THE ETHICS OF JAPAN. 305 



Perhaps it was liked by them in tliat. accordin"; to its doctrine, a man 

 puts aside the idea of reliance upon another and places himself above 

 everything else, and it was found to have an agreeable resemblance 

 to the spirit of self-reliance inculcated by Bushido. In the second 

 place it repels all ideas of luxury and display and values simplicity 

 and cleanliness, and in that respect it Avas found to bear an agreeable 

 resemblance to the frugal and simple life of the bushi. Thus the 

 Zen came to exercise its influence over the bushi, but not at all in the 

 sense of believing in future felicity; quite to the contrarj-, from the 

 very nature of that sect. This influence of Zen seems to have helped 

 to a great extent the development of some of the characteristics of 

 Bushido, such as imperturbability, stoicism, fortitude, and simplicity 

 and cleanliness of thought or body. Here I may add that many traits 

 of Bushido are no doubt to be found in the European knighthoods 

 of former days, and therefore they are not really new to the Euro- 

 peans who still remember those traditions. 



The weakest point of Bushido in its earlier stages was its want of 

 literary culture in the way of systematic ethical stud}", hence it easily 

 Iiappened that a thing one might regard as correct might not be cor- 

 I'ect in reality Avhen examined from a higher point of view. This 

 difficulty was especially observable when two obligations came into 

 conflict, and one had to be preferred to the other. The bushi, in the 

 earlier stages, knew more about their duty to their immediate master 

 than to higher ones; hence their difficulty in discerning their duty to 

 the supreme ruler of the land and their immediate head. Of course, 

 they knew that the P^mperor was the highest personage in the country, 

 but they were unable to find out an ethical solution of the question, 

 and nideed in all matters they wanted more systematic enlightenment. 



These wants, however, have been supplied gradually as time went 

 on, especially during the last three centuries. During this period 

 almost unbroken peace reigned in the country. It ceased to have any 

 intercourse with foreign countries except in a limited sense, but inter- 

 nally all branches of art and industry were encouraged and developed 

 side by side. The study of Chinese and of native classics have been 

 carried out in all parts of the land, and it was the bushi who chiefly 

 devoted themselves to such culture. Bushi or samurai were retainers, 

 as everyone knows, of their lords, and certain ]:)ensions were given by 

 their lords to each family, according to their rank, so that they had not 

 to work for their own living. Hence their only duty was to make 

 themselves physically and mentally fit to fight for their lords in time 

 of necessity, and in times of peace to make themselves as much like 

 gentlemen as possible. In other words physical training and mental 

 enlightenment, together with the refinement of their manners and hab- 

 its, were their sole business — they had no other occupation. For, 

 indeed, any other occupation which partook of the shape of business 



