Re: Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 16
re: The purple willow like the harmony of nature is never still, Even in apparent stillness is movement.
The "purple" in this context is interesting - if there is no other explanation for it, it might be a reference to the circle that surrounds Polaris, the pole star. The circle is called the "Palace of the Purple Tenuity" in Chinese, and is named after the central part of the imperial palace where the Emperor himself resides. The image of polaris and the circumpolar stars is an important one that is often associated with "stillness within movement" in Chinese writings (and, later, I'm assuming, in Japanese writings) because it seems not to move while everything else moves around it. The image is of the Emperor - the central pivot of the kingdom who sits in the center in stillness. The image of a central pivot of stillness around which/within which everything moves is a pretty standard idea.
Also, given the connection between Polaris and Marishiten, and the importance of Marishiten to many koryu, it's an avenue worth exploring. Even if it is just an off-the-cuff theory. Lots of other possibilities, though, I'm pretty sure.
Josh
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