Tumushido, Folk Tale From The East

Tumushido is an enchanting folk tale from the East and divided into two parts, both full of teachings and with a protagonist in common: the master Tumushido. A very wise elder who lived up to a thousand years and who is still remembered today for his teachings.

The first part of the story tells of an imposing samurai in a distant village. He was one of the bravest warriors in the region, known by all for his short temper. He did not allow anyone to oppose him and was possessed of immeasurable pride.

The samurai reacted with such pride and agility that he was feared by all. Anyone who dared to contradict him then had to deal with his saber. One day the warrior left and found himself passing through a small village. There, he noticed that the inhabitants were in a hurry and seemed to all go to the same place.

The master Tumushido

Attracted by that comings and goings, the samurai stopped one of the people running in a hurry, asking her what was happening. The man told him that they were all going to Master Tumushido’s house. The samurai was dumbfounded.

“Who is Master Tumushido?” He asked. The man was surprised, incredulous that the samurai did not know the master. “ He is the wisest of teachers. Every evening, at this hour, he gives us his teachings. And all the people of the town come to listen to him ”.

The warrior was then pervaded by curiosity. He had never heard of the teacher Tumushido, but he understood that he was a person respected by all. His haughtiness and pride caught fire. He could not tolerate someone superior to him.

The meeting with the teacher

The samurai could not resist anymore. He absolutely had to listen to Maestro Tumushido and check if he really deserved all the fame that preceded him. He then followed the crowd until he reached the meeting point. Once he arrived, he felt that the master Tumushido defined as the word as the most powerful force on earth.

The samurai screamed with derision: “You are stupid! The most powerful force on earth is the sword, ignorant that you are nothing else! ”. Master Tumushido stood up and shouted back: “What are you saying? You are a fool! You can see how ignorant you are a mile away! ”.

On hearing those words, the samurai was furious. He flung himself on the master with his sword drawn, threatening to slit his throat. Tumushido, fearing for his life, pleaded with him. “ Don’t kill me, brave samurai. Forgive my offense. I have found that your sword is the greatest strength of all ”. The warrior calmed down. “I’ll spare your life, you’re a good man,” she told him.

At that point the master said: “ Speech is indeed the most powerful force present on earth. Did you see how easy it was for me to dominate you through it? I wanted you to attack me and you did. Then I wanted you to calm down and so it was ”.

The second samurai

When a second samurai learned of the episode, he too felt invaded by curiosity. He wanted to meet this wise man and show him that he would not let himself be dominated by the power of the word. He then headed to the village, convinced that he could prove that Tumushido was just a charlatan.

When he arrived, Maestro Tumushido was in the center of the square, addressing a group of people intent on listening to him. The second samurai became confused in the crowd and, when no one expected him, he screamed so much as to frighten everyone. “I challenge you, old charlatan! If you are really as wise and strong as you say, you will have no problem fighting me and defeating me! ”. The master stared at him for a moment, accepting the challenge.

All those present gathered in a circle around the second samurai and the master Tumushido. The latter closed his eyes and sat down, in an attitude of submission. The warrior, thinking he was intimidated, began to provoke him. He gave him the worst insults he was aware of, without arousing the slightest reaction from the master. After several hours of insults, the samurai got tired. Fed up, he went away saying once again that the old man was just a charlatan.

When the second samurai left, people started muttering in bewilderment. “How is it possible that you have been insulted in this way, without reacting?”, They asked the teacher. “ If someone gives you a gift and you don’t accept it, who does that gift belong to?”.  “Who did it,” answered a young man. “The same happens with anger, insults and hatred. When they are not accepted, they continue to belong to whoever pronounced them ”, replied the master.