I had this idea for a thread where everyone who knows and respects the ettiquetes and/or codes of Samurai should share some valuable knowlegde that may be applied in everyday life. I thought I should start off:

Even if it seems certain that you will lose, retailiate. Neither wisdom nor technique has a place in this. A real man does not think of victory or defeat.He plunges wrecklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.

-Hagakure.

Being a huge samurai admirer myself, I shall provide a quote of my own:

"As long as it is realized and accepted that warriors must comprehend right and wrong, and strive to do right and avoid wrong, then the way of the warrior is alive."

- "Bushido Shoshinsu" or "The Code of the Samurai".

hmm this is a ninja thing:
"when in doubt be still"

http://www.unexplainable.net/artman/publish/article_1092.shtml


I have no divine power; I make honesty my Divine Power. I have no means; I make Docility my means. I have no magic power; I make personality my Magic Power. I have neither life nor death; I make An Um my Life and Death. I have no body; I make Stoicism my Body. I have no eyes; I make The Flash of Lightning my eyes. I have no ears; I make Sensibility my Ears. I have no limbs; I make Promptitude my Limbs. I have no laws; I make Self-Protection my Laws. I have no strategy; I make the Right to Kill and the Right to Restore Life my Strategy. I have no designs; I make Seizing the Opportunity by the Forelock my Designs. I have no miracles; I make Righteous Laws my Miracle. I have no principles; I make Adaptability to all circumstances my Principle. I have no tactics; I make Emptiness and Fullness my Tactics. I have no talent; I make Ready Wit my Talent. I have no friends; I make my Mind my Friend. I have no enemy; I make Incautiousness my Enemy. I have no armour; I make Benevolence my Armour. I have no castle; I make Immovable Mind my Castle. I have no sword; I make No Mind my Sword.


http://www.geocities.com/aikiju-jitsu/GalleryofQuotations.html


A little foolishess, enough to enjoy life and a little wisdom to avoid the errors, that will do.
- Osho

True victory is not defeating an enemy. True victory gives love and changes the enemy's heart.
- Morihei Ueshiba (founder of Aikido)

Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.
- Morihei Ueshiba (founder of Aikido)

Budo is not a means of felling the opponent by force or by lethal weapons. Neither is it intended to lead the world to destruction by arms and other illegitimate means. True Budo calls for bringing the inner energy of the Universe in order, protecting the peace of the world and molding, as well as preserving, everything in nature in its right form. Training in Budo is tantamount to strengthening, within my body and soul, the love of Kami, the deity who begets, preserves and nurtures everything in nature.
- Morihei Ueshiba (founder of Aikido)

One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.
- Morihei Ueshiba (founder of Aikido)

The way of the martial artist is the way of enduring, surviving, and prevailing over all that would destroy him. More than delivering strikes and slashes, and deeper in significance than the simple outwitting of an enemy. Ninpo is the way of attaining that which we need while making the world a better place. The skill of the Ninja is the art of winning.
- Takamatsu Toshitsugu

A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence.
- Yukiyoshi Takamura

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
- anonymous

Power is created in the mind, Rooted in the feet, developed in the legs, directed by the hips, transferred through the torso, focused in the feet or hands and felt in the spirit.
- C. J. Doyle

Style dogma denies you the ability to question and the right to change and evolve, be true to yourself first and foremost.
- Paul Regan, 4th dan Cho-ja, UK

Avoid Rather Than Check, Check Rather than Hurt, Hurt Rather than Maim, Maim Rather than Kill. For All Life Is of Value and No One Can Take it Away.
- Kung Fu Adage

The object of true Karate is the perfection of oneself through the perfection of the art
- anonymous

Without inner peace, it is impossible to have world peace.
- the Dalai Lama

Black Belt-- A white belt that never quit!
- anonymous

He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior
- Confucius

True martial artists, when teaching or training, realize that every move they make is a philosophy not of violence but of life.
- Chuck Norris

Don't ask me what Chuck Norris is doing in there, I've no idea.

Chuck Norris is actually a legitimately cool guy on many levels.

That being said...

"True victory is self victory! Day of swift victory!" - Morihei Ueshiba.

"If a man does not investigate into the matter of Bushido daily, it will be difficult for him to die a brave and manly death. Thus, it is essential to engrave this business of the warrior into one's mind well." - Kiyomasa Kato

From Hagakure:

"Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day without fail one should consider himself as dead."

"The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance. To say that dying without reaching one's aim is to die a dog's death is the frivolous way of sophisticates. When pressed with the choice of life or death, it is not necessary to gain one's aim. 
We all want to live. And in large part we make our logic according to what we like. But not having attained our aim and continuing to live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line. To die without gaining one's aim is a dog's death and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this. This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by setting one's heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling. "

You can not try to understand the samurai, unless you first understand japanase myths and legends,i have been trained in all forms of martial art by master ho chi wan, he first taught some of us who were more dedecated to learn, about the myths and legends of Japan, the first was how Japan was formed, according to ledgend, the Japanese islands were created when the divine couple, Izanagi,the male who invites,and izanami,the female who invites, stood on the floating bridge of heaven, and dipped a spear into the ocean below,. as the water dripped from the spear point, it condensed to form the sacred islands of Japan, samurai means to serve, every daimo, had there set of house codes, which spread to there army's,Bushido,(or the way of the warrior), this code dominated all aspects of the samurai's social and personal relationships, the term bu means martial and is derived from Chinese, where the character is read as wu, and it ismentioned in a poem named 'battle' the poem can be interpreted as a guide to the essence of bushido, if i can find the poem i will write it here, for all who are intrested.

Write it out, if you might, yes.

"The MORAL LAW causes the people to be in complete
accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless
of their lives, undismayed by any danger." -SUN TZU<The Art of War>

"If life is but a sham, death is the only sincerity" - "Hagakure".

Can anyone here use their own words or does everything have "to be in quote form"?
On the Samurai there is reason for their demise yes?

It seems the intent of this was to present samurai wisdom from primary and secondary sources to the tradition. That being said, if you want to present a few quotes of your own, simply note them as such, and present them to us. We'll read.

The Samurai failing to see the writing on the wall for their 'way of life' fell on their own swords; a noble demise perhaps but somewhat pointless. (I think there may be a pun in there somewhere).
By the way none of these "quoted" sources are primary as to be so we would have to have direct access to original texts. With such limited references whether they may even be regarded as secondary is questionable.

Sniffy:

Actually, the possession of the original manuscripts of many of the Japanese texts is retained to the present day. Hagakure, for instance, was transmitted as a family relic, and I do believe is currently being held in a museum now. Similarly, the other books are translations of authenticate texts. This is not a case where the ravages of time have obscured the sources, but where historical preservation has given us an almost complete record. Consider, also, that most of these sources are under 500 years old, therefore making them much easier to still find compared to, say, an ancient Greek text, which would have up to 2,500 years difference to the present day.

Moreover, are you here to argue that the samurai met a pointless end? For you shall note that the samurai did not care about death with a point, simply death in practice of bushido.

My point and I shall sharpen it here is that a website quotation cannot claim to be a primary source nor even a secondary one unless it contains references. I could say for instance:
Samurai obsession with ritualistic death points to pathalogical dysfunction perpetuated by tribal insularity and control.
If I then add quotation marks it starts to take on an air of legitimacy:
"Samurai obsession with ritualistic death points to pathalogical dysfunction perpetuated for centuries by tribal insularity and control." Sionara

Sniffy:

Would you like the publication info for my copies? Or verifications of the translations used by others through recourse of my published copies? For almost all the books we are here being discussed are currently in print by many legitimate publishers.

yes I would

Sniffy:

Here is one that I had near my computer at the time:

"Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke". Translated by Thomas Cleary. Published by Tuttle Martial Arts (Tuttle Publishing). Boston. 1999.

So what does your 'modern translation' say about the reasons for the decline of the Samurai?

That book does not discuss historical matters, but is merely a translation of a historical document. Another book I have will, and if you would like, I can offer an extended quote from it. I shall present more sources later on, also.

"Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai" by Yamamato Tsunetomo (a samurai), translated by William Scott Wilson. Published by Kodansha International. New York. First published in 1979.

"Bushido: The Warrior's Code" by Inzao Nitobe. Published by Ohara Publications, Incorporated. Santa Clarita, California. This version printed in 1979. Book first published in 1899.

According to Nitobe, the samurai's departure from the world is chiefly to be blamed upon the changes which brought into Japan notions of industrial prominence - and the subsequent raising of the social class of merchants to the fore - and of rising trends towards democracy, which though history shows us was over turned in part by Hirohito, nevertheless returned following the necessary militarism of the semi-bushido inspired Japanese military of the Pacific War era. Moreover, Nitobe also notes that a movement away from class and towards egalatarianism (at least in theory) can also be attributed as a cause of the samurai's decline. This information can be found in the last chapter of the aforereferenced book, "The Future of Bushido", found in my version on pages 108-112.

It should be noted, however, that the samurai live on in part in the modern day yakuza, which aside from deriving itself directly from the samurai, share a spiritual connection in the clan structure, the usage of physical mutilation for vindicating-punishment, violence, a certain antipathy towards death, an insular nature, a tenuous connection with the general populace, a policing aspect, and distinctive customs (yakuza are known to act and dress different from the normal Japanese). Similarly, the yakuza are suffering from the effects of materialism, in that it is often the case that instead of chopping off their fingers to compensate for inadequacy, they are now paying off the clan boss. THis is unfortunate for the continued consistancy with samurai traditions.

I'm not sure how the yakuza could be derived directly from the Samurai unless there is some sort of blood lineage. I might deduce that the demise of the Samurai was in part be due to their obsession with ritual, death and a misplaced emphasis upon honour. I fail to see how a foreshortened finger might compensate for inadequacy any more than paying off a clan boss would. Such acts appear to me to be the acts inadequates lacking in self esteem. Also swords and self discipline are no match for automatic weapons used indiscriminately.

http://web.dar.net/~northrup/yakuza.html - The Yakuza's samurai origins.

Moreover, compensation through self-mutilation is seen as a means of both proving one's courage as well as giving up a part of oneself out of a sense of shame and duty. It is fundamentally different from money, which is a far more ephemeral and less personal thing, as well as putting the value away from "the spiritual" and to "the material". Self-esteem is not an issue when one has, in fact, done something wrong.

And quite unlike "the last samurai", the samurai did not die due to a clinging to the "old days", but because the Meiji Revolution - which they orchestrated - eventually sought to destablize the class in the 1870's and meld them into the rest of society in some positions, with mixed success, and with the destablishment of the class as a unique segment of the population.

Similiarly, a samurai can wield a submachine gun and still be a samurai. His effectiveness in battle does not have to be about a sword - which, actually, was never his main weapon for hundreds of years - nor does it have to be in battle at all. Yamamato Tsunetomo never even participated in a duel or battle, much like many samurai for the two hundred year Edo peace.

I think mutilation and obsession with money are far more related than one might suppose. Strange how honour, mutilation and death often occur in the same sentence alongside pathological criminal. However, the Samurai are probably rolling around in their graves at the thought of the yakuza claiming descent or acting in their name.
As with many other 'tribal/feudal' classes the Samurai and their way of life did not fit in with emergent capitalist economies.

Yes, that is true. They did not. So they went the way of the dodo.

But in what way do you view mutilation and the love of money as connected?

Money corrupts and mutilates the soul

Sniffy:

How does money do that?

quite easily

Sniffy:

But in what way does it mutilate the soul? For what reason? How? Et cetera, et cetera.

This excert is mentioned in a poem, named ;battle;it was written by the poet CH'u Yuan (332-295) CH,u Yuan was describing the virtues of Chinese warriors, the poem can be interpreted as a guide to the essence of Bushido,

'We grasp our battle-spears; we don our breast-plates of hide.
The axels of our chariots touch;our short swords meet.
Standards odscure the sun;the foe roll up like clouds.
Arrows fall thick; the warriors press forward.
They menace our ranks; they break ourline.
The left-hand trace horse is dead; the one on the right is smitten.
The fallen horse block our wheels; they impede the yoke-horse.
They grasp their jade drum-sticks; they beat the sounding drums.
Heaven decrees their fall;the dread powers are angry.
The warriors are all dead; they lie on the moor-field.
They issued but shall not enter; they went but shall not return.
The plains are flat and wide;the way home is long.
There swords lie beside them;their black bows,in their hands.
Though their limbs were torn, their hearts could not be repressed.
They were more than brave; they were inspired by the spirit of Wu.
Steadfast to the end, they could not be daunted.
Their bodies were stricken, but their souls have taken immortality.
Captains among the ghosts, heroes among the dead.

To be exact who said that the samurai have totally gone,there are surviving traditions,this i know for a fact, but will not go into it here.
however, it was in the second world war, the leaders of the Japanese forces, promoted the traditions of the samurai,as an example to there soldiers,what ever there origins,the belief that death was preferable to defeat or capture,
(as you must know that a samurai could not stand the shame of defeat) in addition to the kami-kaze suicide missions made by Japanese pilots, many Japanese soldiers died in futile suicide charges or killed themselves rather than surrender,this tradition is still alive today in many households in Japan, things that most western's dont know about, the old ways still live on.

Blastoff:

A fantastic poem, really. Exceedingly moving and thought provoking.

But yes, you are correct. Many practices of the samurai remain in Japanese life. But I had meant the visible, true establishment of the samurai, outside of a pseudo-samuraiesque system as found in the Yakuza.

What is so noble about dying in battle or killing oneself to 'save face'?

Money mutilates the soul by corruption; life becomes about accumulating things rather than being and becoming. I'm sure the Samurai would have empathised and even agree. Yakuza bunch of criminal copycats not like Samurai at all.

Sniffy:

"Money mutilates the soul by corruption; life becomes about accumulating things rather than being and becoming. I'm sure the Samurai would have empathised and even agree. Yakuza bunch of criminal copycats not like Samurai at all."

Wealth can only "mutilate the soul" if wealth becomes the over-reaching aim and sole pursuit of said person. That is to say, if it becomes a pursuit outside the restraints of honour and can inhibit the person from doing his duty, as the samurai might have affirmed.

"What is so noble about dying in battle or killing oneself to 'save face'?"

It is the valuing of an aesthetic and moral principle over the mundane. It is accepting that not even life cannot become an end unto itself and obsession. If life is about living well, then it cannot be about simply living, and thus to die well is to fullfil the purpose of life.

sniffy:

"There is plenty of evidence which suggests that money is already the over-reaching aim and sole persuit of the majority of people."

Indeed there is. They do not realize that money cannot be valued for itself, as it is simply the medium of exchange. Money's accumulation is only rational when that accumulation lends itself towards usage.

"If life is not an end unto itself how then can death be its purpose? Dying by the sword as in a car crash or from typhoid is just dying. Perhaps it is more noble or honourable to save a life than to end the life of self or others? The Samurai notion of 'honour' was perhaps misplaced? Better a noble death than a mispent life - why not make life more honourable then? "

The samurai would have agreed. So long as one lives, one ought to make life more honourable. One ought to pursue it with a spirit of worth and value and maximize the goodness that can be found in it. It is only when it is a choice bewtixt "life" and "honour" - or as I put it, if the purpose of life is to live well, then it is not simply life which is valued, but the quality of being "well" - that life must be sacrificed. That is to say, when death becomes the way to fullfill the duty to wellness, death must be embraced and sought out, even if this necessitates suicide.

There was a general in ancient china,who retired after many years of military service, not wanting to sit around and do nothing all day, he decided to take up collecting antiques.
one day he was sitting in his study looking at his newest piece, a small antique vase, very expensive, but to him worth it.
suddenly a slip of the fingers and he dropped the vase, he tried to catch it but the surface of the vase provented him, he did manage to hold on to it only inches from the floor, the generals heart pounded, and his breathing was frantic.
he was releiver to have avoided damage to the vase, but also he felt that something was wrong, instead of elation, he felt only puzzlement, in all his campaigns he thought to himself charging against the enemy,leading men into battle even facing bigger armies than his own,he never felt as much fear as he did when he dropped the vase.
throughout his career he always knew that he could have lost his life,but that did not frighten him at all, but the thought of lossing the vase frightened him a lot,in a secoun or two he saw the problem,he had become too attached to the vase, that attatchment was the cause of emotional turmoil, he looked at the vase again and with mind totally at ease he relaxed his grip and let the vase fall to the floor.
in chapter 44 of the Tao Te Ching, we read the following two lines,
The self or wealth, which is greater?
Gain or loss, which is more painfuf?
the samurai beleived that there way of life or death was the right way, thye practiced Tao, the self was greater you should never place a high level of importance on any material object.

I ran across this thread and just thought I had a few to contribute:

One of my favorites which came from Hagakure is

No matter if you hide under a tree or stand in an open field, when it rains, you get wet.

Another favorite is

You can only succeed at somthing when you fully understand the purpose of the present moment.