Hagakure (Opinion)

Hagakure is a Japanese philosophical text written between 1709 and 1716 by a samurai named Yamamoto Tsunetomo. It is a reflection on the samurai way of life, its morals and values. A customer in Carino told me about it over dinner, I was ashamed to admit that I have not even heard of it, strange for someone like me to be so unaware of such a historic text in this genre. Anyway I got an ebook version of it and have been reading it little by little. There are of course, tidbits that are more interesting to me than others, and I would like to summarize them here in case I have to talk about this book in the future.

The Hagakure became popular in Japan’s meiji period when westernization was replacing the Japanese spirit. This spirit and teachings surrounding bushido can be perceived as very dangerous and prone to creating nationalist extremists willing to die for their country/emperor at the drop of a hat, so after WWII many such teachings were prohibited in schools.

Book 1:

Point 14 Presenting ones opinion to others to help them rectify their faults is an important act of great compassion and duty for any retainer. It speaks about the timing and phrasing, it’s usually a delicate matter and you don’t want to come off as shaming them or just venting frustration. How can you expect someone to become a better person just by humiliating them? The recipient must be in the proper frame of mind to receive criticism.

Point 17: Yawning in the presence of others is impolite. If the urge to yawn arises rub your forehead in an upward stroke to suppress it (does that work?)

Point 24 is about secrets. A certain person suggested itemizing all expenditures in the domain, but this is not always wise. There is an old adage saying that ‘fish avoid streams with clear water’. Fish are able to survive by hiding in the weeds and in shadows of objects in the water. Overlooking the odd shortcoming allows the lower classes to live with peace of mind.

Point 29 is about calligraphy. ‘Write each character without fear of tearing through the paper with your brush’ The merits of the character can be decided by a calligraphy expert. Do not be discouraged just because it does not go well’. I don’t have deep insight on this, but as my daughter often crumples up her drawings or projects because she makes a simple mistake, I thought there might be something  in this line with further thought. I’ll come back to it.

Point 39 is about priests teaching the ‘no thought’ doctrine of munen/mushin. It’s interesting that when something becomes second nature to you, you can do it without thinking, like a reflex. A goal of Buddhism is to train your nature to become good, so that in a situation where evil could arise, your nature is to choose the good path thoughtlessly, with no need for contemplation on the matter.

Point 40 “how will you reply when your own heart asks questions?”

Point 47 was especially interesting on how it relates to the article of beauty I wrote at the beginning of this blog. Famous lords went to see a priest who commended them on their education but said it burdened them. “Someone who is knowledgeable but doesn’t not know the way is as flawed as a man walking east when they meant to be walking west. The more you know the further removed from the way you become. If you learn the teachings of the sages of China through lectures and books, it does make you more knowledgeable; but you may become mistaken thinking that you share the same wisdom, and conceitedly begin looking down on ordinary people as if they are insects. This is proof that you have veered far from the way. Knowing the way is to know your own faults. Discovering your imperfections through endless introspection and remedying them by training your body and mind is the way. The character used to write ‘sage’ (sei) can also be read as hi-jiri (flaw – know) because of their understanding of their imperfections. If you vigilantly examine your own heart, it will become clear how many bad thoughts are invoked in your mind each day. You should never be content with yourself.

Book 2:

Point 89 says those with a little understanding of things presume to know their own strengths and shortcomings. Because they identify themselves with people whom they deem to be of an even higher level of attainment, they believe they can determine the limit of their own lofty calibre, and with false modesty they label this as a fault. This eventually metastasizes into conceit.  The Priest Kaion Oshou remarked that it is difficult to genuinely discern your own virtues and faults. This point reminds me of something Al at Metrovino once said, that people can have a ‘dangerous level of understanding’ about something, where they know enough to think they know it well, but often have to supplant missing information with their own opinion which by doing so can lead them far from the truth, and teach half truths to people.

Point 93 says that some believe using old utensils in the tea ceremony is dirty. New ones are cleaner. By contrast there are those who maintain that older utensils be used as they are not as garrish as new ones. Both views are mistaken. In the case of an old utensil, although it may have been used by people in the lower classes in the past, it eventually comes into the possession of a man of high station because of its desirable quality. This trait can be valued. The same can be said of retainers. A man of humble beginnings who has come to occupy a position of importance will have earned his promotion because of his merits. As such, it is a grave mistake to think “I am disinclined to work with such and such because of his lowly background” or “he was merely a foot soldier until recently so its premature to make him a captain”. As a humble man embodies the qualities needed to elevate himself to a position of respect, he should be afforded more kudos than a man who inherits his status through birth.

Point 119 says the original purpose of the tea ceremony is to purify the six senses. The eyes are cleansed by looking at the scroll and flower arrangement in the tea room, the nose by smelling the incense, the ears by listening to the sound of the hot water being poured, the mouth by the taste of the tea, and the arms and legs by correctness in etiquette and form. As the five senses and thus been cleansed, next, the minds sensibilities will also be purified as a matter of course. The tea ceremony will sanitize the mind when it is choked with superfluity. I never deviate from the ‘heart of tea’ at any hour of the day, but not because it is simply a pastime. Also, the utensils used in the ceremony should conform to ones social standing.