Written in April 2009 Wrote this based on my research on Zen Buddhism and my love for samurai.
Heart of the Sword: The Relationship Between the Samurai and Zen Buddhism
Surrounded on all sides by an emerald green bamboo grove, a figure stands silently in the center. His eyes are closed, his body poised. Leaves break free from the bamboo trees and drift down. Hearing them flutter, his eyes snap open and he draws his katana. In a flash of light, the leaves are sliced cleanly in two. One would think he is a peerless warrior; they would never guess how hard his heart pounds when he has to charge into battle on horseback. And so he is headed to where he can learn the necessary skills to turn his soul into steel as sharp his blade: a monastery. Zen Buddhism has been often referred to as the “religion” of the samurai, but upon examination it becomes apparent that the samurai’s interest in Zen comes purely from a warrior’s perspective. Despite this, the bond between them is so significant that both Zen and the samurai have been mutually influenced by their interaction, although in slightly different ways. And even centuries after the samurai’s practical need for Zen has waned, Zen is still heavily associated with the samurai and Japanese culture today.
Zen Buddhism’s origins may be traced back to the preaching of the historical Buddha, but not through any scriptures like the Lotus Sutra. Rather, it is said that when the Buddha was once asked to preach the Law, he said nothing and instead simply let a flower fall from his hand. All of his disciples were mystified save one, Mahakāshyapa, who silently smiled in response. It is he who supposedly realized the significance of the teaching, and was thus entrusted with a truth that could not be transmitted through words.
During the Kamakura period, an age threatened by the uncertainty of mappō, Zen offered a solution that was the complete opposite from the popular Amidist sects. Instead of teaching that people could no longer help themselves but must be aided by another, Zen, which means “meditation” or “concentration,” proclaimed that salvation was not to be sought outside oneself or in another world, for each person has an inner Buddha-nature. Unlike many other Buddhist sects, Zen demanded discipline and emphasized self-understanding rather than the study of texts. With this, its stress on intuition and action rather than contemplation and philosophy, and its promise of enlightenment within this life rather than in the next, Zen Buddhism was the ideal religion for a samurai who wished to face the prospect of death with an attitude of detachment.
Panda Samurai 