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Bushido- The Way of the Samurai Square One Classics

4 stars (Good Book, worth owning) - I'm glad I bought this book, not only for it's historical significance, but also to be able to continuously refer back to it for refreshing. While I really enjoyed the first two chapters (also the longest), it started to get long-winded towards the end. This is still a very quick read and worth it's price. Two parts of the book bring up a sensitive subject (which I won't spoil) which surprisingly seemed to be a fairly common way of life for samurai. No, I'm not talking about ritual suicide, or some of their strong beliefs in honor and service, but instead something that 99% of us I'd wager never would associate with Samurai lifestyles. While unsettling, it's worthwhile learning the truths about their habits without over-glorification. Certainly a classic book which has the potential to enspire everyone to reach for their full potential. 3 stars (Hagakure for beginners) - As the title of my review suggests, I think this book makes a good introductory text for someone who doesn't have a lot of time to dedicate to studying bushido, someone who is just getting acclimated to the new way of thinking, or someone who is merely curious. The positives: -Each quotation is clearly titled and indexed, making it easy to find and reference specific quotes regarding specific topics. -Some translations have been changed to better accomodate the literal English-speaking reader. The negatives: -Short. It is only a small sampling of the wisdom of Hagakure. -While the modified translations will help English speakers avoid some of the pitfalls associated with reading from a different cultural context, they are also an incomplete and sometimes shallow understanding of the text. Again, as an introductory text this one is a good one. For a better, more complete translation of Hagakure, look for the one by William Scott Wilson. It is one of my favorite texts, though I will admit that when pressed for a quotation on short notice, I will still o...
Square One Publishers :: Philosophy :: Mind & Body :: Martial Arts & Self-Defense :: Japanese Philosophy :: Ethics & Moral Philosophy :: Eastern - General :: Early works to 1800 :: Bushido :: :: Bushido- The Way of the Samurai (Square One Classics)

 

Hagakure- The Book of the Samurai

3 stars (Interesting as a historical text) - As a philosophical book, or a book about a way of living, I think the Hagakure falls short. Yamamoto Tsunetomo often comes across as simply an irritable, grumpy old badger. During his service to his lord, he never participated in a battle (he lived in the Edo period) and he was not really the world's greatest retainer either. Therefore it is difficult to put any merit into his personal ideas and philosophies. If you are looking for a book about the Samurai spirit, or way of the warrior, I highly recommend Code of the Samurai (though the Cleary translation leaves a little to be desired), and the Wilson translation of the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. Let me give an example of my viewpoint. The basis of Tsunetomo's idealogy seems to be that the greatest achievement of a samurai is to die for his lord. He goes so far as to say "merit lies more in dying for one's master than in striking down the enemy." Granted, he lived in a time of peace, but as a warriors philosophy, this just doesn't ring true. It feels as though he took the Zen/Martial idea of losing all fear of death a little too far. Musashi's viewpoint in the Book of Five Rings seems far more correct. Musashi states that while a warrior should always be prepared for death and willing to die for one's lord, the essence of a warrior is actually in the striking down of an enemy. There is no other point to conflict than victory over your opponent. There is merit in the Hagakure. It is very interesting and useful as a historical text describing how warriors felt and acted in the Edo period of peace. It also contains anecdotes from Sengoku era samurai, which I found very interesting. Also, when Tsunetomo is not going on about rushing to one's death, he does manage a few gems of good advice. For instance, "When there is something to be said, it is better if it is said right away. If it is said later, it will sound like an excuse." If you are a samurai collec...
Kodansha International (JPN) :: Philosophy :: Martial Arts :: Japanese Philosophy :: Ethics & Moral Philosophy :: Eastern - General :: William Scott Wilson :: Yamamoto Tsunetomo :: :: Hagakure- The Book of the Samurai