辞世の句は、今際の際に詠む句です。 その人が辿ってきた人生の思い、生き様が凝縮されております。
あら楽し 思いははるる 身は捨つる 浮世の月に かかる雲なし
これは、大石内蔵助４５歳の辞世の句です。 元禄１５年１２月１４日吉良上野介邸に討ち入り、主君浅野内匠頭の仇討を果たし、切腹の前に詠った句です。 死に直面しても、思いを遂げたという充実感、思い残すことがないという清々しさが伝わってきます。
大石内蔵助 ： Mr Kuranosuke Oishi
身はたとひ 武蔵野野辺に 朽ちぬとも 留め置かまし 大和魂
これは、刑場で斬首される前に詠んだ吉田松陰２９歳の辞世の句です。 死に直面して恐れず、日本を変えなければならないという強い思いと若いエネルギーが感じられます。 この強い思いと若いエネルギーが明治維新を生んだと思います。
吉田松陰 ： Mr Shoin Yoshida
露と落ち 露と消えにし わが身かな 浪花のことは 夢のまた夢
これは、あまりにも有名な豊臣秀吉６３歳の辞世の句です。 天下人まで上りつめ、すべてを手に入れた秀吉の句はさびしいものです。 傍からはすべてを手に入れた理想の天下人秀吉に見えても、秀吉自身は人生の本質を見誤ったという思いがあったのかもしれません。
豊臣秀吉 ： Mr Hideyoshi Toyotomi
うれしやと ふたたび覚めて ひと眠り 浮世の夢は 暁の空
これは、徳川家康７５歳の辞世の句です。 豊臣秀吉と違い、天下人となった家康は穏やかです。 この違いは何でしょうか？ 天下人になった目的が、秀吉は自分の欲を満たすためであり、家康は天下万民が平和に暮らせる世作りであったとしたら合点がいきます。
徳川家康 ： Mr Ieyasu Tokugawa
流祖飯篠長威斎家直先生の辞世の句は残っておりません。 徳川家康が天下統一した時代より室町時代は平穏ではなかったと思われますが、天下万民の平和を願い、平法の教えを説いた長威斎先生ですので、徳川家康の境地に近いものであったと願います。辞世の句が残っていないことがより一層、長威斎先生が平法の教えの通り、自然を敬い、一人の人間として静かに穏やかに生きたことを物語っているように思われます。
流祖飯篠長威斎家直先生 ： The founder, Mr Ienao Choisai Iizasa
A final poem is a poem we make when we face death. It condenses our strong intention and how we spent in our life.
I am very happy to have achieved my revenge, though I am dying, I feel like no cloud around the moon at night.
This is the final poem of Mr Kuranosuke Oishi who was 45 years old. They rushed to a castle of Mr Kozukenosuke Kira on December 14, 1702, and killed him for their revenge. The poem was made before he cut his belly for his death penalty. It indicates his satisfaction to have achieved it and a sense of completion.
My soul will fly high all over Japan, though I am dying in a suburb of Musashino (Tokyo).
This is the final poem of Mr Shoin Yoshida who was beheaded at age of 29. It was made before he was beheaded. It indicates his strong will to change Japan and energy without fearing death. His strong will and energy gave birth to Meiji Restoration for new Japan.
I am dying like a dew drops and disapears. What it happened in Naniwa (Osaka) was like a deam in a dream.
This is quite a famous poem of Mr Hideyoshi Toyotomi who was 63 yearrs old. It is so sad that we do not think the final poem made by Hideyoshi who became the strongest ruler of Japan. Hideyoshi may have thought he misunderstood nature of his life, though he was recognized a ideal ruler from outside.
I am very happy to wake up and sleep again, after my dream has come true.
This is the final poem of Mr Ieyasu Tokugawa who was 75 years ago. Ieyasu was very peaceful, which was very different from that of Hideyoshi. What is difference between two rulers ? If the objective of being a ruler for Hideyoshi is to meet his greed, and for Ieyasu is to create a peaceful country for everyone, it is understandable.
The founder of Katori Shintoryu left no final poem. I hope the founder had the same feeling as that of Ieyasu because the founder made an effort to create a peaceful country like Ieyasu did. The founder lived peacefully with repected nature, as Katori Shintoryu tells us, in the country at Muromachi era, where was much devastated than the country Ieyasu created at Edo era.