Re:

More or less all questions in this debate are specialized. Let us think
about the real impact samurai had on the social sprectum
of japanese civilization, if they had any. Especially I'm inetersted in your
opinion on how Buddhism ifluenced the samurai code. Greetings from Greece!
Konstantinos

----- Original Message -----
From: "Edwin Angulo" <mayalan@...>
To: <samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 10:36 PM
Subject: Re: [samuraihistory]


> Hi!!
>
> Thanks a lot for the information!!
>
> Edwin Angulo.
>
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Hello,

In order to even begin to answer this question we
would have to write a book for an email. This qestion
needs to be broken down into smaller sections. Like
the second part about the influence of buddhism on The
samurai code.

But to try and answer the second part:

Bushido was essentially a creation of the Edo/Tokugawa
period. This code created through times of peace and
heavily influenced by confucian/Zen ideals. Bushido
helped to give the Samurai class purpose in a time of
general peace. Leaving to the ruling class a
obligation to be the moral model of the nation. The
influences for bushido are numerous and open to
debate. This is a general description of such
influences. You can also look to the ideals of kyuba
no michi(the way of the horse and bow) which helped to
shape early samurai ideology.

Musashi

Sorry I am not into writing books

--- konstantinos kalogeropoulos <konos1@...>
wrote:

> More or less all questions in this debate are
> specialized. Let us think
> about the real impact samurai had on the social
> sprectum
> of japanese civilization, if they had any.
> Especially I'm inetersted in your
> opinion on how Buddhism ifluenced the samurai code.
> Greetings from Greece!
> Konstantinos
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Edwin Angulo" <mayalan@...>
> To: <samuraihistory@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2001 10:36 PM
> Subject: Re: [samuraihistory]
>
>
> > Hi!!
> >
> > Thanks a lot for the information!!
> >
> > Edwin Angulo.
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Send your FREE holiday greetings online!
> > http://greetings.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> >
> > Samurai Archives: http://www.samurai-archives.com
> > ---
> > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > samuraihistory-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

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One contentious view is of the 'negative' impact samurai culture had
on the development of Medieval Japan.

It is recorded that during the sengoku period local samurai often
entered into alliances with farmers etc across the social divide for
mutual protection, support, and development, which could be seen
as a fledgling grass-roots democracy. Farmers, artisans and even
merchants had a say in village life and an evolving culture.

The emerging daimyo, however, crushed this appearance wherever they
found it, and instituted an autocratic hierarchy which often stifled
developments across the social spectrum. Under the emperor all
that mattered was that the samurai rule. Any flowering of samurai
culture happened with daimyo patronage and primarily with the
aim of boosting the patron's esteem, and whilst there was social
development, the samurai made sure they were 'top of the tree' as it
were and nothing happened without their approval. The lowly farmer,
on whose crops the whole edifice relied, was reduced to nothing, with
no voice and no representation.

Thomas