Samurai Values:
JIN
(Benevolence)
[Kindness. Compassion]
Lesson: Through intense training and hard work, true Warriors become quick and strong. They are not as most people people. They develop a power that must be used for good. They have compassion. They help their fellow man at every opportunity.
Meditation: If an opportunity does not arise, they go out of their way to find one.
Musings: While one might not at first associate Warriors with such a quality, it is benevolence and a sense of kindness that prevents a Warrior from becoming a heartless, soulless killing machine. A Warrior’s power, strength, courage and fighting skill can be a monstrous thing if they are not tempered by compassion. A sense of goodwill and noblesse oblige moderates and balances the other qualities so that the true Warrior acts in the best interests of those above and below, and ultimately to society as a whole.
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The text I use for the Lesson and Mediation come from the Bushido Seven page on the website of the Traditional Karate Centre in Wilmette, IL, USA. They own the copyright. The rest of the essay is compiled from my own meagre musings on the subject.
On the first Friday of each month, I hope to post another Samurai Value. Traditionally, there are seven bushido virtues in all, so if everything goes as planned, this will take us from June to December.
