Evolution Of The Japanese, Social And PsychicGulick, Sidney Lewis
History
Evolution Of The Japanese, Social And Psychic
Gulick, Sidney Lewis
Japan -- Civilization; Japan -- Social life and customs; National characteristics, Japanese
"When I was young I determined to fight and punish all my own and
my ancestors' enemies, and I did punish them; but afterwards, by
deep consideration, I found that the way of heaven was to help the
people, and not to punish them. Let my successors follow out this
policy, or they are not of my line. In this lies the strength of
the nation."
"To insure the Empire peace, the foundation must be laid in the
ways of holiness and religion, and if men think they can be
educated, and will not remember this, it is as if a man were to go
to a forest to catch fish, or thought he could draw water out of
fire. They must follow the ways of holiness."
"Japan is the country of the gods [or God--'Shinkoku']. Therefore,
we have among us Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shintoism, and other
sects. If we leave our gods [or God] it is like refusing the wages
of our master and taking them from another."
"In regard to dancing women, prostitutes, brothels, night work,
and all other improper employments, all these are like caterpillars
or locusts in the country. Good men and writers in all times have
written against them."
"It is said that the Mikado, looking down on his people, loves them
as a mother does her children. The same may be said of me and my
government. This benevolence of mind is called Jin. This Jin may be
said to consist of five parts; these are humanity, integrity,
courtesy, wisdom, and truth. My mode of government is according to
the way of heaven. This I have done to show that I am impartial,
and am not assisting my own relatives and friends only."[BF]
These quotations are perhaps sufficient, though one more from a recent
writer has a peculiar interest of its own, from the fact that the
purpose of the book from which the quotation is taken was the
destruction of the tendencies toward approval of Western thought. It
was published in 1857. The writer, Junzo Ohashi, felt himself to be a
witness for truth and righteousness, and, in the spirit of the
doctrine he professed, sealed his faith with a martyr's suffering and
death, dying (in August, 1868) from the effect of repeated examination
by torture for a supposed crime, innocence of which he maintained to
the end. It is interesting to note that two of his granddaughters,
"with the physics and astronomy of the West, have accepted its
religion."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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