Re: Vagbond 286 Discussion / 287 Prediction Thread
Some ruminations on all this... Ittosai's encounter with Yagyu, when Sekishusai stifles him by comparing him to a beast, and it seems Yagyu later refers to Ittosai's aggression with the lines, "Oh, don't worry." "That is unrivaled under heaven (invincible under the sun)... he takes it to the extreme." This doesn't seems like a left handed compliment.
Also, Musashi's attempt at the center path with Ittosai at the end of their encounter, it seemingly mirrored the advice given to him by the Kyoto Shoshidai, "If everyone could be as strong as you... then when people confront each other face to face like this... both sides could remain centered... there would be no fight. It would no longer be necessary, don't you think?" This wasn't a rhetorical question, he genuinely asked Musashi if the opposite was true, if you needed to fight to be as strong as him, if it had to be at the expense of others, and Musashi didn't know. You could say that Sekishusai exemplified the centered approach in his meeting with Ittosai; he didn't rise to Ittosai's bait, didn't contest him in any way, but also didn't give an inch and figuratively disarmed him. No fight necessary.
So why did Musashi fail? To put it simply, his attempt was a mixed message; vacillating between two extremes, delivered without confidence, just awkward and flawed. I think a deeper connection lies earlier in his conversation with the Shoshidai:
Itakura Katsushige: "When I met you yesterday... I must admit I felt intimidated."
Musashi: "How so...?"
Itakura Katsushige: "I have followed the way of the sword too... perhaps more than most. That's why... You've reached a state of strength that I will never know. I feel inferior. I managed not to show it... because I've reached this ripe old age. That feeling, it starts out as only the smallest of waves. Once the heart becomes insecure it freezes up. Your soul tightens up and closes off everything. The insecurity grows and turns to fear and then hatred. And the opposite is just as bad. Idolatry... and imitation. You become needy... and dependent. Your eyes and soul appear to be open but are truly blind."
Musashi did try to be centered, but as he admitted, his fear and hatred got the best of him, so even when he tried again, this time by trying to placate Ittosai (and perhaps imitate Sekishusai, to impress them both), it was ineffective, and Ittosai couldn't accept it. There had to be a fight.
In this regard, did they not both, Musashi and Ittosai, show weakness?
