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Author: Peter Haskel
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824837231
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 202
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Book Description
Takuan Sōho’s (1573–1645) two works on Zen and swordsmanship are among the most straightforward and lively presentations of Zen ever written and have enjoyed great popularity in both premodern and modern Japan. Although dealing ostensibly with the art of the sword, Record of Immovable Wisdom and On the Sword Taie are basic guides to Zen—“user’s manuals” for Zen mind that show one how to manifest it not only in sword play but from moment to moment in everyday life. Along with translations of Record of Immovable Wisdom and On the Sword Taie (the former, composed in all likelihood for the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and his fencing master, Yagyū Munenori), this book includes an introduction to Takuan’s distinctive approach to Zen, drawing on excerpts from the master’s other writings. It also offers an accessible overview of the actual role of the sword in Takuan’s day, a period that witnessed both a bloody age of civil warfare and Japan’s final unification under the Tokugawa shoguns. Takuan was arguably the most famous Zen priest of his time, and as a pivotal figure, bridging the Zen of the late medieval and early modern periods, his story (presented in the book’s biographical section) offers a rare picture of Japanese Zen in transition. For modern readers, whether practitioners of Zen or the martial arts, Takuan’s emphasis on freedom of mind as the crux of his teaching resonates as powerfully as it did with the samurai and swordsmen of Tokugawa Japan. Scholars will welcome this new, annotated translation of Takuan’s sword-related works as well as the host of detail it provides, illuminating an obscure period in Zen’s history in Japan.
Author: Peter Haskel
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824837231
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 202
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Book Description
Takuan Sōho’s (1573–1645) two works on Zen and swordsmanship are among the most straightforward and lively presentations of Zen ever written and have enjoyed great popularity in both premodern and modern Japan. Although dealing ostensibly with the art of the sword, Record of Immovable Wisdom and On the Sword Taie are basic guides to Zen—“user’s manuals” for Zen mind that show one how to manifest it not only in sword play but from moment to moment in everyday life. Along with translations of Record of Immovable Wisdom and On the Sword Taie (the former, composed in all likelihood for the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu and his fencing master, Yagyū Munenori), this book includes an introduction to Takuan’s distinctive approach to Zen, drawing on excerpts from the master’s other writings. It also offers an accessible overview of the actual role of the sword in Takuan’s day, a period that witnessed both a bloody age of civil warfare and Japan’s final unification under the Tokugawa shoguns. Takuan was arguably the most famous Zen priest of his time, and as a pivotal figure, bridging the Zen of the late medieval and early modern periods, his story (presented in the book’s biographical section) offers a rare picture of Japanese Zen in transition. For modern readers, whether practitioners of Zen or the martial arts, Takuan’s emphasis on freedom of mind as the crux of his teaching resonates as powerfully as it did with the samurai and swordsmen of Tokugawa Japan. Scholars will welcome this new, annotated translation of Takuan’s sword-related works as well as the host of detail it provides, illuminating an obscure period in Zen’s history in Japan.
Author: Chang Sik Kim
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 154
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Book Description
Author: Brian Daizen Victoria
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 1461647479
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 310
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Book Description
A compelling history of the contradictory, often militaristic, role of Zen Buddhism, this book meticulously documents the close and previously unknown support of a supposedly peaceful religion for Japanese militarism throughout World War II. Drawing on the writings and speeches of leading Zen masters and scholars, Brian Victoria shows that Zen served as a powerful foundation for the fanatical and suicidal spirit displayed by the imperial Japanese military. At the same time, the author recounts the dramatic and tragic stories of the handful of Buddhist organizations and individuals that dared to oppose Japan's march to war. He follows this history up through recent apologies by several Zen sects for their support of the war and the way support for militarism was transformed into 'corporate Zen' in postwar Japan. The second edition includes a substantive new chapter on the roots of Zen militarism and an epilogue that explores the potentially volatile mix of religion and war. With the increasing interest in Buddhism in the West, this book is as timely as it is certain to be controversial.
Author: Winston L. King
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195092615
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 286
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Book Description
How the samurai cultivated Zen, relating its teaching of a free and spontaneous mind to the experience of a warrior in individual combat, and finding philosophical strength in Zen as they prepared themselves for death.
Author: Takuan Soho
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834827891
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 131
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Book Description
The classic samurai-era text that fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen philosophy—written by the incomparable Zen master Takuan Soho Written by the seventeenth-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573–1645), The Unfettered Mind is a book of advice on swordsmanship and the cultivation of right mind and intention. It was written as a guide for the samurai Yagyu Munenori, who was a great swordsman and rival to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. Takuan was a giant in the history of Zen; he was also a gardener, calligrapher, poet, author, adviser to samurai and shoguns, and a pivotal figure in Zen painting. He was known for his brilliance and acerbic wit. In these succinct and pointed essays, Takuan is concerned primarily with understanding and refining the mind—both generally and when faced with conflict. The Unfettered Mind was a major influence on the classic manifestos on swordsmanship that came after it, including Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings and Yagyu Munenori's Life-Giving Sword.
Author: Nobuko Hirose
Publisher: Element Books, Limited
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 204
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Book Description
The Zen Master Takuan Sono (1573-1645) was a master of calligraphy, painting, gardening, martial arts, and the teacher of the Shogun Iemitsu, Yagyu Tajima-no-Kami (founder of Japan's greatest swordsmanship school) and Miyamoto Musashi (author of The Book of Five Rings).
Author: John Stevens
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834828294
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 185
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Book Description
The insightful martial arts biography of Yamoaka Tesshu, the larger-than-life samurai who founded his own school of swordsmanship and helped restore practical imperial rule to Japan Master swordsman, calligrapher, and Zen practitioner, Yamoaka Tesshu is a seminal figure in martial arts history. John Stevens’s biography is a fascinating, detailed account of Tesshu’s remarkable life. From Tesshu’s superhuman feats of endurance and keen perception in life-threatening situations, to his skillful handling of military affairs during the politically volatile era of early nineteenth-century Japan, Stevens recounts the stories that have made Tesshu a legend. This is the book all martial artists must own.
Author: Vernon Kitabu Turner Author
Publisher: Duncan Baird Publishers
ISBN: 1780281943
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 194
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Book Description
This book is about conquering fear. Roshi Kitabu (writing as Vernon Kitabu Turner) knows from personal experience how to overcome fear. As a child, he cowered before neighbourhood bullies until finally he was driven to find his courage because he had to defend his brother. From that point he resolved to help anyone in need, and began to study martial arts. As a result of an extraordinary act of synchronicity, he met a Japanese Zen master, and shortly afterwards experienced an epiphany (satori), by which he understood that it is the soul that controls the body: 'in a blaze of light, I immediately understood the secret of self-defense from the inside out.' With virtually no training in the martial arts, he became a master - and after a sensational 'trial by combat' he was made a 'black belt'. Roshi Kitabu shares his secret - and explains that this power exists in everyone. He shows the steps that must be taken to cultivate the Warrior Mind - involving a direct flow from the Soul (your inherent spiritual power) into action. 'Before you can begin to control a possible assailant, you must take control of your thoughts. A warrior must believe in his ability to win.' This has become a truism for all serious practitioners of martial arts - but its message applies equally to all the obstacles that one encounters in life: truly the soul houses the sword. Through diligent practice, we can sharpen ourselves to a razor's edge and learn to cut though any obstacle as it arises.
Author: Yagyu Munenori
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595279988
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 66
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Book Description
The Way of the Living Sword is the final installment in D.E. Tarver's popular Warrior Series. It stands beside The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi as one of the greatest writings of the warrior mind. In The Way of the Living Sword, Munenori gives an in-depth explanation of the connection between physical martial arts and the mental process of Zen. While Munenori and Musashi were both avid students of Zen, Munenori was more fascinated by the academic aspects of the philosophy. Munenori stretches the consciousness of even the most enlightened martial artist. Martial arts devotees will experience many flashes of revelation as Tarver explores the various aspects of Munenori's approach. Read and grow!
Author: 柳生宗矩
Publisher: Kodansha International
ISBN: 9784770029553
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 200
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Book Description
This is a translation of an important classic on Zen swordfighting. Yagyu's Buddhist spirituality is reflected in his central idea of the life-giving sword' - the notion of controlling an opponent by the spiritual readiness to fight, rather than during the fight. This is a translation of an important classic on Zen swordfighting. Yagyu Munenori was so widely renowned that he was appointed official sword instructor to two Tokugawa shoguns. (The position was always coveted by Miyamoto Musashi, but he never succeeded in gaining the post). Yagyu's'
