Code of Bushido - honor and life of the samurai. History of the Bushido Code

The Bushido Code is a set of rules of life that should ensure the following of the true path to the best members of society, custodians of honor and dignity. It has existed for more than a thousand years, but has not lost its value today.

The current and modern code of Bushido

The philosophy of the East draws the attention of the progressive part of our society not by chance. In the heyday of unscrupulousness and selfishness, market economy and competition, there is a longing for inner peace of mind, the desire to find support in life through solid, correct principles that can help not only an individual, but the whole society. In this regard, the Bushido code is most interesting. Despite the fact that it was created in the period of feudalism and met the needs of Japan of that historical period, its relevance is undoubted even today in the Land of the Rising Sun with its information technologies and progress. Of course, not all positions are accepted by contemporaries, but the main essence remains the defining feature of their society.

Philosophical fundamentals

The traditional medieval society in Japan was strictly structured. Each class had certain rights and duties, formed by tradition and fixed by state power. There are four categories of the population. Peasants, merchants, artisans and military aristocracy. It was for the latter that the Bushido code was created. The path of a samurai (a warrior in Japan) was determined by ethical ethical categories that would provide support to the shogun, to the gentleman. The existing vassal relations determined the existence of whole clans. At the head of it was the house of the gentleman, he was sworn to fidelity by the smaller feudal lords who received from the landowner the estates, and for this served faith and truth to the end of his life. The Bushido Code was based on the concept of duty as the defining category of Eastern philosophy in general, and in particular Confucianism, Buddhism and Shinto. The attitude to death and life was formed under the influence of the ideas of reincarnation and karma, loyalty to duty and honor - with direct reliance on the category of Confucian "noble husband", respect for the ancestors and power of the emperor - on the basis of Shinto traditions.

Body and spirit training

Western society is surprisingly pragmatic. The desire for comfort and getting rid of unnecessary suffering makes you think up new technical discoveries, medicines, but does not give a person peace or confidence in the future. Code of the samurai Bushido proclaims the unity of the three components that allow us to live and die with honor. Their acquisition requires intensive work on oneself, which itself denies the idea of comfort and ease. For the warrior, the training of the body is important. He must be strong, hardy, flexible, tempered, which will give him advantages in combat. But all this means little without technology. It is she, like a master carpenter, from a rough-hewn club, creates a delicate piece. Technology can always resist only force. But the most important element is the spirit. It is the inner spiritual force that determines the true warrior, braver, hero. He is not afraid of death, and therefore not limited in his courage and honor.

Noble man

The Bushido Code, of course, proclaims loyalty as the main virtue. But it should be noted that the accents in the past, and even more so now, are placed a little differently. The main quality of the true warrior was nobility, which was considered in following the voice of conscience and truth, justice. If the order of the gentleman demanded that the samurai renounce the truth, act against the inner understanding of virtue, his duty was to dissuade the seignior from the shameful deed. If he did not succeed, the true warrior could not afford to tarnish his honor with an unrighteous deed. But also to break the oath of allegiance also did not fit a noble man. The only way out was the ceremonial rite of suicide, which allowed worthy leave this world. Thus, the code of honor of the samurai - Bushido - demanded to follow justice and defend it at the cost of life itself.

Attitude towards death

The central theme of the worldview of the Japanese nobleman was the attitude to life and death. It was based on the recognition by eastern philosophers of the inevitability of death and its acceptance as a step towards a new, qualitative transition in the cycle of continuous rebirths. The code of the samurai Bushido prescribed spiritual and bodily practices aimed at daily reflections on the imminent demise. This, on the one hand, was to save us from the fear of death, on the other, it made us appreciate the time given to everyone. All idleness and incontinence were condemned and seen in the context of the temporality of human existence as a foolishness, which will surely turn up in the future. Leave this world with honor, as well as live: without fuss, deliberately, clearly. The absence of fear of death did not mean that life is sought and not appreciated, just the opposite. But since it is destined to perish, the real warrior will do it right. Europeans, who happened to be witnesses of the hara-kiri rite, were amazed at the coolness and courage of the Japanese. This is the result of daily practice and a special philosophy in which a real man is brought up from childhood. The only way to wash away the shame is to get the ceremonial knife and to stain it with your own blood.

The Four Commandments of a Samurai

The Bushido Code is life itself, so a true warrior knows exactly how to act in certain situations. But nevertheless in all doctrine it is possible to allocate some basic commandments of the soldier. First and foremost in social purpose is loyalty to its owner. This is the motive of life and actions. Never own advantage should not be above the interests of the master. The purpose of life is to be useful to the master. The second postulate is perfection. On the way of the samurai, everyone had to strive for primacy, which consists in the righteousness of actions, honor and nobility. The next is the attitude to the parents. The filial duty is sacred, it includes not only our usual care for parents, but also the upholding of family honor. Every act can bring fame or dishonor to the whole house. Being a worthy son of your parents is the strongest motive for improving yourself and choosing the right one in life. And another great commandment is the call to be compassionate and help people. These basic principles determined the path of the warrior in Japan. They are still quite relevant in this country.

Written sources

The written code of laws as such does not have the code of Bushido. Quotations, which are full of the Internet, do not always have to do with ancient reality. Many of them are modern reprocessings of the eastern parables and wisdoms in general, and the Buddhist canons in particular. In ancient Japan, all these moral rules existed a priori, reproduced by society. The philosophers of the East believed that by writing down thoughts, we close them in the prison of words, and they lose their reality and vitality. The main thing is not words, but the meaning, time and place of the ideas expressed, a visible example. Everything flows, everything is moving, an attempt to make static from the dynamics is detrimental to the main thing. But if you still have a desire to read the code of Bushido, then the greatest benefit and truthful reflection of the teachings can be found in the book "Collection of sayings of Master Hagakure." It is a collection of sayings of the samurai hermit, which his disciple recorded at the beginning of the eighteenth century. By the way, Khakagure ordered him to burn records, but he disobeyed the teacher, and after the latter began to distribute copies of the book. Here is your code of honor. Anyway, but thanks to this, we have a written source of bushido philosophy. Also of particular interest are the instructions for young samurai, authored by Daidoji Yuzan. His works were created in the same period, that is, at the beginning of the 18th century.

Hidden in foliage

Eleven books compose the collection of statements Hagakure - "Hidden in the foliage." Its name is very symbolic, because the truth is not exposed, but is hidden. Conversations speak about the value of duty, conscience, responsibility and justice. The life of a samurai is a preparation for a worthy death, which is the only sincerity in our feigned world. The author clearly distinguishes between a valiant and faithful service to the master and servitude, servility. A samurai footman is one who has lost his conscience and honor. Vassal relations must be filled with dignity from one side and the other. All life is built in a relationship, so the warrior shows goodness to others, especially to children and wife, appreciating her faithfulness and devotion to her husband just as the lord appreciates him. The path of the samurai is straight, there is no place for it even for small lies, laziness, betrayal or cowardice. The willingness to quickly make a decision is valued more than the long reflections and philosophizing that inevitably lead away from the right choice.

Some conclusions

So, bushido is not only military art, but also the moral path of the warrior, on which he must prepare for the inevitable death and accept it with honor. It is necessary to note the maximalist character of the Eastern teaching. But, maybe, this is exactly what is needed in our age of universal relativity and unprincipledness. The path of the samurai requires the renunciation of selfishness and continuous labor over oneself, the rejection of the search for benefits, the proclamation in the works of the principles of good and justice.