As you know, yamabushi do not place that much imprtance upon belts and certificates, prefering instead to concentrate upon perfecting themselves by training hard, Living well and doing good. By these actions, we help keep our ego in check and emulate the examples of our predecessors by reamaining as humble as possible and by clothing ourselves in random acts of kindness whenever and however the opportunity arrises.
Our Mon, (the badge we all wear upon our budogi) is the symbol of our school and serves to remind us of who we are and the work we are supposed to be doing. It is a sacred seal that is placed upon the heart of a mountain warrior and as such, is (along with our obi) the most important part of our kit.
The next time you put on your budogi, give a little thought to this. Look at our Mon for a moment before putting on your jacket: Relfect for a second upon all the things it represents and how you, as an student of this school, are a vital link in the chain of this rich warrior tradition. Then, when you slide into your jacket, feel the force of this tradition seep from the badge and into your heart, cleansing it of all impurities and preparing you for your training.
This Mon is with us always. It is not just something that is adorning the jackets of our budogi: It is the symbol of the code and tradition we live our lives by. It is as much a part of us as we are of it and, unlike belts and certificates, it is something we have to continue to earn and be worthy of every single day of our lives. Remember this. It is important.