304 THE ETHICS OF JAPAN. 



Buddhism. If a biishi were a believer in Buddha he probably would 

 not like to show it. We have a story about Yoritomo, the first head 

 of the Shogunate. When he first started in his, youth his campaign 

 against Hei, and hid himself in a mountain nook, having been de- 

 feated by his enemy he took out from his queue a small image of 

 Kwanin (Kwannon) Avhich he reverenced, saying, " if my head be 

 taken by the enemy it would not be becoming to the generalissimo of 

 Gen if this image were to be discovered." This will give you an idea 

 of the way in which Buddha was viewed by bushi. As we all know, 

 Buddhism chiefly speaks of the future world. The idea of the bushi 

 was that it was an act of cowardice if one merely did good because 

 one wished to be saA^ed in the future world. Their idea Avas that 

 good should be done for its OAvn sake, and therefore if one believed in 

 Buddha he had a sort of apprehension that he might be considered a 

 coAvard. Of course history is not Avanting in many instances of great 

 Avarriors believing in Buddhism, but in many cases this fact had no 

 great significance as far as their conduct and conscience Avere con- 

 cerned. There Avas, hoAvcA^er, one feature in Avhich a certain aspect 

 of Buddhism had a considerable influence in molding Bushido; it 

 Avas the influence of the teaching of the Zen sect. This requires some 

 explanation. In the thesis of Buddhistic teaching there is included 

 the idea of absorbing everything in the uniA^erse into oneself; in 

 other Avords, mental annihilation of all things except oneself. This 

 is done by long and fixed meditation, and at least so far as he himself 

 is concerned, a man can for the moment imagine and realize mentally 

 that he is the only being in the universe, and all other things become 

 nothing. Hence, Avhen he is accustomed to meditation of that descrip- 

 i^ion, nothing will ever surprise or frighten him. 



There is a story about Hieuntsang, the famous Chinese Buddhist 

 of the Tan jjeriod, Avho visited India. This priest Avas once caught 

 by a band of robbers. He sat quietly down and began to meditate 

 in the Avay described above. The robbers tried to intimidate him by 

 threatening him Avith draAvn SAVords pushed right into his face; but 

 tlie priest took no notice Avhatever of what they Avere doing to him, 

 and remained entirely unmoved. The robbers, observing the atti- 

 tude of the priest, and thinking that he nuist Ix' an extraordinary 

 personage, all Avent aAvay and left him alone. This phase of Bud- 

 dhism Avas introduced into China, Avhere it became the cult of one 

 separate sect of Buddhisin. Bodhi-Dharma, an Indian ]U'iest, avIio 

 visited China, is commonly accepted as the founder of this sect, 

 Avhich practices meditation more than do other sects, but of course 

 meditation is not its only feature. In general, Ave nn\j say it is more 

 philosophical in the sense of regarding the universe in a nihilistic 

 sense. This sect is called Zen, and it has been introduced into Japan 

 also. It Avas patronized by several eminent bushi in its earlier stages. 



