Watch water trickle onto the huge stone beneath it. One drop does nothing, but many drops over time eliminates the rough edges and creates a concave area in the rock. Such is the power of patience.
Let Zen wear you smooth, like water dripping on rock.
Gutter Caveat Lapidum.
Dripping water hollows out the rock.
Satoru
That was Zen; this is now.
Justice & Morality
Justice is a behavior or treatment that is concerned for peace, and genuine respect for people. Justice unfortunately is totally dependent on the ability to afford a good lawyer. Morality has expanded its boundaries to the point that almost anything is acceptable under the correct circumstances. Although superficially, as a society we appear more tolerant, the moral center of our culture has shifted to bad faith, doublespeak and America for sale. But as a Zen advocate you carry your morality with you and your decisions must be based on, doing no harm, letting and helping people live free, and demanding justice. Just as the winners in every war rewrite history to conform to their image, so the powerful assert and move to impose their concept of justice and morality. This is not democracy, right, or Bushido. Move to alter unjust actions and self centered morality. Might makes right only until right is ready.
Complete Sincerity
Freedom from deceit, hypocrisy, or duplicity; probity in intention or in communicating; earnestness, truthfulness, integrity, openness, candor, and straightforwardness.
Honesty is a concept that in this society is an anathema. Every executive is “shocked” by his or her subordinate’s dishonesty. Every senator and congressman states they are innocent of the corruption charges, that they will fight the indictment, and want to spend more time with their family when they are fired or caught. Every despicable act of violence by a person or group insists that they have God on their side. Television advertising lies to us a thousand times a day and news shows are phony. How can you possibly develop a sense of honesty and sincerity? Just as you must keep your feet on the ground and reach for the moon, you must live in a world surrounded by assassins and try to be honest. First to your own self be true and then to others. Of course if you always tell the truth you never have to remember your lies, you can focus on other situations and your Zen life is better.
Polite Courtesy
In a society were aggression, independence, and autonomy, are rampant, courtesy appears to take a giant step backwards. I have found, especially in business, that most people do not understand that if they have a weak negotiating position, it is best to be totally courteous. If you have a contract that you have changed your mind about, don’t force the issue, compromise. If you were speeding and a law officer caught you and is about to give you a ticket, don’t be resigned or belligerent, bear your throat. But imagine the reaction of those who observe you when you display a caring attitude to those less fortunate, older, or disabled. It cost you nothing and you set an example of Zen action and the butterfly effect. If someone helps you and is courteous, it is todays Bushido to pass it on.
Compassion
If you have ever suffered then you realize that having compassion is a human trait that only those who are callus and uncaring can not afford. A friend said, “I can never trust anyone who never lost anything or anyone. They have not lived or suffered a lose so they are not mature.” A modern samurai in engaged in the world and cares deeply.
Heroic Courage
What would you die for? What do you live for? When a person took the occupation of Samurai, a highly skilled warrior and guard for the nobility of pre-industrialized Japan, the person gave up their human life and entered into death. Once becoming a Samurai, life, as they have known it ended, their physical death becomes irrelevant. They have accepted their own death, and fear of the actual moment ceases to exist. When you accept death, without fear, then you are free. The concept of ‘having plenty of time’ keeps us accepting mediocrity, and procrastinating. Perhaps you should refocus and take action. We as humans have some control over our perceptions, our beliefs, opinions, health, preferences, and intentions, this is where we must focus. It’s not about creating a bucket list, (I just changed the b to an f,) and ticking off items. What would you give up to be the change that would help the world? Have you ever thought of this scenario?
Cultural involvement
I assert that there is an eight principal of Bushido. Todays Samurai must also read, choose a side, and listen to music. How can this be an added principal? We must be part of the times we live in or else we are just cultural regresses. Relationships and connections to society allow us to evolve, grow and most significantly, change. Played out against a background of Zen meditation, participation assures a path toward spiritual and practical growth.
Satoru
These are the updated seven principles of modern Bushido to guide a millennium Samurai. Todays Samurai still fight with weapons. Modern day weapons give power to the weak and the strong indiscriminately. Because modern warfare and politics have taken the individuality out of combat, except for the armed forces, the Samurai of today fight with very different weapons, resources and battles. Today’s warriors fight with words, law, media, demonstrations, group and individual action, communication, and education. Although the principles are the same, because of the complexity of an evolving society, technology, and communication, the codes and accompanying philosophies have grown more multifaceted to encompass modern times and need to be expressed in more contemporary language.
Honor
Still, the first guiding and most outstanding principal is honor. Without honor there is no trust, integrity or scope. The first tenant of honor is, “A mans word is his bond,” Don’t say you are going to do something and not do it. This is dishonorable. Better yet, just do it since, Life is Action. Do not make promises. They erode relationships and business interactions if they are not fulfilled, and act as wedges to bonding. Honor is still defined as a code of behavior that defines the duties of an individual within a social group. Unfortunately many modern industries, politics, people and administrators are self-serving and only believe in money as a means to their end. But you, as an enlightened individual, can use your Zen centered existence to erode the power of those without honor by first being a good example. One bucket of sand at a time can build a hill. One cut at the armor of a nefariousness person can cause a tiny wound to grow and disable. This does not mean you cannot become successful. Quite the contrary, the more successful you are, the more you can help and demonstrate honor. The honorable person has integrity and is trusted. A person without honor is not grounded or centered and will never see the light.
Duty & Loyalty
Duty and loyalty have changed significantly because of the structure of modern day capitalism. Many are wage slaves and are dependent on salaries and an employer’s proclivity. Today you have to see yourself as the catalyst for success and take pride in developing and honing your skills. This loyalty brings with it a sense of duty derived from the continued development of your character, the core of who you are and your moral expectation. You are committed to duty, and the end result, but only if it is ethical. To do any less than your best would be to dishonor yourself. Loss of honor is the greatest failure of the warrior and directly violates Bushido.
But, your main duty now is to become healthier in your body and mind. Your loyalty is diminished toward a master or employee unless he is a teacher or leads by example. Even if you are a Rōnin, your loyalty is to the universal good of man and you can no longer be concerned with the petty whims or wishes of anyone in power.
A rōnin was a samurai with no lord or master during the feudal period (1185–1868) of Japan. A samurai became master less from the death or fall of his master, or the loss of his master’s favor. In modern Japanese usage, the term describes a salary man who is “between employers” or a graduate who has not yet been admitted to university.
The word rōnin literally means “wave man,” one who is socially adrift. It is an idiomatic expression that means “vagrant” or “wandering man”, someone without a home. According to the Bushido Shoshinshu (the Code of the Samurai), a samurai was supposed to commit seppuku (also “hara kiri”, ritual suicide) upon the loss of his master. One who chose not to honor the code was “on his own” and was meant to suffer great shame. The undesirability of rōnin status was mainly a discrimination imposed by other samurai and by daimyo, the feudal lords.
More on Modern Bushido in the next blog. Satoru
Bushido Principles Review
Bushido has seven main principles to guide a Samurai.
It was the code of the Samurai during the feudal period (1185–1868) of Japan.
My master had a secret that he did not talk about. After years and many questions he finally revealed that he had chosen the practical side of Buddhist transcendentalism, but incorporated Taoism naturalism, (The Way,) and wedded pragmatic Christianity, because he was Samurai.
As such he also lived by the code of bushido, the most outstanding being honor, the only canon to be written with two pictograph symbols. The principles are:
Honor (Meiyo)
This means that a samurai has a specific Code of Honor and an elevated moral code of the society. This is based not because of a consequence of power but upon moral or ethical excellence. The honorable person has integrity and is trusted. A person without honor is not grounded or centered and will never see the light.
Duty & Loyalty (Chu)
Difficult and easy support each other. High and low depend on each other. The warrior is responsible for their words, actions, and for those whom they work. They never avoid their duty and pursue the success of every venture. The best leader is loved, next, one who is feared.
Justice & Morality (GI)
Justice was supposed to be fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, and evenhandedness. But today, ”Justice is the advantage of the stronger.” Thrasymachus
Complete Sincerity (Makoto)
Sincerity is the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. “The sincerity of his beliefs is unquestionable” One must reflect that this was a time when old age was rare and a mans life was restricted to horseback miles. Your life was real only if your word was real.
The hard and stiff will be broken. The soft and supple will prevail.
Polite Courtesy (Rei)
You are a guest in the world. Streams flow to the sea because they are lower. Humility gives its power to the oceans.
Compassion (Jin)
Keep your heart as open as the sky. Enter a battle gravely, with sorrow and with great compassion for many will die.
Heroic Courage (Yu)
All things change. Hold on to nothing.
Satoru
Dear Satoru,
I am a Zen Buddhist. I live a moral, happy, reflexive, meditative life. I use the ancient Samurai Bushido credos as my guidelines. But of late I am having some difficulty dovetailing its principle’s into the standards of today’s world. Your serious site is always evocative and informing. Can you give me some insights into this problem?
I like to keep my blogs short and succinct. I do this because it allows the readers time to think about a specific idea. If the idea is valid and adaptable, a person can use it to change their life for the better. However, since I have been asked numerous times about this problem, and to aid in your inquiry, I will devote the next several blogs to elucidate this difficulty. I will start the next blog with an edited review of the principles of Bushido.
Satoru
A Way To Live – ZEN 