Bushido the soul of japan by Inazo Nitobe

“A truly brave man is ever serene; he is never taken by surprise; nothing ruffles the equanimity of his spirit. In the heat of battle he remains cool; in the midst of catastrophes he keeps level his mind. Earthquakes do not shake him, he laughs at storms. We admire him as truly great, who, in the menacing presence of danger or death, retains his self-possession; who, for instance, can compose a poem under impending peril or hum a strain in the face of death. Such indulgence betraying no tremor in the writing or in the voice, is taken as an infallible index of a large nature—of what we call a capacious mind (Yoyū), which, far from being pressed or crowded, has always room for something more.”

Perhaps the most defining work by any author on the martial race the Samurai The Author lays down the code every Samurai followed. Bushidō is made up of two words Bushi which means warrior and Dō which means way i.e the way of the warrior The Bushidō shaped the Japanese people.

Something which i aspire to be is an honorable man who just like the Samurai consideres honor more dearer than life.Someone who is not afraid of death rather someone who shall accept it if it is right to.

The duty of Loyalty - undying devotion to a cause just like the 47 Ronin

Respecting your rival celebrating his wins as they are your wins

*Having the utmost courage to be undaunted in the face of death

Showing Benevolance a virtue of the truly strong

Having Rectitude

This book really spoke to me. It showed me what a life should be and how a man should lead his life. The countless stories within captured my imagination and sparked in me the fascination of The Japanese and Japan . I feel honoured to share the same earth which once these men roamed. This is a must read for everyone who would like to understand the Japanese and have a small glimpse into the history of the Samurai