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The samurai are considered by many military historians to be among the most elite warriors in human history. Although it is true that the samurai were excellent fighters on the battlefield and some were great strategists and tacticians, the true secret of their success was derived from their unique system of beliefs. At the core of the samurai beliefs was their honor code known as bushido, but the bushido code was just the natural result of the three most important religions and philosophies the samurai followed – Shintoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism. The Shinto beliefs connected the samurai to their people and land while Confucianism taught them to respect authority and the established social and political hierarchy of Japan. Finally, Zen Buddhism gave the samurai the morals that allowed them to be effective warriors without committing atrocities. Zen also gave the samurai the ability to better focus in combat and to practice the timeless adage of “mind over matter.”  <div class="portal" style="width:85%;">