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Samurai Religion

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Samurai warriors led some of the most complex and interesting lives of any kind of warrior. They were expected to be top notch warriors but just as importantly, they needed to be “highly cultured and literate.” Samurai were experts in things that you would only expect a noble or rich person to be able to do, such as calligraphy. They were nothing like what you would think a person in the military would be like today. To further explore the many facets of their lives, this paper will discuss their religion, the Bushido Code, fighting as a Samurai, and the history of Samurai in Japan. Samurai practiced Zen Buddhism which helped them in many ways throughout their life as a warrior. Buddhism was introduced to Japan by the ruler of Southwest Korea …show more content…

The Bushido Code was an unwritten code that determined how a person should live honorably. The eight virtues of the Bushido code are Righteousness, Heroic Courage, Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Honor, Loyalty, and Self Control. These virtues were extremely important to the samurai and if broken, the only way to redeem oneself would be to commit Seppuku (ritual suicide.) It was believed that cutting the abdomen released the Samurais spirit in the most dramatic way possible. There have been many books written on the Bushido code, and many people today adhere to its world renowned …show more content…

They were first really used in the Heian Period around the 8th century AD. Their main purpose was to keep the people of the country in order and to prevent revolts. After this wealthy land owners, would hire them and basically create their own armies to challenge the government. One of the most powerful of these “armies” challenged the government and took it over. A new government that was led by the samurai warriors was put in place and ruled Japan for most of the second millennium AD. When the Edo period took place starting in the 1500s, there was little need for Samurai because of the general peace across the country. Feudalism came to an end in 1868 and many samurai became bureaucrats, teachers, and artists. Today most of their history is left and can be seen throughout Japan. There are over 100 castles in Japan today that are featured as museums where one can observe what the life of a samurai might have been

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