Hagakure- The Book of the Samurai

The Hagakure is called the book of the samurai. It is supposedly a book dealing with the proper forms of behavior amongst the samurai warriors, but the first line of this famous book states that the way of the samurai is in death. This would be dealing with one of the themes in which it describes that in being a samurai one should behave as if one is already dead, and dying for ones master is the goal in life. In Hagakure we can see some other major themes that come through. One theme that is specifically harped upon would be that of Loyalty. In this virtue the samurai should devote himself entirely to the will of his master. One cannot be selfish and be a samurai, selflessness and being one with your master were necessary. Since this was for warriors, it is a way of following orders in a form of military code.
This book also harps on the fact that the older samurai were much more virile and the older samurai were more masculine. This is referring back to a time when the samurai were a much needed warrior class, and they were used much more and this supposedly made them better samurai. It even states in the book that the samurai’s pulse has now slowed down to that of a woman. However, this book is more than just a military code, it is also good for the day to day social life’s of the samurai. It tells of the need to speak your mind, listen attentively, and have respect and compassion. One should not make enemies, and one should not die while others are thinking badly of you. Actions were favored over words, so as to keep others perceptions in good standing. Gender was also a subject in the Hagakure, and women were also expected to have loyalty, usually with the example of a wife’s loyalty to her husband. Overall we can see that this book gives us the modern reader an amazing example into the values and daily lives of the samurai.