Bushido

66Mustang
66Mustang Online Community Member Posts: 15,309 Championing
in Coffee lounge

I like Japanese culture and thought it would be worth sharing something I found interesting: the concept of Bushido

Bushidō (武士道) literally means “the way of the warrior” and was developed over several hundred years. While it was developed during constant warfare there is emphasis on inner discipline, and how the ultimate adversary is oneself – namely your own fear or doubt or impulse when faced with adversity, as opposed to the external opponent or situation

If you imagine it was developed alongside war it’s extremely cross-compatible with today’s world, and any kind of “battle”, i.e. with disability or other struggles (physical or not) handed out to you by society

It's often spread into seven categories:

1. Rectitude: doing what is right (Gi)

• Do what is right, not what is convenient
• Clarity… pausing, thinking, and responding in ways you can feel at peace with

2. Courage: moving forward despite fear (Yū)

• Courage is not fearlessness
• It is the decision to take forward steps, even when things feel uncertain
• Honesty about your own vulnerabilities

3. Benevolence: compassion an kindness (Jin)

• Being gentle, supportive, and understanding is a form of courage
• Strength is measured by compassion. Use it to protect and support, not to dominate.

4. Respect: honour for self and others (Rei)

• Acknowledge the dignity in every person… including yourself
• Treat others, and yourself, with dignity
• Calm communication, patience and healthy boundaries, even in moments of tension

5. Honesty: truthfulness and sincerity (Makoto)

• Authenticity, clear communication, and being true to what matters to you
• Speaking and doing are the same; your words should mirror your intentions and values

6. Honour: living by your principles (Meiyo)

• Act in ways that feel meaningful and consistent with your character
• Hold yourself accountable to your own morals
• Integrity, not perfection

7. Loyalty: commitment and reliability (Chūgi)

• To people you care about, your commitments, and your own wellbeing
• Be reliable and consistent in your loyalties, do not be fickle

Comments

  • Chris75_
    Chris75_ Online Community Member Posts: 3,901 Championing

    Bushido? Is that not what we hear when a politician starts talking?

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 7,163 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    That's really interesting @66Mustang, thanks for sharing! I've heard of Bushido before but I wasn't sure what it meant. This seems like a great way to look at things and could definitely be applied to other 'battles' as you say.

    I love the idea that courage isn't fearlessness - the fact that you can be scared of doing something and yet brave taking steps to face it. I'll have to read up on it some more, there's a lot I don't know about Eastern practice but so much of it is fascinating.

  • Amaya_Ringo
    Amaya_Ringo Online Community Member Posts: 409 Championing

    The history of bushidou is actually pretty complicated. It's a relatively modern concept, its not really built from years of warrior behaviour or tradition. It gained popularity in the Taishou period, and there are lots of accounts of it being used alongside tailored examples of historic warriors, to encourage young Japanese men to go to war and fight. Bushidou also underpinned Japan's conduct in the Pacific War, so for me it's an uncomfortable concept.

    In that sense, it was maybe constructed in advance of/preparation for war, but I don't think that's the same thing. The kind of war it maybe evolved around were wars like the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese war, the latter of which contributed heavily to Japan's colonial ambitions.

    While they did dig up old stories of warriors from mediaeval tales and records, those stories were tailored to the twentieth century need. There are a lot of examples of this in pre-war literature - for example, after the death of General Nogi, there were many articles connecting him to a particularly celebrated twelfth century warrior.

    There's a romanticised idea about the warriors of old Japan, but in reality it was a competitive world based on personal glory and the name and reputation of your family. Warriors are celebrated for lying, cheating, deceiving others to win a prize or secure glory for their side. Leaving a good story for your descendents is valued more than anything - it is considered better to die violently than live a long and worthless life. There are frequent examples of warriors burning down villages in order to create space for a battle, leaving ordinary people homeless. If you go back into primary source material, it's possible to prove that some warriors celebrated today as Japanese heroes actually instigated conflicts to invade neighbouring territories and take political control.

    The values you listed are good ones, but they come on the back of a messy and complicated past, and the connitations are not all as positive as they appear.

    Old Japan is super interesting - but definitely not the birthplace of bushidou. :)

  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Online Community Member Posts: 15,309 Championing

    @Amaya_Ringo

    That’s all true, I assumed it goes without saying - I don’t think anyone really supports the Japanese conduct during the 20th Century

    It’s the concept that I think is worthy of attention, not the circumstances in which it was exploited. I think it’s possible to detach the two from each other and be able to appreciate one, without allowing one’s prejudice to form unnecessary associations

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