Soul of the samurai : modern translations of three classic works of Zen and Bushido

Martial arts : the book of family traditions / by Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646) -- The inscrutable subtlety of immovable wisdom / by Takuan (1573-1645) / Tai-A : notes on the peerless sword / by Takuan (1573-1645).;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. Includ. 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. 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. Modern translations of three classic works of Zen & Bushido In Soul of the Samurai respected author and translator Thomas Cleary reveals the true essence of Bushido 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

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.

Cleary has translated over 70 Asian works on martial philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism, and religion. Here he presents classics of Zen and Bushido dealing with martial arts. They are Martial Arts: The Book of Family Traditions by Yahgu Munenore (1571-1646), The Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom, and Tai-a Ki: Notes on the Peerless Sword both by Zen Master Takuan (1573-1645). His comments are in italics to distinguish them from the text. There is no index