I came across this historical oath recently, and was so astonished by it, that I thought I should share it with the Ninjutsu community. I have removed some of the more conspicuous language that would identify the source of the oath, but have kept the essence of the wording intact. For the record, the oath is in *NO WAY* related to *ANY* of the Bujinkan Ryuha. Regardless of the cosmetic changes, the oath is a fascinating part of history of the shinobi no mono (no matter where they call home ). Enjoy! -ben -=-=-=-=- OATH OF THE SHINOBI NO MONO Superior Speaks: “My son, heretofore you have been taught to…be a spy even among your own brethren: to believe no man, to trust no man. Among the enemy, to be an enemy; to obtain their confidence; and to denounce with all the vehemence (violent emotion) in your nature our clan and our leader; that you might be enabled to gather together all information for the benefit of your order as a faithful soldier. “You have been taught to insidiously plant the seeds of jealously and hatred between states that were at peace, and incite them to deeds of blood, involving them in war with each other, and to create revolutions and civil wars in communities, provinces and countries that were independent and prosperous; “To take sides with the combatants and to act secretly in concert with your brother who might be engaged on the other side, but openly opposed to that with which you might be connected; “Only that the clan might be the gainer in the end in the conditions fixed in the treaties for peace, and that the ends justify the means; “You have been taught your duty as a spy, to gather all statistics, facts and information in your power from every source: to ingratiate yourself into the confidence of the family circle of the enemy of every class and character, as well as that of the merchant, the banker, the lawyer, among the schools and universities, in parliament and legislatures, and in the judiciaries and councils of State, and to ‘be all things to all men’, for the leader’s sake, whose servants we are unto death. “You must serve the proper time as the instrument and executioner as directed by your superiors; for none can command here who has not consecrated his labors with the blood of the enemy.” Shinobi no Mono Speaks: “I promise and declare that I will, when opportunity presents, make and wage relentless war, secretly and openly, against all enemies, as I am directed to do. “That when the same cannot be done openly, I will secretly use the poisoned cup, the strangulation cord, the steel of the poniard (a dagger) or the leaden bullet, regardless of the honor, rank, dignity, or authority of the person or persons, whatever may be their condition in life, either public or private, as I at any time may be directed so to do by any agent of the leader or superior of the brotherhood.”
cool, thanks. (is there a prize if we can cite the source, beyond your undying admiration of course?)
Isn't there a list of rules that a shinobi must follow - Like, must live a life without regrets.. or somet like this....?
My vote is for the Ismaili sect of Islam which became known as the Hashashin, from whence comes our word "assassin".
The Jesuits...I'm with Garth for once.. Just as a point of interest, it is rather interesting to what lengths some people will go in defense of a leader that they believe in (Often without any clear proof of existence at all). Interesting find..
I knew I had read this somewhere before. Good call Gary. Now about you misinterpreting what Ellis Amdur had written...
Well, I stand corrected: Jesuits after all. . .though I suspect the oath has about as much actual historic provenance as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Dale but the Protocols are true, don't you listen to Brother Farrakhan? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCYcYQXKHI"]YouTube[/ame]
Do you chaps fancy going to the chatroom? I'll be there in 5 mins (11:30 GMT) if anyone's interested.
Jesuits it is!!! Yes. Garth gets the prize! This oath is from the Jesuits!!! For those of you who know little about the organization, there have been some fascinating (if not completely believable) works on them in recent years, including "The Black Pope" and "Vatican Assassins." Here is what U.S. President Abraham Lincoln once said about his own pending assassination to confidant Charles Chiniquy: “I will repeat to you what I said at Urbana, when for the first time you told me your fears lest I would be assassinated by the Jesuits: Man must not care where and when he will die, provided he dies at the post of honor and duty. But I may add, today, that I have a presentiment that God will call me to Him through the hand of an assassin. Let His will, and not mine, be done! The Pope and the Jesuits, with their infernal Inquisition, are the only organized powers in the world which have recourse to the dagger of the assassin to murder those whom they cannot convince with their arguments or conquer with the sword.... It seems to me that the Lord wants today, as He wanted in the days of Moses, another victim.... I cannot conceal from you that my impression is that I am that victim. So many plots have already been made against my life, that it is a real miracle that they have failed, when we consider that the great majority of them were in the hands of skillful Roman Catholic murderers, evidently trained by Jesuits. But can we expect that God will make a perpetual miracle to save my life? I believe not. The Jesuits are so expert in those deeds of blood, that Henry IV said that it was impossible to escape them, and he became their victim, though he did all that could be done to protect himself. My escape from their hands, since the letter of the Pope to Jeff Davis has sharpened a million daggers to pierce my breast, would be more than a miracle.” [Fifty Years In The Church Of Rome, Charles Chiniquy, 1958, originally published in 1886] It is simply amazing to think that roughly 100 years before THE BEATLES stormed America that a U.S. President was expressing concern about organizations that were actively targeting him for assassination. We frequently consider such acts as part of "ancient history" and not at all relevant today. An intriguing question is to what degree have we (as a society) "progressed" since these "old days"? I feel that this "shinobi no mono" oath and the related discussion of assassinations also ties in with recent discussions about what *IS* ninjutsu and how is it carried out.... If the Jesuits actually have acted in accordance with this oath, is it, in fact, one of the greatest "shinobi no mono" organizations in history? -ben
And, interestingly enough, the word 'hashish'. At least that's what Me-Julie told me about an hour before I saw this thread. Edit: My mistake. I guess that I should listen to her sometimes. Apparently they were all high on Hash, which is where their name came from.
