Three Day Quote Challenge – Day 3

Today is my last quote for this challenge, and I can’t help but make it anime related.  It is also the pithiest.  Thanks again to akkoanime for selecting me as a participant.

The Rules:

• Post one quotation a day for three days (they can be from other sources or one of your own).
• Nominate 3 other bloggers to participate per post.
• Thank the blogger who nominated you.

You can see the kanji in the left paragraph, second line.

Quote for the Third Day

“Aku Soku Zan–Slay evil at once!“

-Hajime Saito

This was the motto of the Shinsengumi, but Saito Hajime’s use of the quote in Rurouni Kenshin probably stands as the most famous instance of its use.  The first thing which comes to my mind upon hearing this is the end of Psalm 137: “Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!”  From a literal reading, this verse sounds messed up.  Blessing someone who smashes Babylonian children against a rock!?  How barbaric!  

However, there is always a spiritual manner of reading everything in Scripture.  The curses in the Psalms are no longer applied to the enemies of Israel, but the true enemies of the Church: demons.  If we take the Kingdom of Babylon to refer to the Kingdom of Evil which opposes the Church, the spiritual meaning of the above verse is quite clear: blessed is the man who dashes small vices against the rock of true doctrine.  One is blessed if one stamps out vices while they are yet small so that he will not have to contend against them when they have become established evil habits or addictions.  Don’t even give them a chance–Aku Soku Zan!

My Nominees:

1. Josh W of Res Studiorum et Ludorum
2. Japes of Japesland
3. Tobby of The Overlord Bear’s Den