Hagakure- The Book of the Samurai Description:

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai review:
3 stars (Interesting as a historical text) - As a philosophical book, or a book about a way of living, I think the Hagakure falls short. Yamamoto Tsunetomo often comes across as simply an irritable, grumpy old badger. During his service to his lord, he never participated in a battle (he lived in the Edo period) and he was not really the world's greatest retainer either. Therefore it is difficult to put any merit into his personal ideas and philosophies.



If you are looking for a book about the Samurai spirit, or way of the warrior, I highly recommend Code of the Samurai (though the Cleary translation leaves a little to be desired), and the Wilson translation of the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi.



Let me give an example of my viewpoint. The basis of Tsunetomo's idealogy seems to be that the greatest achievement of a samurai is to die for his lord. He goes so far as to say "merit lies more in dying for one's master than in striking down the enemy." Granted, he lived in a time of peace, but as a warriors philosophy, this just doesn't ring true. It feels as though he took the Zen/Martial idea of losing all fear of death a little too far. Musashi's viewpoint in the Book of Five Rings seems far more correct. Musashi states that while a warrior should always be prepared for death and willing to die for one's lord, the essence of a warrior is actually in the striking down of an enemy. There is no other point to conflict than victory over your opponent.



There is merit in the Hagakure. It is very interesting and useful as a historical text describing how warriors felt and acted in the Edo period of peace. It also contains anecdotes from Sengoku era samurai, which I found very interesting. Also, when Tsunetomo is not going on about rushing to one's death, he does manage a few gems of good advice. For instance, "When there is something to be said, it is better if it is said right away. If it is said later, it will sound like an excuse."



If you are a samurai collector, then this book belongs in your collection. Just be aware of what you are getting.
5 stars (Musings of a samurai) - The "hidden leaves" of Yamamoto Tsunetomo were collected, between 1710 and 1716, by a young samurai. Tsunetomo had been a samurai himself, when his original master died. Prevented by imperial command fromfollowing his lord into death, and unable to accept the new lord, Tsunetomo withdrew into monkhood. This collection summarizes the wisdom gained in his career.



This book collects passages, a few lines to a page long, on a wandering range of topics. Some reflect on historical events, others on proper behavior, yet others on Zen and bushido. The range of topics appeals to me, making it easy to open the book at random and read until something touches on my current thoughts.



One recurring theme is acceptance of human failure, with examples on pp 28, 42, and 113. By analogy, a wooden beam may be a little out of true or hold little knots and weeps, but still be strong and sound - perfect boards are rare, and very rarely needed. He also acknowledges (p.52) that "great genius matures late," that one can not reach the highest achievements without twenty or thirty years of development. This has meaning for me personally, and I hope for the best.



I have a few reservations about this translation, no matter how much I like it. It abridges the original 1300-plus passages down to 300, and abandoned the traditional organization of passages. I appreciate the brevity, but I wonder how much this non-native translator may have sacrificed in the abbreviation.



This is an important look into the samurai's heart and mind - I do not see that becoming a monk ended his life as a samurai. It is cryptic at times, but describes difficult matters. It is as relevant today as when it was written, almost three centuries ago.



//wiredweird
5 stars (Book Review) -



Book Review

Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Translated by William Scott Wilson

Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN) 1979; reissue edition Jan. 1,1992

180 pages Price $9.00 ISBN#: 4-7700-1106-7

Genre: Nonfiction; Eastern Philosophy

Hagakure is a manual to gain understanding of way if the Samurai. It is also, a collection of thoughts and sayings, written by a former samurai. An example from the book is this one; " It is a good viewpoint to see the world as a dream. When you have something like a nightmare, you will wake up and tell yourself that it was only a dream. It is said the world we live is not a bit different from this."

The author did achieve his purpose of the book. The purpose was to inform a wise way of living to dying; from learning to teaching. Such as this one " In affairs like law suits or even in arguments, by losing quickly one will lose in fine fashion. It is like sumo [wrestling]. If one thinks only of winning, a sordid victory will be worse than defeat. For the most part, it becomes a squalid defeat."

I recommend this book to any reader who likes books on philosophy and if the person is very spiritual. It's a true classic in a book collection!