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Bushido Virtues: Jin 仁 (Benevolence)

仁(Jin)


I really enjoy studying ancient cultures. Specifically martial arts cultures. No one comes to mind more easily to everyone than the Samurai of Japan.


Though the Samurai did not start out with a "Code" or "Tenets", it did gain them during a time of general peace in Japan. Once the civil wars of Japan stopped in the early 1600's. After that, with no wars to fight, the Samurai turned more inward and focused on building themselves into a culture with "higher" thinking.


The Bushido Code or Bushido Virtues was created. All this to preface Jin!


Jin(仁) is by far my favorite! Jin translates to benevolence or compassion.


As human beings, we interact with other humans all the time. It is within the interaction and motives that Jin falls. If I train myself to have compassion for others, then I can truly reach for understanding. My motives can then change from practicing compassion toward others for a specific reason.


Like:

  • trying to be a better person

  • because I "should"

  • so I can be seen as good

  • or to please a higher power

The practice completely changes me into actually caring for others! I gain something that few people in the world have outside of their family. True love for human beings!


All is starts out as, for most of us, is practice. Practice charity, practice good will, practice kindness, practice understanding, practice jin. Then as we continue to "practice", it slowly turns into something more. It becomes a part of who we are.


The samurai realized that they became a powerful force. A force that could (and should) be used for good. We don't have to be a Samurai warrior clan in armor and swords to use this power for good. We have only to try and become that which we know we can be.

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