Soul of the Samurai: Modern Translations of Three Classic Works of Zen & Bushido - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0804836906 ISBN 13: 9780804836906

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, 2005

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.

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Cleary is one of the best known and most accomplished translators of the ancient wisdom of Asia. His work includes The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings, Code of the Samurai, Samurai Wisdom and Secrets of the Japanese Art of Warfare, as well as over 70 other books on Asian martial history and philosophy, Buddhism and Taoism.

Review:

"...includes translations of The Book of the Sword, The Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom and The Peerless Sword" —Black Belt magazine

"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 blog

About this edition

• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0804836906
• ISBN 13: 9780804836906
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 156