He who fights with
monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.
When you gaze long into the abyss,
the abyss also gazes into you.
(Nietzsche)
War
Lao Tzu
wrote that war is no cause for celebration because people are
dying.
Hurting others should be avoided whenever possible.
In the martial arts world the ability to inflict pain is the subject of
great
study and practice but it is not a matter
to take lightly.
You must take
responsibility
for your conduct.
Conflict
Conflict arises through
resistance.
When one position meets with another and
yielding does not take place then conflict occurs.
Opinions and
beliefs are the usual source of conflict.
From argument to brawling to
wars, our world is filled with disagreement.
The student of tai chi seeks to
resolve their inner conflict and avoid outer dispute.
Bushido
In ancient Japan, the warrior caste were called 'samurai'.
Samurai means
to serve.
Since it is easy for a person with martial
skills to abuse and bully others,
the samurai
created a code of ethical conduct called 'bushido'.
Bushido called upon a student of warfare to discipline themselves through
strict adherence to the behavioural guidelines.
The samurai code of conduct applies to anyone studying a martial art,
whether in ancient Japan or today.
It is a form of self-regulation.
Professional soldiers
Modern warfare does not involve soldiers
fighting
soldiers.
Instead, it uses an approach called 'total war' in which war is waged
against soldiers and civilians alike.
This is not bushido.
There is no honour to be found in destroying non-combatants, property
and animals.
Samurai were
professional soldiers and they only waged war on other samurai.
The bushido code
Bushido literally means 'the way of the warrior' and comprises the following
elements:
Two additional
qualities were implicit within bushido: discipline and
restraint.
Rectitude
Rectitude means
right
action, appropriate conduct or sincerity.
It is uprightness
as a consequence of being honourable and honest.
The term also implies that doing the honourable thing is difficult.
Someone
who is displaying rectitude is not only acting honourably, but is also
willing to suffer the consequences of acting honourably.
When a samurai has said he will perform an action, it is as good as done.
Nothing will stop him from completing what he has said he will do.
He does not have to give his word.
He does not have to promise.
Speaking and doing are the same action.
Courage
A samurai must have courage.
Courage is
the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or
intimidation, to
rise up above the
masses of people who are afraid to act.
It is risky and dangerous.
It is living life completely, fully, wonderfully.
Courage is not blind; it is intelligent and strong.
The precise view of what constitutes courage not only varies between
cultures, but between individuals.
Some people define courage as lacking fear in a situation that would
normally generate it.
Others hold that courage requires a person to
experience fear and then overcome it.
Benevolence
Through intense training
the samurai becomes quick and strong.
He develops a power that must be used for the good of all.
He has compassion.
He helps his fellow man at every opportunity.
If an opportunity does not arise, he goes out of his way to find one.
To be kind, helpful and
giving is the easy part of benevolence.
The harder component is to be without conceit.
If a person performs a benevolent action and is then impressed with their
own conduct or expects gratitude, then the deed is tainted by their
self-consciousness, the need to be rewarded.
Benevolence cannot have a motive.
It must occur naturally and spontaneously.
More...
Page created 8 April 2003