Likewise, we can stop struggling with any psychological conflict by just observing our thoughts and emotions. I triumphed over my anger without fighting. It just disappeared with no effect on my psychology. Because I always perform Zen meditation, I was able to be aware of the moment of getting angry - and then the anger was no longer mine. Yesterday I was attacked by anger when a reckless driver on the highway suddenly cut me off. In other words, we don’t lose ourselves because we keep distance from the devilish force. By performing Zen meditation, we become mindful of our impulsive motivations. These meditative techniques have worked throughout history because they are universal methods for human growth, i.e., expanding awareness. How can we practice this “no-sword” tactic in our modern life?įortunately, we still have the opportunity to perform meditative traditions such as Zen, mindfulness, and others. We always get into conflicts with other people in this competitive society. We live in a modern world that is similar to a battlefield. But it sounds like a difficult task to defeat internal and external conflicts without fighting. He reached this level after training for long years and having enough experience on the battlefield. The motto of Bokuden’s no-sword school is “winning without fighting.” It is the ideal spirit of Samurai. Bokuden, smiling as he rowed into deeper water, remarked, “This is my ‘no-sword’ school.” (D.T.Suzuki. Suddenly Bokuden took the oar, and pushed off, leaving the angry Samurai stranded. He challenged him - Bokuden tried to ignore him, but finally agreed to go to an island to fight where no bystanders could get hurt.Īs they landed on the island, the braggart jumped off the boat, drew his sword and was ready for combat. The angry Samurai noticed that it was well-known sword-master Bokuden. Bokuden sat as if dozing and ignored the man. Here is a famous story by Tsukahara Bokuden:īokuden was crossing Lake Biwa in a boat with a rough-looking samurai who was bragging of his martial prowess to all the passengers who would listen. Therefore, Samurai originally meant “a person stopping to use a sword.” Ideally, with the sword of life mentioned above, Samurai are brave enough to control themselves to avoid unnecessary conflicts. We need to triumph over all these negative factors. We are also attacked by undesirable impulses such as anger and greed that can devastate our lives. Our psychology can be affected by unfortunate incidents or people who have bad intentions. The sword can be understood as a metaphor to express our conscience or will to overcome negative psychological states. This idea applies to people in the modern world as well. That is why Samurai practiced Zen strongly, and some of them became well-known Zen masters (D.T.Suzuki. In order to accomplish this task, strong will-power and self-cultivation are needed. Samurai were supposed to protect their lord before trying to protect themselves.Īccording to Suzuki, (1) has to be controlled by (2). This is called “the sword of life” and associated with the sacred force (e.g., loyalty). (2) The sword that sacrifices all the impulses that arise from the instinct of self-preservation. This is called “the sword of killing” and led to the devilish force (e.g., militarism). (1) The sword that destroys anything that opposes the will of its owner. D.T.Suzuki describes two functions of the samurai sword: It is also considered a symbolic tool for self-cultivation. For Samurai, the sword is not just a tool to harm people. It is said that the sword is the “soul of a Samurai,” and there are several reasons why. But then why do Samurai always carry a sword? They had to fight against other Samurai, didn’t they? In fact, ideally speaking, the answer is NO. However, a Samurai was a professional on the battlefield. I firmly believe that fighting doesn’t cause any good in any circumstance. I think that 47 rōnin should have killed neither their enemy nor themselves. However, I personally don’t like this story, because it beautifies the death of Samurai. They maintained their loyalty to their lord. Generally, this story is highly respected among Japanese people as a representative example showing what an ideal samurai is like. They get revenge on their political enemy even though they know they will be ordered to commit harakiri suicide by the shogunate. The Hollywood version was modified greatly from the original story, but the film is about 47 rōnin who have lost their lord due to a political conflict. A fighter without a master to protect him is called a “ rōnin,” a word people who are familiar with the movie “47 Rōnin” with Keanu Reeves might know. Etymologically, the word “samurai” originates from the Classical Japanese verb “ saburau,” meaning “to serve.” Who do Samurai serve? Their masters, the feudal lords.
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