The Meaning of the Character “忍者ninja”
A ninja is one who endures. In other words, if we consider the meaning of the word “ninja,” we can understand its spirit.
In the “Yōkan Denkai Kudensho” of the Owari Tokugawa family, it is written, “The work of the ninja is so dangerous that ‘忍ninja’ consists of the blade of the Chinese character (刃) and the heart (心) underneath, which must always be in full force” (modern translation, Yuji Yamada, “The Spirit of Ninja”), and in the “Tōryudakkou Shinobi No Makichu ” (Okimori Bunko), which is kept in the Iga-ryu Ninja Museum, states, “The word ‘心heart’ written under ‘刃blade’ represents the act of putting the sword to your chest, asking yourself whether your intentions are truly sure, and making a decision, the spirit to endure even if stabbed with the blade” (modern translation, same as above).
The Mindset of Ninja
“忍Shinobi” is also the mental preparation to accomplish a task that may always result in death. Furthermore, the “Bansenshukai” states, “The true root of shinobi is to correct (正) one’s mind (心)” (modern translation, same as above). It goes on to say, “(正心) Seishin” means to observe benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and faith” (modern translation, same as above). Simply put, “仁 benevolence” means to do what is best for everyone, “義righteousness” means to do what is best for the moment, “忠 loyalty” means to do one’s utmost with one’s heart, and “信 faith” means never to betray. Why are benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trust necessary? It is because, as stated in ” Tōryudakkou Shinobi No Makichu “, “Greed is everything” and “It is difficult to endure it” (modern translation, same as above), people are easily defeated by greed and forget what they must do. A ninja is able to master the art of Ninjutsu, which can also be the art of stealing, and can easily do bad deeds if used in the wrong way. To prevent such things from happening, it is also in the spirit of the ninja to endure greed. (Gyokushusai Tamada)
