The Tea Master Who Was Mistaken For A Samurai — A Short Story About Calming The Mind

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Excerpt: A powerful short story of a tea master who gets mistaken for a samurai and how he remains calm even in the midst of certain death.

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Introduction:

The following is an excerpt from The Daily Laws by Robert Greene.

In it, he shares a short story of a tea master who gets mistaken for a samurai and how he remains calm even in the midst of certain death.

It’s a powerful piece that will help you learn how to control your imagination so that it doesn’t create unnecessary anxiety, stress, and overwhelm in your everyday life—and hopefully within much less dire circumstances.

Good luck and enjoy!

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The Tea Master Who Was Mistaken For A Samurai

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Lord Yamanouchi, an aristocrat of eighteenth-century Japan, once asked his team master to accompany him on a visit to Edo (later Tokyo). Now, the tea master knew everything there was to know about the tea ceremony, but little else. He dressed, however, like a samurai.

One day, the tea master was accosted by a samurai who challenged him to a duel.

Though not a swordsman, to turn the challenge down would disgrace both his family and Lord Yamanouchi.

He accepted—knowing that meant certain death—requesting only that the duel be put off to the next day. His wish was granted. In panic, the tea master hurried to the nearest fencing school. If he were to die, he wanted to learn how to die honorably.

The fencing master listened to his story and agreed to teach the poor visitor the art of dying, but first he wanted to be served some tea.

As the tea master proceeded to perform the ritual, the fencing master yelled out in excitement, “No need for you to learn the art of death! The state of mind you’re in now is enough for you to face any samurai. When you see your challenger, imagine you’re about to serve tea to a guest.”

This ritual completed, the tea master was to raise his sword in the same alert spirit. Then he would be ready to die. The tea master agreed to do as his teacher said. The next day, he went to meet the samurai, who could not help but notice the completely calm and dignified expression on his opponent’s face as he took off his coat.

The samurai thought this fumbling tea master must actually be a skilled swordsman.

He begged pardon for his behavior and hurried away. When circumstances scare us, our imagination tends to take over, filling our minds with endless anxieties.

You need to gain control of your imagination. A focused mind has no room for anxiety or for the effects of an overactive imagination.

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Daily Law: Give yourself such control by forcing the mind to concentrate on something relatively simple—a calming ritual, a repetitive task that you are good at. You are creating the kind of composure you naturally have when your mind is absorbed in a problem.

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If you enjoyed this excerpt from The Daily Laws, then you should check out Robert Greene’s book in full. It comes highly recommended:

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