Here is a video showing off the Bow ceremony or performed when a Samurai becomes an adult. This is a modern day ceremony version.
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Ronin - Bushi or Samurai who were under no obligation or loyalty to a particular lord, or a Samurai whose lord was deceased, or worse, whose lord had been banished and his property confiscated. Actually Ronin functioned as "hired swords" and their very existence went against the philosophy and principles of the Bushido Code.
Respect, Courtesy and Gratitude
Hold in esteem everyone and everything. Samurai have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. A samurai is courteous even to his enemies. Without this outward show of respect, we are nothing more than animals. A samurai is not only respected for his strength in battle, but also for his dealings with other men. The true inner strength of a Samurai becomes apparent during difficult times. Right action--a most essential quality Most think of respect as how it is applied to those older than us. However, respect--as it is viewed in Bushido--is very similar to how it was viewed by almost every highly developed and spiritual culture throughout human history. Respect covers not only a reverence for those who hold authority or seniority over you, but it covers a humility toward all manner of life on this planet--and not only the type of life which happens to support our existence. Once again, we must relinquish our desire to dominate and be selfish. Not only do we have to defer to and honor our elders, we must do the same for other men, women and children and set good examples of humility, which actually requires more strength and restraint than aggression or dominance--primal behavior born out of insecurity. A practitioner of Bushido has nothing to prove, nor has any fear of being lessened by others. Always be courteous, humble and respectful, regardless of the situation. The only exception would be when we must defend someone or something close or important to us. The best part of practicing this virtue is the reward it brings to the heart of the practitioner. However, don't do it for any possible reward; do it because it is the right thing to do. In the Code of Bushido, honor stands in an interesting place. It cannot be separated from the other six codes and without it the other six have little power. By adding morality, honor enhances and helps us understand the other codes, and helps us to determine how to handle conflicts in life.
The Code of Bushido was developed for a warrior society driven by class and gender distinctions. This "code of honor" was designed to bring a level of discipline and stability to that society. Today we live in a very different world but the code still has meaning, and can help to make us better people as we work towards "perfection of character." Honor encourages us to return kindness for kindness and to treat all people with respect regardless of social standing. Too often in today's world people such as wait-staff or store clerks are treated with rudeness by those who consider themselves better educated and superior. Unlike in feudal Japan however, where class and gender distinctions were the rule, an honorable person today would never consider treating someone differently because of his or her job, gender, or place in society. Instead, it is the duty of the honorable person to treat all people with respect and to speak out against injustice. Honor is a term that is hard to define and is often misunderstood. Many associate honor with revenge and the idea of "death before dishonor." Many people have gotten into fights in attempts to "defend their honor." The culture of dueling often left men dead after seemingly mild insults, and that culture still exists in today's gangs; or as we saw recently, in today's hockey rinks. What many don't see is that these people aren't fighting over honor. Instead, they are only saving face. They do not see the distinction between honor and face and feel as if their honor has been taken from them. Honor, however, cannot be taken from you by an insult. It can be thrown away by believing the insults and taking revenge but it can never be taken away from you. Instead, honor is within you and is demonstrated in how you respond to others. There is a story of a master swordsman who sat calmly through a barrage of insults from potential robbers. The swordsman avoided a fight by expertly catching four flies with his chopsticks and then getting up and walking away. Traditional misunderstandings of honor would see this man insulted and would say that he should get revenge. In fact, nothing that the robbers could say would take away the swordsman's skill or honor. Fighting them would not make this swordsman more skilled or honorable. It was more honorable for this swordsman to walk away. True honor involves benevolence and politeness towards all people, the courage to do what is right, loyalty to all who have helped us, justice but not revenge, and veracity without causing harm. Six of the Codes of Bushido are inherent in the concept of honor and without honor these other six are meaningless. Imagine veracity without honor: one can be too truthful and cause great damage. Courage without honor can lead us to harm ourselves or others unnecessarily. Loyalty without honor can lead us to follow blindly those who are harmful to us or to others. Honor is clearly the hardest of the seven codes to define and yet it is the most essential. To be honorable, one must decide what is the "right thing to do" and then do it. To be honorable one must demonstrate politeness, courage, benevolence, justice, loyalty, and veracity- The Code of Bushido. Brave – Mato
Fast Motion – Moto Serpent like Dragon – Naga Fight – Tou Respectful – Yoshi Sun Light – Kira Graceful/Elegant - Masa Muscular – Suke River – Kawa Forest – Mori Wisdom – Chika Truth – Nobu Butterfly/Extraordinary - Cho Light – Mitsu Cutting Ground - Kata Victory - Katsu Forgiveness – Kaiyo Pure – Kiyo Immediately - Sugu Noble - Taka Large - Hiro Coming Together - flags, anthem, guided meditation
Angussu's Genpuku Bushido Virtue Respect Discussed Japanese Bows - Yumi Discussion Nasu no Yoichi Video on Momote Shiki - Coming of age Ceremony Hike through Forest to find branch of tree for desired Bow Bow Making Okonomiyaki What a hit...the kids loved this recipe!! Well done Jacqui. I have to admit I had my doubts when you said it was a cabbage pizza. I can't believe ALL the kids asked for seconds, thirds and even fourths and then begged for it again next week! Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza) Recipe
from 101 CookBooks Leeks are notoriously gritty. To clean them slice them lengthwise and then submerge them in a big bowl of water - rinse and swish them to loosen up any dirt. Drain and repeat if needed. Then chop/slice. 2 cups cabbage, finely shredded 1 cup leeks, well washed and chopped (see head notes) 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or apf flour) a couple pinches of fine grain sea salt 2 eggs, beaten 1+ tablespoon olive oil Garnish: toasted slivered almonds, chives/ herbs Combine the cabbage, leeks, flour, and salt in a bowl. Toss until everything is coated with a dusting of flour. Stir in the eggs and mix until everything is evenly coated. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a generous splash of olive oil. Scoop the cabbage mixture into the pan, and using a metal spatula press it into a round pancake shape, flat as you can get it. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. To flip the okonomiyaki, slide it out of the skillet onto a plate. Place another plate on top and flip both (together) over. If you need a bit more oil in your skillet, add it now, before sliding the okonomiyaki back into the skillet. Again press down a bit with a spatula and cook until golden on this side - another 3 -5 minutes. When you are finished cooking, sprinkle with toasted almonds and chives, and slide it onto a cutting board to cut into wedges. Enjoy immediately. Serves 1 - 2. After your genpuku lets introduce yourselves:
Sutta - Sutakira "star sun light" Enma - Kiyomasaato "pure and graceful" Riamu - Katamototaka "cutting fast motion noble" Eiden - Eraimoto "dark fast motion" Zandaa - Katatumoto "cutting fast motion" Orin - Diran - Coming Together - flags, anthems, guided meditation
Honour Discussion Honour Video The Story of the 47 ROnin and discussion on perspective and Honour Samurai Names Discussion Kimono Ceremony Casual Sushi - Thanks Jacqui! Here is the Samurai Deconstructed from the History Channel. Very cool intro to Samurai. I really like the way they deconstruct the armour and weaponry. Must see! |