The term Bushido originated from Japanese roots and means "the way of the Warrior." The Bushido Code is a set of rules that Samurai Warriors followed from the eight Century. The Bushido Code allowed the warriors to balance their lives through the various concepts.
The Eight Virtues of Bushido
1. Justice: A course of conduct taken with consideration/thought/reason without wavering, "to strike when to strike is right. To die, when to die is right."
2. Courage: A virtue only if practiced in the path of righteousness. Confucius said, " Perceiving what is right and doing it not, reveals a lack of Courage." In Martial Arts today, it means to face challeges and adversity.
3. Mercy: This is one of the highest Bushido tenets. Even though the warrior may possess physical and legal power, they may show mercy. In modern times this can be shown by supporting community service or helping organizations that assist the needy.
4. Politeness: Respect in its highest form symbolizes love. Make the effort to display concern for others. We show this today by bowing to others in the Dojo and showing respect to our Instructors.
5. Honesty: This means trust and sincerity. The Samurai were very honest in their dealings and did not sign written contracts. They remained true to their word. Today, if we give our word, we should remain true to that word.
6. Honor: This was characterized by personal dignity and worth. We can show this by doing our best in class and showing up on time in a clean and ironed Gi.
7. Loyalty: This was of great importance to the Samurai. They were dutiful and loyal to their superiors, ready to die for them if needed or requested. We can show this to our Instructors today, by doing as they ask and by assisting them when possible.
8. Self Control: The Samurai had strong control over their emotions and they lived according to moral standards. We must do the same. We must not disrespect anyone in the Dojo and if we lose our temper, for example, we should remove ourself from the training area.
I think everyone will agree, if our society lived by the above 8 codes, we would have a very different experience in the current era. There would be very little crime and very little need to lock our homes and cars. The criminals would be dealt with swiftly and decisively, so everyone else could live peacefully.
