Samurai

** 1. **** Rectitude or Justice – **// is the strongest virtue of // Bushido. //A well-known samurai defines it this way: ‘Rectitude is one’s power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right, to strike when to strike is right.’ (relating to author’s suicide)// // 2. //** Courage – **// In his // Analects//, Confucius says: ‘Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of Courage.’ In short, ‘Courage is doing what is right.’// // 3. //** Benevolence or Mercy – **// Confucius and Mencius often said the highest requirement of a ruler of men is Benevolence. //  // 4. //** Politeness – **** (rooted in Benevolence) **// But Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. //  // 5. //** Honesty and Sincerity – ** Bushido //encouraged thrift, not for economical reasons so much as for the exercise of abstinence. Luxury was thought the greatest menace to manhood, and severe simplicity was required of the warrior class// 6.  ** Honor – **// characterized the // samurai. //He was born and bred to value the duties and privileges of his profession. Fear of disgrace hung like a sword over the head of every// samurai // 7. //** Loyalty – **// Loyalty to a superior was the most distinctive virtue of the feudal era. //  // 8. //** Character and Self-Control – (first objective) ** the difference between good and bad and between right and wrong are givens, not arguments subject to discussion or justification, and a man should know the difference. A //samurai was essentially a man of action.// // http://artofmanliness.com/2008/09/14/the-bushido-code-the-eight-virtues-of-the-samurai/ // // // The sword was the weapon of the samurai and a symbol of authority and thereby, forming a continuity of military and spiritual power in representing his attitude in life itself. The importance and significance of the sword to the warrior is the soul of the samurai. // //__ The Japanese Sword the Soul of the Samurai __//// –Gregory Irvine // For the Samurai warriors, their swords were constant companions in daily life and were also seen as a symbol of pride and prestige that the Samurai enjoyed in Japanese society. The Katana swords of the Samurai warrior were not just considered a weapon, but were also regarded as an extension of the pride, honor and ego of the Samurai. Many also feel that the very soul of the Japanese people is honorably represented in the beauty and quality of these unique swords. // http://www.bethey.net/Articles-03_16149.html // //** Seppuku (Hara-kiri, Belly Slitting)  **// // This act was reserved as an honorable way for a samurai to atone for wrongdoing, real or presumed. It was particularly painful form of death and was generally preceded by the writing of a valedictory poem. // //__ The Japanese Sword the Soul of the Samurai __//// –Gregory Irvine // Part of the samurai honor code, seppuku was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, as a form of capital punishment for samurai who have committed serious offenses, and for reasons that shamed them. // http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku // //** Origin  **// They started to play an important role in Japanese society from the 12th-century. Under the [|Tokugawa regime] (1600-1867), the samurai were the highest of the four social classes. They were the only people allowed to carry swords, although the long Tokugawa peace and their erudition meant that they mostly worked as bureaucrats in the administration, to a point where their military skills came to be doubted. http://www.jref.com/glossary/samurai.shtml //__ The Japanese Sword the Soul of the Samurai __//// –Gregory Irvine //
 * The Bushido Code **
 * (Katana) Sword of the Samurai ** //
 * Samurai in the Edo Period, they had to maintain their military standing even in times of peace. **