I recently saw a wonderful little movie called, “Ghost Dog, Way of the Samurai.”  It had several quotes from classic Samurai books, and I couldn’t help but compare it to the “Klingon Way.” We commonly say that the two warrior cultures are the same but there are significant differences.

     To understand the differences you need to look at the ways that religions look at the material world. There are three basic points of view about the conflict between the material and the spiritual. Nature religions and pantheistic thinking say that there is no distinction between the two, either the trees, animals and creatures are avatars of the infinite, or all things make up God.  

     Judeo-Christian thought says that the creation is flawed but redeemable, there is a separation between the creator and the creature, even though the creator upholds and empowers the creation, the creation is inferior or subject to the creator.  Eastern thought says that the material world is inherently evil or at the best lesser than the spiritual and that in order to achieve perfection you must deny the physical.

     The Klingon culture is a nature culture. The Klingon is at his most Klingon when he is at one with the natural. The Samurai is a manifestation of the Buddhist self -denial. The differences between the cultures are seen in the war. The Samurai’s war is in denial of self and in service to his patron. The Samurai is finally not an individual but a member of a strict caste system. He lives by a code that forbids pride and egotism. He fights at the behest of his Lord, not at his own will.

     The Klingon knows no master and is the supreme individual. To be a willing slave is the worst insult that the Klingon can suffer. The Klingon serves the empire but is not its servitor. The Klingon agrees to war not from service to a Lord but because his nature is one of war and the side he chooses is the one that most truly reflects his Honor. If he finds the Emperor to be most honorable, he will war on his behest, if he sees that the opponent is in the right, we will fight the power.

     The word honor is equally important in both cultures but the meaning of the word is different. The Samurai’s honor is in obedience to his master, the Klingon honor is less fixed but is manifested in his consistency with his nature, and in his faithfulness to his word.

     Both warrior cultures are at one with battle, but each come to the way of the sword from different ends. Finally the masters of each culture would respect each other’s dedication but would find the other an inferior for glorifying what is obviously inferior. The Klingon would be offended by the Samurai’s self-abnegation and lack of ego drive. The Samurai would find fault with  the Klingon’s overweening pride and lust for glory. They would finally be enemies, since their driving forces are so different, but respectful ones, appreciating the strengths of the other.