RASHOMON SYNOPSIS

Sheltering from a rainstorm in the ruins of the Rashomon gatehouse, a woodcutter

(Takashi Shimura) and a priest (Minoru Chiaki) sit dejected. A commoner (Kichijiro
Ueda) joins them, and wants to hear the "strange story" they have just heard at a
murder enquiry in the courthouse garden. The story has horrified the priest. Even
though "year after year, it's been nothing but disasters," he has "never heard a
story as horrible as this." The woodcutter is utterly confounded, and hopes the
commoner can help him understand it.

The woodcutter begins the narration, telling the commoner that three days earlier
he had gone "into the mountains to get wood."

The woodcutter is walking through the woods, carrying his axe. Sunlight filters
through the foliage, dappling everything with a mix of sun and sharp shadows. He
sees a woman's hat caught on a bush. Further along, he picks up a samurai's hat
and some cut up rope. He sees something small amongst the leaves on the ground,
and goes towards it, but does not notice the corpse right in front of him until he
trips over it. He screams and, dropping everything (including his axe), runs away. He
says, "I ran as fast as I could to tell the police. Then, three days later--today--I was
called to testify."

The woodcutter is seated in the sunlit courthouse garden, addressing the court,
unseen and unheard behind the camera. He testifies that he is the one who found
the body. Asked if he saw "a sword or something," he protests emphatically that he
found "nothing at all" but the hats, rope, and "a shiny amulet case." And here he
lets slip two additional details: the rope was "near the body" and the amulet case
had "a red lining."

The priest is seated in the courthouse garden. He testifies that he saw the man
three days earlier, travelling on the road with a woman on a horse, and armed with
a sword and bow and arrows. [There is a brief shot of the samurai passing on the
road, turning to smile at his wife.] The priest comments on the fragility of life and
offers condolences to someone off screen--presumably the wife.

The policeman (Daisuke Kato) is seated in the courthouse garden. The bandit
(Toshiro Mifune) is sitting beside him, bound. The policeman identifies the bandit as
the notorious Tajomaru. He had captured him two days earlier, at dusk. [There is a
brief shot of the policeman finding the bandit writhing in agony on a riverbank. The
bandit pushes him into the river.] He describes the weapons and horse belonging to
the samurai. He concludes that Tajomaru must have fallen from the stolen horse.

The bandit hotly denies falling from his horse. [There is a brief shot depicting the
bandit as he wants to be perceived: galloping in heroic mode across the horizon,
with stirring music.] He explains to the court that he was thirsty, and drank from a
spring. [There is a brief shot of him drinking thirstily from a stream.] He says it must
have been contaminated, because he was ill and had to get off the horse. The
bandit says he knows he is doomed, so he has no reason to hide anything. He says
it was he who killed the samurai. [There is a scene of the bandit lounging against a

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large tree, watching as the samurai (Masayuki Mori) and his wife (Machiko Kyo) pass
by, the samurai eyeing the bandit warily.] The bandit says he initially intended "to
take her without killing the man."

Throughout the woodcutter's narration of the bandit's testimony the bandit's

bravado and dignity are undercut. He has animal-like mannerisms, and appears
indolent and ignoble, constantly scratching and swatting flies.

The bandit runs through the woods to catch up to the couple. He accosts the
samurai, lures him into the woods with a tale of a cache of swords he will sell cheap,
and jumps him from behind. He laughs in triumph, and goes to get the wife, tricking
her by saying her husband has suddenly "taken sick." In the courthouse garden the
bandit says the wife's look of concern made him jealous, and this made him want to
humiliate the samurai.

Running through the woods, led by the bandit, the wife loses her hat. When they
reach the grove she sees her husband tied to a tree stump. The wife, at first frozen
and powerless, suddenly draws a dagger and fiercely attacks the bandit. She
struggles, but eventually gives up. The bandit kisses her. She drops the dagger and
embraces him.

In the court the bandit says that he "had succeeded in having her without killing her
husband." Having got what he wanted, it would make sense for the bandit to leave
the scene while he can easily get away.

In the grove, the bandit begins to leave, taking the samurai's sword. But the woman
makes a bizarre melodramatic request that the men duel to the death. In response,
he frees the samurai and lets him have his sword back. There is a fierce, dramatic
sword fight. The bandit finally kills the samurai.

In the courthouse garden the bandit boasts that it was an honourable, impressive
fight, claiming they "crossed swords 23 times." When asked about the woman, he
has to think a moment about this odd loose end, and supposes she ran off in fright
(contrary to the fierce spirit that had attracted him). Responding to further
questions, the bandit says that he sold the samurai's sword to buy liquor, and that
he had forgotten the dagger--a "foolish" mistake, as it "looked very valuable."

In the Rashomon gatehouse the woodcutter says the bandit's and the woman's
stories were lies. The commoner observes that this is human. "Most of the time we
can't even be honest with ourselves." The priest laments that this is because men
are "weak." The priest says the woman was found hiding in a temple, and that she
appeared at the enquiry. He says she showed no fierceness, was "almost pitiful."

The priest takes over the narration, and begins relating the woman's testimony.

The woman is in the courthouse garden, prostrate and weeping. She says after
forcing her to "yield to him" the bandit laughed mockingly. In the grove, the bandit
takes the samurai's sword and runs off. The woman embraces her bound husband,
but he remains impassive. In the court, the woman says she saw "neither anger, nor

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sorrow, but a cold light, a look of loathing." In the grove, she begs him to stop, but
he continues to look at her with cold disdain. She collapses in despair, then
retrieves the dagger, cuts his bonds, and tells him to kill her. When he does not
respond, she pleads for him to stop condemning her with his silence, and repeats
this over and over as she approaches him with the dagger clenched in her hand.

In the courthouse garden she says that she must have fainted and that when she
came to she saw her dagger in her dead husband's chest. She says she remembers
only a pond [There is a brief shot of the surface of a pond.], and throwing herself in,
and failing with several other attempts to kill herself. She dissolves in tears.

In the Rashomon gatehouse, the commoner comments that women "use their tears
to fool everyone." The priest mentions "the dead man's story," explaining that "he
spoke through a medium." The woodcutter says, "His story was also lies," and he
looks away from them, agitated. The priest refuses to believe a dead man would be
so sinful as to lie, but the cynical commoner observes: "But is there anyone who's
really good? Maybe goodness is just make-believe. . . Man just wants to forget the
bad stuff and believe in the made-up good stuff. It's easier that way." He asks the
priest to continue.

In the courthouse garden, the medium (Fumiko Honma) performs a ritual around a
small altar, and goes into a trance. When she speaks, it is the samurai's voice that
is heard.

The medium/samurai tells a story that incorporates sentiments and actions that
vilify the woman, and are out of character and illogical for the bandit, but that result
in the bandit and the woman leaving separately, with the samurai free of his bonds.
In this sequence there are frequent cuts between the grove and the courthouse
garden.

The medium/samurai says the bandit "tried to console his wife." In the grove, the
bandit is kneeling by the woman, who is lying on the ground. He "was cunning,"
telling the woman that he loved her, and that she should marry him now. She gives
in to him, and agrees to go with him "wherever." But then she tells the bandit to kill
her husband. The bandit is appalled, throws her to the ground, and asks the samurai
what he wants: "Kill her or save her? You only have to nod." The medium/samurai
laughs with triumphant satisfaction, and says: "For those words alone, I was ready
to pardon his crime."

The woman runs away. The bandit chases her, but is unable to catch her. He returns,
exhausted and frustrated. He cuts the samurai's bindings, and leaves, taking both
swords. The samurai weeps. He sees his wife's dagger, and uses it to stab himself.
In court, the medium collapses. In the background, the woodcutter's attention is
riveted. The medium/samurai says: "Then someone quietly approached me. That
someone gently withdrew the dagger from my heart." When the medium's
testimony stops there, the woodcutter relaxes.

In the Rashomon gatehouse, the woodcutter paces thoughtfully. He suddenly

asserts: "Its not true! There was no dagger. He was killed by a sword." The

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commoner looks skeptical, and presses the woodcutter to explain how he knows
this. The woodcutter avoids eye contact when he claims that he was a witness, but
did not tell the court because he "didn't want to get involved." He says he came
upon the scene and, from behind a bush, observed the bandit begging the woman
for forgiveness.

The woodcutter tells a story that incorporates elements from the different stories
heard in court. He describes actions that are out of character and implausible, and
the demeanor of the characters fluctuates wildly. There is no music--only the sounds
of insects, rustling leaves, and gasping breath.

In the grove, the bandit begs the woman to go with him, and says he will do
anything for her. She retrieves the dagger, and cuts the samurai's bonds. The
samurai is still wearing his sword, but just stands there. The bandit assumes she
wants them to fight a duel. The samurai refuses to risk his life "for such a woman."
The bandit starts to leave. The woman laughs derisively, and derides them both for
their lack of manhood. This drives the men to fight. The woman laughs, but then
looks horrified. The men fight with farcical ineptitude in something resembling an
undignified peasant brawl. The bandit finally spears the cowering samurai. The
woman recoils from the bandit. He grabs the samurai's sword, and she runs away.
He is too exhausted to chase her. He retrieves his own sword, and hobbles away.

In the Rashomon gatehouse, the cynical commoner doubts this story. The priest
despairs that men cannot trust one another. Then they hear an abandoned baby cry.

When the woodcutter berates the commoner for stealing the baby's kimono, the
commoner deflects the criticism by condemning the parents who abandoned their
child. He says that no one is honest. He hasn't been fooled by the woodcutter. He
knows the woodcutter must have stolen the dagger. The woodcutter hangs his head
in shame. The commoner slaps the woodcutter, and goes on his way, laughing
mockingly.

The priest and the woodcutter stand dejected. The rain stops. The woodcutter
reaches to take the baby from the priest. The priest recoils, and the woodcutter
shakes his head, looking very hurt. He explains: "I have six kids of my own. Another
one wouldn't make a difference." The priest recognizes that the woodcutter is
basically a decent man, ashamed of his petty theft. He apologizes for his mistrust,
and thanks him, because now he feels he can keep his faith in man. The priest
hands the baby to the woodcutter. They bow to one another, and the woodcutter
turns. The priest follows him to the steps of the gatehouse, and the two bow to each
other again. The woodcutter leaves, walking into the sunlight. He is looking happy.

A priest, a woodcutter and another man are taking refuge from a rainstorm in the
shell of a former gatehouse called Rashmon. The priest and the woodcutter are
recounting the story of a murdered samurai whose body the woodcutter discovered
three days earlier in a forest grove. Both were summoned to testify at the murder
trial, the priest who ran into the samurai and his wife traveling through the forest
just before the murder occurred. Three other people who testified at the trial are
supposedly the only direct witnesses: a notorious bandit named Tajmaru, who

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allegedly murdered the samurai and raped his wife; the white veil cloaked wife of
the samurai; and the samurai himself who testifies through the use of a medium.
The three tell a similarly structured story - that Tajmaru kidnapped and bound the
samurai so that he could rape the wife - but which ultimately contradict each other,
the motivations and the actual killing being what differ. The woodcutter reveals at
Rashmon that he knows more than he let on at the trial, thus bringing into
question his own actions. But another discovery at Rashmon and the resulting
actions from the discovery bring back into focus the woodcutter's own humanity or
lack thereof.

Sheltering from a rainstorm in the derelict Rashomon gatehouse, a commoner wants

to hear the strange story that has horrified a priest and confounded a woodcutter.
They tell him about a murder inquiry at which they have just appeared as witnesses.
Tajomaru (a bandit with a reputation for murder and lust) had managed to tie up a
samurai and rape his wife. The woodcutter had discovered the dead body of the
samurai in the forest, and the bandit was arrested the following day. But how the
samurai was killed was unclear. Strangely, the three people involved all claim to be
responsible. The bandit describes winning a dramatic sword fight. The distraught
woman all but admits she was driven to stab her husband in desperation. Through a
medium, the dead samurai claims his wife was treacherous, and that this drove him
to suicide. Something has motivated at least two of them to lie, grotesquely
subverting truth, justice, and decency. Even the woodcutter has not been forthright,
and ironically, he feels that he too must lie. He changes his story, claims to have
witnessed the crime, and gives yet another (the fourth) wild version of the
samurai's death. The commoner is not fooled, and it only reinforces his cynical view
of life. Then the men make a discovery, and their reactions reveal that, though
there is terrible evil and mistrust in the world, there is also goodness.

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI SUMMARY

The story of this book is a fiction story. It is wrapped up with a story of a famous
lawyer who has stopped his full day to day working hours, to become a monk. This
former lawyer was a very successful lawyer in his field. He can have everything he
wants in his life. However, he does not have a happy family and a happy life
because of the pressure of works and of the high profile life that he had lived.
Suddenly, he was collapsed because of severe illness. After medication, he has
decided to stop doing litigation work and he travelled to India to find his purpose in
life. He gained essential lessons of life while he has travelled in India. He then
shares his knowledge to his fellow lawyer with the condition that the lawyer himself
must forward this knowledge to other people. This is also my obligation to write a
simple summary of this book for you all to read and digest.

In my view, the primary theme of this book is to guide us to live a full and
flourishing life.

The principle lessons of the book are as follows:

1. Master Your Mind

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a. The Wisdom

i. Cultivate your mind it will blossom beyond your expectation;

ii. The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your thoughts;

iii. There are no mistakes only lessons. See setbacks as opportunity for personal
expansion and growth.

b. The Techniques

i. The Heart of the Rose

You need a fresh rose and a silent place to perform this. Start to stare at the center
of the rose, its heart. Notice its color, texture and design. Savor its fragrance and
think only about the wonderful object in front of you. At first, your mind will wander
away. This is the sign of an untrained mind. However, you need not worry. Return
your mind to the object of your focus. It gets better with daily practice. Soon your
mind will grow strong and disciplined. Spend 10, 15 or even 20 minutes daily to
perform this technique.

ii. Opposition Thinking

When an undesirable thought occupies the focal point of your mind, immediately
replace it with a uplifting one. It's as if your mind is a giant slide projector, with
every thought in your mind being a slide. Whenever a negative slide comes up on
the screen, take swift action to replace it with a positive one.

iii. The Secret of the Lake

This technique was applied by the sages. The sages would look into the waters of
the still lake and envision their dreams becoming reality. It is also similar to
visualization. Everything is created twice, first in the mind, and then it is realized in
a physical form. We can visualize everything that we want to be, do, or have.

c. Quote

The secret of happiness is simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct
all of your energy towards doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life
and all your desires are filled with ease and grace.

2. Follow Your Purpose

a. The Wisdom

i. The purpose of life is a life of purpose;

ii. Discovering and then realizing your lifework brings lasting fulfillment;

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iii. Set clearly defined personal, professional and spiritual goals, and then have the
courage to act on them;

b. The Techniques

i. The Power of Self-Examination

Know your goals. Write it down on paper. Goals that are not written down are not
goals at all.

ii. The 5 Step Method for Attaining Goals

Step one is to have a clear vision of your outcome. Step two is to create positive
pressure to keep you inspired. The third step is a simple one: never set a goal
without attaching a timeline to it. Step four is to staying with your goal for 21 days.
After you do your daily activities for 21 days nonstop, then it will become your habit.
Step five is to enjoy the process.

c. Quote

Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to
see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Today, and this very moment, is a gift.
Stay focused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else.

3. Practice Kaizen

a. The Wisdom

i. Self-Mastery is the DNA of life mastery;

ii. Success on the outside begins within;

iii. Enlightenment comes through the consistent cultivation of your mind, body and
soul.

b. The Techniques

i. Do the things you fear

Do the things you fear, and the death of fear is certain.

ii. The 10 Ancient Rituals for Radiant Living

(a) Ritual of Solitude, spends 15 to 50 minutes daily for a time of silence and peace
to know who you really are;

(b) Ritual of Physicality, as you care for the body so you care for the mind. As you
prepare your body, so you prepare your mind. As you train your body, so you train

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your mind. Take some time every single day to nourish the temple of your body
through vigorous exercise.

(c) Ritual of Live Nourishment, fill your plate with fresh vegetables, fruits and grains.

(d) Ritual of Abundant Knowledge, read regularly. Reading for thirty minutes a day
will do wonders for you. But do not read any subject matters. Be specific and focus.

(e) Ritual of Personal Reflection, review all you have done during the day, find the
wrong action that you have committed and find a way to solve it and not to repeat
the next day. Find the right action during the day and savor it more.

(f) Ritual of Early Awakening, rise from your bed as the sun is rising. You do not need
to sleep 8 hours a day. The key thing is to improve the quality of your sleep and get
up early every day.

(g) Ritual of Music, never forget the power of music. Spend a little time with it every
day, even if it is listening to a soft piece on a cassette while you drive to work.
When you feel down or weary, play some music. It is one of the finest motivators.

(h) Ritual of the Spoken Word, develop a positive self-talk. Use it anytime you want
for any purpose you want to achieve. Words transform your life.

(i) Ritual of Congruent Character, take daily, incremental action to build your
character. Strengthening your character affects the way you see yourself and the
actions you take. The actions you take come together to form your habits and, this
is important, your habits lead you to your destiny. 'You sow a thought, you reap an
action. Reap an action, you sow a habit. Sow a habit, you reap a character. Sow a
character, you reap your destiny.'

(j) Ritual of Simplicity, live a simple life. Reduce your needs and be content with
less.

c. Quote

The Universe favors the brave. When you resolve to lift your life to its highest level,
the strength of your soul will guide you to a magical place with magnificent
treasures.

4. Live with Discipline

a. The Wisdom

i. Discipline is built by consistently performing small acts of courage;

ii. The more you nurture the embryo of self-discipline, the more it will mature;

iii. Willpower is the essential virtue of a fully actualized life.

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b. The Techniques

i. Mantras/Creative Envisioning

Repeat this at least thirty times a day: 'I am more than I appear to be, all the world's
strength and power rests inside me.' See yourself as a disciplined, firm person, fully
in control of your mind, your body and your spirit. Picture yourself acting as Gandhi
or Mother Teresa might act in a challenging situation.

ii. The Vow of Silence

Spend some time or a full day in silence, except to answer a direct question. When
you can hold your tongue, you can increase the control of your body.

c. Quote

Wage war against the weaker thoughts that have crept into the palace of your mind.
They will see that they are unwanted and leave like unwelcome visitors.

5. Respect Your Time

a. The Wisdom

i. Time is your most precious commodity and it is nonrenewable;

ii. Focus on your priorities and maintain balance;

iii. Simplify your life;

iv. The Ancient Rule of 20.

This ancient rule is similar to the 80/20 concept that says our 20% activities give
80% of the result. Furthermore, 80% of our activities only give 20% of the result.
Accordingly, we have to focus on which 20% of our activities that give 80% result in
our life.

b. The Techniques

i. Have the Courage to Say "NO"

ii. The Deathbed Mentality

Live every day as if it was your last. Imagine waking up every day and asking
yourself the simple question: 'What would I do today if it was my last?' Then think
about how you would treat your family, your colleagues and even those who you
don't know.

c. Quote

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Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who
use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying
lives.

6. Selflessly Serve Others

a. The Wisdom

i. The quality of your life ultimately comes down to the quality of your contribution;

ii. To cultivate the sacredness of each day, live to give;

iii. By elevating the lives of others, your life reaches its highest dimensions;

iv. Practice Daily Acts of Kindness.

b. The Techniques

i. Give to Those Who Ask

ii. Cultivate Richer Relationships

c. Quote

The noblest thing you can do is to give to others. Start focusing on your higher
purpose.

7. Embrace the Present

a. The Wisdom

i. Live in the "now". Savor the gift of the present;

ii. Never sacrifice happiness for achievement;

iii. Savor the journey and live each day as your last.

b. The Techniques

i. Live Your Childrens' Childhood

Take the time to watch them grow and flourish. The best gift you could ever give
your children is your love. Get to know your children. Show them that they are far
more important to you than the fleeting rewards of your professional career. Pretty
soon they will be off, building lives and families of their own. If you do not youre
your childrens childhood, then it will be too late, the time will be gone.

ii. Practice Gratitude

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Count your blessings every time you wake up and before you go to bed.

iii. Grow Your Destiny

We all have something that we are meant to do. Your genius will shine through, and
happiness will fill your life, the instant you discover your higher purpose and then
direct all your energies towards it. Once you are connected to this mission, whether
it is being a great teacher of children or an inspired artist, all your desires will be
fulfilled effortlessly. Simply follow the path of your dreams, in full expectation of the
bounty that is certain to flow. This will bring you to your divine destination.

c. Quote

We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become
the architect of your future.

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