Dr E is clearing out the AlexandriaofEngbeck Librarium from FB "Spiritual Liberation" page-group and then over to the web page. This one has 28 entries.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LionSpiritKeep/permalink/2761013207516185
HAGAKURE
The Secret Wisdom of The Samurai
by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Translation by Alexander Bennett
Bushido. University of Canterbury in Christchurch in 1994-PhD in University of Kyoto 2001. Dr Bennett. Yamamoto Tsunetomo. SHIBUNKAKU 2009 THE BUSHI ETHOS AND ITS EVOLUTION: AN INVESTIGATION OF BUSHIDO FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE HISTORY OF SOCIAL THOUGHT. Internal Research Center - KendoWorld. Bunbu-Ryodo ...literary and military arts. ZANSHIN "Lingering Heart" Maintain alertness at all times. Vigilance, Calm, Collected after Engagements, mustering complete control over the surge of adrenalin. Extreme expressions are not Respectful. Samurai culture. MUSHIN vs ZANSHIN. Selflessness. Tensions inherent in the Life of The Samurai.
"The Remaining Mind" and The Respectful and Stable Posture after a Fight.
CONTEXT. Bushido. Strength, masculinity, fearlessness, honor, and transcendence. Also...callous and cold hearted brutality. Spiritual Development as well as self defense and sport. Samurai Strategy was believed to have caused the economic boom in Japan in the 1980's. Musashi - THE BOOK OF THE 5 RINGS. Daidoji. BUDO SHOSHINSU. Anime. Retainer. Valorous Butchers. Shocking habits that greet death...even suicide. Death is integral to honor. Aphorisms. Challenging Questions. CONTEXT.
The Hagakure Phenomenon. "Dictations given hidden by leaves." Bushido. Feats by Samurai. SAGA DOMAIN. Abstractions among balances between such as EQUANIMITY & INSANITY, rather than convoluted discourse of philosophies. Jocho and Tsurumoto. Meritorious Feats recounted. Aspects of Warrior culture. Censorship in Japan. Shogun. Forbidden text. Inflammatory. Kodokan. Bushido Traditions. Emotive Force. Gripping pendulum swings. Japanese Spirit - Wakon Yosai. National identity conflicts. Japaneseness. Attempts to bind Bushido to state. Loyalty to Jesus. THE SOUL OF JAPAN. Feudal Warriors and "Samurai Ization." VIRTUES: Honesty, Justice, Courtesy, Courage, Compassion, Sincerity, Honor, Duty, Loyalty, and Self Control. To be prepared to die for a cause and to give complete Loyalty to a Leader. Culture of Death and Faithful Devotion to Goodness. Kamikaze pilots. Criticism of the fanaticism of death over Loyalty to Good. Death Fury. MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH. NOBLE sAMURAI CONNECTION TO JAPANESE PEOPLE AND CULTURE. Once again, Wisdom vs Brainwashing. Hagakure can be read with Compassionate Context to the period it was written in to best understand its authors points.
CONTEXTUALIZING THE HISTORICAL MILIEU AND SETTING. Ancient conscripts as Kodai. Kindai. Ritsuryo disbanded war teams. Hereditary rule placed over Japan. Private armies. Service of War to aristocratic families. Profession of Arms. Forming of bands. Estate protection. identity as Warriors. Bonds of loyalty. Bakufu - Warrior government. Ferocious militant appetites born. Honor and Fealty. Gunki Monogatari - War Tales. distinct ethics and code. Risk all for honor. Valor to the point of Death. Na = Name . The Honor by War Prowess linked to control of right to violence. Martial skills expression of Honor....and Death. Achievements for Warriors in Peace time were developed. DUTY. SHOGUNATE. HEGEMONIC PRIVILEDGE FELT THREAT FROM WARRIORS. SELF sACRIFICING DUTY REPLACED DEATH AS HONORIFIC PATH FOR NEW SAMURAI. TOKUGAWA - COMMUNITY OF HONOR. 47 ASANO RETAINERS (47 RONIN - MASTERLESS SAMURAI). What is the true motivation for Courageous actions? If self serving, it is not Honorable. If unwise, then dishonorable. Jocho did not Praise the 47. PAX TOKUGAWA where Jocho navigated peacetime as a Warrior, and taught precepts for navigating the apparent conflicts for a centuries old warrior class in peacetime.
CONTEXTUALIZING THE CONTENT. Yamamoto Jocho. 6-11-1659. His father was Shigezumi who was a Retainer for the Saga Domain. His Father was 70 when he was born. The Father disfavored his sickly but smart son and gave him to the volunteer care of Taku Zusho. Named Matsukame. Renamed Tukei. Went to work for Mitsushige. Chores to build strength and stamina. Young Jocho trained triple hard to disprove his doubters. Became GonNojo. His Father's friend took him in after poetry was disfavored by his Retainer, a Zen Monk. Kyokuzan Jocho became his new Honrific name and he studied with Confucianist Wise Man Ishida ittel. He married and was sent to retrieve the Kokin Denju documents. Thsi contained the meaninings of the poems in the KOKIN WAKA SHU. KOKIN SHU. WAKA POETRY. He succeeded prior to his Master's death. He had to move on after that and his dreams of become the CHIEF RETAINER where he dreamt of being beside and consulting The Domain Lord. He therefore wanted to Junshi but it had become illegal to commit honorific suicide. Instewad, he committed SOCIAL JUNSHI and retired to Hermitage in the hills. He "adopted" another very talented Mink named Tsuramoto. 7 years of scribing together and these two produced the first copy of "The Hagakure." 9/10, 1716. The document was lost but excerpts fund across time to reassemble the full text as best as possible. KAHAKU BON and KASHIMA BON and KOYAMA BON. The current translation is based on the KOHAKU BON version which is generally accepted as the closest to original form and content. These books eventually became 4 books. Engbeck asks ... did "Oracle bones" precede the Waka Poetry which preceded the Hagakure?
UNRAVELING THE ESSENCE. Complicated and contradictory apparently. HIDDEN WAY UNDER THE LEAVES. "A Blossom still left over makes yearn to chance upon my secret Love this way..." Hidden By leaves. Tsuramoto and Jocho. "Service from The Shadows." Non desirous of recognition. Renouncing The World in Monkhood, Retiring from Service. DEVOTION. Devotion while Pursuing Glory? Even/Especially after having fallen into Hell. A useful Vassal of The Lord's. SHINOBU-KOI. secret love. VEXATION/DISINTEGRATION OF WARRIORHOOD ACROSS TIME. PROFITS AND LOSSES, FINANCE AND PROBLEMS, TASTES IN FASHIOIN, and ...IDLE CHATTER OF SEX. Preocc with frivolity. Consumerism. The new samurai lacked experience in battle and Discipline. They had not the Purity of Intent they need unlike the Former True Samurai. The Spirit of Hagakure is summed up into 4 OATHS:
I WILL NEVER FALL BEHIND OTHERS IN PURSUING THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR.
I WILL ALWAYS BE READY TO SERVE MY LORD.
I WILL HONOR MY PARENTS.
I WILL SERVE COMPASSIONATELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS.
JOCHO and Morals ...asserted as Universal in Nature. He asserts that "The Way" of the Warrior (Bushido) is Death. He says to go forth to meet it confidently. HOKO -Yeomanly Service. Death Prevails over this Life... yet, Life is Eternal over Death. Selfless application to service. "Vassalage." No anxiety for tribulations yet to occur. Meeting tribulation and death with equanimity. Accepting the worst. RONIN. SEPPAKU. The worst thing is to dissociate from Death. Anxiety is foolhardy therefore. Equanimity of Life and Death. Dignity in Acceptance. Hagakure feels that Life is completed by Death. NOBLE DEATH EXPRESSES NOBLE LIFE. Living now as if already dead...provides the noble Death.
Existential attitude. Jocho advocates for remaining clear through meaningless and absurd world realm activities. That we see the mastermind puppetry but do not become distressed. rather, to prepare for and take good actions instead. This ephemeral world has transitory puppet masters and Samurai Wisdom is not affected. RESOLVE. Becoming Heroic Warriors...one and all? KUSEMONO. This is The Path of Self Liberation. Such stance and activity provides meaning in the dualistic world realms.
Hagakure as an essential energy of The Samurai. Yet, there is much controversy. Even in peace times, there remained a tension that violence could erupt from them. The contradiction is also displayed in death and service. The honor filled Tension is a bedrock of Honorific Life for The Samurai. SEPPUKA...the Warrior may become extolled when he dispels evil especially in the worst of circumstances. Even though the lawbreaking is to be sentenced with his own death, he must dispatch the foe.
SEEKING A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION is the recommended direction for a Samurai to take. The story shows two samurai on a bridge going different directions who choose to think towards resolution. Then suddenly, a lowly radish seller spins them on his shoulder pole so that one stands where the other was, and vice versa! SWORD DIPLOMACY sought...and then found! No need for Retainers to die needlessly and no need for unneeded discord. Constructive Service to The Lord includes seeking resolutions. Reservation and Discretion serve the explainer of differences. SPIRIT OF ACCORD... SENSITIVITY... releases umbrage and non resolutions. Yet, The Samurai must seek RECOGNITION. Seeking of glory motivates... True. Also, vicarious support of other Samurai. Teaching wisely is a LOYAL act. Joyful. Yet, the Samurai must choose SEPPAKU as opposed to umbrage. He/She must defy those orders that are unlawful. Obstination serves the Samurai who must not fall to moderation. When the feeling that we have overdone our contribution comes, we are right on track.
Jocho also strongly advised PRUDENCE. He said it is best to first step back... to then contemplate the depths of issues... the shallows as well...and this also helps avoid the indignation of the Master. He also advises JUDICIOUSNESS. He calls the calculating man...a 'coward." For the calcman, all is loss and gain... no frenetic charge for he but orders another... KICHIGAI and SHINI-GURUI ...AKA "MAD DEATH FRENZY" ... we give self to insanity and sacrifice for the task at hand. If one then attempts to calculate, they lose the frenzy and hence, The Honor. Secret love and ManLoveLoyalty also create a wrinkle of paradox. SHUDO is the preparation to sacrifice one's own life for that of their Lover. This conflicts with sacrificing for the Master or Lord. Shudo is a pure form of male bonding. We have Mutual Trust and Appreciation of Inner Qualities. HONOR. ETHNO-MENTALITY. Was Jocho just a grumpy old man... ? but he also wrote with a grin at times! Apparent inconsistencies lead the way to There were ranks and Service deportment was different...both with utmost Honor and Sacrifice...but one with physical and another with scholarly. ICHINEN is PURE WILL AND INTENTION. The SINGLE MINDED PURPOSE... One Will at a time...each moment...in realization of Truth, one also sees that there is no hurry. JUST LIVE IN THE PRESENT WITH SINGLE MINDED PURPOSE... that is The Way. People forget this and trade it in for lower causes...as distraction from TruePurpose. KUSEMONO is one who may and does demonstrate this purpose. Yet, today, in modern Japanese cultures, the KUSEMONO is an eccentric weirdo.
A Warrior can demonstrate BY LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT WITH A SINGLE MINDED PURPOSE [ " Ichinen " ] ... such RESOLVE & PURITY in THOUGHT and ACTION may be called a "KUSEMONO" ... This opposes the modern parlance of the word which is now...drum roll...a negative cannotation...the "extreme weirdo outcast on shame," etc. In this book, the meaning is clearly ...."SUPREME WARRIOR." This sort of man could be relied upon... and would appear suddenyl and gainfully in "calamity," although remaining in obscurity otherwise. "Exceptional warriors" come from "dependable men." This is KUSEMONO. He is the archetypal warrior... who the Great Warriors have long aspired to be like including Jocho and the 'unnamed hero of the book." It is the KUSEMONO who embodies the essence of BUSHIDO as described / ascribed in the HAGAKURE.
Introduction Conclusion: The intention of this latest translation by Bennett, ...who is "in it to win it" lol... has the INTENTION OF CONTEXTUALIZATION ...of "myriad influence" ... the "guileless and quixotic aphorisms" ...of what has always been CONTROVERSIAL. Once, used to inclucate national militarism...basing the war faction rising to "ultra--nationalistic" sentiment for Japan...who did then rise in power. The FORBIDDEN nature of the book was a mistake though...since the misuse did not take away the true value hardware of the book. "Exquisitely beautiful" ... yet purged post war. The west continues to emfatuate over the Eastern Warrior Conscious Energy that Hagakure presents... and this expecially since the 1980's. The SAMURAI PSYXCHE... is also welcoming the addition of the SAMURAI VIGNETTES. Many authors have revisited...as editors...and Jocho, Tsuramoto, Kohaku, Jackson, Takashi, Tetsuop, Jones, Tamaguchi... have all edited and/or taught from The Hagakure to add to its vibrancy in the now... a window yet ipen to view the 218th century Warrior struggling to balance HONOR AND SOCIAL ORDER. Less On ...this for now.
More subjects covered:
IDLE TALK IN THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT
– FEALTY, DEATH AND WAR, PERTAINING TO WOMEN, MISCELLANY
EVENTS OF JOCHO’S LIFE
HAGAKURE HIERARCHY
The Samurai detaches from life and death and is useful.
“How far away from the wretched world are the mountain cherry trees?”
Bibliography and References Pp 282
Photo Credits Sources Pp 280
Notes-Maps Pp 281
