Warrior Values Comparison

All throughout Basic Combat Training, Drill Sergeants habituate recruits to reciting the Soldier's Creed. There are an abundance of facts and nomenclature and other things one needs to learn to go in front of a military board, or to remember simply because it's general knowledge and it can be helpful to know so one can possibly apply it later on. One canon Soldiers need to know, and it is extremely important to live by, are the Army Values. Without the Army Values, Soldiers have no discipline, no ethical backing for personal and professional support.

There are seven Army Values, and they are:

1. Loyalty
2. Duty
3. Respect
4. Selfless Service
5. Honor
6. Integrity
7. Personal Courage

There is an interesting and intensely notable comparison between these seven values and the Seven Virtues of Bushido. The Seven Virtues are:

1. Loyalty
2. Benevolence
3. Respect
4. Honesty
5. Honor
6. Rectitude
7. Courage

Now, honesty, and rectitude can both take the reigns as integrity since rectitude is defined as "rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue," and synonyms for rectitude include "integrity" and "principle." The relation and repeated value just goes to show that integrity is extremely substantial to being a disciplined warrior. Without honesty, without integrity, an individual is simply a lying fool, a person who is no better than a thief. It's no surprise that the Army would share the same moral principles as Bushido, seeing as the Soldier and the Samurai* are archetypal warriors.

*Not all samurai were noble, of course, and there were even periods of history when the code of Bushido was used for evil/bad intentions. One of said periods was the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. The Japanese military brainwashed its forces into believing their morals for the kamikaze attack were from Bushido, and in actuality, it later became known as "Dark Bushido."

Written in skin

Taking the unwritten code of ethics called Bushido and applying all the teachings I have learned over the years, the code of honor is a warrior philosophy that is my life and has been for quite some time. I continually try to educate and enlighten, essentially help others in having good morals and keeping a positive mindset, and acquire self-confidence by assisting them to reach their potential, because as Mahatma Gandhi once expressed, "Be the change you want to see in the world."
Since Bushido is my philosophy and its teachings are my character, it means a great deal to me. I decided to get a tattoo, showing a small, but significant, physical commitment to my virtues and discipline.

I thought about it for a few years and it is said if you want a tattoo, it is good to keep it in your mind for at least three years, because you may not want it later. People change, so if you believe it still holds significance in your life after three years, pull the trigger in getting the tat. I finalized my decision and got it inked down my spine. Why there you ask, and didn't it hurt!? I wanted the three characters going down my spine because one, Japanese is written vertically, and two, yes it did hurt but that was the temporary pain I gladly endured to again show my commitment to my code of honor. Besides, it felt good after a while, like a numbing feeling.

The word "Bushido," meaning "Way of the Warrior," can be split into either two or three parts.
Bushi= "Warrior" Do= "Way" or "Path"

or

Bu="War" or "Martial" Shi="Warrior" Do="Way"

Erasmus' 22 Principles

Desiderius Erasmus was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, monk, and theologian born in Rotterdam in 1466. He was committed to his work and held strong to doctrines such as free will. In the year 1492, poverty forced Erasmus to become a monk, and although he was offered many positions of honor and profit through the academic world, Erasmus declined them all, much rather wanting to stick with the sufficient, though uncertain, rewards of independent literary activity. Many great works were sold by Erasmus, including a certain Enchiridion militis Christiani, which is one of his most influential works. The title means "Handbook of the Christian Knight (or Soldier)." In it are values to follow and principles to help the mending of your evil, or wrong, ways. Generally speaking, a literary work on how to improve your life. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, whom I mentioned in a previous post of 2009, has a collection of twenty-two virtues from this short work in his astounding book, On Combat. Here are the twenty-two principles on how to be strong while remaining virtuous in a dangerous world:

Increase Your Faith

Even if the entire world appears mad.

Act Upon Your Faith

Even if you must undergo the loss of everything.

Analyze Your Fears

You will find that things are not as bad as they appear.

Make Virtue The Only Goal Of Your Life Dedicate all your enthusiasm, all your effort, your leisure, as well as your business.

Turn Away from Material Things

If you are greatly concerned with money you will be weak of spirit.

Train Your Mind To Distinguish Good And Evil

Let your rule of government be determined by the common good.

Never Let Any Setback Stop You In Your Quest

We are not perfect--this only means we should try harder.

If You Have Frequent Temptations, Do Not Worry

Begin to worry when you do not have temptation, because that is a sure sign that you cannot distinguish good from evil.

Always Be Prepared for an Attack

Careful generals set guards even in times of peace.

Spit, As It Were, In The Face Of Danger Keep a stirring quotation with you for encouragement.

There Are Two Dangers: One Is Giving Up, The Other Is Pride

After you have performed some worthy task, give all the credit to someone else.

Turn Your Weakness Into Virtue

If you are inclined to be selfish, make a deliberate effort to be giving.

Treat Each Battle As Though It Were Your Last

And you will finish, in the end, victorious!

Don't Assume That Doing Good Allows You To Keep A Few Vices.

The enemy you ignore the most is the one who conquers you.

Weigh Your Alternatives Carefully

The wrong way will often seem easier than the right way.

Never Admit Defeat Even If You Have Been Wounded

The good soldier's painful wounds spur him to gather his strength.

Always Have A Plan Of Action

So when the time comes for battle, you will know what to do.

Calm Your Passions By Seeing How Little There Is To Gain

We often worry and scheme about trifling matters of no real importance.

Speak With Yourself This Way:

If I do what I am considering, would I want my family to know about it?

Virtue Has Its Own Reward

Once a person has it, they would not exchange it for anything.

Life Can Be Sad, Difficult, And Quick: Make It Count For Something!

Since we do not know when death will come, act honorably everyday.

Repent Your Wrongs Those who do not admit their faults have the most to fear.

Feeling is Believing

When we, as human beings, are met with certain situations we get goosebumps and our gut feeling, our intuition, lets us know how our minds feel about the situation at hand. It can be a street we feel edgy about walking through, or a place we enjoy so much it lightens our mood. That gut feeling is instinct, and our instinct can be either a bad vibe or a good feeling. Perhaps one day you meet a person and just by shaking their hand or talking with them for a moment you feel comfortable and possibly even cheerful by their presence. Granted, it may be so because you are having a nice day, but that is not always the case. That person can be emitting a good vibe that you walked into and are now a part of. Or is it you who created the vibe because your mind or body told you that this person is not a threat, or they have good intentions toward you upon a first impression?

Vibes can be felt in a specific atmosphere or with a group of certain people, like your intuition when you feel a certain area of town is not too safe or when a person's energy feels "off" and you get a bad vibe from them. You don’t see them but they are there. You feel them. Perception of an atmosphere and energy that a person perceives from another is sometimes referred to as an aura. You can feel or sense a person’s aura when they walk by or look you in the eyes, or when two individuals conduct intimacy (energy given off with actions like touching, hugging, and kissing are originally stronger than usual). Again, we don’t see these energies, these auras, but we feel them. They are all around us.

So next time you travel outside your front door, try to concentrate on the energies around you, feel the vibrations of the person sitting next to you on a subway, standing near you in a bookstore or standing in front of you in line at a supermarket. Sense the energy from a place in which you feel nostalgic. You can’t see it but you never thought about it before. Now do you feel it?

Referring back to intuition, it is defined as a “direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension.” What if that is what enlightenment feels like, or how the Creator wanted us to live originally?

Comprehension

When I was reading one of my few books one day, about two weeks ago, I was hit with this wild epiphany. I may sound crazy, like a lunatic, but I'm not. I'm weird but I'm not crazy! Now, I am more spiritual than religious, and you may be whatever you may be or believe, but for argument's sake, let's be on the same page here and bring in the bible. Adam and Eve in the beginning were blissful, had no sense of right and wrong, good or evil. They had unlimited knowledge without the certain inhibitions; until they ate the forbidden fruit and they became awakened to right and wrong, good and bad. Then they felt shame and embarrassment for their being naked. Then God kicked them out of the garden. Well, check this out.

It is a Buddhist belief that before we were born into these physical, temporary shell bodies, we were once a part of the vast ocean in the universe. We were a drop in that ocean of comfort, warmth, truth, and unlimited wealth of knowledge. Now, in these bodies, we strive for enlightenment (at least many spiritual people do), or at least a better understanding of everything, and we meditate and meditate and contemplate the workings of people and the universe, we contemplate everything, just to be awakened to the bigger picture. We meditate to be enlightened or awakened...that enlightenment that the Buddha and the Dalai Lama and many other masters like Vernon Kitabu Turner and O Sensei Morehei Ueshiba (the founder of Aikido) have acquired is that original, unadulterated wealth of knowledge we used to have, before we left that ocean, before Adam and Eve ate from that fruit....we meditate to once again be apart of that mind, to find that truth of the universe! We meditate to be awakened to that state we were supposed to be in. When Adam and Eve bit from the fruit, and once we grow to a reasonable age, they (and we) analyze(d) things, think of everything and try to solve everything and piece together everything through Logic, through Reasoning, but we were never supposed to in the first place. Because in the universe, in our vast ocean of warmth, comfort, truth.....there was no need for reasoning and logic; it just WAS. JUST LIKE what Buddhism TEACHES: IT JUST IS!

We started rationalizing in the first place because when many of us reach a certain age, we get curious about everything; we start researching, conversing with people, traveling, reading, watching, learning ALL we can to better understand this world and our purpose for existing. It's like something or someone WANTS us to learn, see how far we can get on our own. Why would we all be here on earth if we were all happy and content and comfortable and knew the truth already? Why would earth and humans and animals exist? What IS our purpose? Some may say it's to be tested in this life, and that may be true. Or it can be something deeper. It's up to you to interpret.

"Life isn't about finding yourself; it's about creating yourself."

Transition

It has been too long since I updated this blog, but that's because I've been uber busy with creating a new chapter in my life; last year I enlisted in the Army and from January-March I was in Basic Combat Training, then from April-August I was in Advanced Individual Training (AIT) learning my Army job.
I love it; from one type of warrior to another, the transition from martial artist to a Soldier was intense and eye-opening. I had loads of fun camping, shooting at targets from different positions, throwing live M67 fragmentation grenades, and creating the inevitable camaraderie with your "battle buddies" as you all train, laugh, cry, sweat, sleep, eat, and congratulate together for 3 months. Upon graduating BCT, you go on to AIT to learn the specialty you signed up for. One important trait which was increased greatly by classes and field training was Situational Awareness (SA): being aware of your surroundings, having a strict attention to detail while instantly evaluating the variables in your surrounding to best combat a potential threat. The meticulous attention to details on such a minute scale which would not even be acknowledged by the average person, is an incredible degree of observation. Too many people take their sight for granted just like the rest of their senses. This, among other skills, greatly increases one's survival.

One bit of BCT I found somewhat darkly humorous, was back in 2004 when I was in a class to acquire my hunting license qualification, the instructor told us that you never call a firearm a "weapon" unless it's used against another human being. Now fast forward to a class given by my Drill Sergeant in 2009, he informed us that you never call a firearm a "gun," it's either labeled a rifle (if you have such) or---a weapon. And in the military, there is a strong possibility you may have to answer the call to arms and defend yourself and your fellow Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines by shooting back and killing the opposing force. So this "firearm" has just become aptly named a weapon. Thank you classroom instructor guy, and thank you too Drill Sergeant!

Hooah.