Bushido Cod: The Samurai culture is strongly associated with the Bushido code of behaviour. Many Japanese customs, like the craft of manufacturing swords and tea ceremonies, owe their development in large part to it. Additionally, it promoted Asian art on a global scale.
Samurai, or Japanese warriors, formed the Bushido code and disseminated it across Japanese culture. Confucianism, a traditional philosophy and way of life that promotes the significance of principles like responsibility and devotion and is upheld in a number of Japanese martial arts, served as the inspiration for the Samurai. These warriors were supposed to uphold eight fundamental concepts or ideals, which make up the code.
Origin of Bushido Code
The name “Bushido” is derived from the Japanese word “bushi,” which means “warrior.” The Japanese term “Samurai” means “those who serve.” Samurai today just refers to a warrior.
In the ninth century, the word “Samurai” was initially used to describe armed warriors who backed powerful landlords. With the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate dictatorship at the end of the 12th century, the balance of power in the area changed. A code of conduct befitting their privileged rank was developed during this period, popularising the use of Samurai.
The Mongol invasion, which weakened the government, marked the end of the Kamakura era near the end of the 14th century. As a result, the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled for a considerable amount of time in a state of peace and prosperity. The Samurai took up civic administration when they were no longer required to be a military force. The Samurai, Japan’s equivalent of mediaeval knights, transformed into bureaucrats overnight.
During the Tokugawa era, popular Samurai art forms including rock gardens, Japanese painting, and tea rituals began to develop. In 1615, a law was passed requiring Samurai to undergo civility and politeness training in addition to their battle training. During this time, the Bushido code began to be recognised as a moral code for all Japanese people, not only Samurai. It was seen as the model of sophisticated masculinity.
The Bushido code promotes respect, awe for life, kindness, goodness, and setting an example for others.
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The Unlikely Samurai
Bloodshed was common throughout Japan’s Age of Wars, and the sword was considered the law. Hideyoshi was a poor lad who traversed the Japanese countryside on a mission to become a warrior without a single cent to his name.
Hideyoshi was employed as a sandal-bearer by Nobunaga, a vicious young warlord. Hideyoshi pushed his way through the ranks because he was determined to be more than a peasant, and he finally became Nobunaga’s right-hand man and protégé. He went on to unify the country after hundreds of years of endless battles and became the first peasant to hold the position of supreme king in Japan.
The tale of Hideyoshi has endured for decades in films, plays, computer games, and books. You don’t hear about a weak peasant child succeeding his father to become the head of state very often. In the time of Hideyoshi, the only way for peasants to escape a life of tiresome farm labour was to become priests or soldiers. Hideyoshi overcame poverty, became the ruler of a country, and was in charge of a large number of Samurai.
In Japan, Hideyoshi’s narrative has been dubbed the “ultimate rags-to-riches” tale. His uniqueness from other Samurai is one of the factors that makes his story so intriguing. Instead of using force to subjugate his enemies, he frequently sought to form alliances and make peace with them. Despite his training, he never developed much of a fighting style, so he wisely opted to use his brains rather than his sword.
In Japan, there weren’t always opportunities for peasants to join the Samurai. The phrase originally referred to aristocrats who had been chosen to serve as Imperial Court guards. This is the origin of the Samurai’s sense of duty. However, the nobility soon found it impossible to maintain their centralised rule over Japan, which led them to delegate to their erstwhile adversaries the Samurai’s traditional roles of military protection, administration, and tax collection. As the Imperial Courts weakened, local governors gained authority to the point where some of them attained the status of Daimyo, or feudal lords, who controlled regions apart from the Imperial Court’s central administration.
Japan’s first military government was created by a warlord by the name of Minamoto no Yoritomo, whose ancestry may be linked to the royal dynasty. This marked the beginning of the feudal era, which lasted from 1185 until 1867. Initially, the feudal era offered stability to the area, but the calm wasn’t sustained.
The military administration fell in 1467 when other governments took power. Local warlords engaged in conflict in an effort to exterminate competitors and defend their lands, ushering in the Age of Wars. By the time the Age of Wars began, the name “Samurai” referred to trained warriors or armed officials of the government.
The worst Samurai were no better than gangsters on the streets, while the greatest ones were intensely devoted to their masters and the Bushido way of life.
Samurai arose as the most flamboyant key personalities during one of the most turbulent periods in Japanese history, and now they are a highly romanticised stereotype. They are the Wild West’s or Europe’s mediaeval knights’ equivalent in Japan.
When Hideyoshi pacified Japan by forging alliances up until he assumed the position of supreme ruler, the Samurai’s function underwent a considerable transformation. The Samurai shifted their emphasis from martial arts training to arts, teaching, and spiritual growth at that time because they were no longer required as professional fighters.
The Samurai were formally exterminated when carrying a weapon in public was made illegal. They finally evolved into the type of warriors Hideyoshi had imagined hundreds of years earlier: samurai without swords who relied on intellect rather than force.
The Code
In an odd turn of events, U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt helped disseminate the Bushido code when he talked about the new book he had just completed reading, Bushido: The Soul of Japan. For his loved ones, he bought several dozen copies of the book. The book was written by Nitobe Inazo, who reinterpreted ancient wisdom for men. Later, it became well-known as a top international bestseller.
The book shows a code of behaviour that values kindness, empathy, and other traits unrelated to aggression as the foundation of real masculinity. In the Bushido code, eight qualities are listed:
1) Rectitude Or Justice
Bushido emphasises morally upright behaviours and personal rectitude (righteousness in thought and deed). The Bushido code’s strongest value is rectitude or fairness. ‘One’s capacity to decide upon a course of behaviour in accordance to reason without wavering; to die when to die is right, to strike when to strike is right,’ a Samurai once said.
Rectitude is the bone that produces solidity and height, according to another Samurai. Without bones, the head cannot support the spine, the hands cannot move, and the feet cannot stand. Therefore, a lack of morality prevents ability and education from transforming the human physique into a samurai.
This Bushido principle is still evident in martial arts like Judo, which is developed from Jiu-Jitsu, a style that many Samurai mastered. There is a widespread belief that virtue is a prerequisite for learning different combat techniques. This justice gives the warrior the bravery to defend his land even if he knows it could be his last conflict.
2) Courage
In the Bushido code, bravery and courage are two separate concepts. It only considers bravery to be a virtue when it is used in a virtuous manner. According to the Bushido code, courage is acting honourably. According to Confucius, “Seeing what is right and not doing it shows a lack of courage.”
3) Mercy Or Benevolence
Men with the authority to command others were expected to exhibit a great degree of pity and charity, according to the Bushido code. A characteristic of benevolence is sympathy, empathy, compassion for others, magnanimity, pity, and love. According to the Bushido code, it is the ultimate characteristic the human soul may achieve. Benevolence, according to Confucius, is the most important quality in a leader.
4) Politeness
Some people find it challenging to distinguish between politeness and obsequiousness. Good manners and courtesy have their roots in charity, and many Japanese people still place a high importance on them. Obsequiousness is when you treat someone well because you think they’re significant or because you need anything from them. Contrast that with civility, which shows a kind consideration for other people’s feelings. In its most basic form, politeness is similar to love.
5) Sincerity and Honesty
The Bushido Code states that genuine Samurai were not driven by wealth and that men should detest wealth since it impedes intelligence. High-ranking Samurai’s children were taught that discussing money was unpleasant and that not knowing the values of the many currencies used at the time indicated appropriate upbringing.
The Bushido code encourages frugality, albeit it’s more about learning how to survive on less than money savings. Since the pursuit of luxury was seen to be the greatest threat to manhood, the warrior class was required to avoid doing so.
6) Honor
The Bushido code required samurai to conduct themselves honourably and with dignity. Samurai were trained to value the obligations and advantages of their profession. The continual fear of being humiliated pervaded Samurai life. Since honour requires patience, samurai were made fun of for their impatience.
7) Loyalty
According to the Bushido code, fighters must remain devoted to their creditors. From soldiers who are devoted to their masters to pickpockets who are faithful to their boss, loyalty occurs among many groups of individuals. According to the code, loyalty is a key aspect of real manhood.
8) Character And Self-Control
The Bushido code required samurai to conduct themselves honourably and with dignity. Samurai were trained to value the obligations and advantages of their profession. The continual fear of being humiliated pervaded Samurai life. Since honour requires patience, samurai were made fun of for their impatience.
One of the first goals of Samurai education was the cultivation of the student’s character. Dialect and intelligence were considered to be less important factors. While being intelligent was advantageous, being a man of action was more important for a Samurai. Hideyoshi lived by the eight Bushido precepts all of his life. Like many great leaders, he was flawed and fallible, but by choosing compassion and kindness above aggressiveness and violence, he embodied the traits of a real man. He could not fight as well as a normal Samurai, but he rose to become the best Samurai of his day. There are numerous lessons in the Bushido code that are still relevant in today’s society.
The Modern Day Samurai
Although the era of the samurai is long gone, being a modern-day samurai is still possible. Depending on where you reside, you can even retain the kimono, but you definitely want to give the sword away. You can complete the following to develop into a contemporary Samurai:
- Learn At Least One Martial Art: Males must master at least one martial technique according to the Bushido code of conduct. Martial arts instruction accentuates the Bushido code’s values and takes you on a self-discovery journey that enables you to realise your full potential. You’ll also discover how to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your friends in a courageous warrior-like manner.
- Prioritise Being A Positive Force On Those Around You: Make it a priority to have a positive influence on others around you by really wanting them to succeed in whatever they do. Do your hardest to be a good partner, friend, and parent. Make values like compassion, courage, honesty, and loyalty a big part of who you are.
- Strengthen Your Mind And Body: This includes practices like strength and fitness and martial arts instruction. In order to perform at their best should they ever need to put their martial arts training to action, warriors should get in the greatest physical shape possible. Since self-control is a characteristic of the Bushido code, your mind should be equally as powerful as your body. Samurai don’t allow their feelings to influence them to make bad choices.
This is everything about the Bushido Code. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
