Have you ever wondered why the Star Wars epic moves us so deeply, even today, three decades after the release of its first episode? George Lucas deeply admired the films of Akira Kurosawa, especially his Seven Samurai. The Jedi Knights that inhabit the saga live a long time ago in a galaxy far away in a medieval, imperial society endowed with the ultimate in high-tech weapons and transport.
Americans and Europeans have been fascinated by Japanese civilization for well over a hundred years, as Japan, like France, is a supremely aesthetic culture that places its ultimate value on beauty and living in the moment.
Every aspect of life is turned into art, including religion and the martial arts. Naked power without grace is repulsive. Europeans in the Seventeenth Century came back from Japan deeply impressed with just how civilized the Japanese actually were.
What Is Bushido?
Bushido means the “way of the warrior.” It is far more than a set of commandments and restrictions. Bushido is a way of being in the world, of being fulfilled prepared to die at any moment, wholly committed to living life to its fullest every moment.
The Samurai class grew up with these principles from early childhood. It was very natural to them. They were there to protect the emperor and the Daimyo, the feudal lord. They were equally there, like knights in shining armor, to ensure justice to all the people.
Samurai considered their role a sacred honor, and were awarded two swords, and often a horse. One sword was to kill the enemy, but only if absolutely necessary. The other sword, the shorter one, was to perform seppuku, or harakiri, if they totally messed up and their honor was ruined. This act of disembowelment and decapitation was their guarantee of dying on their own terms.
You can experience the true way of the warrior through this track…
What Does Bushido Have to Say to Us Today?
We are moving into an era where global civilization is becoming more authoritarian, just like the age of the samurai, which officially ended in the mid-19th century. Governments around the world are moving to the right, as people crave security over freedom, in the wake of unprecedented terrorism, climate change and economic uncertainty.
When the cultural climate shifts, you need to adapt.
As the forces in the world shift, what you did previously to survive becomes less and less effective.
Recently, a macho attitude of getting your own way at all costs, with little or no respect to people unlike you is coming in vogue. It is easier and easier to confuse brute force with true power.
Bushido is a code of honor, a type of chivalry that places ultimate value in courage, compassion, integrity and wisdom.
When you are powerful, you don’t need to prove yourself. No need to brag. You’ve been there and done that, and found it is utterly empty.
Buddhism has had a revival in recent years, from Japan, Southeast Asia and Tibet. If you are all of it, you needn’t take your individual body and mind quite so seriously. It simply becomes something like your piece in the game of life, by which you move around the board.
Bushido: The Sevenfold Code of the Samurai
In the latter part of the Nineteenth Century, Nitobe Inazo wrote, Bushido: The Soul of Japan, a book that greatly impressed President Teddy Roosevelt, who bought dozens of copies to share with his family and friends. Nitobe glorified chivalry, with an emphasis upon compassion and benevolence over true force.
A knight and a gentleman doesn’t have to prove that he is a man, except through his attitude and actions. He has been condition to bow, even to his opponent, let alone his companions.
Seven Virtues of Bushido have been identified that distill the essence of this vision:
1. Gi: Integrity
Moral conduct is not an option. Right action, honesty in dealing with others and equity toward all people are fundamental to the role of a samurai.
2. Rei: Respect
Courtesy is the mark of a gentleman, even to his enemies, especially his enemies. With his enemies, the samurai wouldn’t be in business. Enlightened samurai learn from one another. They know that they have a job to do, and that the other person isn’t necessarily evil.
3. Yu: Unflinching Courage
Fear is transformed into everlasting vigilance with a readiness to act instantly. We are all due to die someday. Make the most of life while you still have it.
4. Meiyo: Honor
The Samurai is equally concerned with what he will think of himself as what others will think of him. He is a conspicuous role model. No passing the buck. He is always accountable. He lives and dies by his word.
5. Jin: Compassion
Putting yourself in the other person’s place is a virtue, not a weakness. As a Buddhist, he has taken a vow to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings. He wields a sword as much to prevent violence as to perpetuate it.
6. Makoto: Honesty and Total Sincerity
What you say and do must equate. No gap is acceptable. No “trying.” Words are sparse, because actions always speak louder. Tell the truth, as it is too hard to try and cover up your lies.
7. Chiu: Duty and Loyalty
The warrior must never betray his trust. He has sworn allegiance to his Daimyo, and must protect his lord’s interests at all costs. To do less is treason. He is a privileged servant of nobility, and he never takes his position for granted.
How to Use Bushido to Change Your Life
Integrity is the beginning of Bushido, to say what you mean, and mean what you say. As you become increasingly conscious of what you are saying, you will be less and less inclined to use swear words (unless you’re consciously trying to give your point an oomph). You will simply find a better way to say it. You will reduce your commitments to others until you gain confidence in your ability to execute them.
Related article: If I Showed My True Self, Would You Still Accept Me?
You will examine your relation to power, and remind yourself, as did the early American fathers, that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. When others use mere bluster and mask their fear with a false bravado, you can pray for them that they wake up sooner than later.
You can choose beauty wherever you find it. You can put grace in action by seeking out admirable traits in every other human being and carefully listening to him or her.
How to Use Bushido to Change Your World
The world is challenged as it never has been before, because so many of us have forgotten what is essential to life, that we shall not live by bread alone. We mistake symbols for power. We readily give our power away to others, mere human beings, forgetting that we are all inherently divine.
You can do what no machine or computer can ever do. You can show compassion and love toward others. You can take decisive action when necessary, even at great personal risk. You can choose to put others before yourself. Best of all, you can wake up to who truly you are, to your divine potential.
The greatest honor of all is to combat people’s self-defeating posture that they are powerless. You can empower everyone you meet by awakening them to their own divine potential. Like Siddhartha (Buddha), you can call forth their highest potential in this incarnation.
Like Buddha, you can wake up as Creator within your own creation.
Bushido: Grace in Action appeared first on http://consciousowl.com.
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