Bushido – the code of the samurai, the Japanese warriors and knights, is not unknown in our Western cultural circle. The code of chivalry, which served as a moral anchor for medieval Japanese warriors, attracts attention with its mystical beauty to those who seek higher human values.
Inazo Nitobe, the son of a samurai, a Japanese politician and teacher, diplomat, agricultural economist, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tried to demonstrate the virtues of a modern samurai – adaptability and exceptional learning ability, as well as appropriate research persistence in order to achieve an admirable depth of knowledge and understanding of Western cultural achievements while maintaining deep respect and loyalty to their own tradition. His life example can be an inspiration in the search for wisdom.
The book Bushido – the code of the samurai is a practical and suitable daily guide to living righteously. Nitobe states: Bu-shi-do literally means ‘the way of the warrior knight’ – a path that combines c skill-set, bile smatrane manje važnima. Bushido je naglašavao vrijednosti hrabrosti, odanosti, samoodricanja i poštivanja autoriteta. Ispravnost u moralnom djelovanju bila je smatrana ključnom, a samoostvarivanje kroz služenje drugima bilo je visoko cijenjeno. Ratnici su također bili podučavani umjetnosti ratovanja, vojnim strategijama i borbama, kako bi bili spremni za ispunjenje svoje dužnosti. Nositelji bushido kodeksa smatrani su vrhunskim vojnicima i liderima koji su se isticali svojom hrabrošću i moralnom integritetom. Other pursuits remained in the shadow.
The main goal of their education was the determination of character. People whose minds were filled only with information did not have great admirers. Of the three useful consequences of learning mentioned by Bacon – pleasure, pride, and ability – Bushido gives preference to the latter, whose application is reflected in “judging and arranging tasks”. Education was always carried out with some practical goal, whether it was in the management of public affairs or in the practice of self-control. “Learning without thinking,” said Confucius, “is useless; thinking without learning is dangerous.”
The following are some quotes that vividly illustrate the pože… Lines of high-quality characters nurtured in this magnificent warrior tradition:
1 The book “Inazo Nitobe’s Bushido – the Soul of Japan,” translated as “Bushido – the Samurai Code,” was originally written and published in English in 1900 and translated into Japanese in 1908. During the past century, the book has gone through over a hundred editions and has been translated into dozens of languages. Former US President Theodore Roosevelt was reportedly so impressed by the book that he bought 60 copies and distributed them to friends and family. Nitobe’s book only became popular in Japan from 1985 onwards when his portrait was put on the 5000 yen note.
2 “Noblesse oblige” (nobility obliges) is a French expression which implies that belonging to the nobility or upper class with privileges carries far more responsibilities and obligations towards others. This refers to standards of proper behavior, how one treats people, and refraining from activities that are deemed marginalize them as unworthy. It is associated with the concept of a knight and a lady.