Leadership is a vital quality to develop for anyone who wants to be active in the creation of their future - personal, familial, social, organizational, societal, political and global. Leadership is a being function: you are a leader, not based on specific actions but based on the quality of your presence and being. And through the 7 virtues code of samurai we can learn more how a Japanese warrior Samurai is trained for both skill of war and skill of philosophy (The Pen and the sword). Now we can also implement this way of Samurai in modern time for business man character building.

2. InfeudalJapanSamuraiexistedinordertoprotectandservetheShogunandbushido
wasthecodeofmoralprinciplesfollowedbythesamurai,anethicalcodeofconduct
thatpermeatedlife,fromchildhoodtoelderhood,oftennotevenwritten,butcarved
intheheartofthesamurai.
Samuraimustbehonest,fair,andtheyhadtobefearlessinthefaceofdeath.Theyhad
tovalueloyaltyandpersonalhonorovertheirownlives.Inmanycasestheyhadtotake
theirownlivesforfailingdutiesorbetrayingtheShogun.ThiswascalledSeppukuor
ritualsuicide.

3. Usually a Samurai would begin their training at ages 5-7. The father and male relatives would
provide the early combat training. They were taught archery, military tactics, unarmed
combat,riding,andhowtohandleaspear.
They also trained using self control, mental training, and meditation. Samurai would train their
body to be able to withstand the harshest of conditions, and always being prepared for
anything, like attacks from enemies. Samurai trained their minds as well. They stayed aware of
theirsurroundings.
Samuraiwerealsotaughtliteratureandwriting.Theypracticedcalligraphyandwrotepoetry.They
wrotehaiku’s.Theylearnedthisbecausetheywereexpectedtobestudentsofcultureandnotjust
fiercewarriors.Writingandliteraturewasimportanttotheirculture.
Whatcharacterizedthesesamuraiandsupportedtheiractionandknowledgeofright
and wrong is what we now popularly call the bushido code or the seven virtues of
bushido. Some of the virtues such as benevolence, politeness and truthfulness are
inspiredbytheteachingsofConfuciusandMencius.

4. Gi - Rectitude
Rei - Respect Makoto - Honesty Chuugi - LoyaltyMeiyo- Honor
Yu-Courage
Jin - Benevolence

5. "It is the parent who has borne me.”

6. ‘it is the teacher who makes me man."

12. It might easily have been turned into a nest of cowardice,
if Bushido had not a keen and correct sense of Courage

13. Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature.
Without bones the head cannot rest on the top of the spine, nor hands move nor feet stand.

15. "it is true courage to live when it is right to live, and to die only when it is right to die"
Courage does not mean being foolhardy, nor does it require you to fight a losing battle.

16. Courage to act must be tempered with the fortitude of judgment. However, when the cause is
worthy and the path is clear, a samurai must have the courage to act

17. In the menacing presence of danger or death, retains his self possession; can compose a
poem under impending peril or hum a strain in the face of death.

20. They help their fellow man at every opportunity.
Though they may wound your feelings,

21. A man invested with the power to command & the power to kill,
was expected to demonstrate equally
Extraordinary powers of benevolence and mercy

25. Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those that rejoice.
Warriors are courteous even to their enemies.

26. "if there is anything to do, there is certainly a best way to do it, and the best way is both the most
economical and the most graceful.“ by Izano Nitobe

27. Politeness should be expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others and it’s not
motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love.

29. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do.

30. They do not have to “give their words”. They do not have to “promise”.

32. Decisions they made and how this decisions are carried out is a reflection of whom they truly are

33. Dishonor is like scar on a tree, which time, instead of healing only helps to enhance.

39. We must recognize in each virtue its own positive, excellence and follow
its positive ideal, and the ideal of self-restraint is to keep our mind

40. Calmness of behavior,
composure of mind,
should not be disturbed by passion of any kind.
The discipline of fortitude,
a samurai shows no emotions on his face.
The most natural affections were kept under control.

41. "The Way of the Warrior does not include other Ways...but if you know the
Way broadly, you will see it in everything." - Musashi Miyamoto
Leadership is a being function: you are a leader, not
based on specific actions but based on the quality of
your presence and being.
In terms of organizational leadership, this is not about
developing leaders who know more, this is about
developing leaders who are more.
Leadership is a vital quality to develop for anyone who
wants to be active in the creation of their future -
personal, familial, social, organizational, societal,
political and global

44. Training the Bushido way of Samurai in daily life will give you a guide to how to live
a life of character, honor and integrity of a modern Samurai warrior mindset .

46. Pictures are taken from film:
“Harakiri” – “Seppuku” 1962
Directed by Masaki Kobayasi
Presentation by Dodong Budijanto P
27 July 2013