The Essence of Bushido...

[bushido_man96]

From Bushido: The Way of the Samurai:

I have found the essense of Bushido: to die!

Discuss!

[Throwdown0850]

From Bushido: The Way of the Samurai:

I have found the essense of Bushido: to die!

Discuss!

exactly "the way of the Samurai"

the samurai days are over, no need to die..

[tenshinka]

I seem to remember from Hakagure, that there is a passage that reads " the greatest honor of a warrior, is to die in the service of his lord".

Today I think that this can be interpreted, that the greatest skill or path of a modern warrior, is total devotion to principles, beliefs, and physical safety.

[Throwdown0850]

I seem to remember from Hakagure, that there is a passage that reads " the greatest honor of a warrior, is to die in the service of his lord".

Today I think that this can be interpreted, that the greatest skill or path of a modern warrior, is total devotion to principles, beliefs, and physical safety.

I agree.

[tallgeese]

Just for the sake of argument...maybe it's still relevent as written.

Maybe the highest goal to strive for in training is to use that training in the service of something greater than ourselves, not just the art itself but whatever cause we ascribe to. And maybe, the highest honor we can attain is by paying the piper while doing so.

Maybe dying like that is the capstone in a martial career.

Just a thought...."Slide locked back on my last empty magazine" and all. Bushido man, you might remember that thread.

[joesteph]

I seem to remember from Hakagure . . . " the greatest honor of a warrior, is to die in the service of his lord".

Today I think that this can be interpreted, that the greatest skill or path of a modern warrior, is total devotion to principles, beliefs, and physical safety.

Well said, Josh. Sometimes we have to take a time-honored belief, a philosophy if you will, and apply its relevancy to our own time. It isn't disrespectful to determine how a past maxim may still be important, still be relevant, by examining it in a more fluid way. One of the reasons I enjoy teaching social studies is that the students analyze, think critically, and sometimes come up with surprising insights.

[bushido_man96]

Just a thought...."Slide locked back on my last empty magazine" and all. Bushido man, you might remember that thread.

Oh, yeah! I remember that thread. Very relevant. Perhaps not that one has to die, but that one is prepared to make that sacrifice, if need be.

Here is a quote from Volume 1 of The Way of Traditional Taekwondo:

If you fight without fear of dying, you survive. But, if you fight only to survive, you die.

Perhaps there is some relevance there, as well.

[bushido_man96]

I seem to remember from Hakagure . . . " the greatest honor of a warrior, is to die in the service of his lord".

Today I think that this can be interpreted, that the greatest skill or path of a modern warrior, is total devotion to principles, beliefs, and physical safety.

Well said, Josh. Sometimes we have to take a time-honored belief, a philosophy if you will, and apply its relevancy to our own time. It isn't disrespectful to determine how a past maxim may still be important, still be relevant, by examining it in a more fluid way. One of the reasons I enjoy teaching social studies is that the students analyze, think critically, and sometimes come up with surprising insights.

I agree that at times we have to interpret some maxims in relation to how society has changed. Perhaps it is somewhat changed from the original interpretation, but people change too, and the original author may have adapted, as well.

[Bushido-Ruach]

I did a study on this subject last year and this is my summary of what I learned...

Be benevolent – have the disposition to do good to your fellow man, performing charitable acts of kindness whenever the opportunity presents itself; have consideration for the suffering of your fellow man and do your best to alleviate that suffering whenever possible.

Be brave – show courage and be fearless with a resolute heart.

Be respectful – being considerate and thoughtful of others; do not offend any man, even if he deserves it.

Be devoted – demonstrate great dedication, loyalty (that is, steadfast devotion), and unwavering commitment to your lord and to the Way.

Be faithful – remain consistently trustworthy and loyal to your lord and to the Way, demonstrating that you can be trusted and relied upon in the observances of your duties, consistently training in the martial ways, which enable you to carry these things out.

Live in honesty – conducting yourself in fairness, truthfulness, and morally uprightness in all things, being marked by integrity and traightforwardness in your conduct, refusing to even entertain thoughts of moral sordidness.

Have integrity – demonstrate that you are trustworthy and incorruptible to the degree that you are incapable of purposely failing in your pledge and responsibilities to your Lord and fellow man, adhering always to the Way and to moral values.

Be honorable – having strong moral character, never turning from the ethical principles of goodness and uprightness, being always proper in conduct and respectable; the Samurai’s honor comes from his integrity and is based upon his honesty.

Be upright – practicing the Principles of justice, fairness, and honesty – qualities that together constitute the ideal moral propriety, and stand for the cause of truth and justice, practicing the Principles of Right Attitude and Right Actions.

Exercise self-control – restraining your impulses, emotions and desires to conform to the Way.

Exercise self-discipline – doing what is necessary and right no matter what, even if it means being struck down in your integrity, and strive for improvement in all things.

Be sincere in all you do – giving no room for hypocrisy which is dishonorable, earnestly devoting yourself without reservation to your lord, to your fellow man, and to all good and moral principles, and actions.

Always make the right decision.

Always carry the right attitude.

Never dishonor anyone, not even your enemy, most assuredly not your family, and upon pain of death, certainly not the Lord that you serve.

Devote yourself entirely, from every area of your life, only to your lord.

The Samurai do not fear death, for in death he is honored and he honors his family and he honors his Lord. To die in battle for one’s lord brings him honor and glory.

The Samurai were the warrior class of ancient Japan, and they lived by Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, also called the Code of the Samurai. They were kind and good to those who needed help; brave, courageous and fearless in their hearts in battle; and compassionate to their fellow man. They were devoted utterly to their lord and master, whoever that might have been. To his lord he was trustworthy, honest, committed, and sincere. The Samurai lived their lives justly and in great integrity and unmatched honor.

They were faithful to their lord and to the code of Bushido and all that it stood for; in their day they were well mannered, upright, and principled men of moral character. They were martial artists that ruled their own lives by self-control and self-discipline, and so conducted themselves always in the pursuit of self-improvement in any and all areas of life, while not fearing death one iota. Their highest honor was to die in battle in service to their lord, and they believed this to be their destiny.

Now I would like to say that, as a Christian apologist, the Code of Bushido as articulated in summary here, almost articulates the basis of true Christianity as a spiritual way of life. Every one of the virtues of Bushido has Biblical counterparts....much to my surprise when I first began this study. The only difference would be in Who one claims to be his Lord.

But even this all aside, not embracing any religious affiliations, the Code of Bushido is very applicable to us today I think, because I, for one, try to better myself every day. The Code of Bushido is the code of the warrior, and as we have discussed on other topics, we can be walking warriors today without going out and being engaged everyday in actual warfare.

Hasta!

[bushido_man96]

There are a lot of really common sense things listed there, when you get right down to being an upstanding citizen in society.

Remember the Golden Rule...