Let’s travel today to Japan of the Samurai, let’s walk the path that these warriors had in their strict code of honor and that continues to fascinate us so much today. In Super curious We have already spoken to you on some occasions about their laws and their honorable sense of value and loyalty, the same one that, if they were not followed as their rules established, forced them to practice seppuku, that ritual suicide that was based, as you already know, in opening the abdomen through a horizontal cut.
The Bushido code is something very well known within Japanese tradition, we could translate it as «The warrior’s path», those rules that Samurai They established not only for themselves, but for every man who is at the service of another and who, to serve him, does not even hesitate to offer his life if necessary. Bushido is a gift to reflection nurtured directly from the Confucianism, Buddhism or Shintoism. It is a way of educating good, humble and principled men and women.
The Bushido code: the 7 virtues of the Samurai
Today in our space we invite you to reflect on the 7 virtues of the Samurai.
Gi – justice (the art of making the right decisions)
You may think that justice is that compendium that men establish among themselves and that marks what is moral, respectful or acceptable in a society. However, for Bushido, one’s own justice must emanate from oneself, because every good Samurai knows what is right and what is not. What is noble and what is not.
Yu – Courage
Be brave above those who choose stillness and fear. To live fully you have to take risks and be heroic, but always maintaining balance and reason, since above heroism is always being cautious, being prudent. A heart without reins makes us fall into the precipice of recklessness.
Jin – Be benevolent
The Samurai is a powerful warrior who, in turn, knows how to be humble. He is at the service of the weak because he is strong and because he seeks the good of all, he respects, practices benevolence and his heart is always compassionate towards those who deserve it.
Rei – Knowing how to show respect
You may think that the Samurai, being a warrior of the arts of war, combat and the battlefield, is a soul accustomed to cruelty. Absolutely.
The samurai is not only benevolent, but also He knows how to show courtesy inside and outside of battle. Since their figures are key in times of crisis and in days of trouble and darkness, the Samurai will always know how to show respect above all things.
Makoto – The virtue of sincerity
Few men know how to be sincere and use their word, as if it were part of their blood and their breath, because if the Samurai promises something, he will keep it even if it puts his life at risk. He will not hesitate for a moment to keep his word and do use of sincerity, respect and integrity as the main pillars that nourish your spirit.
Meiyo – The sense of honor
Is there perhaps a virtue more noble and respectable than honor? To say Samurai is to say honor, they are the most classic reflection of their own code, since if at any time they fail to comply with what was ordered to them, or show themselves inappropriate according to their code, they will be their own judges and their own executioners. . They will not hesitate to take their own lives through Seppuku or ritual suicide.
Chuugi – Loyalty
The samurai is the example of loyalty. Those whom he serves, whom he protects or whom he defends, become the second skin of his soul and his heart, and will be faithful to them even the most extreme of circumstances, without ever hesitation.
What do you think about the 7 virtues of Japanese Bushido? Do you think they could be applied to our current times?