The title was supposed to say "Way of the warrior".
There were no warriors who had the unflinching loyalty to Emperor, country, and honor code as those of Imperial Japan. There were no warriors who had such a willingness to suffer the most excruciating martyrdoms and prefer death to surrender than those of Imperial Japan.
The wars of aggression from Imperial Japan and the cruelty with which they treated their prisoners must be condemned as wrong behavior, but when European powers were colonizing much of earth, similar atrocities were done by Christians. That doesn't make it okay, but it isn't a reflection of Christianity that European Empires did that, so it is not a reflection of Shinto that Imperial Japan committed their crimes.
I say we take the good from Japanese culture and Shinto however, and leave that which involves oppression or aggression. What made Japanese soldiers the most fearless fighters, indifferent to pain and suffering,
and the most disciplined educated people per capita, with the greatest stamina, zeal, and courage, should be inspiration for multiple reasons. It is key to my sobriety even.
The more courage we have and the more high our tolerance to pain is, the more happy we will be. To get a high tolerance to suffering, you have to suffer a lot. Or rather, the more you suffer, the more your tolerance to the suffering grows, making you more likely to be happy in any situation and not need drugs or alcohol.
If you found out you were at high risk of soon going to a Communist gulag to be tortured, the best way you can prepare for it other than prayer, is making sacrifices, penances, and inflicting certain disciplines and sufferings on yourself to increase your tolerance to what you will inevitably endure in a gulag.
In other words, the person who embraces suffering and loves suffering, will be more happy during great trials and disasters and disease, or at least not be as likely to be crushed , despair, commit suicide, throw in the towel, not abuse chemicals, or be unfaithful to inner convictions and their personal code of what is the noble way to behave.
Drug addiction is something I have been entirely incapacitated by since my Mother (An internal medicine doctor) prescribed me ambien at age 11. My life has revolved around addictions ever since. I find nothing helps me combat the demons of addiction (or will help me quit entirely in the future) more than the disciplines, sacrifices, honor code of the Samurai, Bushido: the way of the warrior, Japanese Culture during Imperial Japan, and Religion of Shinto.
To overcome my drug addiction, impulsivity, and immaturity is a constant daily battle that I will never win unless I become a mighty warrior. To become a mighty warrior I must turn to that which created the best warriors in History. I know of nothing that produced greater , more fearless, more strong, and more fervent warriors indifferent to suffering and death than Bushido.
Therefore, in my personal experience, there was nothing that set me free from addiction like the practice of Bushido, "The way of the warrior", the honor code of the Samurai, Shinto prayer and traditions, and wisdom from the culture of Imperial Japan. I'm sure there are other hopeless drug addicts like myself out there who could benefit from Bushido as it applies to personal warfare against temptations to use drugs (in order to flee suffering.)
In Bushido, you welcome suffering as the best teacher to make you grow stronger, wiser, increase your tolerance to suffering, so that you never break when the inevitable disasters of life strike.
The Vietnamese had monks that would light themselves on fire and not flinch as they burned to death, they were so strong. The Japanese had monks that put that to shame in comparison. In Japan, before the government outlawed the practice, monks would sometimes spend over 1,000 days starving themselves until all fat and muscle had been eaten away.
They would then dehydrate themselves until all moisture within them dried up. This was to ensure that they wouldn't decompose after death and be mummified essentially while still alive. They would then be placed within a small box with a rope connected to a bell and be buried alive.
They would ring the bell to let people know they were still alive. When the bell stopped ringing for a certain amount of time, they were assumed dead, then their mummified remains dug up and transported to a sacred location to be enshrined as a Divinity that had reached the first degrees of beauty, power, glory, joy, and perfection, but their main motive behind the practice was to become a being , a Buddha, a Spiritual giant, a Divinity who could best assist those who live on earth.
Although I don't agree with that behavior, you have to admit, they voluntarily put themselves through a nightmare worse than Auschwitz , to lay their lives down for humanity , with suffering worse than the sufferings of Christ. I wouldn't do what they did, but do I wish I had their degree of self-control, fearlessness, and willingness to sacrifice and suffer?
Of course! It would be liberating.
This of course must be combined with charity that resembles the Charity of Jesus who loved and forgave those who crowned him with thorns, humiliated, and crucified him, or the Charity of Saint Francis and Mother Teresa.
The Bushido was lacking in the virtue of love. Bushido, the Samurai discipline, indifference to pain and suffering, fearlessness going into situations where death is 100% going to happen, and then having Christian love and charity , would create far better Christians, and from what I gather , it would make better people of all faiths, and even better atheists as well.
Thoughts?
Also , I have many Shrines, a prayer wall, a Kamidana (God cupboard), and a Honden (Room or structure closed off to people and reserved entirely for enshrined Kami. Only is it to be entered to burn candles or leave offerings of flowers and incense or letters to the Kami.
Shinto is actually completely compatible with Christianity. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and believe in the Resurrection, invoke his precious blood, attend mass and receive Eucharist (Holy Communion. In Shinto that would be called a "Kami-possessed (edible) Goshintai".
Have you ever had or known someone who had a Kamidana, Honden, practiced Shinto, or is there any interesting things you learned about Japanese culture and practices? Please share, as long as it is appropriate.
War crimes of Imperial Japan I do not minimize. But this thread is to focus on absorbing the positive and wise virtues and disciplines, not a discussion on the negative stuff.
Also, it is believed by many Japanese people that Jesus fled to Japan escaping the crucifixion and died after living to be over 105 years old. There is a location where Christ's tomb is that is staffed by priests and gets quite a few visitors. I don't believe it, but....still kinda interesting.
Are there other countries that claim Jesus died in their country other than Japan and Israel. I consider Japan to be the "Holy Land", the "Israel of the Orient", for Japan is called "The land of the gods", and they treat their people traditionally as Israelites traditionally viewed themselves, and like Ancient Israel they embraced complete Jingoism, exaltation of the nation above all nations on earth, with traditions that the Israelites had ( Like the portable Shinto Shrines remind me of the old Ark of the Covenant for example).
Japan is considered the most sacred essentially promised land that per capita out performed all Asian nations in every area until relatively recently being passed up by China.
Please share other positive things about Japanese culture and Religion.
It has been the most helpful thing in my quest for sobriety. Many times through meditation on Bushido, the way of the warrior, and praying for the grace to love suffering, I have been able to resist the desire to use, save money, and have another sober day.
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