Where Does the Concept of Bushido Come From? The word "Bushido" is made from the combination of two words: "bushi," meaning "warrior," and "do," meaning "way.
" Many people simplify this as "the way of the warrior, though this is an oversimplification.
It is sometimes hard for modern Westerners to understand the concept.
It can be thought of, though not summed up as, a way to preserve peace by judicious use of force.
The Bushido Ethic was apparently not even written down until the mid-20th century, when Yamaga Soko wrote it down in 1965.
Before that, it was an unwritten code and was based on some of the "house codes" of feudal lords.
Bushido culture is attributed to the ascent of the Samurai.
In the 1908 book Bushido: Soul of Japan, written by I.
Nitobe, the author states that Japan owed her very essence to the samurai, who were "not only the flower of the nation, but its root as well.
" Though the samurai set themselves apart from the population, they were moral standard bearers who guided by example.
What Were the Cultural Influences on Bushido? Clearly, the samurai were a direct influence on the development of Bushido and its effects on Japanese culture.
The samurai carries two swords: a katana and a wakizashi, a smaller weapon used to decapitate enemies and to carry out the ritual suicide called seppuku.
Samurai would perform seppuku if they believed they had disgraced their house.
Sometimes this took the form of an active search for death through battle and sometimes suicide.
It was a legal, institutional, and ceremonial act that was an invention of the middle ages.
Through seppuku, warriors could escape from disgrace and atone for their errors.
Nitobe called it "refinement of self-destruction.
" Bushido was also influenced by Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism.
Zen, in particular, repudiates the concept of attachment and emphasizes avoidance of lingering on anything.
In other words, Zen emphasizes eliminating the attachment to desire, because desire is what causes suffering.
This concept had its equivalent on the battlefield too, in that lingering with one's sword could easily cause a warrior's downfall.
Confucianism's influence can be seen in the standard of ethics of samurai in their daily lives.
Confucianism and Shintoism, with their concept of filial piety influenced the Bushido code of devoutness and the necessity of duty, even to the point of death.
As far as human influences on Bushido, Miyamoto Musashi is perhaps the most important.
He wrote The Book of the Five Rings on the Japanese way of the sword, offering guidelines to warriors for using the sword correctly and prevailing in battle.
Though little is known about Musashi, legend has it that he remained undefeated in battle his entire life.
What does Bushido Mean Today? The term Bushido can seem incomprehensible in a society in which failure usually prompts people to apologize and say that they will do better the next time.
Bushido, on the other hand, requires that a person take his or her own life after committing some serious breach of conduct.
Bushido is closely associated with six other Japanese virtues, including Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty.
In modern Western culture, Bushido is used as a name for mixed martial arts competitions, which makes sense in light of the concept of "the way of the warrior.
" In post-World War II Japan, business families became the new keepers of the Bushido Code, with loyalty to the company becoming a major modern value in Japan.
It is still not uncommon for highly placed Japanese officials and executives to resign their positions of prominence when caught in unethical or corrupt behavior.
While highly placed Westerners sometimes do the same, they tend not to acknowledge blame, but rather hint at new priorities, such as the popular statement of "wanting to spend more time with family.
" That is not Bushido.
Bushido sets high ethical standards and publicly acknowledges mistakes as a point of honor.
In this sense, it seems that many Westerners could use some grounding in the Bushido concept of "the way of the warrior.
"
" Many people simplify this as "the way of the warrior, though this is an oversimplification.
It is sometimes hard for modern Westerners to understand the concept.
It can be thought of, though not summed up as, a way to preserve peace by judicious use of force.
The Bushido Ethic was apparently not even written down until the mid-20th century, when Yamaga Soko wrote it down in 1965.
Before that, it was an unwritten code and was based on some of the "house codes" of feudal lords.
Bushido culture is attributed to the ascent of the Samurai.
In the 1908 book Bushido: Soul of Japan, written by I.
Nitobe, the author states that Japan owed her very essence to the samurai, who were "not only the flower of the nation, but its root as well.
" Though the samurai set themselves apart from the population, they were moral standard bearers who guided by example.
What Were the Cultural Influences on Bushido? Clearly, the samurai were a direct influence on the development of Bushido and its effects on Japanese culture.
The samurai carries two swords: a katana and a wakizashi, a smaller weapon used to decapitate enemies and to carry out the ritual suicide called seppuku.
Samurai would perform seppuku if they believed they had disgraced their house.
Sometimes this took the form of an active search for death through battle and sometimes suicide.
It was a legal, institutional, and ceremonial act that was an invention of the middle ages.
Through seppuku, warriors could escape from disgrace and atone for their errors.
Nitobe called it "refinement of self-destruction.
" Bushido was also influenced by Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, Shintoism, and Confucianism.
Zen, in particular, repudiates the concept of attachment and emphasizes avoidance of lingering on anything.
In other words, Zen emphasizes eliminating the attachment to desire, because desire is what causes suffering.
This concept had its equivalent on the battlefield too, in that lingering with one's sword could easily cause a warrior's downfall.
Confucianism's influence can be seen in the standard of ethics of samurai in their daily lives.
Confucianism and Shintoism, with their concept of filial piety influenced the Bushido code of devoutness and the necessity of duty, even to the point of death.
As far as human influences on Bushido, Miyamoto Musashi is perhaps the most important.
He wrote The Book of the Five Rings on the Japanese way of the sword, offering guidelines to warriors for using the sword correctly and prevailing in battle.
Though little is known about Musashi, legend has it that he remained undefeated in battle his entire life.
What does Bushido Mean Today? The term Bushido can seem incomprehensible in a society in which failure usually prompts people to apologize and say that they will do better the next time.
Bushido, on the other hand, requires that a person take his or her own life after committing some serious breach of conduct.
Bushido is closely associated with six other Japanese virtues, including Rectitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honor, and Loyalty.
In modern Western culture, Bushido is used as a name for mixed martial arts competitions, which makes sense in light of the concept of "the way of the warrior.
" In post-World War II Japan, business families became the new keepers of the Bushido Code, with loyalty to the company becoming a major modern value in Japan.
It is still not uncommon for highly placed Japanese officials and executives to resign their positions of prominence when caught in unethical or corrupt behavior.
While highly placed Westerners sometimes do the same, they tend not to acknowledge blame, but rather hint at new priorities, such as the popular statement of "wanting to spend more time with family.
" That is not Bushido.
Bushido sets high ethical standards and publicly acknowledges mistakes as a point of honor.
In this sense, it seems that many Westerners could use some grounding in the Bushido concept of "the way of the warrior.
"