PERAN INTERNASIONAL JEPANG

NAMA

: SUJIWO SANTOSO

NIM

: 2013-22-039

KELAS

: SENIN (12.00-14.00)

19th to 21st centuries

Recent scholarship in both Japan and abroad has focused on differences between the samurai
class and the bushid theories that developed in modern Japan. Bushid in the prewar period was
often emperor-centered and placed much greater value on the virtues of loyalty and self-sacrifice
than did many Tokugawa-era interpretations.[10] Bushid was used as a propaganda tool by the
government and military, who doctored it to suit their needs.[11] Scholars of Japanese history
agree that the bushid that spread throughout modern Japan was not simply a continuation of
earlier traditions.
More recently, it has been argued that modern bushid discourse originated in the 1880s as a
response to foreign stimuli, such as the English concept of "gentlemanship", by Japanese with
considerable exposure to Western culture. Nitobe Inazo's bushid interpretations followed a
similar trajectory, although he was following earlier trends. This relatively pacifistic bushid was
then hijacked and adapted by militarists and the government from the early 1900s onward as
nationalism increased around the time of the Russo-Japanese War.[12]
The junshi suicide of General Nogi Maresuke and his wife on the death of Emperor Meiji
occasioned both praise, as an example to the decaying morals of Japan, and criticism, explicitly
declaring that the spirit of bushido thus exemplified should not be revived.[13]
During pre-World War II and World War II Shwa Japan, bushido was pressed into use for
militarism,[14] to present war as purifying, and death a duty.[15] This was presented as revitalizing
traditional values and "transcending the modern".[16] Bushido would provide a spiritual shield to
let soldiers fight to the end.[17] As the war turned, the spirit of bushido was invoked to urge that
all depended on the firm and united soul of the nation.[18] When the Battle of Attu was lost,
attempts were made to make the more than two thousand Japanese deaths an inspirational epic
for the fighting spirit of the nation.[19] Arguments that the plans for the Battle of Leyte Gulf,
involving all Japanese ships, would expose Japan to serious danger if they failed, were countered
with the plea that the Navy be permitted to "bloom as flowers of death".[20] The first proposals of
organized suicide attacks met resistance because while bushido called for a warrior to be always
aware of death, but not to view it as the sole end, but the desperate straits brought about
acceptance.[21] Such attacks were acclaimed as the true spirit of bushido.[22]
Denials of mistreatment of prisoners of war declared that they were being well-treated by virtue
of bushido generosity.[23] Broadcast interviews with prisoners were also described as being not
propaganda but out of sympathy with the enemy, such sympathy as only bushido could inspire.[24]

The famous writer Yukio Mishima was outspoken in his by-then anachronistic commitment to
bushido in the 1960s, until his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'tat in November
1970.

Tenets
Bushid expanded and formalized the earlier code of the samurai, and stressed frugality, loyalty,
mastery of martial arts, and honor to the death. Under the bushid ideal, if a samurai failed to
uphold his honor he could only regain it by performing seppuku (ritual suicide).
In an excerpt from his book Samurai: The World of the Warrior,[25] historian Stephen Turnbull
describes the role of seppuku in feudal Japan:
In the world of the warrior, seppuku was a deed of bravery that was admirable in a samurai who
knew he was defeated, disgraced, or mortally wounded. It meant that he could end his days with
his transgressions wiped away and with his reputation not merely intact but actually enhanced.
The cutting of the abdomen released the samurais spirit in the most dramatic fashion, but it was
an extremely painful and unpleasant way to die, and sometimes the samurai who was performing
the act asked a loyal comrade to cut off his head at the moment of agony.
Bushid varied dramatically over time, and across the geographic and socio-economic
backgrounds of the samurai, who represented somewhere between 5% and 10% of the Japanese
population.[26] The first Meiji-era census at the end of the 19th century counted 1,282,000
members of the "high samurai", allowed to ride a horse, and 492,000 members of the "low
samurai", allowed to wear two swords but not to ride a horse, in a country of about 25 million.[27]
Some versions of Bushid include compassion for those of lower station, and for the
preservation of one's name.[7] Early bushid literature further enforces the requirement to conduct
oneself with calmness, fairness, justice, and propriety.[7] The relationship between learning and
the way of the warrior is clearly articulated, one being a natural partner to the other.[7]
Other pundits pontificating on the warrior philosophy covered methods of raising children,
appearance, and grooming, but all of this may be seen as part of one's constant preparation for
deathto die a good death with one's honor intact, the ultimate aim in a life lived according to
bushid. Indeed, a "good death" is its own reward, and by no means assurance of "future
rewards" in the afterlife. Notable samurai, though certainly not all (e.g., Amakusa Shiro), have
throughout history held such aims or beliefs in disdain, or expressed the awareness that their
stationas it involves killingprecludes such reward, especially in Buddhism. On the contrary,
the soul of a noble warrior suffering in hell or as a lingering spirit is a common motif in Japanese
art and literature. Bushid, while exhibiting the influence of Dao through Zen Buddhism, is a
philosophy in contradistinction to religious belief, with a deep commitment to propriety in this
world for propriety's sake.

The Modern Re-invention of Bushido

In one of the many changes that followed the Meiji Restoration, the leaders of the
newly established Meiji government formally abolished the samurai class and
eliminated their privileges. Despite this fact many former samurai continued to play
an active role in Japanese society. Many of the government leaders were
themselves former members of the samurai class.

Bushido, too, survived the transition to modern Japan, but not without significant innovation or
indeed invention. For instance, the loyalty to ones lord that had been a keystone in previous
articulations of bushido was transformed into loyalty to the nation, to the emperor, or (in the case
of several influential Christians) to Jesus Christ.
Nitobe Inazs English language book explaining bushido to the West represents perhaps the
most well known Meiji reinvention of bushido. His book, widely read after the Japanese victory
in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), played a significant role in shaping Western and Japanese
notions of bushido. It also helped spark an interest in bushido among Western writers and
scholars, which resulted in the production of a number of bushido-related materials available in
English. Nitobes work and several other English texts are explored below.
A. Modern Bushido for the English Language Reader
1. Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inaz Nitobe (10th rev. ed, New York, London: G. P.
Putnams Sons, 1905)
Nitobe (1862-1933), a scholar and educator, spent several years living, studying,
lecturing, and working in the United States. During his time as a graduate student
at Johns Hopkins University he became a Quaker and met his wife Mary Passmore
Elkinton, who was also a Quaker. Nitobe also studied in Germany and held several
teaching positions in Japanese Universities. He wrote Bushido: The Soul of Japan
while recuperating from exhaustion in Monterey. Nitobe later came to the United
States as an exchange professor, and in 1920 he also served as Under-Secretary of
the League of Nations. Nitobe wrote extensively in both Japanese and English and
published several books about Japan for Western audiences.
Nitobe completed Bushido: The Soul of Japan in 1899. Written in English and first
published in the United States, the book was clearly addressed to a Western
audience. Bushido, as presented in Nitobes work, was stripped of its most
militaristic aspects and redefined along lines similar to Western notions of chivalry.
Nitobe highlighted all of Japanese societys most positive attributes as the core of
bushido: loyalty, politeness, generosity, honor, self-control, endurance, and bravery.
He argued that bushido, a code once limited to the samurai, had spread and
permeated all of Japanese society after the Meiji Restoration. Nitobes rearticulation of bushido received increased attention among foreigners after the
Japanese defeated Russia in 1905. Many felt that bushido, as Nitobe described it,
was one of the keys to Japans success in the war and its success in modernizing
more generally. By the time the 10th edition was printed in1905, Bushido: The Soul
of Japan was available or in the process of being translated in a total of seven

languages. The first full Japanese translation of the work, however, did not appear
until 1908, though partial translations became available as early as 1900.
2. Bushido: In The Past and in The Present Rev. John Toshimichi Imai
(Tokyo: Kanada, 1906)
John Imai was a member of the Japanese clergy associated with the South Tokyo
diocese of the Anglican Church. While his work, like Nitobes, was aimed at painting
bushido in a way that was understandable to the Christian West, it is important to
note that it was also meant to downplay the significance of bushido, which some
British Anglicans were beginning to see as an acceptable alternative to Christianity
in Japan.
This short book was originally written to be an article for the English quarterly
journal The East and The West. In many ways it is similar to Nitobes book, though
Imais writing style is more direct and concise than Nitobes lengthy prose and
grandiose rhetoric. It is clear that Imai built and improved upon many of Nitobes
themes and concepts. Imais work is superior to Nitobes in that it refers to various
historical texts on bushido. However, Imai never achieved the popularity of Nitobe.
The book consists of four sections. The first section of the book, titled Bushido
What It Is and What It Is Not, asserts that bushido, being difficult to define, is best
defined by what it is not. Imai convincingly argues that although bushido is often
viewed as philosophy, this in fact is what it is not.
The second section of the book, Bushido as Represented by a Typical Master
provides an analysis of Yamaga Soks life and writings. The third section explores
bushido as it was represented in historical dramas. Imai cites several dramas of the
Jruri genre in his analysis and gives special attention to the Chshingura play when
discussing the role of loyalty.
In his fourth and final section Imai deals with the topic of Bushido in the Present,
which seems to have become a topic of interest for Japanese as well as Westerners
in the years following the Russo-Japanese War. In this section Imai gives an
interesting explanation of how bushido fitsand does not fitinto the social and
governmental structures of Meiji Japan. In his conclusion, Imai states that the ethics
of bushido and the greater concept of Yamatodamashii (the spirit of Japan), cannot
suffice but must be purified, renewed and perfected in its union with Christ (72).
Though clearly reflecting his larger goal of ensuring continued support for Christian
mission work in Japan, this conclusion seems a bit awkward since Christianity was
rarely mentioned in previous sections of the text.

3. What Is Japanese Morality? by James Scherer (Philadelphia: The Sunday

School Times, 1906)

Scherer was an American Lutheran Missionary who lived in Japan from 1892 to
1897. He also founded the Japan Mission of the Lutheran Church in America.
Scherers essay provides a glimpse into Western perceptions of Japanese culture at
the turn of the century and represents an interesting response to Nitobes ideas
about bushido.
Scherer saw bushido as the key to Japans rapid development during the nineteenth
century. He believed that the samurai ethic was behind the Japanese fondness for
Western weapons. He also thought that bushidos emphasis on an almost maniacal
loyalty made the Japanese great soldiers. However, Scherer overlooked the fact
that the emperor-centered sense of devotion was a new invention in the history of
bushido. In addition, his anecdotes on the subject of bushido lack credibility. His
account of the Ak Incident, in particular, is rather inaccurate and differs
dramatically from other variations on the story of the 47 rnin.
Scherers Christian background and larger goals were clearly reflected in the text.
He devoted an entire chapter to discussing the compatibility of Christianity with
Japanese society and values. Scherer argued that even though the notion of the
Emperor as a divine being ran contrary to Christianity, the Japanese impassioned
sense of loyalty could be transferred to religious devotion. This argument was
clearly related to his desire to encourage the continuation of missionary activities in
Japan.
4. Proposals for a Voluntary Nobility by Maurice Browne (Cranleigh,
Surrey: Samurai Press, 1908)
Browne was a British poet and schoolteacher who played an active role in theatre
and poetry circles in Chicago during the 1910s. In 1906, after having read H.G.
Wells A Modern Utopia while traveling in India, he and Harold Monro, Brownes
fellow poet and brother-in-law, founded an organization called the Samurai Order
and the avante-garde Samurai Press. The purpose of both the Order, which soon
dissolved, and the Press was to promote the development of what Wells had
termed a Voluntary Nobility, which was itself exemplified by a group of men he
called the Samurai.
Brownes short essay outlines the criteria necessary for the establishment of a
voluntary nobility of Samurai, along the lines presented in Wells work. What is
most interesting here in terms of bushido is Brownes numerous references to
Nitobes notion of bushido as a kind of exemplary model for the would be Voluntary
Nobility. While this work tells us little about bushido in Japan, it sheds some light on
how it was being thought of and even applied in the West.
5. The Invention of a New Religion by Basil Hall Chamberlain (London:
Watts & Co., 1912)

Chamberlain first came to Japan in 1873 and remained for many years serving as a
translator, researcher, and teacher. He was one of several British diplomats,
officials, and missionaries living and working in Japan in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries. He wrote several works related to Japan, most notably the book Things
Japanese, first published in 1890.
This short essay offers a scathing, though insightful, critique of what Chamberlain
called the twentieth-century Japanese religion of loyalty and patriotism (6).
Chamberlain points out that this religion was not only new but was also still in
the process of being consciously and semi-consciously put together by the official
class (6). By referring to historical evidence he highlights the newness of several
aspects of this religion, including general patriotism, Shinto, the notion of loyalty to
the Emperor, and bushido, which he notes does not appear in any dictionary before
1900. In critiquing bushido Chamberlain declared, Chivalrous individuals of course
existed in Japan, as in all countries at every period; but Bushido, as an institution or
a code of rules, has never existed. The accounts given of it have been fabricated
out of whole cloth, chiefly for foreign consumption (13-4). It is clear that
Chamberlain was taking aim at Nitobe and others, who he saw as having quite
literally invented the idea of bushido as a way of gaining support for Japans new
religion. Chamberlains clear language and well-crafted argument make this piece a
refreshing and significant read.

6. An Inquiry into the Japanese Mind as Mirrored in Literature: The

Flowering Period of Common People Literature translated by Fukumatsu
Matsuda (Tokyo: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 1970)
As a historian specializing in ancient Japanese and Chinese history and thought,
Tsuda Skichi is perhaps best known for his critical studies of the Kojiki and Nihon
Shoki, the ancient chronicles of Japan which date from the 8th century. His analysis
revealed that the chronicles did not represent historical facts but rather that early
court officials had fabricated them in an attempt to justify imperial rule. His
scholarly work on these texts brought him into conflict with rightists who felt he was
desecrating the imperial family. Later, several of his publications were banned, and
Tsuda and his publisher ended up serving three months in prison.
An Inquiry into the Japanese Mind as Mirrored in Literature: The Flowering Period of
Common People Literature was first published in Japanese from 1916 through 1921.
The sections in this work related to bushido, like Chamberlains essay, represent
more of a critique of bushido than they do a reinvention. Tsuda later revised and
republished the book between 1951 and 1954. It was this later edition that was
used for the English translation published in 1970. The later edition softens his
earlier criticisms of bushido to some extent. This change reflected Tsudas own
political and ideological shift. Viewed as a progressive in the pre-WWII period, he
began producing works during the early postwar years that advocated anticommunism and respect for the emperor.

The English translation of Tsudas work proves a bit dense. The sentences and
paragraphs are extremely long, and the wording is sometimes a bit awkward.
Nevertheless, there are a number of ideas in the text that make it well worth
reading. Two chapters in the translation are devoted to bushido.
The first focuses on the prominent role of samurai in the literature of the common
people. Tsuda makes several key points about bushido in this chapter. First, he
explains that bushido was a product of a period of perpetual civil wars and that this
fact resulted in conflicts with the goals of preserving peace and order which defined
the Tokugawa period. Focusing his attention on the contradiction inherent in being
a warrior during a time of peace, he explored the significance of quarrels,
vendettas, notions of loyalty, honor, and duty, and the warriors preoccupation with
death particularly as they appear in literature. Among his more interesting
observations, Tsuda suggests that samurai concerns about shame, honor, and duty
were all rooted in fear of town talk, or in other words, the samurai were constantly
worried about keeping up appearances before the public (119). The last few
paragraphs in the chapter list the merits of samurai morals and may have been
added in the later revised addition in an attempt to soften his critique of bushido.
In the second chapter Tsuda focused on the Tokugawa intellectuals' attempts to
rework bushido. The bulk of the chapter consists of a critique of Confucian
interpretations of bushido or attempts to reconcile Confucian ideas with the
anachronistic ideas of a bushido that originated during a period of civil war. The
chapter concludes with a brief critique of the connection between Zen Buddhism
and bushido, with Tsuda claiming, Bushido and the teachings of Zen decidedly
contradict each other (158).

How the Bushido Code of the Samurai Influences Japans

Police Force

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by Dave Lowry March 23, 2011

Judo and kendo are part of law-enforcement training in Japan, and many police officers continue
to study the martial arts throughout their careers. In most cases, the toughest dojo in a city in
Japan is a police dojo. Civilians who have gone there for martial arts training or who are hardy
enough to become members tell some harrowing tales.
I would go to the dojo some nights, wondering if I was going to make it out alive, one kendoka
said of his training at a police dojo in Kanagawa. Id get hit so hard on my forehead that even
wearing a helmet, my knees would buckle.
In other judo dojo, recalled a young man who trained at a police facility while teaching
English in Osaka, they would back off when you were thrown and let you get up so you could
take a grip and continue. Here, theyd be standing over you, and when you tried to get up, theyd
grab you and throw you again. It just kept going until you learned to get to your feet a second
after youd hit the mat.
How Samurai Enforce Japans Laws

From one perspective, the image of the tough police dojo speaks to a preconception involving
officers who like hard physical contact and enjoy confrontation. That may be true. In Japan,
however, some context is necessary to understand why things are that way.
Once the samurai caste was abolished in 1867, Japan created a national conscript army. They
drew young men from the lower classes of society: farmers and tradesmen, mostly. Meanwhile,
men of samurai ancestry were drawn to the police forces. Thats understandable because samurai
had for centuries been law-enforcement officers.
A mentality had long existed among the samurai that they were the protectors of the other
classes. The transition from protecting warrior to protecting police officer was natural. Today,
Japans police forces are far more militaristic and, from an American perspective, far more
intrusive in the lives of citizens. (One official task of Japanese police is enforcing public

morality.) The koban, or police box, is a common sight on city street corners. Cops know who
goes to work and when in their neighborhoods, and they dont hesitate to stop and question
strangers. When I visit one of my sensei, who lives in a small town outside Nara, its only a day
or two before a police officer is at the door, politely asking who the foreigner is.
Foreigners living in Japan complain a lot, and rightly so, about the sudden stops to which theyre
subjected. Asked to produce identification at the drop of a hat, theyre usually told that theres
been some criminal activity by non-Japanese in the neighborhood. Savvy foreigners, however,
know that no matter how irritating this can be, its a good idea to be polite and respectful in any
interaction with Japanese cops.
The Bushido Code of Japans Police

It would be a ridiculous exaggeration, though, to say that Japans police are its modern samurai.
As in the West, the law-enforcement agency in any Japanese city is bound to have its share of
less-than-perfect characters: the barely competent, the way out of shape and the plodding
bureaucrat. Its not inaccurate to say, conversely, that the esprit de corps of the police who are
serious budoka is formidable. They tend to see themselves as the line of defense between
criminals and society.
Ive trained with some Japanese police. I was just a visitor, and clearly they were taking it easy
on me. It was interesting to see them smoothly and efficiently adjust when I ramped up my
energy. They always stayed a step ahead of me in their intensity. None of us ever really poured it
on, but they always poured just a little faster and a little harder than I did.
Afterward, over sake and nibbles of fermented squid, I asked about the spirit of budo in the
police dojo. Its simple, one of the officers told me, his answer reflecting the samurai heritage.
I might not win, but I wont ever lose.
(Dave Lowry is a freelance writer whos trained extensively in the Japanese and Okinawan
martial arts.)

Modern Bushido
Living the Warrior Lifestyle in Todays World
The student must become a true warrior
in an age where there are no more warriors.
Kensho Furuya

I have studied martial arts for almost 30 years, and have seen many amazing martial artists
do things with their bodies that can simply boggle the mind. I have seen some of the best
fighters in the world and have trained with many martial arts instructors and other

practitioners. I have also been involved in more physical confrontations than I care to
remember, and know what it is like to both pound someone into a pulp, as well as be
pounded. In addition, I have been trained in how to use different weapons in self-defense
situations.
In short, I have witnessed and experienced a lot when it comes to the physical side of the
martial arts, but with all my experience, I have found one subject that seems to always get
little or no attention in the world of martial arts how to live a life of character. Most
martial arts classes are completely focused on self-defense, fighting, sport applications,
tournaments, and katas. While all of these are important parts of the martial arts, there is
something even more important missing from this list character training.
This is what modern Bushido is all about how to live the life of the superior man. While
this may sound like an elitist statement, it isnt. Living the life of the superior man is simply
a way of saying living a life based on character, honor and integrity. It is living the warrior
lifestyle the way it should be lived, according to universal standards and principles which
make someone a superior human being. When I say the words superior human beings, I
am not referring to someone being better or more important than someone else.
The phrase superior man was used frequently by Confucius to indicate someone who
lives according to high moral standards as opposed to someone who gives little regard to
such things. The superior man is not superior because he is richer, more educated, comes
from a better family, or anything along those lines. He is superior because he lives his life in
a superior way. He lives by higher standards than the average person.
This has always been the ideal behind the philosophy of Bushido. Literature from the 13th
through the 16th centuries in Japan had many references to the ideals of Bushido. The
actual word Bushido was first used in the 17th century, but the ideals of Bushido have
been around as long as there has been a warrior class, not just in Japan, but throughout the
world.
Bushido did not necessarily start out as a specific set of rules that must be followed, but
rather moral principles which were meant to guide the life of the warrior. More frequently
than not, the principles of Bushido were simply taught to children of the warrior class from
an early age as a way of life that was expected from them.
The philosophy of Bushido evolved over the centuries, but it never lost it primary focus
which was living life according to the high standards expected from those of the warrior
class. It is a philosophy of how to live your life as a true, complete warrior. The word
Bushido literally means the way of the warrior. This philosophy did not limit itself to
merely martial subjects.

On the contrary, the philosophy of Bushido covered subjects such as how to raise children,
how one should dress, how to treat your family and other people, financial issues, as well as
how to conduct yourself as an honorable warrior.
Today the Bushido Code is commonly simplified to seven virtues: rectitude, courage,
benevolence, respect, honesty, honor, and loyalty. But these seven virtues do not cover
everything which Bushido entails; there is much more to Bushido than these seven virtues.
The teachings of Bushido were meant to cover all areas of the warriors life, not just a
handful. Limiting Bushido to only these seven virtues is doing a disservice to this noble
philosophy.
There are at least 30 important traits, which I discuss in my book, Modern Bushido, that all
play an important role in the warrior lifestyle. Each of these traits helps guide you in living
a life of excellence. Many may question what this has to do with the life of the warrior or
martial arts, but this question assumes that the warrior lifestyle is merely about selfdefense or fighting it isnt.
Gichin Funakoshi stated that the ultimate goal of karate is the perfection of your character,
not the perfection of your martial skills.
Learning character traits, which will guide your actions throughout your life, is an
important part of the martial arts, but unfortunately this is also a part that has been
neglected over the years, especially in todays society where it is needed more than ever.
Self-defense is merely one part of the warrior lifestyle.
The warrior lifestyle is multifaceted and entails much more than martial arts techniques. It
is a complete way of life, not simply a term which encompasses anyone who practices some
type of martial art. There is much more to being a true warrior than knowing how to fight.
You can teach a dog to fight, but that doesnt make it a warrior.
On the contrary, the warrior lifestyle is a complete way of life. It is a way of living a life of
character, honor, and integrity in every area of your life. It includes martial arts, but it is
not defined by martial arts. One of the definitions of the term warrior is a person
engaged in some struggle or conflict. The word warrior is not limited to someone who
participates in an actual, physical battle between two armies. Many people disagree with
this statement, but it is true nonetheless.
To take this definition even further, the word war doesnt always refer to a conflict
between two countries or two groups of people. The term war can be defined as a
struggle or competition between opposing forces or for a particular end. True warriors are
not limited to those who have been in the military. Being a true warrior is dependent on
how you live your life, not on what you do for a living. The true warrior is the man or
woman who endeavors to live the warrior lifestyle and who lives his or her life by the code
of the warrior.

And have no doubts about it, they are at war. Their struggle may not be against some
opposing army, but rather it is a struggle between the opposing forces of living according to
their principles of honor or living without honor. The true warrior, whether in the military
or driving a garbage truck, must decide to live a life of honor and integrity according to the
principles of warriorship.
What you do for a living is simply what you do for a living; it is not who you are. Everyone
decides for themselves whether they will live life as a true warrior or whether they will live
their life in some other way.
Being a true warrior is a lifestyle, not a profession. It is not a fraternity where you have to
be in the military to be considered a member. A person is a true warrior because of what is
in his or her heart, mind and spirit; all the rest simply consists of the tools which the person
uses to develop the warrior spirit in order to live the warrior lifestyle.
The concept of Bushido, the way of the warrior, is not some outdated, romantic notion. It is
a way of living life to the fullest, with honor and integrity. It is the cornerstone of the
warrior lifestyle, and it is just as important today as it ever was.

Do nothing to make you lose respect for yourself,

or to cheapen yourself in your own eyes;
let your own integrity be the standard of rectitude,
and let your own dictates be stricter
than the precepts of any law.
Baltasar Gracian
Bohdi Sanders, PhD
excerpt from
Modern Bushido: Living a Life of Excellence