Zen and Confucius in the Art of Swordsmanship PDF Download
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Author: Reinhard Kammer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317214773
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 134
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Book Description
The sword has played an important role in the Japanese consciousness since ancient times. The earliest swords, made of bronze or stone, were clearly, by their design and form, used for ritualistic purposes rather than as weapons. Later, swords were associated only with the warrior class, and lack of physical strength and battle experience was compensated for by handling the sword in a way that was technically expert. Besides this sacred and artistic status, swordsmanship also acquired a philosophical reinforcement, which ultimately made it one of the Zen ‘ways’. Zen Buddhism related the correct practice of swordsmanship to exercises for attaining enlightenment and selfishness, while Confucianism, emphasizing the ethical meaning, equated it to service to the state. This classic text, first published in English in 1978, includes a history of the development and an interpretation of Japanese swordsmanship, now esteemed as an art and honoured as a national heritage. It describes in detail the long, intensive and specialized training and etiquette involved, emphasizing and explaining the importance of both Zen and Confucian ideas and beliefs.
Author: Reinhard Kammer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317214773
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 134
Get Book
Book Description
The sword has played an important role in the Japanese consciousness since ancient times. The earliest swords, made of bronze or stone, were clearly, by their design and form, used for ritualistic purposes rather than as weapons. Later, swords were associated only with the warrior class, and lack of physical strength and battle experience was compensated for by handling the sword in a way that was technically expert. Besides this sacred and artistic status, swordsmanship also acquired a philosophical reinforcement, which ultimately made it one of the Zen ‘ways’. Zen Buddhism related the correct practice of swordsmanship to exercises for attaining enlightenment and selfishness, while Confucianism, emphasizing the ethical meaning, equated it to service to the state. This classic text, first published in English in 1978, includes a history of the development and an interpretation of Japanese swordsmanship, now esteemed as an art and honoured as a national heritage. It describes in detail the long, intensive and specialized training and etiquette involved, emphasizing and explaining the importance of both Zen and Confucian ideas and beliefs.
Author: Chang Sik Kim
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 154
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Book Description
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: 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'
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: William Scott Wilson
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834829738
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 320
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Book Description
There is perhaps no more potent symbol of the samurai era than the sword. By the seventeenth century in Japan, the art of swordsmanship had begun to take on an almost cult-like popularity. Swordsmanship was more than a mastery of technique; it was a path toward self-mastery. The Swordsman’s Handbook is the definitive collection of writings by men who saw the study of swordsmanship not only as essential to life and death, but as something that transcended life and death as well. Their teaching, that dealing with conflict is an art that requires grace and courage, speaks to us today with surprising immediacy and relevance. Included in this collection are writings by Kotada Yahei Toshitada, Takuan Soho, Yagyu Munenori, Miyamoto Musashi, Matsura Seizan, Issai Chozanshi, and Yamaoka Tesshu.
Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
ISBN: 1893765237
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 110
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Book Description
There are simularities and differences between the European and Japanese medieval warrior traditions that reflect the social evolutions within those cultures. Over the years publishing the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, we published articles that presented the main themes found in this unique area of comparitive studies. The most important of these writings are assembled in this anthology for your convience. Chapters 1 and 2 are by Dr. Willy Pieter, a leading scholar with a thorough grasp of European and Japanese martial art traditions. His first chapter examines the feudal system and how aspects of social organization helped form the warrior ethic, resulting in a mix of scientific and intuitive elements. In the second chapter Dr. Pieter illustrates how the perception of the human body and mind are culturally different in the East and West. Westerners have a long tradition of dualism, which separates the body and mind, while the Eastern approach has been wholistic. The author discusses scientific and medical histories for insight, particularly Chinese and European influences on Japan. In the third chapter John Michael Greer presents the esoteric side of a European sword tradition as found in the writings of Dutch fencing master Gerard Thibault (ca. 1574–1627). He notes that Asian and Western combat systems havebeen understood in sharply different ways over the last century or so. Asian combatives came to be associated with Eastern spiritual traditions and seemed to be very different than any Western combative system. However, this short chapter shows that there is actually much in common. In the final chapter Matthew Galas compares and contrasts the sword arts in Germany with the classical Japanese martial traditions. The period covered by this inquiry reaches from approximately 1350 until 1600. The focus is on general principles and combat philosophy. The study reveals that German sword techniques were as effective as their counterparts in feudal Japan. The content in this anthology is usefull for anyone interested in either or both European and Japanese martial art traditions exemplified during their medieval periods. Enjoy reading this special anthology dedicated to two leading warrior traditions.
Author: Karl F. Friday
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824863321
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 248
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Book Description
Western scholars and educators are generally far less familiar with the samurai in his original-and, ostensibly, primary-role as warrior and masters of arms than in his other functions as landowner, feudal lord, literature, or philosopher. Yet, any attempt to comprehend fully the samurai without considering his military abilities and training (bugei) is futile. With verve and wit, Karl Friday combines the results of nearly two decades of fieldwork and archival research to examine samurai martial culture from a broad perspective: as a historical phenomenon, as a worldview, and as a system of physical, spiritual, and moral education.
Author: Michael Maliszewski
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462904823
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 176
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Book Description
Spiritual Dimensions of the Martial Arts is a study of the meditative and religious elements that form the core of the great martial arts traditions. Unsurpassed in scope and detail, this martial arts book covers the spiritual beliefs and the practices of the fighting arts of India, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, and the United States. Subjects discussed include: Bruce Lee's unique views on spirituality and meditation Rituals used to induce altered states of consciousness in Indonesian Pencak-Silat The unusual relationship of Korea's Hwarang warriors to Mahayana Buddhism The importance of Buddhist ritual in Muay Thai Spiritual practices in the Filipino martial arts The significance of Zen and esoteric Buddhism to the Samurai The relationship of Indian martial arts to Yoga The impact of Daoist concepts on the Chinese martial arts Psychological development and martial arts training
Author: Gert Woerner
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0877739803
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 489
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Book Description
With more than four thousand entries and over one hundred illustrations, this encyclopedia offers a complete survey of the four major religious traditions of Asia. It is designed not only for students and scholars but also to help general readers find their way through the thicket of unfamiliar words and concepts that are often encountered today in various fields such as the health professions, psychotherapy, the sciences, and the media. Among the subjects covered are: • Important terms such as chakra, karma, koan, nirvana, tantra, Tao, and yin-yang • The lives and teachings of mystics, philosophers, and masters of meditation • Basic texts and scriptures • Sects and schools of thought • Mythological figures and events In addition, pronunciation tables, a comprehensive bibliography, and a Ch'an/Zen Lineage Chart are provided.
