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  • Essay / Hagakure - a Samurai Bible

    Table of contentsHagakureLoyalty and honorable deathSamurai and modernityImportance of loyaltyThe political context of HagakureThe contents of Hagakure in relation to modern societyConclusionBibliographyHagakureHagakure, also known as the Samurai Bible, is a book that represents the attitude that goes beyond modern pragmatism or love of materialism to the overall spiritual development of individuals. Despite people's interpretations of this book, Hagakure does not only apply to the samurai way of life. It provides insights into the teachings of Yamamoto Tsumetomo and is based on sincerity and mora guidance used in modern life. Hagakure represents various logics of life as well as how and how a true samurai should serve the people and their leaders. Hagakure can sometimes be seen as representing ancient Japan or the ancient system of leadership; However, Hagakure's teachings can be applied in all aspects of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Loyalty and Honorable Death The work indicates that not all samurai warriors were willing to conform to the lifestyles of Bushido, much less Yamamoto, the true narrator of the book Hagakure. Yamamoto questioned the true work of warriors in times of peace throughout his narrative. Hagakure's presentation of Bushido is undoubtedly expressed in the anguished declaration that "the way of the samurai is found in death." This argument bases its claims on the belief that everyone wants to live, implying that the transcendence of this fantasy marks the predetermined heroic motive, a sentiment reflected in the notion that "death is the only sincerity." Therefore, the codes of a warrior highlighted by Yamamoto in the Hagakure focus on the combination of honorable death and loyalty as the real values ​​of a true Japanese warrior, asserting that modifying these qualities makes everything opposite of Tokugawa's values. Hagakure's role among modern-day warriors has given rise to several criticisms of the evolution of samurai values ​​during the Tokugawa era. A primary value that requires further examination is that of loyalty, particularly in how it manifests itself in the Tokugawa system, which attracted the attention of samurai leaders. Furthermore, Yamamoto draws inspiration from the idealized belief of an honorable death, synthesizing the two ideals of loyalty and honorable death which help to establish a link between his values ​​and those of the great Japanese heroes. The ideal of an honorable death can sometimes be subject to criticism due to attitudes that arise over time. Warriors must be loyal, but those willing to die at any time for the sake of their lord are limited. Strong beliefs in death have long since disappeared since “we all want to live”. Samurai and Modernity In an important text, Yamamoto sharply criticizes contemporary Tokugawa attitudes regarding the samurai's growing affection for academia and the arts, arguing that "apart from learning for servants and the arts". warriors are worthless” and a samurai’s only concern should be “nothing other than doing his job.” His conviction was not entirely motivated by hatred of formal education but rather by his inadequate perception of a period of peace. In reality, his view was overdue because there were no more arenas available for warriors and samurai to demonstrate their courage, military prowess ortheir loyalty. The days of war were long gone and there was no longer a need for warriors willing to die for their lords. The evolution of Japanese culture created the need for samurai to acquire formal education in order to provide diverse services to their lords. Importance of Loyalty During the Edo period, the legal system allowed for the severe punishment of traitors and combatted disloyalty to the point of losing lives. . Yamamoto strongly maintains that only when "a warrior shows loyalty and filial piety a charge and carries them twenty-four hours a day until his shoulders wear out, will he be a samurai" . The true purpose of this text is not to show the necessity of abject loyalty, but rather an effort to restore a sense of purpose to lost samurai warriors in today's era of peace. Yamamoto continues to argue that the meaning of being a samurai is to earnestly submit one's soul and body to one's lord, thus using loyalty as the point around which the lost identity of the samurai can be reconstructed. The decline of martial necessity was the result of prolonged periods of peace, which eroded the true essence of the samurai. Hagakure's importance in leading modern warrior-bureaucrats who had never experienced war came in handy after the Tokugawa regime decided to open trade relations with the West. . Tokugawa leaders failed to find a more appropriate way to open relations with the West, even though several agreements had already opened Japanese ports to Western merchants. These initiated trade between Japan and other Western countries and dealt the final blow to the importance of servants whose services diminished compared to earlier times. At this point, Japan not only opened its economy to foreigners, but continued to imitate them as a means of modernizing itself. Several texts from the Hagakure forcefully state the role of the samurai and Yamamoto's deliberate efforts to make the servants as important as possible. in a vain attempt to return Tokugawa society to the militant past that would cease to make him a person who only existed in the past. The Political Context of Hagakure From a political perspective, Hagakure provides reflection and insight into the philosophy of behavior. The Spirit of Bushido was the way of the warrior and encouraged servants to be loyal to their leaders. This is a philosophical book that allows people to understand the world from a variety of topics and can be applied in modern society. Therefore, the book cannot be dismissed as inappropriate or inapplicable in the contemporary world. Instead, the way of the Samurai shows the dedication citizens should have to their leaders. Political leaders can lead their people through the most relevant or applicable means, knowing that they are loyal to them. The Samurai style represents an attitude that could be said to originate from modern pragmatism and people's belief in materialism. Everyone has the intuition of modern nationalism. The samurai have a significant influence on the political system of the modern world, particularly in modern-day Japan. Therefore, Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure remains a valuable guide in contemporary peaceful society, and it is not a fantasy book that is not applicable. The content of Hagakure in relation to modern society. Hagakure reports Tsunetomo's views on his opinion on bushido. . Bushido, however, is the code of ominousness that was used by the Samurai. Bushido has also been interpreted to mean the manner of dying or.