Suicide is the art of war. It is the way of the warrior.

The Hakagure establishes: “The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When it comes to either/or, there is only the quick choice of death. It is not particularly difficult. Be determined and advance.”

“It is a principle of the art of war that one should simply lay down one’s life and strike.” The samurai renounces self-interest and self-preservation, choosing master and loyalty instead. The samurai must serve “as though his body were already dead.” The warrior is unattached to life and death. He is useless otherwise. Victory and defeat are secondary. Death moves beyond rightness or righteousness. Avoiding shame in death is utmost. Honor is paramount.

Yukio Mishima asks: What does it mean for a living being to confront death? His answer is: “purity of action.” Thus, even a futile death can acquire meaning and infuse dignity.

< § >

—
Tsunetomo Yamamoto, Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, William Scott Wilson trans. (Tokyo: Kodansha, 1983).
Yukio Mishima, Yukio, The Way of the Samurai, Kathryn Sparling trans. (New York: Basic Books, 1977).