Bushido Origins and Influences
 Bushido developed in Japan between the Heian and Tokugawa Ages (9th-12th century). Bushido evolved as a combination of philosophies taken from Buddhism, Zen, Confucianism, and Shintoism. The combination of these philosophies and religions formed the code of the samurai warrior known as Bushido. In Japanese, Bushido means “Way of the Warrior”.
From Buddhism, Bushido exhibits the characteristic of fearlessness towards danger and ultimately death. The samurai did not fear death because they believed as Buddhism teaches, after death one will be reincarnated and may live another life here on earth. The samurai were warriors from the time they became samurai until their death; they had no fear of danger.
 Through Zen, a school of Buddhism, one strives to achieve the ultimate "Absolute." Zen meditation teaches one to concentrate and focus at a level of thought words cannot describe. The goal of Zen is to "know oneself" and don’t allow yourself to place limitations on what can be achieved. The Samurai used this way of thinking as a means to eliminate fear, instability and errors, which could get a Samurai killed on the battlefield.
Bushido puts a high value on loyalty and patriotism. These values were adopted from Shintoism. From these strong beliefs taken from Shintoism, worship of ancestors was extremely important. This common belief placed the Emperor of Japan as a god-like figure. He was believed to be the embodiment of Heaven on earth. Loyal Samurai warriors pledged their allegiance to the Emperor of Japan and their daimyo or feudal landlords.
 From Confucianism, Bushido based some beliefs on relationships with the human world, family and the environment. Confucianism stresses five moral relations; Master and servant, father and son, husband and wife, older and younger brother, and friend and friend. Even with the adoption of some Confucianism philosophies, the samurai disagreed strongly with many other writings of Confucius. They felt that a man should not sit and read books all day, nor shall he write poems all day. The belief at the time was that an intellectual man was considered to be a machine. Alternatively, Bushido taught that man and the universe were similar in both the spirit and ethics.
Along with the virtues taken from Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and Zen, Bushido also holds justice, benevolence, love, sincerity, honesty, and self-control in utmost respect. Justice was one of the main values in the code of the samurai. Dishonest and unjust actions were thought to be lowly and inhumane. Love and benevolence were supreme virtues and acts of chivalry. The Samurai followed a specific etiquette in everyday life as well as in war. Sincerity and honesty were as important as life itself. These ideals which make up Bushido were few and simple. Though simple, Bushido created a way of life that was to nourish a nation through its most troubling times, through civil wars, despair and uncertainty.
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During battle, the only way out for a defeated samurai was death or ritual suicide: seppuku. Seppuku or hara-kiri (belly slicing), is when a samurai stabs a knife into his abdomen and literally disembowels himself by cutting out his guts. After the Samarai disembowels himself, another samurai, usually a kinsman or friend, slices his head off. This form of suicide was "performed under various circumstances: to avoid capture in battle, which the samurai did not believe to be dishonorable and degrading, but generally bad policy; to atone for a misdeed or unworthy act; and perhaps most interestingly, to admonish one's lord". A samurai would rather kill himself than bring shame and disgrace to his family name and his lord. This was considered an act of true honor.
