I finally got round to translating Master Hoshino’s first book, ‘Live as you feel: The way of the Yamabushi’.

Master Hoshino had originally asked me to do this a few years back, but at the time I only had rudimentary knowledge of the Yamabushi. I could have translated it then, but I know it wouldn’t have been as good as it could be.

Well, my philosophy has changed though, making it as good as it could be can become a death trap because it’s an excuse for not starting something.

But anyway, why now, and why even translate it in the first place? If you think about it though, these two questions are kind of the same.

The reason now is because I feel it’s getting ever more necessary day by day.

Master Hoshino tries to get into the mind of the ancient Japanese, the people who had to live alongside nature in order to survive. He tries to understand their greatest lessons, in order to pass them on to us.

He does this by following centuries and centuries of Yamabushi by training on the Dewa Sanzan, which he has done in his own way – but still based on ancient traditions – for nearly 30 years.

And his lessons are beautiful, for lack of a better word. If more and more people were able to learn them, the world would be a much better place.

Which is where I come in. It’s my responsibility not only to do a good job of translating this book, but of having the ideas spread. After all, my Yamabushi name is Ryosen, spread of the truth.