: Sign In

[unusual_sith]

Lana Beniko

Re: Sign In

[white_oleander]

Astrid Magnussen

Re: Sign In

[always_someone]

Norman Babcock

Questions

[battlewithstyle]

For Juzumaru or even Mitsutada

Re: Questions

[unusual_sith]

"What is the way of the Buddha?" Lana asked.

All about the simple questions, this one.

Re: Questions

[battlewithstyle]

Juzumaru was able to speak quite properly on the basic tenets of Mahayana Buddhism, and did so.

"I could talk much more, but I have had hundreds of years to meditate on this. It could be a course unto itself."

Re: Questions

[unusual_sith]

Lana frowned in thought and nodded. "Thank you. That was very helpful."

Re: Questions

[white_oleander]

No, Astrid wasn't exactly in this class this semester, but she had received an invitation to see the last of Mr. Mitsutada's guests, and she definitely wasn't going to miss it, even if it did make her miss having been in this class regularly over the summer and gotten to hear about so many different characters and swords. It made her a little sad, but she was glad to have the opportunity to meet one more (and that he'd talked about Buddhism, too!), and it wasn't difficult at all for her to think of a question, one she'd been wondering about since Monday, that she'd nearly just looked up herself, but it would be better to ask the guest, she felt.

"What distinctions," she ventured, "allows one to be classified as one of the Five Great Swords of Japan, anyway?"

Re: Questions

[battlewithstyle]

"The Tenka-Goken, or the Five Great Swords Under Heaven, are weighed both on the quality of the blade, but also of their legend and significance. Being a sword of Nichiren and his temple play a lot into my inclusion in their number. Others were used to slay demons or other monsters or even healed the sick," Juzumaru said. "My story is more humble than others."

After Class

[battlewithstyle]

For more private interactions

OOC

[battlewithstyle]

So. Much. Hair.