The Seven Virtues of Bushido – Benevolence
“Compassion is that which makes the heart of the good move at the pain of others. It crushes and destroys the pain of others; thus, it is called compassion. It is called compassion because it shelters and embraces the distressed”
– Siddharta Guatama Buddha
If a GoJu (hard and soft) relationship exists within the Virtues of Bushido, it can be said that the sternness of rectitude can be contrasted with the gentleness of benevolence and compassion. And, just like the inseparable nature of yin and yang, few can dispute that benevolence should be law and the law should be benevolence…sometimes and eventually leading to love. Genuine concern, or as Inazo Nitobe wrote “distress” for fellow people is a most universally-recognized virtue. It has been equated with divinity, and, as Mark Twain quoted of kindness, is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
The samurai class were not simply cold, brutish enforcers of the Feudal state Japan existed as at the time. They were more than what one could simply call a “warrior”, seeking glory and death on a battlefield. A samurai was encouraged to pursue literature, calligraphy, poetry, art, and music; these amongst other things to inspire gratitude for life and merciful care, as well as refining an all-around character. Such a view of things justified a lifestyle of military service. Compassion could be considered the evolution of a martial art to a higher ideal than just combat, as we can see in aikido; It derived from jujitsu, a school emphasizing more “soft” martial skill (more grappling and locks than striking), but intended for military use nonetheless. The founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, began his training in the Daitō-ryū school (where our dojo jujitsu curricula originated). He insisted that true practice in budo (martial ways) can only be pursued in order to cultivate peace, love, and caring protection of all things; nothing else. Woven into the very skill set of an aikido practitioner is the martial intention of gentle and harmonious resolution of a conflict, not through reptilian-brained aggression, but a higher-minded conviction of something as abstract as universal love.
Karate-do practice, though Okinawan and Chinese in origin shares an approach to compassion and benevolence not dissimilar to its’ Japanese counterpart. The style of Wadō-ryū karate itself translates as “peaceful/harmonious way school.” It’s unfortunate that western society is so saturated with imagery and perceptions of the martial arts as a system of inflicting harm on another human being. While it is true that karate (empty-hand) primarily emphasizes the practice of routine physical and mental conditioning for combat, it is still part of the greater path of karate-do (the way of the empty hand), with focus on whole life. Shoshin Nagamine of the Matsubayashi-ryū school of karate stated in his precepts that “I am human and so is he” as a cautionary reminder before using physical means as an end to confrontation. Even in our daily practice, especially during jiyu kumite(free-sparring), students may find a feeling of benevolent distress; there is no desire to deceive or harm our partner, and we may find our skill is hampered because of this concern. The heart of this concern should always remain, however consistent training in the dojo will produce a mature martial artist, capable of balancing proper technique in tandem with altruism.
The Golden Rule of treating others with kindness, as one would want to be treated themselves, exists throughout civilization for no coincidential reason. People want to be happy, and those who live in darker places need the help, charity, and compassion of others. It could be why we are known as human’kind’, as we are all the same despite superficial differences, and should only be good to one another. One should never be afraid to be kind and good. Benevolence and compassion are not luxuries to be jettisoned when times are hard; these qualities are the heart of our race, and to be without them is to deny ourselves the pinnacle of what it is to be truly human.
Come by next time for a discussion on one of the two pillars you enter and exit under when walking into the dojo; Respect (rei).