In times of war be guided by these principles:
Cunning is better than force;
Attacking is better than being attacked;
Strategic retreats are favoured above costly advances.
In the art of war cultivate these tactics:
Move forward without appearing to advance, without revealing either strength or
weakness;
Engage the enemy without confronting them, without meeting them in open battle.
The greatest mistake is underestimating the enemy.
The greatest misfortune is forgetting the gravity of war.
(Lao Tzu)
Respect
Samurai have no reason to
be
cruel; they do not need to prove their strength.
A samurai is courteous even to his enemies.
Without this genuine show of
respect, we are nothing more than
savages.
A samurai is not only respected for his strength in battle, but also by his
dealing with other men.
The true strength of a samurai becomes apparent during difficult times.
Respect means
consideration, to take into account another person's feelings.
The Christian expression:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
(Jesus of Nazareth)
is found at the heart
of almost every world religion and is one of the hardest maxims to follow.
Adherence requires tremendous sensitivity, courtesy and the willingness to
listen to what others are saying.
Treating other people as you would want to be treated is the very
heart of the word 'respect' and can be applied to people, animals and the
planet itself.
Honesty
Be acutely
honest
throughout your dealings with all people.
Believe in justice, not from other people but from yourself.
To the true samurai, there are no shades of grey in the question of honesty
and justice.
There is only
right and wrong.
Honesty is not the same
as accountability or 'telling the truth'.
It is about remaining true to yourself, not lying and making excuses,
accepting all aspects as being part of the whole.
The word 'integrity' helps to explain the meaning of honesty since it is
concerned with bringing separate parts together, of balance and harmony.
Honour
A true samurai has only
one judge of honour, and this is himself.
Decisions you make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection
of who you truly are.
You cannot hide from
yourself.
Honour is about having good character.
It is not about reputation or receiving praise, as those are just
measurements of your conduct applied by other people.
Being honourable requires an inner strength, a moral commitment to doing
what feels appropriate and right.
It is about what you do, not how you seem.
Loyalty
For the samurai, having
done something or said something, he knows he owns that thing.
He is responsible for it, and all the consequences that follow.
A samurai is immensely loyal to those in his care.
To those he is responsible for, he remains fiercely true.
Unlike nationalism or
patriotism, loyalty is not about allegiance to an idea or a boundary marked
on the map.
It is about fair treatment of other people.
Loyalty is concerned with how a person behaves relative to others, it is
about trust and dignity.
Were you to betray somebody and they did not find out, you would know.
It is not about whether the person finds out or not, it is about how you
treated them.
Loyalty is about word and deed becoming one.
Discipline
In bushido, discipline
is self-imposed - a samurai follows the code from choice.
He is responsible for his own conduct.
A samurai has an obligation to master his art and should practice with this
in mind.
Restraint
A samurai must learn not to fight.
Not many
situations require the use of violence.
If it is safe and appropriate to walk away, you should do.
This is the most important quality for a samurai to possess.
It is the supreme virtue.
It takes courage not to fight, to 'turn the other cheek'.
You will only feel like a coward if you are insecure and have something to
prove.
Better a coward than a
bully.
Remember: bushido is not concerned with how the other person behaves.
Be responsible for your own conduct.
You
have no control over the conduct or behaviour of another.
Page created 8 April 2003