Joseph Campbell tells the story of a samurai spat upon in _The Power of Myth_: *** …there is a story . . .of the samurai, the Japanese warrior, who had the duty to avenge the murder of his overlord. When he cornered the man who had murdered his overlord, and he was about to deal with him with his samurai sword, the man in the corner, in the passion of terror, spat in the warrior’s face. And the warrior sheathed the sword and walked away. [he did this] because he was made angry, and if he had killed that man in anger, then it would have been a personal act. And he had come to do another kind of act, an impersonal act of vengeance .
--_The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers_, page 75. *** Anyone know of a primary or more original source to this Japanese Story / Legend?
***
…there is a story . . .of the samurai, the Japanese warrior, who had the duty to avenge the murder of his overlord. When he cornered the man who had murdered his overlord, and he was about to deal with him with his samurai sword, the man in the corner, in the passion of terror, spat in the warrior’s face. And the warrior sheathed the sword and walked away. [he did this] because he was made angry, and if he had killed that man in anger, then it would have been a personal act. And he had come to do another kind of act, an impersonal act of vengeance .
--_The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers_, page 75.
***
Anyone know of a primary or more original source to this Japanese Story / Legend?
Thanks!