Japanese Bushido
Bushido: The of Life of a Warrior
"Your Highness, if you believe I am your enemy. command me. and I will gladly take my life."
These were some of the final words of Tom Cruise in the film "The Last Samurai". He made these words to the Emperor after one of the Emperor’s advisors claimed that he was the enemy.
The movie "The Last Samurai" deals with the shift in values as Japan attempted to become more modern. This shift was from a Bushido culture to a more "modern" Western Culture.
What is Bushido? Where did these values come from? Can we practice them today? This article hopes to clarify some of these questions.
BUSHIDO: REVISITED
Today if you search for "Bushido" (pronounced Boó-shee-doh') online, you will find an array of varied results. From animated television series to mixed martial arts competitions, you will find that Bushido has taken on some new meanings. But what did it truly stand for in its time?
Bushido actually comes from a combination of words. "Bushi" which means "Warrior" and "Do" which means way (Gaskin & Hawkins 1994). To simplify it, you can say it means "the way of the warrior". Bushido though, is not a very simple concept. This is especially true when seen through a "modern" Western perspective. Another way to interpret Bushido is that it is a way of preserving peace through the use of force (Binder 1999).
According to Ratti & Westbrook (1973), the "Bushido Code" was not written down until 1965 by Yamaga Soko (as cited by Binder 1999). So before 1965, the code of Bushido was unwritten, and according to Brad Binder a Ph.D holder and Jiu-jitsu enthusiast, was based on certain "house codes" of various feudal lords (Binder 1999).
The term Bushido is actually more of a modern term. Nitobe should be given much credit for publicizing the word in the modern period (Friday 2001). This of course was through his famous work, "Bushido: The Soul of Japan".
The emergence of the Bushido Code is primarily attributed to the emergence of the Samurai. Nitobe wrote in his book "Bushido: Soul of Japan":
"What Japan was she owed to the samurai. They were not only the flower of the nation but its root as well. All the gracious gifts of Heaven flowed through them. Though they kept themselves socially aloof from the populace, they set a moral standard for them and guided them by their example. I admit Bushido had its esoteric and exoteric teachings; these were eudemonistic, looking after the welfare and happiness of the commonalty, while those were aretaic, emphasizing the practice of virtues for their own sake." (Nitobe 1908)
The samurai, in this case, had direct influence on the formation of Bushido and its effect on Japan in general. As in the image above, the samurai carries two swords (Gaskins & Hawkins 2003). The first being a katana and the second a wakizashi or smaller dagger (Ibid.). The wakizashi was used to decapitate enemies and to perform seppuku (Ibid.).
What is seppuku? Seppuku is the formal term for hara-kiri or ritual suicide (Ibid.). Samurais would perform this act if they felt they disgraced their house. On the battlefield, sometimes, rather than dying at the hands of an unworthy opponent, the samurai would give his own life to avoid disgrace or shame. The bushi class or warrior class was particularly known for this act. This has been known to be an active search for death through battle or suicide and has even been described as a "death culture" (Morillo 2001). Nitobe defended seppuku and argued that it was not just suicide but:
"It was an institution, legal and ceremonial. An invention of the middle ages, it was a process by which warriors could expiate their crimes, apologize for errors, escape from disgrace, redeem their friends, or prove their sincerity. When enforced as a legal punishment, it was practiced with due ceremony. It was a refinement of self-destruction, and none could perform it without the utmost coolness of temper and composure of demeanor, and for these reasons it was particularly befitting the profession of bushi." (Nitobe 1908)
It is hard for us sometimes to understand how one can give up his/her own life if they fail to complete duties. Usually, we’ll just brush it off and say, "I’ll do better next time.. I guess." But in Bushido, one will take his or own life if they gravely commit misconduct in their duties.
Bushido has also been associated with seven virtues, these being: Gi (Rectitude), Yu (Courage), Jin (Benevolence), Rei (Respect), Makoto (Honesty), Meiyo (Honor), and Chugi (Loyalty) (Unknown Author 2006).
INFLUENCES ON BUSHIDO
Bushido has been influenced by several Asian religions. Though the samurai and their code have played a vital role in the development of Bushido, it is undeniable that Asian religions have influenced the way of life. Bushido was influenced by Zen Buddhism and Confucianism (Unknown Author 2005). According to Nitobe, it was also influenced by Shintoism (Nitobe 1908).
Zen Buddhism is a religion that ironically says, "When you see the Buddha on the street, kill him." In contrast to the traditional Buddhism you may know, Zen Buddhism asks you not to attach yourself to scriptures and obligations. It tells you to detach, to let go.
In one of the influential texts of Bushido by Yagyu Munenori, he writes:
"There are many things in martial arts that accord with Buddhism and correspond to Zen. In particular, there is repudiation of attachment and avoidance of lingering on anything. This is the most urgent point. Not lingering is considered quintessential." (Mushashi 1993)
This is the intellectual equivalent of "do what comes natural". In Buddhism you eliminate desire because it causes suffering. In Zen Buddhism, you eliminate your attachment to desire because that is what causes your suffering. The difference is that in Zen, desire may be a natural thing as long you don’t linger. Lingering with the sword in Bushido may cause your downfall.
Confucianism also had influences on Bushido. It is well known that, if one follows Confucianism, they set a standard of ethics in their daily lives. One of the major influences of Confucianism on Bushido is the concept of "filial piety". Shintoism also offered this influence to Bushido (Nitobe 1908). This concept of "filial piety" corresponds to the Bushido Codes necessity of duty and devoutness. One must complete their duties with honor even to the point of death.
MAJOR FIGURES IN BUSHIDO
Miyamoto Musashi is a prominent figure in Bushido. He is the author of "The Book of the Five Rings". It is a book on the Japanese Way of the Sword. His book offered the warrior a set of guidelines to follow if they wanted to use the sword properly and remain victorious in battle.
Little is actually known about this influential man. According to research, he killed his first man when he was thirteen years old. For a large portion of his life, he was refining his techniques with the sword. At one point, he chose to no longer inflict mortal wounds by not using a real sword. According to legend, he remained undefeated in battle (Musashi 1993).
BUSHIDO TODAY
As mentioned earlier in the article, Bushido has taken a many new meanings in our time. The WB animation, "Teen Titans", has a character named Bushido that is a samurai. One can see here the direct influence the image of the samurai had on Bushido. In mixed martial arts, the term Bushido has been used as a name for their competitions. You can see here the direct connection between the warrior and Bushido. But with all these alterations of a once noble way of life, can one still live the life of a warrior?
The real question is, why not? Actually, by the mid-19th century, with the legal abolition of the samurai class in 1871, Bushido became the ideal of the nation of Japan (Unknown Author 2005). The emperor became the object of loyalty rather than the feudal lord (Ibid.).
After World War Two, a new warrior rose from the ashes of the Japanese Soldier. Business families called Zaibatsu’s were the new keepers of the Bushido Code (Clark 1996). Loyalty to the company became a new value in the modern world. A more popular Zaibatsu that you may know is Mitsubishi (Three Diamonds) (Watkins n.d.).
Also, after being caught in the act of corruption, several Japanese officials have been reported to resign their postions in government. Another example of Bushido today is how many Japanese martial arts still name their schools after the Bushido code. This can be seen as an attempt to promote the values of the warrior.
If they can do it, why can’t you?
References:
Binder, B. (1999). The Martial Artist in Society: (Re) Discovering Bushido. Retrieved on November 14, 2007
Friday, K. (2001). The Historical Foundations of Bushido.
Gaskins, C. & Hawkins, V. (2003) The Ways of the Samurai. New York: Byron Preiss Visual Publications
Morillo S. (2001). Cultures of Death: Wanior Suicide in Medieval Europe and Japan [Electronic Version]. The Medieval History Journal 2001; 4; 241
Musashi, M. (1993). The Book of the Five Rings. Boston: Shambhala Publications
Nitobe, I. (1908) Bushido Soul of Japan (13th ed.) [Electronic Version]. Tokyo: Teibi Publishing
Watkins, T. (n.d.) The Zaibatsu of Japan.
What is Bushido?
"Your Highness, if you believe I am your enemy. command me. and I will gladly take my life."
These were some of the final words of Tom Cruise in the film "The Last Samurai". He made these words to the Emperor after one of the Emperor’s advisors claimed that he was the enemy.
The movie "The Last Samurai" deals with the shift in values as Japan attempted to become more modern. This shift was from a Bushido culture to a more "modern" Western Culture.
What is Bushido? Where did these values come from? Can we practice them today? This article hopes to clarify some of these questions.
BUSHIDO: REVISITED
Today if you search for "Bushido" (pronounced Boó-shee-doh') online, you will find an array of varied results. From animated television series to mixed martial arts competitions, you will find that Bushido has taken on some new meanings. But what did it truly stand for in its time?
Bushido actually comes from a combination of words. "Bushi" which means "Warrior" and "Do" which means way (Gaskin & Hawkins 1994). To simplify it, you can say it means "the way of the warrior". Bushido though, is not a very simple concept. This is especially true when seen through a "modern" Western perspective. Another way to interpret Bushido is that it is a way of preserving peace through the use of force (Binder 1999).
According to Ratti & Westbrook (1973), the "Bushido Code" was not written down until 1965 by Yamaga Soko (as cited by Binder 1999). So before 1965, the code of Bushido was unwritten, and according to Brad Binder a Ph.D holder and Jiu-jitsu enthusiast, was based on certain "house codes" of various feudal lords (Binder 1999).
The term Bushido is actually more of a modern term. Nitobe should be given much credit for publicizing the word in the modern period (Friday 2001). This of course was through his famous work, "Bushido: The Soul of Japan".
The emergence of the Bushido Code is primarily attributed to the emergence of the Samurai. Nitobe wrote in his book "Bushido: Soul of Japan":
"What Japan was she owed to the samurai. They were not only the flower of the nation but its root as well. All the gracious gifts of Heaven flowed through them. Though they kept themselves socially aloof from the populace, they set a moral standard for them and guided them by their example. I admit Bushido had its esoteric and exoteric teachings; these were eudemonistic, looking after the welfare and happiness of the commonalty, while those were aretaic, emphasizing the practice of virtues for their own sake." (Nitobe 1908)
The samurai, in this case, had direct influence on the formation of Bushido and its effect on Japan in general. As in the image above, the samurai carries two swords (Gaskins & Hawkins 2003). The first being a katana and the second a wakizashi or smaller dagger (Ibid.). The wakizashi was used to decapitate enemies and to perform seppuku (Ibid.).
What is seppuku? Seppuku is the formal term for hara-kiri or ritual suicide (Ibid.). Samurais would perform this act if they felt they disgraced their house. On the battlefield, sometimes, rather than dying at the hands of an unworthy opponent, the samurai would give his own life to avoid disgrace or shame. The bushi class or warrior class was particularly known for this act. This has been known to be an active search for death through battle or suicide and has even been described as a "death culture" (Morillo 2001). Nitobe defended seppuku and argued that it was not just suicide but:
"It was an institution, legal and ceremonial. An invention of the middle ages, it was a process by which warriors could expiate their crimes, apologize for errors, escape from disgrace, redeem their friends, or prove their sincerity. When enforced as a legal punishment, it was practiced with due ceremony. It was a refinement of self-destruction, and none could perform it without the utmost coolness of temper and composure of demeanor, and for these reasons it was particularly befitting the profession of bushi." (Nitobe 1908)
It is hard for us sometimes to understand how one can give up his/her own life if they fail to complete duties. Usually, we’ll just brush it off and say, "I’ll do better next time.. I guess." But in Bushido, one will take his or own life if they gravely commit misconduct in their duties.
Bushido has also been associated with seven virtues, these being: Gi (Rectitude), Yu (Courage), Jin (Benevolence), Rei (Respect), Makoto (Honesty), Meiyo (Honor), and Chugi (Loyalty) (Unknown Author 2006).
INFLUENCES ON BUSHIDO
Bushido has been influenced by several Asian religions. Though the samurai and their code have played a vital role in the development of Bushido, it is undeniable that Asian religions have influenced the way of life. Bushido was influenced by Zen Buddhism and Confucianism (Unknown Author 2005). According to Nitobe, it was also influenced by Shintoism (Nitobe 1908).
Zen Buddhism is a religion that ironically says, "When you see the Buddha on the street, kill him." In contrast to the traditional Buddhism you may know, Zen Buddhism asks you not to attach yourself to scriptures and obligations. It tells you to detach, to let go.
In one of the influential texts of Bushido by Yagyu Munenori, he writes:
"There are many things in martial arts that accord with Buddhism and correspond to Zen. In particular, there is repudiation of attachment and avoidance of lingering on anything. This is the most urgent point. Not lingering is considered quintessential." (Mushashi 1993)
This is the intellectual equivalent of "do what comes natural". In Buddhism you eliminate desire because it causes suffering. In Zen Buddhism, you eliminate your attachment to desire because that is what causes your suffering. The difference is that in Zen, desire may be a natural thing as long you don’t linger. Lingering with the sword in Bushido may cause your downfall.
Confucianism also had influences on Bushido. It is well known that, if one follows Confucianism, they set a standard of ethics in their daily lives. One of the major influences of Confucianism on Bushido is the concept of "filial piety". Shintoism also offered this influence to Bushido (Nitobe 1908). This concept of "filial piety" corresponds to the Bushido Codes necessity of duty and devoutness. One must complete their duties with honor even to the point of death.
MAJOR FIGURES IN BUSHIDO
Miyamoto Musashi is a prominent figure in Bushido. He is the author of "The Book of the Five Rings". It is a book on the Japanese Way of the Sword. His book offered the warrior a set of guidelines to follow if they wanted to use the sword properly and remain victorious in battle.
Little is actually known about this influential man. According to research, he killed his first man when he was thirteen years old. For a large portion of his life, he was refining his techniques with the sword. At one point, he chose to no longer inflict mortal wounds by not using a real sword. According to legend, he remained undefeated in battle (Musashi 1993).
BUSHIDO TODAY
As mentioned earlier in the article, Bushido has taken a many new meanings in our time. The WB animation, "Teen Titans", has a character named Bushido that is a samurai. One can see here the direct influence the image of the samurai had on Bushido. In mixed martial arts, the term Bushido has been used as a name for their competitions. You can see here the direct connection between the warrior and Bushido. But with all these alterations of a once noble way of life, can one still live the life of a warrior?
The real question is, why not? Actually, by the mid-19th century, with the legal abolition of the samurai class in 1871, Bushido became the ideal of the nation of Japan (Unknown Author 2005). The emperor became the object of loyalty rather than the feudal lord (Ibid.).
After World War Two, a new warrior rose from the ashes of the Japanese Soldier. Business families called Zaibatsu’s were the new keepers of the Bushido Code (Clark 1996). Loyalty to the company became a new value in the modern world. A more popular Zaibatsu that you may know is Mitsubishi (Three Diamonds) (Watkins n.d.).
Also, after being caught in the act of corruption, several Japanese officials have been reported to resign their postions in government. Another example of Bushido today is how many Japanese martial arts still name their schools after the Bushido code. This can be seen as an attempt to promote the values of the warrior.
If they can do it, why can’t you?
References:
Binder, B. (1999). The Martial Artist in Society: (Re) Discovering Bushido. Retrieved on November 14, 2007
Friday, K. (2001). The Historical Foundations of Bushido.
Gaskins, C. & Hawkins, V. (2003) The Ways of the Samurai. New York: Byron Preiss Visual Publications
Morillo S. (2001). Cultures of Death: Wanior Suicide in Medieval Europe and Japan [Electronic Version]. The Medieval History Journal 2001; 4; 241
Musashi, M. (1993). The Book of the Five Rings. Boston: Shambhala Publications
Nitobe, I. (1908) Bushido Soul of Japan (13th ed.) [Electronic Version]. Tokyo: Teibi Publishing
Watkins, T. (n.d.) The Zaibatsu of Japan.
What is Bushido?
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