Plum branch in hand -
Happy New Year I'm going to congratulate
Old acquaintances …
(Sika)
You need to know your neighbor. This rule makes life easier for yourself … and for your neighbor, well, but in the end … "it's just good to live!" And it seems to be easy. Go to visit him, take a closer look, be observant and tolerant, that is, remember the parable about the straw and the log and, most importantly, act towards your neighbor as you would like others to act towards you. Trivial, isn't it? But quite difficult when you think about it. And it is also said: "A person living in a glass house should not throw stones at the houses of others!" And this was also very correctly noted.
Japanese warrior monk - sohei. In principle, the same samurai, only in specific shoes and a headdress … Well, and also nagitata … For the samurai, it was the weapon of women.
So Japan is our neighbor, but … what do we know about this country? That is, we know just a lot. More than, say, most average Japanese people know about us. But … knowing more, we have a better chance to understand them, and to understand … it means a lot.
Famous in Japan, the series "One Hundred Views of the Moon" was created by the artist Yoshitoshi Tsukioka using the traditional Japanese woodcut technique. It is considered the main work of this master, and its popularity in Japan is extremely high. "One Hundred Views of the Moon" was printed for the last seven years of his life, in the period from 1885 to 1892. It includes exactly one hundred sheets with a variety of subjects, which are united by only one detail - the moon, which, one way or another, is visible on each engraving. Here, for example, is the woodcut "District of Ghosn". What is depicted here? And a scene from the Chusingura Kabuki theater performance is depicted, which is understandable and familiar to every Japanese. A young Oshi Rikiya sends a letter with the news of the 47 ronin to the Ichiriki teahouse in Kyoto, in which Oshi's father Yuranosuke discusses how to avenge his mother's death.
For example, we talk a lot about the original culture of the Japanese, but where did it come from - is this their original culture and how did it originate? What was their religion and what role did it play in shaping the Japanese nation? Well - questions of religion are always interesting, and the religion of the warrior people is especially interesting, and therefore in the light of contemporary foreign policy events between our countries, we will tell VO readers a little about this.
Moon patrol. Sato Tashimitsu scouting the Kamo River near Kyoto, before attacking Honnoji Temple in 1582. Tashimitsu and his father Sato Karanosuke served Aketi Mitsuide (1526-1582), who attacked and killed his overlord Oda Nobunaga.
Archaeological data unambiguously indicate that the most ancient belief of the Japanese was that they themselves call Shinto, and we call it Shinto. That is, it is … animism, totemism and magic, fused into one whole, and in short - believing in the spirits living in this world around us. These spirits - kami, have different powers and there are a lot of them. There are kami lakes and streams, waterfalls and stones, trees and forests. That is why it is wrong to translate the word kamikaze, as it is translated here - "wind of the gods" or "divine wind". This is the "wind of spirits." Moreover, the gods in Shinto also exist, as well as dragons and all kinds of mystical entities, they are simply present everywhere and the gods also have to deal with them. In general, it was a typical pagan pantheon with a developed cult of nature. Something similar took place among the Babylonians, who, in addition to the main gods, saturated the world around them with many demons, something similar took place among the northern peoples, just the ancient Japanese had a lot of kami and had to be constantly remembered about them.
However, when feudalism began to flourish in Japan, the uncertainty of Shinto began to slow it down in some way. The warriors separated into a separate class, and they needed a more "convenient" religion for them than for commoners. It seems that Buddhism, brought from China, became such a religion, but … again, it was more suitable for peasants than for warriors. Nature, including spiritual, does not tolerate emptiness. Therefore, it is not surprising that within the framework of all the same Buddhism in Japan, the teachings of his Zen sect, or zenshu, began to spread. From Japanese "Zen" can be translated as "immersion in silent contemplation" in order to master the external and internal spiritual forces to achieve "enlightenment". The founder of the Zen sect (Chinese - "Chan", Skt. - "Dhyana") is considered the Buddhist priest Bodhidharma (Japanese Bodai Daruma), who began to preach his teachings initially in India, and then moved to China. But already from China to Japan Zen Buddhism was brought by two Buddhist monks: Eisai (1141 - 1215) and Dogen (1200 - 1253), who began to preach it.
But it gained popularity among the warriors. Why? The fact is that the spread of Zen Buddhism coincided with the establishment of the shogunate system in the country, when the warriors worshiped the "sacred land" (jodo) - an analogue of Buddhist paradise - or the Buddha Amida. The teachings of the Jodo Buddhist sect were extremely simple, which was very popular with the then soldiers. It was founded by the Buddhist monk Honen-shoonin in the 12th century. and it became attractive, first of all, among the working people of the people, who really wanted to believe in their own rebirth in paradise after death. Jodo ousted most of the other Buddhist sects in Japan, so that its followers owned up to 30% of all temples, priests and monks in Japan, and its very essence was extremely simple. Like any religion, its goal was "salvation." But the ways of salvation were different. So, the Jodo supporter, in order to “be saved”, had to pronounce the name of the Buddha Amida (“Namu Amida butsu!” - “I bow before the Buddha Amida!”). The Jodo monks explained that it does not matter who you are: a bad or a good person, in order to be “saved” (that is, “to be born again in the future, but more worthily”), you just need to repeat and repeat this prayer. As everyone understands, it was a religion very convenient for slaves and masters. She did not change anything in their relationship, but she allowed the slave to sublimate on the idea of salvation and … endure her slavery further! Yes, for peasants and other commoners, such a religion was good. But not for warriors!
They understood that a simple appeal to the Buddha Amida in this life does not give them anything, but it develops lack of will and apathy in people, and what kind of warrior is this if he does not have a strong will? The samurai, first of all, had to educate his will in the most persistent way, develop self-control and composure, which are necessary for any professional warrior in the first place, whether it be a campaign against the Ainu, a fight against the old aristocracy from Kyoto, or the suppression of peasant uprisings that broke out here and there.
So Zen preachers appeared in the historical arena in Japan at a very good time. They argued that only continuous work on oneself, the purpose of which is to cultivate in oneself the ability to highlight the essence of the problem, then the ability to focus on solving it, in order to go towards the intended goal, are very important. And not only in monastic life, but also in secular life. It was then that Zen Buddhism became the spiritual foundation of the samurai caste; and the number of his followers began to grow steadily. Historically, the relationship between Zen Buddhists and the samurai class began to develop under the Hojo regents in Kamakura. Eisai, just the very first Zen Buddhist preacher, could not expect success in Kyoto, since such sects as Teidai and Shingon were strong there. In addition, they enjoyed the patronage of the imperial house and the highest aristocracy. But in Kamakura, such difficulties simply did not exist, since there the influence of these sects did not spread at all, which is why Zen Buddhism among the samurai of the Taira house and the Minamoto house spread completely freely.
Moon over Mount Inaba. In this scene from Taiko Chronicles, Konoshita Tokichi (1536-1598), the son of a peasant and later known as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, climbs a cliff near the Saito clan's inaccessible castle on Mount Inaba. From this feat began the brilliant career of Hideyoshi, who took the name Taiko (Drum) for himself.
An important reason that prompted the samurai to engage in precisely the teachings of Zen was … its exceptional simplicity. The fact is that according to his doctrine, "the truth of the Buddha" cannot be conveyed either in writing or orally. Accordingly, all didactic manuals or instructions cannot reveal the truth, and therefore are false, and all comments are flawed. Zen is above all kinds of verbal expression. Moreover, when expressed in words, it loses its Zen properties. Hence the main thesis of all theorists of Zen Buddhism, that it cannot be called a teaching, since the logical knowledge of the world is absolutely impossible. The desired can be achieved only through intuition, which through contemplation alone can lead a person to comprehend the "true heart of the Buddha."
A very convenient religion, isn't it? No need to waste time reading religious books. Although Zen Buddhists used books and Buddhist texts, they were used only as a means of propaganda. In addition, the person himself could not understand Zen on his own and needed a mentor. However, the samurai fell in love with Zen most of all because it developed their self-control, will, composure, that is, everything that was required for a professional warrior. For a samurai, it was considered very important not to flinch (both externally and internally) in front of an unexpected danger, to maintain clarity of mind and the ability to be aware of one's actions under any circumstances. In practice, the samurai should have an iron willpower, fearlessly rush at the enemy, not paying attention to anything, because the main goal of a warrior is to destroy him. Zen also taught that one should be calm and very restrained no matter what happens. Anyone who professed Zen Buddhism should not even pay attention to insults, which, of course, was not at all easy for the warriors of the "noble" class, but it helped to develop self-control and will.
Another quality that Zen instilled in warriors was unquestioning obedience to their master and, of course, to their military leader. There are many stories from the time of feudal Japan that tell about this feature of the then Japanese knights. For example, in the story of one daimyo, it is said that he, along with the remnants of his broken squad, ended up on the edge of a high cliff, and enemies surrounded him on all sides. The daimyo did not want to surrender and gave the command "Follow me!", After which he rushed on horseback into the abyss. And all his samurai immediately followed him, not for a second thinking about the meaning of the commander's order. And after all, all this is a consequence of upbringing according to the Zen system - having received an order from a senior, act without hesitation!
The existence of a person in the world in Zen was considered only an appearance: "Shiki-soku-ze-ku" - "Everything in this world is illusory" - said Zen Buddhists. The world is illusory and ephemeral, it is only a manifestation of the universal "nothing", from which, as everything was born, everything will go there, or rather, it is born and leaves continuously. That is why Zen Buddhism taught a person not to cling to life, and, of course, this is why not to be afraid of death. But it was the contempt for death in Zen that attracted samurai to him.
The concept of the ephemerality of being and the ghostly nature of the surrounding world (mujo), however, linked everything that was short-lived and fleeting with such a concept as beauty. Everything short-lived, current, or very short in time (for example, plum blossom among the snow, dew drops under the sun, etc.) was defined as a visible manifestation of this "moment between the past and the future." That is, it was argued that it is precisely brevity that is beauty! In accordance with this statement, a person's life was also considered the more beautiful the shorter it was, especially if the life he lived was vivid and memorable. Hence the contempt of the samurai for death and the development of the "art" of dying beautifully.
Another element of the "easy death" theory was influenced by Chinese Confucianism. A person should have had moral purity, a sense of duty, a spirit of self-sacrifice. It was then that he became a "worthy husband." Therefore, the Japanese were taught from childhood to die for the emperor, their master, they explained the morality of the principle of sacrificing everything for them. That is, the question "Could you lie down with a grenade under a tank?" never stood for a Japanese child. He could not, but was simply obliged to do it, that's all. After all, dying for the sake of fulfilling one's duty was regarded as "real death."
Mountain moon after rain. Soga no Goro Tokimune (12th century), together with their elder brother Zuro, killed their father's killer, Kudo Suketsune. Because it happened in the shogun's camp on the slopes of Mount Fuji, the law was broken. Zuro died in the battle, and Goro was captured and taken to the shogun, who immediately ordered him to be beheaded. The artist specially depicted a cuckoo flying in front of the moon, because it was one of the symbols of the transience of all things.
Hence, by the way, the plots of most Japanese fairy tales for children. For example, here is such a "fairy tale" - the stepmother wished fresh fish in winter and sent her stepson to get it. And it is clear that she is "bad" and did it out of spite. A child from a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, of course, would have found a way to deceive her, and then "to the shovel and to the oven!" But the Japanese boy went to the river, saw the fish frozen in the water, undressed, melted the ice with the heat of his body (!) And brought the fish to his stepmother! On another occasion, the boy saw that his parents were disturbed by mosquitoes in their sleep. He undressed and lay down next to them so that they flew over to him. After all, his father should have gone to serve the master tomorrow morning!
Samurai, who used the dogmas of Buddhism and Confucianism, naturally adapted them for their professional needs. The cult of death for the sake of glory, the spirit of self-sacrifice for the sake of serving the master - were surrounded by a halo of glory. And it is from here that the hara-kiri custom arose. This was due to the fact that a professional warrior was constantly balancing on the brink between life and death. Therefore, the samurai cultivated in themselves a disregard for earthly life.
A moon of pure snow on the Asano River. The girl Chikeko throws herself into the waters of the Asano River in the hope that her death will convince government officials to free her father. But her death did not make an impression on the authorities, and as a result, her father died in prison. But how beautifully she died!
Many rebirths, taught Buddhism. And if so, then the death of an individual, according to Buddhists, does not mean the final end, and he will be reborn in future lives. Therefore, a person should resignedly obey the “great law of retribution,” that is, karma (go), or fate, which determines only the degree of his sinfulness in a past life, and in no case complain about life now. Everything is determined, everything is weighed, for everything comes the reckoning!
This explains the deaths of so many Japanese warriors in battles with a smile on their face and the words of a Buddhist prayer on their lips. A man - and all samurai knew this from childhood - had to die completely calmly, as if falling asleep, while having pious thoughts and, of course, with a smile on his face, so as not to give unpleasant moments to those around him. Moans, unwillingness to die and part with loved ones and their lives were viewed as unworthy behavior and a violation of "death etiquette." That is, Zen Buddhism cultivated such an attitude to the issues of life and death, when the concept of one's own “I” was simply absent, as well as fear of death and thoughts of one's own benefits and hardships.
Of course, the benefit from such an attitude to life was derived, first of all, by the feudal lords whom the samurai served. A person who is not afraid of death, infinitely loyal to his overlord, seized by the idea of constant spiritual deeds - an ideal soldier. That is why similar qualities were cultivated not only in Japan, but also by all totalitarian regimes. "Death for the Fuhrer", "death for Stalin", death for the emperor "- all these are convenient forms of manipulating people. Such people are easy to control in battle, they do not surrender, but the honor of the samurai and the moral imperative will not allow him to retreat and flee from the battlefield, the order of the commander for him is a law that must be carried out without reasoning, and at any cost, so as not to to cover with shame and dishonor neither your name nor your family.
It was the foundations of Zen teachings that formed the basis of the code - bushido. The war for the sake of the interests of the suzerain was revered as "the transformation of the highest ideal into a deed." Bushido, as it was said in the "Hagakure", was recognized by the Japanese chivalry as the doctrine of a direct and fearless striving to return to eternity.
It is clear that, as in any religion, there were contradictions in Zen. So, Buddhism forbids any kind of murder. In Buddhism, it is included in the five "great" sins, which also include theft, adultery, lies and drunkenness. But since life, on the contrary, constantly demanded the opposite, a form of "redemption" was also invented - generous donations to temples, tonsure as a monk after a certain time devoted to … murders.
