Zen and Confucious in the Art of Swordsmanship: The Tengu-geijutsu-ron of Chozan Shissai

This eleven-volume set gathers together some essential texts on Zen Buddhism. They range from newly-translated sixteenth-century documents from a Japanese temple to a modern work on the usefulness of Zen precepts in the 'helping professions' of medicine and the social services. Works also detail the rigours of training for a life as a Buddhist priest, the links between yoga and Zen, Zen and swordsmanship, and other Japanese Zen traditions. 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. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Original Title Page......Page 6 Original Copyright Page......Page 7 Dedication......Page 8 Table of Contents......Page 10 Illustrations......Page 12 Translator's Preface......Page 14 Author's Preface......Page 20 Introduction: A Survey of the Historical Developmentof Japanese Swordsmanship......Page 22 Text and Author......Page 33 Philosophical Trends and Objectives......Page 34 The Role of Confucianism......Page 38 The Role of Zen Buddhism......Page 47 Form and Technique......Page 52 Instruction and Learning......Page 54 Summary......Page 57 Tengu-geijutsu-ron (Discourse on the Art of theMountain Demons)......Page 61 Appendix 1: Japanese Names for Swordsmanship throughout History......Page 115 Appendix 2: Important Schools of Swordsmanship......Page 116 List of Abbreviations......Page 125 Notes......Page 126 Bibliography......Page 137