Naosuke Ii is known to have been a cultured and intelligent man. The foundation of such accomplishments can be attributed to the Zen Buddhism training that he’d done at Seiryō-ji, which followed the Sōtō-school of Buddhism and was the Ii clan’s family temple.

Senei Zenji bestowed Naosuke with inka shōmei, a formal recognition that Naosuke had reached true Zen realization, and kechimyaku, which designated Naosuke as a spiritual decendent of Senei.
Zen Buddhism became the basis for Naosuke’s studies in tea ceremonies and Noh theater. Not only was he talented in artistic subjects, but he was also a skilled martial artist.

However, martial arts can span a wide range of subjects, including sword fighting, horse riding, and military tactics. In the past, there was a dojo on the property of Umoregi-no-ya, where Naosuke would also practice his martial arts.

One of his accomplishments in this area was the development of his own style of Iaijutsu, a Japanese sword technique. He created the Shinshinshin-style, which had the core value of hoken, which was a method to win a battle without drawing one’s sword. This value comes from the idea that for a warrior to be victorious in a true sense, the warrior must rarely ever draw their sword.

If a warrior were to let their anger consume them and strike their enemy, they may win that battle, but they could cause the downfall of their clan, which would mean that the warrior ultimately lost. Naosuke argued that in order to avoid such situations, a warrior must achieve victory by maintaining their position as a warrior and practicing patience.

Naosuke himself said on the subject, “A warrior must never enjoy the sight of blood. Instead, a warrior must aim to settle disputes without spilling any blood.”

Hearing those words, what sort of beliefs do you think Naosuke held?