流祖飯篠長威斎家直先生は、子孫に主を持たず、天地を敬い、人間として穏やかな人生を送ることを求めました。
しかし、２代飯篠若狭守盛近公、３代飯篠若狭守盛信公は、流祖からの直接の教えを受けて、どのように感じ、どのような境地で受け継いだのでしょうか？ そして、現在の２０代宗家飯篠修理亮快貞氏まで連綿と香取神道流の技と教えを受け継ぐことが出来たのでしょうか？ ２代飯篠若狭守盛近公、３代飯篠若狭守盛信公も武術に長けた立派な武士であったと思われます。 しかし、長威斎先生の命に従い、主を持たず、香取神道流の技と教えを忠実に伝えるために生涯を捧げました。
ここから、連綿と受け継いできた代々の飯篠宗家の覚悟が感じられます。 天命としての覚悟です。 決して経済的に裕福であったとも思えず、名声を勝ち得たとも思えません。 天命とは、天職とは覚悟を持って成し遂げる仕事です。 金を得たいという目的でなく、権力を得たいという理由でもありません。
現代の刀匠にも、その覚悟が垣間見られます。 何百人といる現在の刀匠の中で、名声を勝ち取り、経済的に裕福な者は一握りです。 しかし、現代社会に必ずしも必要でない刀を、金が得られなくても、名声が得られなくても、彼らは今でも作り続けています。 覚悟を持って、刀を作る姿は美しく輝いております。
The founder asked his descendants to live peacefully as a human being together with respected nature without having their landlords.
However, how did Mr Morichika Iizasa of the 2nd generation and Mr Morinobu Iizasa of the 3rd generation feel about the learnings from the founder and the transfer to next generation ? Why did they succeed in the tranfer to Mr Yasusada Iizasa of current 20th generation ? Mr Morichika Iizasa of the 2nd generation and Mr Morinobu Iizasa of the 3rd generation are thought to be worriers who had outstanding martial arts. But they devoted their life to the transfer for the next generation by following what the founder asked without having their landlords.
I can understand there is a strong resolution of his descendants. It is a strong resolution to follow an order from the god. I do not think they were rich and got fame., A job from the god which is an order from the god is a job we need to pursue with our resolution. That is neither what we need to get money nor fame.
We can find the similar resolution from current swordmakers. Recently there are few swordmakers who are rich and got fame, out of several hundred ones. However, they have been making a sword which is not necessarily needed at the contemporary word. They are so beautiful and brilliant when they make it with their resolution.
刀匠 ： 天田昭次
Swordmaker : Mr Akitsugu Amata
