The samurai warriors of Kamakura period put much importance on the idea of “trustworthiness”. People, in all eras, must have a trustworthy character. Human beings, both men and women, do not find an untrustworthy character attractive.
In retrospect, the most happy time in Koan’s life was probably the period when he was teaching his students. Koan was a man who took the torch he had received from his mentors and made its flame all the brighter. His greatness was his continuous passing on of his fire to each and every one of his students. The fire of his students’ torches later shined brightly in their respective realms. In the end, their fires became the great light that illuminated Japan’s modern era. We, the generation that followed, must be thankful to Koan.
