clever_intuition
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HAGAKURE
The Book of the Samurai
Yamamot Tsunetomo
Translated by William Scott Wilson
The Book of the Samurai
Yamamot Tsunetomo
Translated by William Scott Wilson
Hagakure meaning In the Shadow of Leaves, or Hagakure Kikigaki Is a practical and spiritual guide for a warrior, drawn from a collection of commentaries by the former samurai, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, retainer to Nabeshima Mitsushige, the third ruler of what is now the Saga prefecture in Japan. Tashiro Tsuramoto compiled these commentaries from his conversations with Tsunetomo from 1709 to 1716; however, it was not published until many years afterwards. Hagakure is also known as the Analects of Nabeshima or the Hagakure Analects.
The book preaches bushido, the warrior code of the samurai. Hagakure asserts that bushido is really the "Way of Dying" or living as though one was already dead, and that a samurai retainer must be willing to die at any moment in order to be true to his lord. For example, it declares, "As everything in the world is but a sham, death is the only sincerity." The tales it relates are often filled with death, killing, and suicide, mixed with martial stoicism.
Hagakure was not widely known during the decades following Tsunetomo's death. However, it received wider circulation at the start of the 20th century, and by the 1930s had become one of the most famous representatives of bushido thought in Japan. After World War II, it has acquired a very bad name in Japan as one of the influences that lead the nation to militarism and ruler-worship, and ultimately to defeat. However, Hagakure remains popular among many non-Japanese who are interested in samurai culture. It is also frequently referred to as The Book of the Samurai and was featured prominently in the 1999 Jim Jarmusch film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.
After his master died, Tsunetomo himself was forbidden to perform seppuku, a retainer's ritual suicide, by an edict of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Hagakure may have been written partially in an effort to outline the role of the samurai in a more peacetime society. Several sections refer to the "old days", and imply a dangerous weakening of the samurai class since that time.
Interestingly, Tsunetomo himself is thought to have never been involved in a battle or duel.
This is a small synopsis of the book. If any one is interested in the art I highly reccommend reading this book.
It has a lot of useful information guiding life and all of our experiences.
Just thought I would post something of interest to those who are interested.
The book preaches bushido, the warrior code of the samurai. Hagakure asserts that bushido is really the "Way of Dying" or living as though one was already dead, and that a samurai retainer must be willing to die at any moment in order to be true to his lord. For example, it declares, "As everything in the world is but a sham, death is the only sincerity." The tales it relates are often filled with death, killing, and suicide, mixed with martial stoicism.
Hagakure was not widely known during the decades following Tsunetomo's death. However, it received wider circulation at the start of the 20th century, and by the 1930s had become one of the most famous representatives of bushido thought in Japan. After World War II, it has acquired a very bad name in Japan as one of the influences that lead the nation to militarism and ruler-worship, and ultimately to defeat. However, Hagakure remains popular among many non-Japanese who are interested in samurai culture. It is also frequently referred to as The Book of the Samurai and was featured prominently in the 1999 Jim Jarmusch film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.
After his master died, Tsunetomo himself was forbidden to perform seppuku, a retainer's ritual suicide, by an edict of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Hagakure may have been written partially in an effort to outline the role of the samurai in a more peacetime society. Several sections refer to the "old days", and imply a dangerous weakening of the samurai class since that time.
Interestingly, Tsunetomo himself is thought to have never been involved in a battle or duel.
This is a small synopsis of the book. If any one is interested in the art I highly reccommend reading this book.
It has a lot of useful information guiding life and all of our experiences.
Just thought I would post something of interest to those who are interested.
