In the previous post, I mentioned "something bigger than themselves and presumably immortal" which samurai would wish to die for. I intentionally avoided the word "God" in the enumeration of what the phrase would represent.
When asked about religion, Japanese often claim themselves to have no religion or God to believe in. I think it is misconception by themselves as most Japanese actually behave like deeply religious and faithful people. Thus the notion of having no religion should be interpreted as such that they don't have any formal description of their religion or God rather than literal disbelief in such a concept.
In Japanese-sphere, words are in some way like money. You can value almost everything with money. But the ultimate values would not allow to be given certain price tags. One's religion and, if I dare to use the word, "God" are in the realm beyond the valuation by words.
Love is in the same league. The foremost Japanese novelist, Natsume Soseki argued that the English phrase "I love you." couldn't be translated into Japanese and it should be rewritten like "Tonight's moon is beautiful (as you are beside me)." to be expressed in proper Japanese at all.
If the love between man and woman is beyond words' description, what is to say about the love of God. Indeed "Nothing to say (about it)." is the ultimate praise for something special in traditional use of Japanese language.
Ray
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