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Taisho's Journal 1

I have always felt the Chongunate were defined by a single pledge:

"We aspire to bear responsibility to do acts of righteous

benefit, enrichment. peace and joy for all sentient beings,

no matter in what village, town, capital, or forest grove of

retirement they dwell."

Because of the diversity present within the path I often find myself repeating this quote to reassure myself that there is something that binds us together. The concept of protection is not a hard one but what path should one take in the name of that goal? There are hard choices to be made in the name of protection and I believe the Chongunate are forever burdened with making them.

A Chongun is a flawed individual a fact which I find present in even myself. I look at Emperor Da-Li's children (now numbering six) and see in each one the possibility of treading the path their father took.

The emperor is one I once had much respect and admiration for. I felt he would one day join the Chongunate, the first emperor to do so. So strong was my belief in him that I did not do my duty as an attendant. Feeling he had already found the path I offered him no guidance. One day I saw in him a different person, a person which had been developing right in front of me for several man. No longer a servant of the people, I saw a man obsessed with power.

He sees the kingdom as an object rather than something comprised of it's citizens. A kingdom is nothing to be proud of, it's territory meaningless.

Since I saw that man I have devoted myself too turning his path around. In truth I feel such a crusade is pointless. He is already lost to me and my path.

However in his children. I see a ferocity. Still is it not this passion, this spirit of war in every Chongun, that makes them susceptible to taking their duty to far? If I were to ask any Chongun how far they would go to protect, I am sure they would look at me quizzically as if I asked them why water was wet. The answer if of course as far as necessary. Since it's inception the path's history has been written in blood. It is often hard to reconcile what the path fights to protect and how it achieves that goal.

With that in mind I must be careful to instill these facts in the hearts of the children. A clear divide between protector and executioner must be established.

I have worked hard to get where I am today and have amassed wisdom to make any Chongun blush. However despite my knowledge I have cast myself in the role of attendant and servant. Why? Because I have come to terms that I do not have the ferocity necessary to lead the Chongunate through the dark times I feel are coming. Perhaps I am too kind, too compassionate to do what is necessary. I fancy myself a good teacher but I doubt that with the rigid control put over me by the emperor, that I would be able to fully impart my wisdom on the the children.

Thus my musings return to the pledge. If anything I must instill in these children what the Chongunate's purpose is. Soon these children will arise as leaders of the Chongunate and through their deeds they will create the fundamental basis of our path.