Heart of the Samurai

 Movies and perhaps some history have created a perception of the samurai as cold, calculating mercenaries with no regard for human life who blindly follow the code of Bushido. There is an element of truth but the truth is misguided and has to be understood. The samurai did believe in a code of ethics and virtues embodied in their souls and strived to attain the highest honors of their chosen path. It is hard to imagine what we perceive as brutal. The chivalrous knights of old and even native Indian ideology have captured the imagination, with their ritualistic beliefs sharing similar warrior interpretations.

The true samurai was usually born into a family who believed in maintaining the lineage and some rose through the ranks to become an elite society in their own right. The history of the samurai is long and sometimes complicated, and I don’t wish to give a history lesson, but merely an understanding of the mind and destiny of the samurai as a person.

The aim of the samurai was to serve his chosen lord and protect the domain and life of those less fortunate. Many samurai attained great respect for their commitment and adherence to a code of conduct that required immense compassion, understanding, and sacrifice. The samurai wasn’t just skilled with the sword but also with the pen, brush, and word and a reverence for living things and that beyond. That is the heart of a true Samurai.

Does the samurai exist today? Well yes! He may not carry his katana or display the costume of his era. The samurai spirit still lives in those who have clung to the ethics and legacy of history, through the various branches of budo. The beliefs have evolved without losing either the essence of the warrior heart or the virtues of humanity.

Today’s samurai still maintain those traditions through their commitment and honest dedication to preserving life, peace, and harmony in a world that in some ways has not changed much as far as human behavior is concerned. They will share their wisdom, experiences, and teachings to allow others to enhance their lives. The feudal domains of the past are no longer separated by boundaries but have become the center for promoting universal peace and harmony. Each "samurai" who chooses the bushido path makes a lifelong commitment, to seeking enlightenment. The samurai may appear detached from apparent normality but they still have needs, wants, desires, and dreams just as any human being. Yet his willingness to make profound sacrifices cannot be discarded as eccentric or false. He has chosen to become a servant of humanity so that humility, grace, sincerity, honor, righteousness, etiquette, courage, and respect, to name a few, can be realized on the path of life’s journey. They are the virtues that mold the heart of the samurai.

Several martial arts, provide the opportunity, for dedicated martial arts practitioners to explore the true essence of Bushido, even though we live in a modern culture with distracting values.