7 a.m. Here are a few notes/comments about Bushido:

• From the Introduction, "I was glad to get out of ruts, which are said to differ from graves only by their length." (p. xvii)
• Also from the Introduction, "Is it not true that, in the study of languages, ethics, religions and codes of manners, "he who knows but one knows none"?" (p. xvii)
• He who would understand twentieth-century Japan must know something of its roots in the past. (p. xix)

The last point is not profound, but is worth remembering. It lends credence to my decision to read this book before embarking on "Japanese Civilization". I have already decided that the next book I will read will be the novel "The Soil" by Nagatsuka Takashi. This is about rural life in Japan at the turn of the century, as Japan is beginning to shift from an agricultural society to an industrial one, in large part due to the Meiji Restoration. This is another book I purchased some time back, and haven't got around to reading. If nothing else, this project should at least help me read many of these "still to be read" books that I have accumulated in moments of enthusiasm.

• "Chivalry is a flower no less indigenous to the soil of Japan than its emblem, the cherry blossom" (p. 1)
• "Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the knights were required or instructed to observe. It is not a written code." (p. 5)
• In Japan, when feudalism began in the late 12th century, there came into existence a professional class of warriors, called samurai. Although they must have been a rough group, they soon felt the need of a common standard of behavior. (p. 7).
• "Fair play in fight! What fertile germs of morality lie in this primitive sense of savagery and childhood." (p. 8)

Anyone who has been to Japan notices the politeness of the society almost immediately. Realizing the depth of this in their culture is important to understanding many of their present customs. It is a bit sobering to compare this early concern for a code of ethics in war with our present situation where "winning at all costs" seems to be the norm. If we play our current pragmatism into the future for a few hundred years, it is not easy to be optimistic.

• In the beginning, Buddhism helped "furnish a sense of calm trust in Fate, a quiet submission to the inevitable" (p. 11)
• Shintoism also contibuted - "it believes in the innate goodness and Godlike purity of the human soul" (p. 12). "Its nature-worship endeared the country to our inmost souls, while its ancestor-worship ... made the Imperial family the fountain-head of the whole nation." (p. 14) This leads to "the two predominating features of the emotional life of our race - Patriotism and Loyalty. (p. 14)
• the teachings of Confucius were also important as they provided a strict set of guidelines for how people should relate to one another. Another early influence were the writings of Mencius.
• "A common proverb ridicules one who has only an intellectual knowledge of Confucius. ... knowledge becomes really such only when it is assimilated in the mind of the learner and shows in his character. An intellectual specialist was considered a machine. Intellect itself was considered subordinate to ethical emotion. (p. 17)
• the Chinese philosopher, Wan Yang Ming: "To know and to act are one and the same." (p. 18)

I can easily see how the three threads of Buddhism, Shinto and Confucius bring together a powerful synthesis. I must see if I can find more information on Mencius and Wan Yang Ming.

• Justice: "Nothing is more loathsome to a samurai than underhand dealings and crooked under-takings. (p. 23)
• "Courage is doing what is right". (p. 29)
• "The spiritual aspect of valour is evidenced by composure - calm presence of mind". (p. 32)
• Benevolence: "Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, were ever recognized to be supreme virtues." (p. 36) "A benevolent man is ever mindful of those who are suffering and in distress." (p. 43)
• mention is made of "that terrible battle of Sumano-ura  (1184) which was one of the most decisive in our history. (p.44) and later, "Bakin, our greatest novelist" (p. 46).
• Politeness: "it should be the outward manifestation of a sympathetic regard for the feelings of others" (p. 50)
• Sincerity: "Sincerity is the end and the beginning of all things; without Sincerity there would be nothing" - Confucius (p. 61)
• Loyalty: This (loyalty to a superior - parent, emporer) is carried to a level not seen in other cultures.
• Self-control: "It was considered unmanly for a samurai to betray his emotions on his face" (p. 104).

Any country would be proud to have such a legacy as outlined above. This is not to say that there were many problems, but it is true that such a code does much toward helping understand present day Japan. The samurai were not a bunch of unprincipled warriors, although there were likely numerous exceptions. I see the potential for many of the same misunderstandings that our western media (particularly Hollywood) have promoted about Native Americans to also be likely in our portrayal of the samurai. I suspect we have a very Westernized version of their history.

Now to see if I can find a few additional references on the web.

The search for Bakin reveals that he wrote a tremendous samurai epic over the period 1814-42. The original was 106 volumes. It has not yet been translated into English, but there is a manga version of part of the story.

Now to begin reading The Soil by Nagatsuka Takashi.