Virtues of the Samurai Code

Virtues of the Samurai Code

There are 10 virtues of the samurai that make up a code of behavior. This code was called the Bushido Code of the samurai and was influenced by the religion of Zen Buddhism and the works from Confucius.

The code of the Japanese Samurai stems from a 1,000-year-old belief called the bushido code. Passed down through generations of noblemen, this code is practiced today in modern times. The nobles of the samurai class would view the bushido code as a mixture of fierce behavior with a lace of spiritual serenity through teachings of Zen Buddhism and Confucianism.  The bushido code would combine martial arts mastery with loyalty, honor, frugality, and the fundamental, or distinctive character of a social complexity. This stressed from an expressed attitude of habits and beliefs. This cherished culture of the bushido code is in today’s Japanese society.

The humble beginning of the bushido code goes farther back in history than the time they were written down by Yamagei Yoko, a 1685 scholar in Japan.  Before the codes became a codified collection of laws, the bushido codes were dictums handed down traditionally to families of well-known warriors and to others of the warrior class.  When Yamagei Yoko created the way of the samurai, he offered the 10 virtues as principles used as a guide for people to use them in his or her daily lives. 

The 10 Principles of Bushido

1. Loyalty or Chugi in the Japanese language is the foundation of the samurai. Samurai are loyal to their Daimyo or overload only and swear loyalty to no other person.  Samurai never had to explain their actions to anyone except his overlord and lived by a different set of rules than other populace in Japan. 
2. Honor translated to Meiyo is the way of samurai’s word. When a samurai was dishonored, he was expected to gain his honor back by committing seppuku, which is a way of suicide. This ritual suicide is achieved by having a public viewing of the samurai slicing his midsection open and letting his innards drain from his body. This is the ultimate illustration of devotion to the bushido code.
3. Bravery or Yu is the absence of fear in the line of battle. In history, self-sacrifice was not unheard of for the samurai. The samurai put his personal needs last and would consider the group before individual gain. This act was not unheard of for the samurai to sacrifice himself if he thought it would make a difference for his clan or the success of the battle.
4. The respect or Rei is gained by bravery and the intense respect for tradition is established by the order of things. One leniency was the right to execute whoever did not show respect to the samurai class. Anyone failing to show respect was executed on the spot even if it were because the commoner didn’t bow to the samurai in their presence.
5. Compassion, the jin of the samurai is the combination of spirituality and bushido. The spirituality of the Zen teachings by Confucius dictates that no individual is perceived more important than another.  The compassion exhibited to others in ancient history was expected of everyone even the strongest samurai.
6. Makoto or honesty comes from the samurai’s word. This verbal bond was never artificial and if it were a dishonest act the samurai would be stripped of his status as a warrior or worse removed from service to his lord.  This disgrace was too serious of a risk to gamble. Dishonesty could end in possible death by seppuku or the cast-out individual would wander with no status and rank.
7. Gi was the samurai’s morality and goodness.  A samurai would sooner die a gruesome death than to be immoral. Humility is still highly ranked as a samurai trait in the Asian culture. This strong moral character would be portrayed in actions as well as words in judgment.
8. Self-awareness or Chi is the wisdom to see the ability of one’s-self and to understand solutions to the samurai’s personal dilemmas.  Chi is a clear perception of insight.
9. Reverence is the Ko the samurai had toward his parents. The love and respect of the samurai’s parents and ancestors was unwavering. Many times the samurai would support his parents by providing a residence in his home for them.
10. Caring for the elderly did not stop at the samurai’s parents. The tei or caring for the elderly was believed to be an honor.  The samurai believed that this act of respect and caring was the ultimate reward in life, and this virtue of the bushido code was just as important as the other nine virtues.

The way of the warrior has been followed for generations and is still followed today.  This bushido code is the way of the samurai and is an act of character through chivalry.  Life lessons can be either black and white, but this simple code can be followed where the balance will prevail.  As mentioned earlier, the samurai’s codes of virtues stress loyalty, frugality, honor, mastery of the martial arts, and humility until death. These influences are tempered by wisdom and can create a harmonious existence in today’s society.  Learning this philosophy can assist one in gaining principles of the samurai by using this unwritten and unuttered behavior in an everyday routine.  Only by routine will the individual find peace and tranquility in life.

Patrick Tremblay