Anyone who reads books about productivity and self-improvement can probably name several titles that have become household names 📚. Sometimes, though, I like to look for lessons in unexpected places 🔎, which brought me to Code of the Samurai by Thomas Cleary.
Aside from my love for Japan and Japanese philosophies 🇯🇵, I was drawn to this book because of the deep link between the Samurai and discipline 🤨. I listed on Audible and was pleasantly surprised by how their lifestyle from hundreds of years ago can still hold influence on modern life 😲.
Here are a few of my takeaways:
- Samurai were more than warriors. The word samurai actually roughly translates to “attendants” or “servants” 🙇🏻♂️. Rather than solely being masters of the sword, samurai played key roles in maintaining order in society. Although samurai did hold high status in feudal Japan, much of their training was balanced with humility and obedience.
- Keeping death in mind keeps you attentive. Throughout the book, Cleary emphasizes that warriors must always keep death top of mind to make better decisions ☠️. While the common person nowadays doesn’t face the same risks as samurai of the past 😅, I still found this to be a helpful reminder that when working on a task or project, keeping the end goal in mind is critical to staying focused and intentional 🏁.
- A complete understanding is crucial before taking action. How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you spoke hastily or made a rash decision and regretted it 🙊? Code of the Samurai explains that if you consider a problem as a tree 🌳, a warrior must understand it “from root to branch” before acting . This shows that many problems and miscommunications can be avoided simply by pausing stepping back, and seeking full context 🙇🏻♀️.
- One perspective in no perspective. Though samurai trained under one master 🎓, they often traveled to meet other teachers and gain different perspectives 📈. I love this point because we can get so caught up in the mindset of how things are “normally done’ that we sometimes fail to consider other views 🤦🏽♂️. However, remaining open to different points of view can be a powerful tool for growth and self-improvement.
“He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.” —Ben Johnson
- Frugality has its place. You don’t need to be a financial expert to appreciate this point 💰. Speaking personally, working as a resident and making a resident’s salary was plenty of practice in being frugal 🤣. Nowadays I still try to live within my means and avoid excessive unnecessary purchases. That’s not to say that we can’t buy nice things for ourselves or loved ones 💙, but it’s important to do so with self-control and awareness.
The rest of the book explores other tenets of life such as how to manage familial relations and what to do if one’s master perishes which I found a lot less relevant to modern times 🤷🏻♂️. Nonetheless, Code of the Samurai was an enjoyable listen 🎧 and a fascinating window into how the discipline of the samurai influenced their daily life and rise in Japan 🏯, and how their influence still echoes throughout the world today 🌏.