Just something I read.

[Tgace]

Just read this, its from the Bushidoshoshinshu. Interesting comment about how you can tell a persons "bravery" by their everyday actions. Thoughts?


DISCERNING A BRAVE MAN FROM A COWARD
When speaking of Bushido, the three qualities considered essential are loyalty, integrity and courage. When these three virtues are perfectly combined in one man, he is called a samurai of the highest quality. It is easy to link these three in one breath, but a weighty matter to understand them in one's heart and then put them into practice. Thus, it has been said since ancient times that it is rare to find a samurai of the highest quality even among a hundred or a thousand warriors. In this connection it is an easy thing to discern a warrior of loyalty or a man of integrity, as these qualities appear in one's everyday behavior. But there is some doubt if a man of courage can be distinguished in this uneventful period of peace. Such a doubt, however, is not justified. The reason is that the courage of a warrior is not exhibited for the first time when he dons his armor, takes up spear and halberd, faces the field, and is locked in battle. A man's ordinary life at peace reflects his courage or cowardice just like a mirror.
Why is this so? A man born with a sense of courage will advance in high spirits all that is good, and avoid in the same way all that is bad. In his dealings with his lord and parents he will make his endeavors with unparalleled loyalty and filial piety. Having the least bit of spare time, he will put his mind to Learning, and not be negligent in his practice of the martial arts. Being careful to avoid extravagance, he will dislike wasting even a penny. One should not think, however, that this is due to a mean or shabby spirit, because for necessary things he will spend without regret sums with which others would not part. As for places or activities forbidden by his lord's house laws or disliked by his parents, he will not go to them no matter how much he may want to, and will desist in such activities no matter how difficult they may be to stop. In all events he will not turn his back on the desires of his lord or parents. He will protect his health fully and will keep in mind the desire to perform at least once in his life a great meritorious deed. Having such a disposition, he will be deeply mindful of his own constitution and be moderate in his desires for food and drink. He will give wide berth to and be very prudent in matters of sex, that primary deluder of men, and, other than that, will endure anything. All these evidence a man's courage.
A coward, on the other hand, will respect his lord and parents only on the surface, and in reality will not value them at all. He will give no thought to the house laws of his lord or to the aversions of his parents, but rather will walk about the places he shouldn't and do things he ought not, putting his self- indulgence before anything else. This man will enjoy sleeping in the morning and sleeping at noon, and will greatly dislike anything connected with Learning. Even in his performance of the martial arts, which are the calling of a warrior, he will be completely lacking in discipline. Practicing a little of this and a little of that, he will speak knowingly of his pride in the arts, regardless of his lack in them. He will waste, without a thought of the future or the past, the little bit of stipend he may receive, spending any amount of money on sumptuous meals or useless and idiotic things. With anything else he will be stingy and tight-fisted. He will not even consider repairing the enameled lattice cords of the old armor he had received from his parents, much less wanting to update or repair the deficiencies in his absolutely necessary armory and saddlery. Such a man gives no consideration to the fact that when becoming ill he would not be able to serve his lord and would cause his parents anxiety and hardships. Thus, he indulges in gluttony and overdrinking, giving himself up to lasciviousness, and chipping away at the fiber of his existence. These all arise from a weak and irresolute mind, a mind unable to endure things for long. One would not be far off the track in judging them to be symptoms of a cowardly, weak-hearted warrior.
Thus, one can distinguish with no confusion the brave man from the coward, even in times of peace and tranquility.

 

[MA-Caver]

Wow.

 

[ABN]

Is it not amazing how some thoughts and ideas transcend time?

 

[TigerWoman]

Thanks for posting that. It is very thought provoking. TW

 

[Vadim]

Ideas to consider in everyday life. Good post.

-Vadim

 

[shesulsa]

I just wanted to say I thought this was so good, I copied and pasted it into a document that I keep on my desktop now.

Thanks, TGace!

G

 

[chinto01]

That was great thanks for sharing it with us!

 

[Tgace]

A few from Balthasar Gracian's "The Art of Worldly Wisdom". Really an excellent little book.

Select your friends
Only after passing the examination of experience and the test of fortune will they be graduates, not only in affection but in discernment. Though this is the most important thing in life, it is the one least cared for. Intelligence brings friends to some, chance to most. Yet a person is judged by his friends, for there was never sympathy between wise men and fools. At the same time, to find pleasure in a person's society is no proof of close friendship: it may come from the pleasantness of his company more than from trust in his capacity. There are some friendships legitimate, others illicit; the latter for pleasure, the former for their fertility of ideas and motives. Few are the friends of a person's innermost self, most those of his circumstances. The insight of a true friend is more useful than the goodwill of others, therefore gain them by choice, not by chance. A wise friend ward off worries, a foolish one brings them about. But do not wish them too much luck, or you may lose them.


Do not make mistakes about character
That is the worst and yet easiest error. Better be cheated in the price than in the quality of goods. In dealing with people, more than with other things, it is necessary to look within. To know people is different from knowing things. It is profound philosophy to sound the depths of feeling and distinguish traits of character. People must be studied as deeply as books.


Make use of your friends
This requires all the art of discretion. Some are good far off, some when near. Many are no good at conversation but excellent as correspondents, for distance removes some failings which are unbearable in close proximity to them. Friends are for use even more than for pleasure, for they have the three qualities of the good, or, as some say, of being in general: unity, goodness, and truth. For a friend is all in all. Few are worthy to be good friends, and even these become fewer because people do not know how to pick them out. Keeping friends is more important than making them. Select those that will wear well - if they are few at first it is some consolation that they will become old. Absolutely the best are those well salted, though they may require soaking in the testing. There is no desert like living without friends. Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil. It is the sole remedy against misfortune, like fresh air to the soul.


Put up with fools
The wise are always impatient, for he that increases knowledge increases impatience with folly. Much knowledge is difficult to satisfy. The first great rule of life, according to Epictetus, is to put up with things - he valued this as half of all wisdom. To put up with all the varieties of folly would need much patience. We often have to put up with most from those on whom we most depend, which is a useful lesson in self-control. Out of patience comes forth peace, the priceless boon that is the happiness of the world. But let him that has no power of patience then retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself.