THE BUSHIDO CODE: LESSONS FROM “ROYAL” JAPAN

When I first read about the the “BUSHIDO CODE” some few weeks ago, I realised immediately therein lies some important lesson that can be shared with others.

Many details of the Japanese culture is relatively still not known by many and this piece is just about one of its popular legends know as, “Samurai”.

A samurai originally means “one who serves,” and referred to men of noble birth assigned to guard members of the Imperial Court.

The service ethics spawned the roots of samurai nobility, both social and spiritual. Around 12th century, when the Imperial Court influence continually diminshed across the land of Yamato, local governors were growing in leaps and bounds which eventually led to some of them becoming a “Daimyo or Feudal Lord’s” who ruled specific territories independently of the central government.

Then in 1185, Minamoto no Yoritomo the third son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, heir of the Minamoto clan (Seiwa Genji) and a warlord of the eastern provinces whose lineage trace back to the imperial family, and the later rules as the first Shogun of Japan while establishing the nation’s first military government in Japan. Although the initial stability Minamoto achieved failed to bring lasting peace to the land, with pockets of violent acts springing up at random times.

Other regimes came and went, and in 1467 the national military government collapsed, plunging Japan into turmoil.

Just before the short history lesson gets you bored, the bushido code of a Samurai are a set of values that a Samurai stick by regardless of the situation and outcome of his own lives.

According to ThoughtCo — The word "bushido" comes from the Japanese roots "bushi" meaning "warrior," and "do" meaning "path" or "way." It translates literally to "way of the warrior."

Although, originally an unwritten code for a Samurai, it guided him through life and in death, and stressed. The Bushido code arose from Zen-Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism, and taught the importance of service to master and country. Here are the seven (7) main codes of a Samurai:

• Rectitude or Justice (gi):

This is the strongest virtue of Bushido. A well-known samurai defines it this way: ‘Rectitude is one’s power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right, to strike when to strike is right.’ Another speaks of it in the following terms: ‘Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature. Without bones the head cannot rest on top of the spine, nor hands move nor feet stand. So without Rectitude neither talent nor learning can make the human frame into a samurai.’

• Courage (yu):

In Bushido, this is distinguished from bravery. Courage is worthy of being counted among virtues only if it’s exercised in the cause of Righteousness and Rectitude. As quoted in the Analects of Confucius: ‘Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of Courage.’ In short, ‘Courage is doing what is right.’

• Benevolence or Mercy (jin):

A man invested with much power (to command and to kill) — was expected to demonstrate equally extraordinary powers of benevolence and mercy: Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul. Both Confucius and Mencius often said the highest requirement of a ruler of men is Benevolence.

• Politeness (rei):

First time visitors in Japan, discerning the difference between obsequiousness and politeness can be difficult for casual visitors to Japan. Courtesy and good manners have been noticed by every foreign tourist as distinctive Japanese traits. But Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love.

• Honour(meiyo):

Though Bushido deals with the profession of soldiering, it is equally concerned with non-martial behavior: The sense of Honour, a vivid consciousness of personal dignity and worth, characterized the samurai. He was born and bred to value the duties and privileges of his profession. Fear of disgrace hung like a sword over the head of every samurai … To take offense at slight provocation was ridiculed as ‘short-tempered.’

As the popular adage put it: ‘True patience means bearing the unbearable.

• Loyalty(chuggi):

Economic reality has dealt a blow to organizational loyalty around the world. Nonetheless, true men remain loyal to those to whom they are indebted: Loyalty to a superior was the most distinctive virtue of the feudal era. Personal fidelity exists among all sorts of men: a gang of pickpockets swears allegiance to its leader. But only in the code of chivalrous Honor does Loyalty assume paramount importance.

Character and self-control(makoto):

Bushido teaches that men should behave according to an absolute moral standard, one that transcends logic. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. The difference between good and bad and between right and wrong are givens, not arguments subject to discussion or justification, and a man should know the difference. Finally, it is a man’s obligation to teach his children moral standards through the model of his own behavior.

Conclusion:

Today’s world can adapt these virtues especially as regards our capitalist spirit.

Modifying them to fit how we treat those above and below us, while constantly reminding ourselves, this mantra, ‘it better to live in peace than in chaos’.

My name is Dimaria, I write about many things, as a means to sharing my little knowledge, thought and experience. This is my formula for learning. After all, each human is a speck of dust in the universe.