User talk:Celedril

Japanese Dictionary definition of Bushido

According to the Japanese dictionary Shogakukan Kokugo Daijiten, "Bushidō is defined as a unique philosophy (ronri) that spread through the warrior class from the Muromachi (chusei) period."

Shogakukan Kokugo Daijiten is the largest Japanese Dictionary. Someone kept removing this definition from the Bushido page so they could claim it developed in the Tokugawa (Edo) era. That is blatant revisionism.

Historian VS Real Samurai

To the poster in #7. Some historian in Los Angeles saw this in Japan Times website a few years ago....

Historian VS Real Samurai

The real Samurai said that they beleived in Loyalty to the death, honor and duty to one master from the 13th century onward. All of the Edo period publications seem tame by comparison. Kato came from a commoner's background and 2 of the other lords rose up from a low position. These are valid examples

WHEN RESEARCHERS DREDGED UP THE REMAINS OF THE MONGOL FLEET, THEY FOUND UNEXPLODED BOMBS--SOMETHING CONLAN SAID WERE PHONY OR LATER ADDITIONS TO THE MONGOL INVASION SCROLLS. HECK, EVEN I WOULD NEVER MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE SCROLLS.......

http://www.archaeology.org/0301/etc/kamikaze.html

Volume 56 Number 1, January/February 2003 RELICS OF THE KAMIKAZE Excavations off Japan's coast are uncovering Kublai Khan's ill-fated invasion fleet. BY JAMES P. DELGADO

"In his recent book In Little Need of Divine Intervention, which analyzes two Japanese scrolls that depict the Mongol invasion, Bowdoin College historian Thomas Conlan suggests that a scene showing a samurai falling from his horse as a bomb explodes over him was a later addition. Conlan's research masterfully refutes many of the traditional myths and commonly held perceptions of the invasion, downplaying the number of ships and troops involved and arguing that it was not the storms but the Japanese defenders ashore, as well as confusion and a lack of coordination, that thwarted the khan's two invasions. But his suggestion that the exploding bomb is an anachronism has now been demolished by solid archaeological evidence. Moreover, when the Japanese x-rayed two intact bombs, they found that one was filled just with gunpowder while the other was packed with gunpowder and more than a dozen square pieces of iron shrapnel intended to cut down the enemy. "

http://www.collegenews.org/x2957.xml

The Truth about Samurai: It’s Unlikely Tom Cruise’s Film Will Get it Right, Says Bowdoin Professor

CONLAN:

In a time of peace, with a stable government, and no more land rights, the Samurai needed to justify their existence. They began promoting that "the way of the Samurai was death," and exaggerating their sense of honor and loyalty. They also encouraged the idea that suicide was an ideal of the warrior, but even in the 17th century, suicides were often pragmatically motivated: If a warrior was executed, his material possessions were not passed on to his heirs. If he killed himself prior to execution, however, his possessions went to his heirs, so some made that choice to protect inheritance rights.

THE REALITY:

One should put forth great effort in matters of learning. One should read books concerning military matters, and direct his attention exclusively to the virtues of loyalty and filial piety

The practice of Noh Drama is absolutely forbidden. When one unsheathes his sword, he has cutting a person down on his mind. Thus, as all things are born from being placed in one’s heart, a samurai who practices dancing, which is outside of the martial arts, should be ordered to commit seppuku. -KATO KIYOMASA

THE REALITY:

No matter whether a person belongs to the upper or lower ranks, if he has not put his life on the line at least once he has cause for shame. "Bushido is in being crazy to die. Fifty or more could not kill one such a man." --Nabeshima Naoshige (1538-1618 A.D.)

THE REALITY

"It is forbidden to forget the great debt of kindness one owes to his master and ancestors and thereby make light of the virtues of loyalty and filial piety."

"It is forbidden that one should, acting disrespective of the Way of Heaven, attach little importance to his duties to his master and be overly attentive to his own business"

First of all, a samurai who dislikes battle and has not put his heart in the right place even though he has been born in the house of the warrior, should not be reckoned among one's retainers.

"There is a primary need to distinguish loyalty from disloyalty and to establish rewards and punishments.

---Imagawa Sadayo (1325-1420 A.D.) IMAGAWA'S WRITINGS WERE WIDELY QUOTED BY OTHERS WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE. TOKUGAWA USED THEM FOR THE BASIS OF FEUDAL LAW. They were required reading among traditional Japanese until World War II

THE REALITY

In the fief of the Asakura, one should not determine hereditary chief retainers. A man should be assigned according to his ability and loyalty--Asakura Toshikage (1428-1481 A.D.)

THE REALITY

When one is serving officially or in the master's court, he should not think of a hundred or a thousand people, but should consider only the importance of the master. Nor should he draw the line at his own life or anything else he considers valuable. Even if the master is being phlegmatic and one goes unrecognized, he should know that he will surely have the divine protection of the gods and Buddhas. While in the midst of duties, one should keep this principle in mind concerning service at the master's court, too To think of receiving the blessings of the master without fulfilling the duties of court service is no different from trying to cross rough sea without a boat.---Hojo Shigetoki (1198-1261 A.D.)

THE REALITY

There are men who believe that when one is serving the lord, he first receives the lord's favor and only then makes endeavors in loyalty and his duties. They have understood the matter in reverse. Being able to live in this world is from the beginning by the grace of one's lord. It is a sad thing for men to forget this and, while setting their ambitions yet higher, envy their masters and the world at large.---Shiba Yoshimasa (1350-1410 A.D.)

THE REALITY:

They must be determined to stand with Lord Ieyasu's clan in both its ascent and decline, in times of peace and in times of war; and either waking or sleeping they must never forget that they will serve his clan, and his clan alone. To be avaricious for land or to forget old debts because of some passing dissatisfaction, or to even temporarily entertain treacherous thoughts is not the Way of Man.

Even if all the other provinces of Japan were to unite against our lord, our descendants should not set foot inside another fief to the end of time. Simply, in no matter what circumstances, unify with the heart of one family - of elder and younger brothers - exert yourselves in the cause of loyalty, mutually help and be helped by one another, preserve your righteousness and strive in bravery, and be of a mind never to stain the reputation of a clan that has not remained hidden from the world, but has gained fame in military valor for generations, especially since the days of the Governor of Iga. --TORII MOTOTADA INSTRUCTING HIS HEIRS ON THE EVE OF HIS CASTLE'S DESTRUCTION, 1600 AD

THE REALITY

Everyone knows that if a man doesn't hold filial piety toward his own parents he would also neglect his duties toward his lord. Such a neglect means a disloyalty toward humanity. Therefore such a man doesn't deserve to be called 'samurai'.

Learning is to a man as the leaves and branches are to a tree, and it can be said that he should simply not be without it. Learning is not only reading books, how-ever, but is rather something that we study to integrate with our own way of life.

One who was born in the house of a warrior, regardless of his rank or class, first acquaints himself with a man of military feats and achievements in loyalty ---Takeda Shingen (1521-1573 A.D.)

THE REALITY

In matters both great and small, one should not turn his back on his master's commands. In the Lun Yu it says, "Water will conform to the shape of the vessel that contains it, whether it be round or square."

One should not ask for gifts or enfiefments from the master. In the Tso Chuan it says, "Reward without merit is unjust gain, and is an invitation to disaster.

No matter how unreasonably the master may treat a man, he should not feel disgruntled. In the Hsiao Ching it says, "Although one may think that the master is unfitting for his position, a retainer must do the work of a retainer." It is also said that, "The man who hunts a deer does not gaze at the mountains." It is fur¬ther said that, "An underling does not pass judgments on a superior."

-Takeda Nobushige (1525-1561 A.D.)

CONLAN:

"When you have peace, you can say, the way of the warrior is death. But that's a luxury that you can only say in a time of peace. In a time of war, you can't say that," Conlan said. "I just think their 14th-century compatriots were far more sensible."

THE REALITY:

Having been born into the house of a warrior, one's intentions should be to grasp the long and the short swords and to die.

If a man does not investigate into the matter of Bushido daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death. Thus it is essential to engrave This business of the warrior into one's mind well.

The above conditions should be adhered to night and day. if there is anyone who finds these conditions difficult to fulfill, he should be dismissed, an investigation should be quickly carried out, it should be signed and sealed that he was unable to mature in the Way of Manhood, and he should be driven out. To this, there is no doubt."

TO ALL SAMURAI

Kato Kazuenokami Kiyomasa (1562-1611) KATO WROTE A HANDBOOK FOR SAMURAI, WAS WELL KNOWN DURING HIS LIFETIME AND LEAD HUGE ARMIES IN KOREA.

THE REALITY (example 2)

First, a man whose profession is the use of arms should think and then act upon not only his own fame, but also that of his de­scendants. He should not scandalize his name forever by holding his one and only life too dear. On the other hand, in the light of this, to consider this life that is given to us only once as nothing more than dust and ashes, and lose it at a time when one should not, would be to gain a reputation that is not worth mentioning. One's main purpose in throwing away his life is to do so either for the sake of the Emperor or in some great undertaking of a military general. It is that exactly that will be the great fame of one's de­scendants.

A warrior generally should not be unmindful and lax, but rather should think everything over ahead of time. Watanabe no Tsuna instructed Urabe no Suetakel that his everyday mind should be like that of a coward, which meant that one should be prepared beforehand for the final great event.

---Shiba Yoshimasa (1350-1410 A.D.)

THE REALITY: (EXAMPLE 3)

It is not the Way of the Warrior to be shamed and avoid death even under circumstances that are not particularly important. It goes without saying that to sacrifice one's life for the sake of his master is an unchanging principle.

That I should be able to go ahead of all the other warriors of this country and lay down my life for the sake of my master's benevolence is an honor to my family and has been my most fervent desire for many years.--TORII MOTOTADA, 1600AD

THE REALITY (EXAMPLE 4)

There were to Lord Eirin's character many high points diffi­cult to measure, but according to the elders the foremost of these was the way he governed the province by his civility. It goes without saying that he acted this way toward those in the samurai class, but he was also polite in writing letters to the farmers and townspeople, and even in addressing these letters he was gracious beyond normal practice. In this way, all were willing to sacrifice their lives for him and become his allies. Asakura Norikage (1474-1555 A.D.)

Huge volumes of these writings exist and await translation.

Oh yeah, let's not forget the bombshell of Chamberlain, whom many historians based their opinions:

Anyone who quotes Chamberlain should carefully read his writings. He sought to discredit Japanese culture and had a bitterness towards it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Basil_Hall_Chamberlain "I have myself gone through many phases of opinion, but the net result is that they appear to me far inferior to the European race"

--CHAMBERLAIN DISCUSSES HIS OPINIONS OF THE JAPANESE IN LETTERS TO HEARN —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.176.40.77 (talk) 04:21, 30 July 2008 (UTC)