Thoughts of 留魂録

This is the 10th book introduction.

It's getting harder and harder to write a NOTE every day, and I don't feel like I'm growing for the effort, so I'll switch to strengthening my listening instead of writing. I will do both.

Author

Shoin Yoshida

Summary

”Ryukonroku（留魂録）" is the last will and testament of Shoin Yoshida, a thinker of the Choshu domain at the end of the Edo period, written in prison for his students at ”Shoukason’s private-school（松下村塾）” before his execution in 1859.

This will was circulated among the students of Shoukason-juku（"Juku" means  private-school） and became a source of motivation for Shoukason's students.

Shoukasonjuku (松下村塾) was a private school that existed in Matsumoto Village under Hagi Castle in Choshu (present-day Hagi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) at the end of the Edo Period (the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate). The school is known for producing many of the leaders of Japan from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period from among the students who were taught by Yoshida Shoin during the short period of time he spent there.

From wikipedia

Impressions


Once I visited Shoin Shrine because I wanted to take a walk in Setagaya. I think it was a very light feeling.

I am not a collector of red seals, but I like to visit shrines. I feel that it calms my mind and cleanses something.

After visiting Shoin Shrine, I looked at the place where ema (votive picture tablet) was hung. I wondered what kind of wishes people were writing. I was excited.

As I read through the many ema, I found one that really caught my attention.

"Thank you, Shoin teacher, for another year."
"Shoin teacher, this year has been ○○○ is different from last year."
"Shoin  teacher, this year too, thanks to you, I was able to get through some tough times."

To be honest, I don't remember exactly what was written, but it was something like the above. The same person wrote a message to Shoin teacher every year. Influence, wow!

I hate being flattered. I have a keen intuition for futility, so I sometimes feel, "Oh, This is not sincerely complimenting me right now".

I like Isoroku Yamamoto, but I also thought Shoin teacher was great.

The last book NOTE was delivered with shallow impressions. haha