Bushidō ( Japanese武士道bushi-dō ; the way of a warrior) - an unwritten set of ethical principles of Japanese samurai ; military code of the feudal period.
This code was intended to make vassers dependent on masters, making them the best possible soldiers and servants. The samurai ethos developed from the Heian period to the Meiji Restoration , when the class division was abolished. It contains elements such as Confucianism , Zen and the native religion of Shintō .
Justice and Righteousness
The way this term is formulated in bushidō is expressed in a quote, which Dr. Inazō Nitobe also quotes in his work : "Righteousness is the force to enter without hesitation the path indicated by reason, which tells us to die when we must die, strike when we must strike."
Samurai Jōchō Yamamoto (also Tsunetomo Yamamoto, 1659–1719) in his notes entitled Hagakure warns that the idea of justice should not exceed, in the opinion of the bushi, other values: “Hating injustice and preaching justice - is a difficult task. However, if we consider the proclamation of justice as the highest value and only strive for it, we will make many mistakes. The road is greater than justice. Seeing this truth is not easy. This is the highest wisdom. From this heights justice and similar things are little things. "
Courage and persistence
Bushi, as a vassal and soldier, was obliged to valiantly defend his master's interests on and off the battlefield. Cowards were mocked and condemned, heroic deeds - passed orally in stories as role models. Jōchō Yamamoto states: "One must keep toughening one's bravery, try to surpass others in it, and never feel inferior to this or that warrior."
He also goes on to say: “On the battlefield too, you must make sure that no one overtakes you and only think about breaking through the enemy lines. Then you will not fall behind others, you will show your fighting spirit and show your bravery - so say the old masters. Also, if you are to die in combat, keep your body facing the enemy.
Kindness and compassion
These ideas stem from Buddhism and Confucianism . It is connected with the respect for the opponent (if he deserves it) and concern for the general good. These values especially apply to feudal lords. As Confucius writes : "If a prince is full of virtues, people cling to him, with men comes the earth, with earth in turn - wealth, and wealth will reward him for the nobility of the spirit. So virtue is the root and wealth is the drive. "
It is noteworthy that the bushi faithful to bushidō did not consider the enemy who surrendered, i.e. tried to save his life at the expense of continuing it with the disgrace of defeat, worthy of sympathy or pity. It should also be mentioned that although the samurai upbringing was characterized by austerity, efforts were made to make children sensitive to nature, art, and to teach empathy (education was most often neglected during intense warfare in the Sengoku period ). In Hagakure, a collection of parables and principles that a samurai should use, there is a long passage about compassion, which is a quote from a Buddhist monk named Tannen. Here are excerpts about bushi: “A warrior who does not show courage on the outside, and does not accumulate compassion in his heart enough to tear his chest, will not be able to follow the true rules of the war trade. The samurai, who bear loyalty and devotion to their lord on one shoulder, and courage and compassion on the other, and carry them day and night, until their arms ache, are fulfilling their duty to a sufficient degree. A samurai with only courage, without compassion, will inevitably be lost, and we know many such cases from old and new times ”.
The story of samurai compassion is the film by Akira Kurosawa : " Seven samurai " (seven bushi decide to defend the farmers free of charge against the robber invasion).
Courtesy
Idea taken mainly from Confucianism. It expresses Japanese perfectionism, which, apart from the battlefield, orders a warrior to be also an exemplary member of society, who disturbs others as little as possible, is sparing in words, helpful, etc. pictures given by dr. Nitobe is an example of the Japanese custom of sharing the inconvenience of companions even when it is not necessary (Dr. Nitobe cites the example of folding a sun umbrella when talking to someone who does not have one, to share the inconvenience of being under strong radiation). It may seem ridiculous to Europeans, because in their culture, only goods (e.g. sweets) are shared with others, while in their opinion discomfort should be felt only by those who absolutely must, and it is foolishness for them to subject themselves voluntarily to suffering in solidarity. Dr. Nitobe also draws attention to the pragmatic aspect of courtesy, quoting the representative of the popular school of etiquette, Ogasawara: "The purpose of any etiquette is as follows: you must mold your soul in this way so that the greatest brute does not dare to attack you even when you sit most peacefully." .
Truth and truthfulness
Truth is paramount to courtesy. The Bushi, through their honesty and truthfulness, wanted to distance themselves from other classes, believing that they, as the ruling class, had a duty of extreme honesty. Etiquette over truth was branded as a deception with pretty words and condemned. A vassal who only flattering his master, and did not show him his mistakes, was perceived as neishin , that is, insidious, treacherous. It was considered to be noble to dissuade the ruler from taking wrong steps, even at the cost of his own life, i.e. by committing suicide-protest, known as kanshi. The bushi class especially despised trading for their lack of a moral backbone. Warriors sometimes treated the drawing up of written contracts as an insult to their honor. They considered the word they uttered a sufficient "receipt."
Self-control and self-improvement
It stems mainly from Zen , also from Confucianism . It is expressed in restraint, faithfulness to the principles despite suffering, striving for an ideal pattern despite inconveniences. Submission to affects was considered a sign of simplicity, bad upbringing, and weakness (poetry was a socially accepted way to express repressed feelings). There are many passages in "Hagakure" dealing with self-control and self-improvement:
“Since we have become better than yesterday, let's start improving from tomorrow; throughout your life, day after day, you have to strive for perfection. It never ends either.
“Eternal restless, you should seek answers all your life, how to meet the rules of the Way, practice persistently and ceaselessly. This is the Way. "
"Fifty or sixty years ago, a samurai took a bath every morning, shaved the front of his head, rubbed perfume into his hair, cut his fingernails and toenails, rubbed with a pumice stone and smoothed the skin of his feet, he carefully tidied himself up, especially his armor and equipment were protected from rust , dusted off and left shiny and ready for use. [...] You are to be ready to die at any moment, but if you are killed in a state of general neglect, it is evidence of a lack of prior spiritual preparation. [...] If you are constantly in your life ready to die in combat and, as someone already dead, perform the service and perfect the art of war, then you will not be threatened by disgrace. Those who do not think about it at all, whose content of life is selfish indulgence, shame at every step and do not notice it at all.
"The subordinate must remain vigilant twenty-four hours a day, and must absolutely accompany you at all times, also during official duties. If he slows down his vigilance while resting, others will assume that he is doing the same in the service. "
Always have an answer ready. Be prepared in advance. In addition, if you have been given an order and are delighted or honored by it, your face will certainly give it away. Others will notice it. This is inadequate behavior. [...] Light-hearted behavior is contrary to the Way, such a person will be considered a novice and will do himself a lot of harm ”.
“When it comes to appearance and posture, it's a good idea to constantly correct them in the mirror. [...] People don't look in the mirror too often, that's why they look so bad. We improve our speaking by practicing pronunciation at home. We acquire the ability to write letters by writing empty first, even if the letter has only one line. In all these three things, peace should be expressed, but also inner strength. "
“Since I have learned the principles of service, I have never allowed myself any freedom, neither at home nor away from home. I'm not saying anything. When I can't do without speaking, I try to include ten words in one. "
“A samurai must learn in advance the principle that he must not show weakness in any situation. Even in small things, the deepest secrets of the human heart are revealed. "
“Once it happens that you are about to kill someone, you must not think that the straight path will be too difficult and that it is better to choose a detour, albeit a longer path. When the whole thing goes on and the tension of the will is loosened, it usually fails. "
“At first, when a person loses their breath on the run, it is unpleasant. But how nice it is to stop after such a run. And it's even nicer to sit down. Then it's even nicer to lie down. But the nicest thing is to get a pillow and get a good night's sleep. This is how human life should be. People should work hard when they are young, and then come to peace a little bit later. "
Sober thinking in stressful situations was appreciated. The essence of Japanese and samurai self-control lies in the seppuku custom .
Faithfulness
It stems from Confucianism and is the main feudal virtue. Hagakure states: “Serving a master who treats us friendly is not service. True service is one in which the master treats us coldly and entrusts us with tasks beyond our strength. This principle must be well learned. "
There is also a story about a sick bushi: “In the province of Hizen there was a man from the Taku family. Even though he was sick with chicken pox, he wanted to go with the others to attack Shimabara Castle. His relatives tried their best to stop him, saying: "Even if you get there despite such a disease, you are of no use." And he said, 'If I die on the way, my dream will come true. Since my lord has given me favors, how can you say that I am of no use? «[...] He did not care at all about himself, and he did not shy away from filth. As a result, he quickly recovered and fulfilled his vassal duty in the war. [...] When the master heard about this, he said: "Is there anything as pure and sublime as abandoning your life for the sake of the master? If someone rejects his own life in the name of duty, not only the smallpox god, but all the gods of heaven will surely protect him ”.
Here is a fragment about loyalty not to you, but to a loved one: “The extreme expression of male love is the willingness to sacrifice one's life. If the man fails to do so, he will be disgraced. "
Honor
Honor was, right after fidelity, the main value in the hierarchy of exemplary bushi. It is related to the ability to self-esteem because of being faithful to one's own moral code. According to bushidō, the one who lost his honor made his life worthless and does not deserve to be continued. Nitobe Inazo quotes in his work: "Shame is like a scar on a tree, it does not disappear but grows with time."
One of the maxims, formulated during the reign of the bushi class, says: "You can live when it is right to live and die when you must die."
Honor obliges you to judge your own actions according to the maxim: "When others say badly about you, do not pay back with evil, but rather think about whether you could not perform your duties more conscientiously."
When the burden of offenses and the resulting disgrace became sufficiently great, the bushi decided to commit ritual suicide ( seppuku ) or tried to redeem his sins, e.g. by standing in the front line in the next battle. If the disgrace was also related to someone else's guilt, before killing himself, the bushi tried to perform an act of bloody revenge, known as kataki-uchi (as told in the famous story of 47 Ronin). This is also dealt with in the fragment from Hagakure: “A man named Takagi got into an argument with three of his village neighbors. He was knocked over in the middle of the field and beaten. [...] After dark, [the beaten wife's wife] changed her clothes as if to fight. »I just went out to see. The three of them are discussing something right now. Now is the right moment, so let's go! ”She stood in the front, lit a torch, tightened her short sword in her belt, and they headed towards their attackers. Two of them attacked them, two put them in place, and one wounded fled. But the husband was later ordered to commit seppuku. "
Honor to ancestors and traditions
Respect for ancestors is associated with shintō , the original Japanese religion. When wars did not involve such masses of troops as during the Sengoku period , it was customary for warriors to introduce themselves before battle and summarize their family history. Tradition was respected (customs were reluctantly changed) and heroes from the past (e.g. distinguished members of the family), who sometimes became shintō gods ( kami ).
Death
"I found the meaning of bushidō in death," writes Yamamoto Jōchō in his "Hagakure". She continues: “Every morning, every night you think about death, be aware of it constantly. Only then will bushidō give you freedom and for the rest of your life you will be able to fulfill your service reliably and without fault. "
The Bushi were brought up in contempt for death so that they could fulfill their vassal duties without hesitation. Beautiful dying was considered death in battle or suicide - seppuku . In "Hagakure" we can read the statement of an old man complaining: "Even if someone calls me to battle, I am too old to fight. Nevertheless, I would like to invade the crowd of enemies on horseback and fall in battle. Sorry to think I'll die so useless soon.
However, "uselessly" does not mean "not having achieved the goal." In Hagakure, such pragmatism is condemned and dubbed "the shallow philosophy of the capital's warriors," and the profit and loss calculations are cowardice. The author states: “Acting prudently and rationally will not accomplish great things. Only madness leads us to desperate deeds ”.
For the bushi, faithful to the Way, the most important thing was to die with honor, as illustrated in the next passage from Hagakure: “When Jin'emon Yamamoto was sick at the age of eighty, he admitted that he refrained from groaning. He was told: 'If you whine, it may be easier for you. Allow yourself to moan. «Jin'emon replied,» My name is known to all. All my life people have spoken of me as deserving of respect. So my complaints must not be heard at the end of my life. "And he did not utter a voice until the very end."
This example illustrates that in bushidō, honor is of paramount importance, which obliges to self-control until the end.
Money
Inazō Nitobe states: “The knights did not know how to farm. It boasted of its scarcity. Following Wenditiusz, he repeated that "ambition, the virtue of a soldier, takes the side of loss, and the profit only saddens him". Don Quixote was more proud of his rusty spear and skinny horse than of gold and estate, and in this respect the samurai has a warm affection for his companion in La Mancha.. He despises gold, its collecting and the art of earning. For him, it was indeed dirty pay. One of the rules says: "People should try as little as possible to accumulate money, wealth is an obstacle to wisdom." Therefore, children were brought up in complete contempt for material matters. Talking about them was considered bad manners, while not knowing the value of the various coins was a sign of good manners. "
In Daidōji Yūzan's "Young Samurai Codex" (1639–1730), the author writes that warriors in the Edo period of that time , when they expressed a wish to the daimyō as to their earnings, did not use quotas, but metaphors. For example, when they wanted to serve for 100 koku of rice (1 koku = approx. 180 l), they said they only wanted a rusty spear, while for 300 - a skinny horse, and for 500 - that they wanted an extra horse.
The bushi's disdain for money is also evidenced by the fact that after the Meiji restoration , when they received bonds in exchange for their property, a very small percentage of samurai could cope with finance.
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