Discerning the difference between obsequiousness and politeness can be difficult for casual visitors to Japan, but for a true man, courtesy is rooted in benevolence: Courtesy and good manners have been noticed by every foreign tourist as distinctive Japanese traits. But Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; “it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love.”
“By constant exercise in correct manners, one brings all the parts and faculties of his body into perfect order and into such harmony with itself and its environment as to express the mastery of spirit over the flesh.”
Bushido refers not only to martial rectitude, but to personal rectitude: Rectitude or Justice, is the strongest virtue of Bushido. A well-known samurai defines it this way: ‘Rectitude is one’s power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering; to die when to die is right, to strike when to strike is right.’
Another speaks of it in the following terms: ‘Rectitude is the bone that gives firmness and stature. Without bones the head cannot rest on top of the spine, nor hands move nor feet stand. So without Rectitude neither talent nor learning can make the human frame into a samurai.’
Economic reality has dealt a blow to organizational loyalty around the world. Nonetheless, true men remain loyal to those to whom they are indebted: “Loyalty to a superior was the most distinctive virtue of the feudal era. Personal fidelity exists among all sorts of men: a gang of pickpockets swears allegiance to its leader. But only in the code of chivalrous Honor does Loyalty assume paramount importance.”
There is hardly a more profound concept in Bushido than honor. The Samurai lived and died by their honor, with haragiri (seppuku) being the final way of preserving lost honor. Even today there is a great deal that can be learned from Samurai-esque honor.
He was born and bred to value the duties and privileges of his profession. Fear of disgrace hung like a sword over the head of every samurai. To take offense at slight provocation was ridiculed as ‘short-tempered.’ As the popular adage put it: “True patience means bearing the unbearable.”
As a principle, the Samurai did not lie and there are many tales of those who did being put to death for it. The Samurai also didn’t see the need for written contracts as that would be doubting the truthfulness of their word.
“Bushi no ichi-gon, was a sufficient guarantee of the truthfulness of an assertion. His word carried such weight with it that promises were generally made and fulfilled without a written pledge, which would have been deemed quite beneath his dignity.”
Bushido distinguishes between bravery and courage: Courage is worthy of being counted among virtues only if it’s exercised in the cause of Righteousness and Rectitude. In his Analects, Confucius says: ‘Perceiving what is right and doing it not reveals a lack of Courage.’ In short, ‘Courage is doing what is right.’
A man invested with the power to command and the power to kill was expected to demonstrate equally extraordinary powers of benevolence and mercy: Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul. Both Confucius and Mencius often said the highest requirement of a ruler of men is Benevolence.
Omdat ik op het moment nog wat foto’s moet inladen en de batterij van mn camera weer eerst opgeladen moet worden, even een serie posts niet over Gemma of Lemmy. Maar over de leefwijze van de Samurai.
”If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the present moment.”-Tsunetomo Yamamoto.
Tsunetomo Yamamoto, a samurai, gave the advice on samurai behaviour in his Hagakure, a treatise on Bushido, or the Way of the Warrior. And long before Benjamin Franklin took a daily account of his 13 Virtues, the Samurai followed their own strict code of virtue, the seven virtues of Bushido.
What is Bushido?
Bushido is the unique philosophical system of the Samurai. Bushido ruled both the Samurai’s martial training and their the day-to-day non-violent conduct as high-class beauracrats. Although it was an unspoken code and certainly never canonized like the Bible, Bushido reached such popularity that certain elements were turned into law by during the Edo period (1603-1868).
Eight years after the war, Draco Malfoy has lost everything. All he has left is his pride and his son. The life he once envisioned for himself died a long time ago. Still grieving and terrified of failing as a parent, Draco must find a way to put aside his own pride and find the courage to reach out and ask for help.
”Amazing!! The emotions, the story everything is just beautiful”
When the Ministry claims Draco Malfoy’s fortune in reparations it seems that his future looks bleak. There is no possible way for him to afford the tuition fees or the living costs for a university education, even though a life spent healing others is his dearest wish. To his complete surprise an anonymous benefactor offers him both, as well as a stipend to live on. Even though his benefactor asks for nothing in return, Draco decides to write him letters. He tells Mr Evans about his life, his course and all of the people that he cares about. This is a story about the transformative effect of charity, and how it changes both Draco’s, and Mr Evans’s lives forever.
When Teddy goes off to Hogwarts, Harry has to fight off the depression that tries to set in. Thankfully, he has good friends like Draco there to remind him that he has a life of his own and that Teddy is not the only source of light in his life. Sometimes you have to make your own light, but sometimes you need some help remembering how to draw back the curtains.
“This was absolutely lovely” — “Thanks for this shiny bit of happiness”
Hogwarts is having a five-year reunion, and everyone’s invited. Draco is overwhelmed and anxious, while Harry is resigned. When Harry sees Draco sneak out of the reunion, he knows there’s something wrong and follows him to the Room of Requirement. When the situation combusts, Hogwarts decides it’s had quite enough of their bickering to last a lifetime.
On the surface, of course Harry’s happy to have bumped into Draco Malfoy again. He feels giddy with anticipation for their breakfast “date” set for the next morning. He feels ready to move on. But, down in that place where his feelings truly live, there’s apprehension. There’s fear. As his counsellor would put it, there’s something “unresolved” — something he can’t leaveunresolved.
There’s a stranger standing in Draco’s bedroom, an unexpected visitor claiming to be Harry Potter. Only… this man is old. Isn’t the Boy Who Lived supposed to be Draco’s age? And what in Salazar’s name is he even talking about?
The last of seven brand new Drarry fics inspired by the seven heavenly virtues.
@drarrelie, one of our faithful original members, has been given the honour to wrap up this anthology with our last virtue, Faith, which she does with an entrancing new perspective of the original saga, involving several well-known scenes from canon, a silver Sickle, and… a time-turner.
There’s a stranger standing in Draco’s bedroom, an unexpected visitor claiming to be Harry Potter. Only… this man is old. Isn’t the Boy Who Lived supposed to be Draco’s age? And what in Salazar’s name is he even talking about?
Faith— great trust or confidence in something or someone.
This week, we’ll post one fic per day for seven days, each one inspired by one of the traditional seven heavenly virtues —Courage,Justice,Charity,Hope,Prudence,TemperanceandFaith. Each story is a stand-alone work, but together they make up the anthology we call Seven Shades of Virtue.
Over 7 days, we’ll give you 7 fics — plus an accompanying Spotify playlist containing 7x7 songs.
We — the Seven Shades of Drarry — are a group of Drarry fanfiction writers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities who work together in a rare collaboration. Seven different writing styles, seven different strengths, seven different weaknesses, all united in one project, working together to create unified themed collections based around the number seven. Each theme has seven threads, each writer assigned a thread to inspire their story, and all combined to create The Seven Shades of Drarry.
On the surface, of course Harry’s happy to have bumped into Draco Malfoy again. He feels giddy with anticipation for their breakfast “date” set for the next morning. He feels ready to move on.
But, down in that place where his feelings truly live, there’s apprehension. There’s fear. As his counsellor would put it, there’s something “unresolved” — something he can’t leave unresolved.
Temperance — moderation of needed things and abstinence from things which are not needed.
This week, we’ll post one fic per day for seven days, each one inspired by one of the traditional seven heavenly virtues —Courage,Justice,Charity,Hope,Prudence,TemperanceandFaith. Each story is a stand-alone work, but together they make up the anthology we call Seven Shades of Virtue.
Over 7 days, we’ll give you 7 fics — plus an accompanying Spotify playlist containing 7x7 songs.
We — the Seven Shades of Drarry — are a group of Drarry fanfiction writers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities who work together in a rare collaboration. Seven different writing styles, seven different strengths, seven different weaknesses, all united in one project, working together to create unified themed collections based around the number seven. Each theme has seven threads, each writer assigned a thread to inspire their story, and all combined to create The Seven Shades of Drarry.
The fifth of seven brand new Drarry fics inspired by the seven heavenly virtues.
Interpreting our fifth virtue, Prudence, @drarrymadhatterstuff — the main cause for this collab’s existence — invites us all to a festive five-year reunion, only to trap us in the Room of Requirement together with a reluctant assortment of Hogwarts alumni…
Hogwarts is having a five-year reunion, and everyone’s invited. Draco is overwhelmed and anxious, while Harry is resigned. When Harry sees Draco sneak out of the reunion, he knows there’s something wrong and follows him to the Room of Requirement. When the situation combusts, Hogwarts decides it’s had quite enough of their bickering to last a lifetime.
Prudence — the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason, cautiousness and judgement.
This week, we’ll post one fic per day for seven days, each one inspired by one of the traditional seven heavenly virtues —Courage,Justice,Charity,Hope,Prudence,TemperanceandFaith. Each story is a stand-alone work, but together they make up the anthology we call Seven Shades of Virtue.
Over 7 days, we’ll give you 7 fics — plus an accompanying Spotify playlist containing 7x7 songs.
We — the Seven Shades of Drarry — are a group of Drarry fanfiction writers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities who work together in a rare collaboration. Seven different writing styles, seven different strengths, seven different weaknesses, all united in one project, working together to create unified themed collections based around the number seven. Each theme has seven threads, each writer assigned a thread to inspire their story, and all combined to create The Seven Shades of Drarry.
The fourth of seven brand new Drarry fics inspired by the seven heavenly virtues.
@janieohio, our steady rock in an ocean of chaos, is back with an uplifting story about fighting your way out of depression and finding your way back to Hope with a little help from a friend.
When Teddy goes off to Hogwarts, Harry has to fight off the depression that tries to set in. Thankfully, he has good friends like Draco there to remind him that he has a life of his own and that Teddy is not the only source of light in his life. Sometimes you have to make your own light, but sometimes you need some help remembering how to draw back the curtains.
Hope— grounds for believing that something good may happen.
This week, we’ll post one fic per day for seven days, each one inspired by one of the traditional seven heavenly virtues —Courage,Justice,Charity,Hope,Prudence,TemperanceandFaith. Each story is a stand-alone work, but together they make up the anthology we call Seven Shades of Virtue.
Over 7 days, we’ll give you 7 fics — plus an accompanying Spotify playlist containing 7x7 songs.
We — the Seven Shades of Drarry — are a group of Drarry fanfiction writers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities who work together in a rare collaboration. Seven different writing styles, seven different strengths, seven different weaknesses, all united in one project, working together to create unified themed collections based around the number seven. Each theme has seven threads, each writer assigned a thread to inspire their story, and all combined to create The Seven Shades of Drarry.
The third of seven brand new Drarry fics inspired by the seven heavenly virtues.
For our third virtue, Charity, @ladderofyears offer us an epistolary fic filled with gratitude for one Mr Evans, a mysterious and most unexpected benefactor. And if that wasn’t enough, this fic also contains art by the talented @iero0.
When the Ministry claims Draco Malfoy’s fortune in reparations it seems that his future looks bleak. There is no possible way for him to afford the tuition fees or the living costs for a university education, even though a life spent healing others is his dearest wish. To his complete surprise an anonymous benefactor offers him both, as well as a stipend to live on. Even though his benefactor asks for nothing in return, Draco decides to write him letters. He tells Mr Evans about his life, his course and all of the people that he cares about.
This is a story about the transformative effect of charity, and how it changes both Draco’s, and Mr Evans’s lives forever.
Charity- help, especially in the form of money, given freely to people who are in need.
This week, we’ll post one fic per day for seven days, each one inspired by one of the traditional seven heavenly virtues —Courage,Justice,Charity,Hope,Prudence,TemperanceandFaith. Each story is a stand-alone work, but together they make up the anthology we call Seven Shades of Virtue.
Over 7 days, we’ll give you 7 fics — plus an accompanying Spotify playlist containing 7x7 songs.
We — the Seven Shades of Drarry — are a group of Drarry fanfiction writers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities who work together in a rare collaboration. Seven different writing styles, seven different strengths, seven different weaknesses, all united in one project, working together to create unified themed collections based around the number seven. Each theme has seven threads, each writer assigned a thread to inspire their story, and all combined to create The Seven Shades of Drarry.
This week, we’ll post one fic per day for seven days, each one inspired by one of the traditional seven heavenly virtues —Courage,Justice,Charity,Hope,Prudence,TemperanceandFaith. Each story is a stand-alone work, but together they make up the anthology we call Seven Shades of Virtue.
Over 7 days, we’ll give you 7 fics — plus an accompanying Spotify playlist containing 7x7 songs.
We — the Seven Shades of Drarry — are a group of Drarry fanfiction writers of different backgrounds, ages, and nationalities who work together in a rare collaboration. Seven different writing styles, seven different strengths, seven different weaknesses, all united in one project, working together to create unified themed collections based around the number seven. Each theme has seven threads, each writer assigned a thread to inspire their story, and all combined to create The Seven Shades of Drarry.
