The Tao of the samurai.

9  2012-04-27 by ZenMasterMoon

The samurai must maintain his faith in his beliefs, even as the social or political climate shifts and alters. He must be patient, must act in a manner that may at times seem irrational or illogical, must resist the temptations of instant gratification, and must work towards fulfilling what may seem to be an impossible idea.

As a result, the samurai is often something of an outsider, a rebellious figure because he refuses to conform to the habits of the day.

(Takahiro Kitamura)

We are the modern day samurai. Ride your horse along the edge of the sword. Hide yourself in the middle of the flames. Blossoms of the fruit tree will bloom in the fire. The sun rises in the evening.

56 comments

19  esthers 2012-04-27

You do realize that a samurai's sole purpose was to protect his "lord" right? There was a code of honor, but it doesn't mean what you think it does.

4  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

If you take the samurai code and apply it to modern times, which many have done, you can see that the "lord" can also be a CAUSE. If you apply that code to something like, say, the evolution of the human race, you do, indeed, have a swordless samurai.

The thing you are talking about here in the code of Bushido is one of seven/ten ideas of the code, loyalty!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyalty

5  esthers 2012-04-27

"Recent scholarship in both Japan and abroad has focused on differences between the samurai class and the bushidō theories that developed in modern Japan. Bushidō in the prewar period was often emperor-centered and placed much greater value on the virtues of loyalty and self-sacrifice than did many Tokugawa-era interpretations.[10] Bushidō was used as a propaganda tool by the government and military, who doctored it to suit their needs.[11] Scholars of Japanese history agree that the bushidō that spread throughout modern Japan was not simply a continuation of earlier traditions."

From the Wikipedia page on Bushido.

3  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

It is a good set of virtues that can be used for a bad purpose. Its all in the way you use it. If you use it with the evolution of humanity as your main loyalty, only good can come out of it, regardless of people who have used it as a propaganda tool. It was used widely for terrible purposes, because when following the code of Bushido, people got shit DONE. When you apply it to a good purpose, you still get shit done =)

http://www.koryu.com/library/kfriday2.html I highly suggest reading this whole article.

The "code of Bushido" did not exist in feudal japan, but after the samurai were outlawed, it was how some came to categorize the elite warriors from the dishonorable.

edit: "Bushidō expanded and formalized the earlier code of the samurai" also on the wiki. Thought it was a neat sentence to add =)

-4  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

You have said it, but you have not understood.

6  [deleted] 2012-04-27

I understand, I think

-3  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.

1  IdiothequeAnthem 2012-04-27

Is bigcooter your opponent?

4  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.

18  frostek 2012-04-27

Ha ha ha ha! I'm sorry, but I just can't take this seriously!

1  Kni7es 2012-04-27

Please be a poe... please be a poe... please be a poe...

-4  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

Why is the tao so valuable? Because it is everywhere, and everyone can use it.

This is why those who seek will find, And those who reform will be forgiven; Why the good will be rewarded, And the thief who is cunning will escape.

14  frostek 2012-04-27

Are you a fan of fortune cookies?

-1  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

The art of teaching is clarity and the art of learning is to listen.

4  Kni7es 2012-04-27

this entire thread.

-3  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

The further one goes, the less one knows.

2  Kni7es 2012-04-27

My god, it's like a magic 8-ball of bullshit.

0  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.

2  [deleted] 2012-04-27

Pretty sure I read this on a fortune cookie

2  hanahou 2012-04-27

Okay Phil Jackson and the conspiracy is where?

Edit: Aw Zen downvoters why so angry? Quotes from a real Samurai

All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them”

  1. Accept everything just the way it is.

  2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.

  3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.

  4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

  5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.

  6. Do not regret what you have done.

  7. Never be jealous. .

  8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.

  9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.

  10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.

  11. In all things have no preferences.

  12. Be indifferent to where you live.

  13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.

  14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.

  15. Do not act following customary beliefs.

  16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.

  17. Do not fear death.

  18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.

  19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.

  20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.

  21. Never stray from the Way.”

2  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/musashi-on-personal-development/

This man speaks the truth.

1  hanahou 2012-04-27

Arigatou Gozimasu! I really do not think ZenMaster understands the way of the Samurai.

1  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

His spirituality seems forced at this point. I dont know if you read the rest of the comments in this thread, but its clearly evident that he needs to learn to communicate effectively with people.

0  hanahou 2012-04-27

Yep I read your other counterpoints to the Zenmaster. I think he's just spouting quotes to be nonsensical troll to see what reaction he gets.

0  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

Seems like the only logical conclusion. For someone who claims to have a clear mind, he sure doesn't.

It's called being phony holy.

2  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Swordless_Samurai.html?id=z-Ka-zvQIm8C

Take a look at this. I think this is what you mean, but you are a little over dramatic ;)

-1  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

If you care about what other people think, you will always be their prisoner. At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want. I am merely showing you the way.

2  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

You should care what other people think by way of being able to effectively promote a cause. I am sure that you fully believe what you are saying, and I agree with everything that the above comment says, but I ALSO think that in order to effectively convince people of something, you HAVE to speak to your audience. It is all a construct that ultimately falls away in the end as you know, but to start, you cannot go too deep, for it scares the majority of people away.

If you are in this just for your own path, feel free to think clearly about it, but when sharing it with the general audience, know that some people might not be on the same page to receive this kind of information.

0  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear? The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own.

1  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

I agree with all these things, but what does that have to do with being able to communicate those treasures in an effective way so as to share them easily with others? Its like trying to shove a cd into a USB port. You must first convert it for it to be understood by most people, and on the other hand, some people have both a cd player AND a USB port.

You see that? That is me skillfully trying to explain a concept to you in a way that you would understand. That is the way to share these concepts.

-2  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

When men lost their understanding of the Tao, intelligence came along, bringing hypocrisy with it. Knowing how to yield is strength. Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Be like water. Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force. The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. They Must see for themselves. Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear. Do you have the patience to wait until your mud settles and the water is clear?

2  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

Please, what you are failing to understand is that the way you are explaining these concepts is not a way that people will accept, and this means that posting these ideas on a forum like this GETS YOU ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE. To present these ideas and have them accepted you MUST play to your audience. All that you say IS TRUE, but you need to realize that there are ways of explaining things to people from all different walks of life.

-1  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease. One who is too insistent on his own views finds few to agree with him.

2  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

damn man, I tried. None of my views have been counter to yours, except for the view that you need to learn to speak to your audience. Please, take a step down from that high horse.

-1  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

Accomplish but do not boast, accomplish without show, accomplish without arrogance, accomplish without grabbing, accomplish without forcing. The wise man is one who knows what he does not know. There is no high horse here. Only an illusion created by your ego based interpretation.

1  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

Holy CRAP man. So do you not believe that you should speak to your audience to effectively convey a message?

http://www.school-for-champions.com/speaking/audience.htm

MARKET YOURSELF AND YOUR CAUSE EFFECTIVELY

1  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

Smile and world will smile back at you. =)

1  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

That does not answer the stated question, please stop bandying words.

0  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

I guess that means I have no hope of getting a straight answer out of you. You should take a serious look at how you conduct yourself on the internet, being phony holy is pretty gross.

2  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

Zen is not holy. I pretend to be nothing, for I am nothing. My person means nothing. I have no identity. I only wish to bring Taoism, Buddhism and zen to those who wish to embrace the path. If you do not wish to follow the path, that is your choice. But is it really very becoming of you to condemn me?

1  SlimFastForYou 2012-04-27

Hi, I know I'm joining this conversation somewhat late. You don't need words of encouragement from me, I know this but have seen some of your comments recently and would like to offer some positive words for you.

You don't write like most other people, and many people seem unable to appreciate why. I shared some videos from Adampants (it would seem nobody else on this subreddit had watched them before I shared them, and even after sharing them, not many saw them but that's ok). Oceanlols gave an analogy which I will quote. I'll share metaphor from one of Adampants' videos.

I agree with all these things, but what does that have to do with being able to communicate those treasures in an effective way so as to share them easily with others? Its like trying to shove a cd into a USB port. You must first convert it for it to be understood by most people, and on the other hand, some people have both a cd player AND a USB port.

I think a better analogy for your speech style is like a broadband connection trying to upload to a 56k modem. I found a youtube link, I think you might like it :). He gives the analogy at 2m 28s into the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKRK5BDVXlI&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL073C217A7B348155&t=1m50s

At another time in this video series ("Knowledge"), he gave an analogy of one "in the know" practically needing many mouths talking at the same time in order to tell others "the truth" (with all the detail, meaning, and wisdom still intact). The alternative is metaphor, which condenses the truth but isn't easily decoded by everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l367fxRrOIc&feature=autoplay&list=PL073C217A7B348155&playnext=2&t=7m17s

To tell you what I know, I would need 500 mouths and have to be able to speak 500 different sentences simultaneously to express what I know, and you would need to be able to interpret 500 sentences simultaneously

2  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

When the highest type of men hear Tao, They diligently practice it.

When the average type of men hear Tao, They half believe in it.

When the lowest type of men hear Tao, They laugh heartily at it.

Without the laugh, there is no Tao.

I appreciate your thoughtful response and relevant information. There is no pleasing some people. He is not happy inside.

1  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

That is not an answer to my question. I am seriously thinking you might just be /r/zen's only version of a troll, because anyone that involved would be a lot more open to ideas, and willing to answer real questions.

And if you can not see the (forced) identity DRIPPING in your posts you need to go take a seat on a cushion somewhere for a very long time.

0  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

You are the one who has lost his composure. I only wish to share the tao.

1  Oceanlols 2012-04-27

No composure lost, just looking for an answer to that singular question that I asked.

1  [deleted] 2012-04-27

[deleted]

-1  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

Taoism furnished the basis for aesthetic ideals, zen made them practical.

-3  mikeylikes 2012-04-27

Q: Can the personal passage toward enlightened sovereignty be differentiated from the collective inertia?

0  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

When you are the master of your own mind, anything is possible. I am a bit unclear on the question though. What do you mean by the collective inertia? Unless I know the answer to this question the true answer you seek is unclear.

-1  greenspikefrog 2012-04-27

If you ask me you just got to stay in honor, but what do I know? I believe asking = as king, but I guess it comes down to what you believe?

1  TruthWillSetUsFree 2012-04-27

imbatman57?

1  greenspikefrog 2012-04-27

Allegedly

1  greenspikefrog 2012-04-27

http://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/sutro/for_rulers_are_not_a_terror_to_good_works_but_to/

1  TruthWillSetUsFree 2012-04-27

https://sites.google.com/site/solutionsfortheindividual/autonomy/peaceful-inhabitants

-2  mikeylikes 2012-04-27

Perhaps like the sages of all age, we have unbridled capacity to organize a true virtuous mind, expand a generous heart and calibrate our bodies. In this time, as in times prior, the walls of tyranny intrap the mind-body-spirit of many and they will perish without purpose. Under duress we must harmonize with the resonances of nature, which sing the same songs of transformation. We will act keenly to remove each struggle. Time is only now, forever; the light of each sun brings perfect judgment. Must we wander with will for unity? We may only be masters of one.

-3  timefornothing 2012-04-27

cool quote but I don't think this makes the top 5 prerecs for being a samurai... just sayin

edit: ah, I'm just bein a dick. a more positive spin: wouldn't it be fun to also learn swordfighting? :)

0  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

She did not consciously think, "Ah, today I learned this and that; I gained this much." You do not do it step by step that way, by adding on coatings of varnish, or new paint. When learning becomes you, then it appears as you need it, when you are being you. Sometimes true learning surprises you when it emerges.

1  IdiothequeAnthem 2012-04-27

Is bigcooter your opponent?

2  ZenMasterMoon 2012-04-27

When the highest type of men hear Tao, They diligently practice it.

When the average type of men hear Tao, They half believe in it.

When the lowest type of men hear Tao, They laugh heartily at it.

Without the laugh, there is no Tao.

I appreciate your thoughtful response and relevant information. There is no pleasing some people. He is not happy inside.