May 24 2009
The Warrior’s Way of Life
“…To taste life in every breath, every cup of tea…
…That is the way of the warrior. That is Bushido.”
-Katsumodo
From The Last Samurai
What Does it Mean to Be a Warrior?
Bushido
To be a warrior- broadly defined is someone engaged in struggle or conflict or someone seen as a champion. In this time in our society, many people are experiencing some sort of difficulty or conflict. When Donald Trump can’t get a loan from a bank, times are tough all around! Unemployment increased significantly in 2009, we heard about the suffering housing market including information like 1 in 4 homes face foreclosure. Depending on who did the polling, 50 to 80% of Americans feel that they have an unhealthy level of stress. Let’s face it, in today’s society many of us are warriors in a survival mode and we need to become the champions of our own lives. We need to support one another through tough times and take action toward a better future.
Not only is life tough for many economically and financially, but as a nation we are unhealthier than we’ve been in decades. A University of Michigan study found that only three percent of Americans maintain a healthy lifestyle. The federal government has released a study saying 34% of Americans are obese. Not just overweight, but obese! That translates to more that one in three people. Other countries face similar problems but there are many cultures that promote healthier lifestyles and have a much lower rate of obesity and health conditions. They must be doing something right!
Japan is on the list of one of the world’s healthiest countries. Diets rich in fish, rice, and seaweed have long kept heart disease and cancer in Japan in check. Various fitness crazes and government-sponsored pre-work workouts have helped generations of Japanese maintain trim physiques, and today’s tech junkies have a little help of their own: Japan’s largest mobile telephone carrier just unveiled a “Fitness Phone” that measures daily activity.
Today’s society has become dependent on technology including spending hours passively watching the television or playing video games. Many children spend an unhealthy amount of time mesmerized by these forms of technology, because parents are too busy working long hours to make ends meet while trying to keep-up with household demands. We are a population of consumers, controlled by large corporations and made to feel that the only way we can find satisfaction in our lives is by spending our hard earned money buying more things. We have allowed our economy to become so unbalanced that we have to bail out “Too Big to Fail” corporations that have built empires on a house of cards. We’ve witnessed these companies paying out huge bonuses with no accountability.
What is happening to our integrity, honor and our honesty? What happened to the time when people stood up for values with valor and courage? When the right thing was to take responsibility for our actions.
-This brings me to why we have decided to write about this topic-
What is a “The Warrior’s Way of Life”?
The Warrior’s Way of Life is based on the Japanese code of conduct known as Bushido, which translated means, “Way of the Warrior”. It is the set of principles, practices, and values of the Samurai of feudal Japan.
Seven key virtues outlined the Bushido Code:
-
- “Gi” -Integrity
- “Yu” -Valor and Courage
- “Jin” -Compassion
- “Rei” -Respect
- “Makoto” -Honesty and Sincerity
- “Meiyo” -Honor
- “Chungi” -Duty and Loyalty
These virtues guided the warriors through all aspects of their lives. The Samurai believed that living the Bushido was the highest form of existence– path to living properly.
By applying this code to our daily lives, Jillian and I have found clarity of purpose, a newfound love for life, peace of mind, reduced stress and the inner strength to face and overcome many of the challenges that are a natural part of life.
Topics Covered in this Blog
- The Bushido Code
- Zen and Meditation
- Universal Energy
- Health, Weight, Diet and Fitness
- The Martial Arts
- Yoga
- Reiki
Jillian and I would like to welcome you to The Warrior’s Way of Life blog. We would greatly appreciate your opinion and feedback and welcome guest authors, poets or bloggers that feel strongly about contributing to this site, including book recommendations and or healthy recipes to share. A monthly newsletter will be distributed to subscribers, and we look forward to your participation. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask questions.
Thank you–Marcus
