Zen and the Way of the Sword

Zen and the Way of the Sword PDF

Author: Winston L. King

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 286

ISBN-13: 9780195092615

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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.

Zen & The Way of the Sword

Zen & The Way of the Sword PDF

Author: Winston Lee King

Publisher:

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13:

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King offers a fascinating look into the mind of the samurai swordsman in a far-reaching account of the role of Zen in the thought, culture, and the martial arts of Japan's soldier elite. An esteemed scholar of Eastern religions, King deftly traces the development of Zen and discusses the personal nature of its practice, its emphasis on individual discovery and attainment.

Soul Sword

Soul Sword PDF

Author: Vernon Kitabu Turner

Publisher: Watkins Media Limited

Published: 2012-01-01

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1780281943

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An amazing demonstration of the power of Zen in martial arts - Roshi Kitabu, who can physically defeat a powerful opponent with just one finger, shows the reader how to tap into the power of 'no mind', to connect with the Divine Spirit, and to overcome all the obstacles that life throws in his way.

Zen at War

Zen at War PDF

Author: Brian Daizen Victoria

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Published: 2006-06-22

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 1461647479

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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.

Way of the Sword, The (Young Samurai, Book 2)

Way of the Sword, The (Young Samurai, Book 2) PDF

Author: Chris Bradford

Publisher: Disney Electronic Content

Published: 2010-03-28

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 1423140877

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After being shipwrecked in Japan, adopted, and taught the Way of the Warrior at samurai school, Jack is ready to embark on the next chapter of his training: the Way of the Sword. His lessons involve fighting blindfolded, using a b-o staff, and finding messages in origami—all while withstanding the constant pressure of being a foreigner. The stakes are raised even higher when the school holds a contest. The winners will learn the great samurai Masamoto-sama's secret martial arts technique.

Zen and Confucius in the Art of Swordsmanship

Zen and Confucius in the Art of Swordsmanship PDF

Author: Reinhard Kammer

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-05-05

Total Pages: 129

ISBN-13: 1317214765

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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.

Sword of Zen

Sword of Zen PDF

Author: Peter Haskel

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2012-10-25

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 0824837231

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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.

Under the Sword

Under the Sword PDF

Author: Vernon Kitabu Turner

Publisher: Watkins Publishing

Published: 2012-05-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781780280981

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In our fast-changing, uncertain world, it's easy to feel under the gun. Now Zen master Vernon Kitabu Turner throws away the gun and picks up the sword in an inspiring practical guide filled with step-by step advice to help you transform your life by unifying mind, body, and spirit. Wrapping profound truths in homespun analogies, Turner employs his trademark engaging style to awaken your inner samurai.