Certainty of death and uncertainty of its meaning

"I found that Bushido (the way of samurai) means to die." It is the most famous phrase in a bible of samurai, Hagakure.

The only one thing certain in life is mortality. Sometime, somewhere, everyone dies, including you and me. Then, what is the meaning of this certain death? Why do we live and what is the point to live if we all eventually die whatever we do while we are alive? That would be the greatest uncertainty we all need to cope with.

I think nobility of samurai comes from the fact they found the answer for these questions. They choose to die for something bigger than themselves and presumably immortal. It may be for their distinguished samurai families, for the honour as brave warriors, for the ultimate truth or for their homeland implying the mother nature.

Once a meaning for the certain and inevitable death is affirmed, one can live a life with warranted cause and meaning. Patriotism and religious devotion may have a similar effect.

Today's samurai men and women in Japan seem to be struggling to find "something bigger than themselves and immortal." Decades ago, that used to be the strong Japanese economy and most of Japanese were proud of being part of it. It was not necessarily from greed or arrogance, rather as their raison d'être. Finding a viable alternative would be a key to the revival of Japan from the current unprecedented crisis.

Ray