On Sun, May 15, 2011 at 11:06 PM, Rodrigo Juri <
rodjuri@...> wrote:
> Grettings, mina san,
> I'm working in an essay about bushido and I found myself in a problem,
> given that the raise of the bushido class is a progressive developmente
> through the Heian period reaching its mature form within the Kamakura
> period. Nevertheless formal and clear definitions about the way of the
> samurai, the seven principles and thing like that, are written in the
> Tokugawa period, several centuries after.Please, could you help me saying me
> if there is some code of samurai ways written in the kamakura period (or
> before), better if accepted and promoted by the bakufu, and what it says
> more or less? Thank you for your help.
>
> While there appears to be a reference to "bushido" before the Tokugawa
period, it seems to be very personal and individualized. There was
definitely a culture of honor, or "face" in Japanese culture. For example,
Emp. Godaigo's spy justified his absence from court by intentionally and
publically making a mistake in reading a particular character. That
humiliation gave him an excuse to retire from the court for about a year.
Other bits can be gleaned from various war tales.
We find evidence of people who dyed their hair black and perfumed it so that
when they died in battle their head would be presentable. Suicide (though
not necessarily harakiri) is a common enough theme--though it is a last
resort. Enduring pain and suffering with stoic fortitude are also common,
and look to the way Buddhist values--particularly of anti-materialism and
the concept of non-attachment--was idealized among this class.
Of course, people could find all sorts of reasons to get around such
strictures.
For direct evidence, you'll need to look to various house instructions
written by leaders to their followers and descendants.
Also look to Karl Friday and others.
What have you read, so far?
-Josh
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