Bushido

This is a short attempt, to give some content to the word
Bushido, which is used with much lightness and easiness,

when one talks about, Japanese Arts of Budo. I believe

that, we should understand the philosophical concept,

but take into consideration, the times in which we live...

today.
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Sensei Alex DaCosta

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Bushido

= Way of the Warrior Kamakura (Shogun) 1192 =

Warrior principals of the Minamoto Clan

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The three eras of Bushido
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1 = Kyuba No Michi = (Way of the arch and of chevalery)

it begins in the period of the Taira - Minamoto rivalry

XI - XV _ 1600.
2 = Reformed Bushido = Tokugawa (Shogun)
1603 - XVII.

3 = Modern Bushido = Restoration of the Imperial regime in

the beginning of the Meiji Era (1868). Bushido becomes popular

for the book " Bushido to soul of Japan " of Nitobe (1899).
One treats the Bushido as the result (name that was gaven much

later) of a long inheritance of precepts, Shintoists, Buddhists,
Confucionists, Nationalists, Chinese or diverted from the

severe customs of a rural people, where there was , the

reverence, for ancestors, the obedience to a Sovereign, the trial

of the spirit, the patience, the resignation to the inevitable and

to scorn for death. In spite of all the influences, Bushido

is the expression of the Japanese pure and hard character.
Giri=Duty, Correction, Rectitude. Budo Shoshin
Shu = Elementary Readings on Bushido. Daidoji Yuzan

(1639-1730). Buke Sho Hatto = Tokugawa Ieyasu (Shogun)

codification of Samurai Ethic . Koyo Gunkan XVII = Kosaka

Danjo Nabumasa e Obata Kagenori (1572-1662). It takes, as

model, Takeda Shingen, of Kaishu island (unbeaten) .

The main ideia of the Gunkan, is " that any begun battle, has

to be own ". Hagakure 1716 = Hidden under under the leaves =

Yamamoto Tsunetomo ( Saga clan) = Kyushu.

HAGAKURE = The death is the central subject =

It comes to the conclusion of which, Bushido means the

death. When it is needed to chose between life and death,

what matters is, to be able to choose without hesitation,

without weighing, the pros and cons, in infinite indecisions. It is

necessary, to be able to decide simply and ... to act. The idea,

according to which it is absurd to die, before the proposed

objectives have been reached , it is despicable and frivolous,
characteristics of those persons from Kyoto and Osaka.
That we all, would prefer life over death, it is an undeniable

fact and therefore, so many people believe that, what we

prefer, is what is just. In fact, he who cannot live assisting the

defeat of his ambitions, he is a "whiner". It is unnecessary to

think, that we would not be able to die, leaving objectives

to be carryied out. It is false, it is not a shame . It is there

and only there, that passes the true Way of Bushido . If

the Samurai practices the introspection and to autocriticism,

at every moment, and if on the other hand, he is disposed

to abandon life, when and where it is necessary, he will be

perfect, in all the Martial Arts and it will live, a life pure as

a diamond.

CONCLUSION = Between two solutions : life or death, it is

always worth choosing death. Between an expressed love

and a secret love, it is better, to choose to be concealed and

choose the secret love.

SEPPUKU (hara-kiri) = Ritual of suicide by opening of the

belly. Opposite to the normal current of Shinto, who sees

death, like something very unpleasant. But the rules of the

Bushido : despise death, total submission and loyalty to

a Feudal Lord, when allied to the idea of the Hagakure, that

made Seppuku become a common ritual among the Samurai

class . Buddhism accentuated equally, the foundation of this

custom of personal immolation as " sign of loyalty ".
The Seppuku was effectuated :
1 = To release oneself from a mistake or fault ;
2 = When the Lord died, to show him loyalty ;
3 = To show one´s displeasure on any decision or

attitude, in this case the Seppuku, was effectuated in front of

the Lord´s front door . Example of this, was in 1945 after the

Surrender of Japan to the Allies, numerous hight personalities,

committed Seppuku in front of the Imperial Palace. This ritual

was very rarely approved by the Great Masters. In 1663 the

Bafuku (feudal government) forbid the Seppuku, and it imposes

very heavy santions on the familie of the suicide,

withdrawl of all the belongings and the fault would fall on the

children, (the men would be condemned to Seppuku and the

women would be banished).
In 1882 a complement to the Edict of the Seppuku, will prohibit
totally the practice of this ritual. The last two famous suicides

were, general Nogi and his wife, during the funeral ceremonies

of the Emperor Meiji. The most recent , was that of the writer

Mishima Yukio, in protest against the evolution or for the

direction that the evolution of the Japanese took . The Seppuku

was a punishment of the Emperor, as in 1868 in Kobe, for the

soldiers, commanded by Samurai, that fired on foreigners in

the port of Kobe.

SAMURAI = officially the Samurais appeared in the Heian Era

(794-1192). When the Fujiwara family , "took" the functions of

1st Minister and the insecurity reigned in all Japan, even in

Heian Kyo (Kyoto), it is then that the chiefs of clans, owners of

lands and farms, employed people for " protection ", so Samurai

appeared , (word that means " to feel beside ").
Two great rival families, distinguished at this time, the Taira

and the Minamoto. Yoritomo Minamoto destroyed the Taira,

in the celebrated naval battle of Dan No Ura (1185).

ANCIENT BUSHIDO = Kamakura Era (1192-1333)
Yoritomo Minamoto, reorganizes Japan and reinforces
" Kyuba No Michi ". The capital. is Heian Kyo, and the Zen is

introduced to reinforce the moral principals of the Samurai, it

is introduced then, the strict obedience to Feudal Lords.

Mongol Invasions = 1274 and 1281.

Mongols, Koreans and Chinese try to invade Kyushu the island

South of Japan , but they sudenly went away, after losing

around 13.500 men, in a sea storm. The Japanese built then,

defenses along the sea coast, walls of 2.10m of height for 2.80m

of thickness. In 1281 again in Kyushu, two immense fleets

appeared one of 50.000 and another one of 100.000 men. The

battle lasted forty nine days. The Mongols would have won

again, but a Typhoon, destroyed their armys in two days .

The Typhoon was called : " Kamikaze " in other words ,

"God of the Wind" . Japan maintained a close vigilance, held tight

up to 1320. After the death of Kubalai in 1294 the Mongols

abandond the idea of conquering Japan.
Muromachi Era = (1336-1574) period of anarchy due to the

ruling of the Ashikaga clan . During fifty years, up to 1392,

Japan will have two Emperors : one to North, imposed by the

Shogun and another to the South, considered the oficial one. In

1392 Kyoto, was destroyed, due to the war between clans and

families. 1574 sees the appearance of three dictators:

Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. All of

modest origin , up to that time, all of the great figures, were

of noble origin. It was especially Hideyoshi that fixed the rural

people to the fields and imposed extemely hard laws .

REFORMED BUSHIDO = A blend of Conficiunismo and Zen,

began with the Tokugawa Shogun in 1603. This government

lasts 264 years and it is basicly a Samurai government .

It is the Edo Era (1603-1868) period of peace, in which the

Samurai had the right over life and death, over anyone of

inferior class.

Due to the peacefull times, many Samurai became farmers,

craftsmen or Ronin (Samurai without a Lord) or " Samurai

without a job " and many became military officers .
The Ancient Bushido, was already, not corresponding to the

new realities. The famous monk Zen Takuan (1573-1645)

explains Bushido, from Zen´s point of view ; many authors

write Confucionist versions. The Tokugawa Era sees the start

of the repression over foreigners: Englishmen, French,

Americans, Portugueses, Spaniards and Russians

who were trying to establish commercial relations with Japan

and they where confronted with an absolute opposition. 1854

Comodore Perry, in command of a strong fleet, will impose a

heavy defeat, and took Japan to sign a treaty, that included

most of Western nations, and finished the long period of

isolation. So suddenly Japan takes conscience of his retard,

(200 years), in relation to the Western countries.

In 1868 (Shogun XV) the Shogun returns the political power

to the Emperor. Between 1803 and 1867 , there would exist ,

between 450.000 and 500.000 Samurai.

MODERN BUSHIDO = 1868 marks the end of Shogun Era, in

1870 the Emperor Meiji, abolishes feudalism formally ; 1872

the Samurai, are obliged to stop wearing their traditional hairdo;

1875 carring the sword, is prohibited and it´s teaching as well .

Saigo Takamori revolts, with 42.000 warriors, but it was

defeated by 60.000 soldiers of the government, in 1877.

Bushido, keeps on being the fundamental aspect of the great

business, the economical competition was driven by a small

number of men that pass the interests of the " Great Japan "

above particular interests. The Bushido is the unwritten law

of Japan, the Japanese mentality are still strongly impregnated,

so the change is very dificult. The society is established, upon

the idea of blind loyalty and interdependence.
The unity of the family is still very strong. The diffusion
of Buddhism and Confucionism, is the deep sense of the Shinto

Spirit itself, and it reinforces this state of mind .

The " Great Japan ", led to what we know as :

Japanese Militarism .

.........