SWORDDUELING.COM

The origins of warfare are of many types, but they do not go beyond three categories: just war, contest for prestige, or greed for profit.

When it is humane, just, loyal, and faithful, harboring no selfishness, an operation that is in accord with nature and humanity is called a just war.

There are seven kinds of just war in all. First is when the people all over the land are withering away under a brutal government, waiting for the time when it will some day perish, so Providence accedes to the people’s desire and borrows the services of a spiritual warrior with the character of a sage to execute the tyrant, so the people are revived in the midst of water and fire.

Second is when there is a virtuous ruler with no resentful citizens in his domain, but rebels infringe upon the kings authority, antagonizing his allies, not responding to invitations to make peace and not submitting to admonitions about justice. When it is unavoidable, the ruler commands the overlords and orders allies to raise an army to wipe out the rebels.

Third is when treacherous ministers assassinate their rulers, and loyal ministers and dutiful knights raise an army for justice to execute them.

Fourth is when the ruler is weak while the ministers are strong; authority rests with the powerful, who confer private favors to establish a commanding presence; troublesome people form factions; and the country is on the brink of collapse. Then loyal ministers contrive to stabilize the nation.

Fifth is when the whole land is already in chaos, disloyal strongmen carve out their own bailiwicks and invade each other, and then the loyal and the good assist the ruling house to restore the central government and rescue the people’s lives.

Sixth is when there are those who seek revenge on the enemies of their fathers and grandfathers, who take pains to humble themselves to servants, attract heroes, and enlist death-defying warriors, raising an army to efface a national disgrace.

Seventh is when the country is in utter chaos and has no settled ruler, so everyone keeps to his stronghold, waiting for the world to settle down, if bandits come spoiling, robbing your people, then you raise an army to hunt them down, to relieve the people of their harm.

When an enemy afflicts you and you have no choice but to take action, this is called responsive war. This means victory by military response. When it saves the world from disaster and gets rid of what harms the populace, then it is considered just warfare. Those whose warfare is just prosper because they pursue the people’s happiness.
When a pretense of justice is used to seek a reputation, this is warfare in a contest for prestige. An armed contest is dangerous; to pursue prestige thereby is to forget justice.

When a pretense of humanity and justice is used for profiteering, that is treacherous warfare. Those who arm out of greed will perish, because this is unnatural and inhuman. In latter days this type of treachery is not rare. There are those who outwardly claim to have a just cause in executing usurping assassins, while inwardly harboring a scheme to set themselves up, eventually getting rid of the heirs of the ruler and killing the loyal ministers.

These are bandits robbing bandits-how can they escape blame? Some overtly say they want to effect good government throughout the land, leaving a reputation for merit in the books, but in reality they wind up assassinating their fathers and murdering their sons, then increasing taxes and exactions so much that they lose the masses. This is severing the root in pursuit of the branches. How could they not collapse and perish?

People of the world do not discuss whether they are just or unjust but simply praise the cunning who take by aggression and have won battles repeatedly, calling them heroes and good commanders. Noble men despise prestige that is wrongly acquired.

From Thomas Cleary’s Training the Samurai Mind.