Ei-Samurai Research Paper

Although the teachings of Zen Buddhism may seem contrary when paired with warfare, the historical influences of Zen in Samurai tradition makes it difficult to imagine a time without the Buddhist injection. No matter the contrarian arguments against the adaptation of Zen Buddhism, its implementation into Japanese warring culture lead to a cultivation of an ancient military skill set, that puts the samurai in a place weighing amongst the most honored yet often misunderstood combatant forms in history. The word Samurai means to serve. An overlord or emperor could have several groups of samurai serving under him, each willing to give their last breath in servitude toward the campaign of his clan. “If military interests had operated alone, without higher moral support, how far short of chivalry would the ideal of knighthood have fallen (Inazo Nitobe 9)” This quote is a reflection of the state of …show more content…
For instance, for both the samurai and the monk human essentials for well being such as food and acclimatization were made scarce. Ei-sai is also described as living in harsh condition. There is a story in which he and other monks were without food for several days. Ei-sai proves the strength of his conviction when instead of taking part of the end rewards went a step further and gave his portion to a poor man in need. Another story is when Ei-sai being both cold and hungry gave away portions of his garments including one which was embroidered with an important symbol of the Buddha. His colleagues argued comparing what he did to sacrilege, Ei-sai replied that if Buddha is willing to give his life for the benefit of another, why couldn’t we do as little as help others stay warm with a few simple pieces of clothing (39). Many of these stories represent the idea of sacrifice in the culture of sacrifice for the samurai. Pupils learned to endure without complaint as a way to give into self