Bushido

Bushido is the “Code of the Warrior”, influenced by Confucianism, Zen Buddhism and Shinto. This code was transmitted orally to the ones that followed.

Nitobe Inazo (1862 - 1933) was the first to summarize this code in his book “Bushido - the Soul of Japan ” in 1900. We can see the influence Buddhism had on bushido when it comes to the relationship to danger and death. The samurai are not afraid to die because they believe as Buddhism teaches, that they will live another life. They believe in reincarnation, in another life on earth. The samurai are warriors from the time they become samurai until their death; they have no fear of danger.

Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that places great importance on moment-by-moment awareness and ’seeing deeply into the nature of things’ by direct experience. Through Zen, one can reach the ultimate “Absolute”, a sensation that cannot be described in words. Zen teaches one to “know thyself” and have no limits in thought. Samurai used this as a tool to protect themselves from fear, unsteadiness and ultimately mistakes.

Shintoism is another Japanese doctrine that includes ancestor-worship Shintoism. It portrays the emperor as a divine figure, a person closer to god than the normal people. He is the embodiment of Heaven on earth. Likewise, samurai pledge themselves to the emperor and their daimyo or feudal landlords, higher ranking samurai. shintoism is the base of the intense patriotism and loyalty found in bushido. Confucianism gives Bushido its beliefs in relationships with the human world, their environment and family.

Confucianism considers the five moral relations between master and servant, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brother, and friend and friend as very important things in life and the samurai’s relations with others are based on these teaching. However, the samurai didn’t agree with many of the writings of Confucius, many with those in which he stated that the main activity of man should be reading books all day. Instead, Bushido believes man and the universe were made to be alike in both the spirit and ethics.

Bushido also includes justice, altruism love, sincerity, honesty, and self-control in its teachings. Justice is one of the main factors in the code of the samurai. Corrupt ways and unjust actions were considered lowly and inhumane. Love and altruism were supreme virtues and princely acts. Samurai followed a specific etiquette in every day life as well as in war. Sincerity and honesty were as important as their lives. Bushi no ichi-gon, or “the word of a samurai,” transcends a pact of complete faithfulness and trust. it was unconceivable not to follow the code. It was dishonorable and this was not permitted in the world of the samurai.

The samurais also needed self-control and stoicism to be fully honored. samurai kept everything inside them without saying a word when he felt pain or happiness . showed no sign of pain or joy. He endured all within–no groans, no crying. they were supposed to have such a calmness of behavior and such a mind that couldn’t be disturbed by passion of any kind. He was a true and complete warrior.

These factors which make up Bushido were few and simple. Though simple, Bushido was the main axe of strength in Japanese history . Bushido the created a way of life that was to encourage a nation through its most troubling times, through civil wars, despair and uncertainty. Samurai applied bushido in every aspect of their life, including in war. For example, if a samurai lost his honor he could perform a ritual suicide called seppuku (also known under the name of hara kiri) to regain it. Samurais are taught to have no doubts concerning their victory when they are going to the battlefield.

The samurai think that if you are determined to die when you go to the battle you will not be taken by death. The most famous book of kenjutsu, or sword fighting, dates from the Edo period. It is Miyamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings. ). It is a text on kenjutsu (a Japanese martial art that uses a specific methodology to teach the use of the katana ) and the martial arts ( systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat). The book mainly focuses on mentalities of fighting. The five “books” that form the whole book(The Ground Book ,The Water Book , The Fire Book, The Wind Book, The Void Book ) refer to the idea that there are different elements of battle, just as there are different physical elements in life, as described by Buddhism, Shinto, and other Eastern religions.

Many kenjutsu book from Edo period also focused on spiritual aspects as well to cope with demands that a practice of kenjutsu to build characters.

Written by admin on January 14th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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