For
anyone who is looking to understand Japanese culture The Ways of the Samurai by
Carol Gaskin and Vince Hawkins
gives an intriguing look into the origin of the
shaping of the history of Japan.
It has been said that it is impossible to understand Japanese culture without
first understanding the sword. It can also be said that it is virtually
impossible to understand the Samurai without learning about their way of life.
The Ways of the Samurai uses both explanations of Bushido and historical
accounts of important Samurai battles to give an insight into the Samurai way
of life. The concept of Bushido to most is difficult to those unfamiliar with
the true purpose of the
martial arts. The reader is lead on a journey
beginning with the first Samurai through the height of their power to the renouncement of
firearms and the return to traditional ways. Beginning with the Cloud Cluster
Sword and the earliest origin of Bushido key insights are given into the
Samurai.
The Bushido was born of concepts of Shinto and Zen Buddhism and their power
greatly influenced the lives of the Samurai. The meditation techniques of Zen
Buddhism and the respect toward their ancestors learned from Shinto greatly
created a sense of duty that almost shames the modern soldier. The way of the
warrior was not just about actions in battle but throughout daily life. The
seven virtues of Bushido were: justice, courage, benevolence, politeness,
honesty, honor and loyalty. A Samurai would conduct himself the same in any
situation. Like the sword a Samurai was forged not poured from a mold and like
the sword the better the sword maker the better the sword.
The Samurai were not only taught the martial arts but also an appreciation of
the arts, etiquette, beauty and a reverence for nature. A Samurai was a man of
culture. Even daughters of the Samurai, although not formally educated, were
not forbidden from sitting in on lessons with their brothers. They were also
taught lessons in the martial arts, ran the estates of their husbands and sometimes
even went into battle with them.
The other side of the Samurai were the Ronin, the masterless Samurai, and their
sometimes hired guns, the Ninja. The Ronin, meaning wave man, would travel
around the countryside looking for work. Being freed from service from their
clan or lord engendered a fierce sense of independence. Some Ronin would
terrorize various villages while others were hired to protect and still others
might even give lessons in bujitsu, the art of war. The ninja on the other hand
were used for those tasks beneath an honorable Samurai. Theirs were the ways of
stealth, deception, espionage. They were the secret weapon of a Samurai
lord.
The Ways of the Samurai is a wonderful book to the Western reader for beginning
a proper study of budo, the martial arts, for they aren’t just a method of
fighting but a road to spirituality. The Samurai sought to master themselves
and seek inner peace. After all those who know others are wise, those who know
themselves are enlightened.