Synopses & Reviews
Modern translations of three classic works of Zen & BushidoIn Soul of the Samurai respected author and translator Thomas Cleary reveals the true essence of the Bushido code or Zen warrior teachings according to 17th-century Japanese samurai master Yagyu Munenori and his Zen teacher Takuan Soho.
The three works of Zen Bushido translated in Soul of the Samurai are:
- The Book of the Sword by Yagyu Munenori
- The Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom by Takuan Soho
- The Peerless Sword by Takuan Soho
Yagyu was a renowned swordsman and chief of the Shogun's secret police, while Takuan was the Zen spiritual mentor to the Emperor. This samurai philosophy book contains the first English translations of their seminal writings on Bushido. Cleary not only provides clear and readable translations but comprehensive notes introducing the social, political, and organizational principles that defined Samurai culture—their loyalty to family, their sense of service and duty, and their political strategies for dealing with allies and enemies.
These writings introduce the reader to the authentic world of Zen culture and the secrets behind the Samurai's success—being "in the moment" and freeing the mind from all distractions, allowing you to react instantaneously and instinctively without thinking. In these classic works we learn that Zen mental control and meditational training were as important to the Samurai as swordsmanship and fighting skills.
Review
"These books provide a fascinating glimpse into the psyche of Edo period samurai and their struggles to retain the skills of war while remaining relevant in a time of peace, and they're also very affordable." —TheShogunsHouse.com
Review
"…includes translations of The Book of the Sword, The Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom and The Peerless Sword" —Black Belt magazine
Synopsis
Thomas Cleary's translation of
Code of the Samurai introduced the social, political, and organizational principles of samurai culture, including loyalty to family, a sense of service and duty, and the rules for dealing with allies and enemies.
In Soul of the Samurai, Cleary delves into the key influence of Zen on the samurai's combat style, from its emphasis on detachment-meaning a willingness to sacrifice life (including one's own)-to the attempt to clear the mind and "be in the moment," which freed the swordsman's mind from distractions and allowed him to act in an instant.
Including translations of Yagyu Munenori's Book of the Sword, and Takuan Soho's Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom and The Peerless Sword, the teachings in Soul of the Samurai represent the recording and codification of these beliefs in the seventeenth century.
Synopsis
Soul of the Samurai contains modern translations of three classic works of Zen & Bushido In
Soul of the Samurai bestselling author and respected translator Thomas Cleary reveals the true essence of the Bushido code or Zen warrior teachings according to 17th-century Japanese samurai master Yagyu Munenori and his Zen teacher Takuan Soho.
The three works of Zen Bushido translated in
Soul of the Samurai are:
- The Book of the Sword by Yagyu Munenori
- The Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom by Takuan Soho
- The Peerless Sword by Takuan Soho
Yagyu was a renowned swordsman and chief of the Shogun's secret police, while Takuan was the Zen spiritual mentor to the Emperor. This samurai philosophy book contains the first English translations of their seminal writings on Bushido. Cleary not only provides clear and readable translations but comprehensive notes introducing the social, political, and organizational principles that defined Samurai culture--their loyalty to family, their sense of service and duty, and their political strategies for dealing with allies and enemies.
These writings introduce the reader to the authentic world of Zen culture and the secrets behind the Samurai's success--being "in the moment" and freeing the mind from all distractions, allowing you to react instantaneously and instinctively without thinking. In these classic works we learn that Zen mental control and meditational training were as important to the Samurai as swordsmanship and fighting skills.
Synopsis
Thomas Cleary's translation of
Code of the Samurai introduced the social, political, and organizational principles of samurai culture, including loyalty to family, a sense of service and duty, and the rules for dealing with allies and enemies.
In Soul of the Samurai, Cleary delves into the key influence of Zen on the samurai's combat style, from its emphasis on detachment-meaning a willingness to sacrifice life (including one's own)-to the attempt to clear the mind and "be in the moment," which freed the swordsman's mind from distractions and allowed him to act in an instant.
Including translations of Yagyu Munenori's Book of the Sword, and Takuan Soho's Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom and The Peerless Sword, the teachings in Soul of the Samurai represent the recording and codification of these beliefs in the seventeenth century.
Synopsis
Key translations on Zen and its influence on the political rise of the samurai
Synopsis
Thomas Cleary's translation of
Code of the Samurai introduced the social, political, and organizational principles of samurai culture, including loyalty to family, a sense of service and duty, and the rules for dealing with allies and enemies.
In Soul of the Samurai, Cleary delves into the key influence of Zen on the samurai's combat style, from its emphasis on detachment-meaning a willingness to sacrifice life (including one's own)-to the attempt to clear the mind and "be in the moment," which freed the swordsman's mind from distractions and allowed him to act in an instant.
Including translations of Yagyu Munenori's Book of the Sword, and Takuan Soho's Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom and The Peerless Sword, the teachings in Soul of the Samurai represent the recording and codification of these beliefs in the seventeenth century.
About the Author
Thomas Cleary is the translator of Opening the Dragon Gate by Chen Kaiguo and Zhen Shunchao and The Story of Chinese Zen by Nan Huai-Chin, as well as The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, The Japanese Art of War, and dozens of other titles on martial philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism, religion, and philosophy.