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Zen and the Samurai Tradition in Modern Japan
The word samurai stands for chivalry and loyalty, and to this day it still conjures up those images. "In its fullest expression the code emphasized loyalty to one's superior, personal honour, and the virtues of austerity, self-sacrifice and indifference to pain." Although the samurai form have moved on from their archetype of the warrior class with the katana, the ideals they stood for are still a powerful force in Japan today.
The samurai stood for loyalty and chivalry, but there was another warrior class that were mercenary style warriors. The Ronin, as they were called, began to bring a bad name to the samurai-they were a serious social problem. "Ronin were retainers who were deprived of their place in the usual loyalty patterns of Japanese feudalism... In demand in times of war, they were often a burden on society in times of peace."2 During the Tokugawa period (1603-1867) samurai were removed from being directly in control of their villages, and instead placed in less effective government positions. In the year 1867 Emperor Mutshito regained all the powers of the emperor, and began the Meiji restoration, after changing his name to Meiji. His re-appointment to power was in part due to the efforts of unsatisfied samurai in the government. Possibly, this action caused the Emperor to be anxious to rid the samurai of their political standing, thus ensuring his position was stable. He moved the capital to Edo, which was later to become Tokyo. The following year he began the systematic dismembering of the samurai class, which continued in 1873 when he announced that the army was to be based on the more western ideas of conscription than the old method of class. This meant if the Samurai were to survive as a people they must move into more bureaucratic positions in the Japanese political system, thus losing even more of their old power. Finally, in 1876 Emperor Meiji passed a law to stop anyone from carrying a sword. This brought about the end of the Samurai class, as it had been known for almost 1,000 years.
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The Meiji reform ending with in Japan being a world power, and in WWII the Japanese began to attempt to move themselves into a more powerful position with the attempted capture of pearl harbour, and the subsequent war that followed. During this time there was a squadron of pilots known as the Kamikaze, as mentioned in my other paper, this means 'Divine Wind'. These pilots were seen to be Japan's sole hope in a time when it became obvious that they were fighting a loosing battle. The Kamikaze were suicide pilots who were looked to the way of the samurai-bushido to inspire them in their time of need. The samurai had to be ready to die at any time for seemingly no reason, and this is just what the kamikaze pilots did.
The Kamikaze pilots relied upon the Buddhist sect of Zen and its meditative techniques to maintain a lucent vigil upon their goal. They used the religion to hone their reflexes and minds so that there was no other option besides success. After WWII, the Japanese army was dismembered and Japan shifted its visions of to the corporate world. The Zen state of mind still prevailed in this new enterprise, with the formation of large companies called 'Zaibatsu' in which it was considered normal to work for life. Though somewhat like a family the relationship between the corporation and the workers is more like a master slave relationship. These companies demanded a loyalty similar to that of the samurai of ancient Japan. They exist in a class system similar to that of the feudal system, the landowners being replaced by the company executives. In this metaphor, the samurai become the businessmen below the CEO. Their role in the company is to make the money-essentially to protect and improve upon the company. The Zen values of the samurai once again become familiar to these workers, they are loyal, and honorable, yet are willing to sacrifice everything for their company. The Japanese also have a term "Business is war" which shows this example to be a just one.
In modern day Japan, the samurai of old are looked back upon with respect, and are honored as heroes. There have been several movies and other forms of popular entertainment focusing on the warrior class. Some of the most notable include the 1954 film 'Seven Samurai'; even the currently popular anime cartoon 'Sailor Moon' has elements of samurai influence. These parts of pop culture introduce samurai to the world, and keep the Japanese legends alive. Video games such as 'Bushido Blade' also captures the imagination of westerners just as much as that of native Japanese. In this way, Japan has introduced many elements of its history into modern western culture. With the rising increase in Japanese imagery, and competition in the business world from Japan, Zen is also becoming more popular in western culture.
Zen and the Samurai tradition are still very prevalent in Japanese society today. Although the samurai as a warrior class disappeared long ago, their legacy and ideals live on.
1. http://www.dev.infoplease.com/
2. Ibid