About my Tattoo

Ever wondered what the black character on my right shoulder meant? Here's a little insight.


Bushido, "The Way of the Warrior", has come to be known as the samurai code, but it is more than that. The name given is not "the code" or "the law" of the warrior, but rather, "the Way." It is not merely a list of rules to which a warrior must subscribe in exchange for his title, but a set of principles that prepare a man or woman to fight without losing his humanity, and to lead and command without losing touch with basic values. It is a description of a way of life, and a prescription to make a warrior-nobleman.

The samurai's position of high rank and enormous respect within the society was not a license to behave any way he chose. Rather, it was the result of the extreme discipline and the high standard by which he lived. Disciplining his entire life makes him capable of decisive action in battle, and surely, that was the original goal of "the way." His Zen practice freed his mind from distraction and enabled him to pursue perfection in all things from haiku to seppuku. By reaching
perfection in all he endeavored, including kendo - "the way of the sword" - he became an unbeatable warrior and an unstoppable force in society.

Bushido developed over many centuries, although it was probably not codified for almost a thousand years. Its origins seem to spring from the fusion of the Shinto religion of ancient Japan with Buddhism and Confucianism, which were brought from China. The Buddhist belief that life is a misery which must be passed through and overcome, or perhaps simply an illusion, gave the samurai his fearlessness of death. If life was simply a means of purification, then a worthy death could be of equal value. Either was worth embracing for its usefulness, neither was worth holding onto for its own sake. Joined with the Shinto belief in worship of one's ancestors and by extension, absolute submission to authority, it formed the foundation for a life-view in which a warrior could find personal achievement by giving himself completely to his duty.

The similarities between the Zen goals of calmness, awareness, and simplicity and the samurai ideals of dispassionate and decisive action are obvious. Lord Sanenori said, "In he midst of a single breath, where perversity cannot be held, is The Way." The Zen annihilation of the self to achieve enlightenment has a strong analogue in the samurai denial of the self to render perfect service. Both found their reward by being in harmony with the will of a master, be it God or the shogun.

What does your tattoo say?