Please try again later. Besides having been involved seriously in several martial art systems Judo, Jujitsu, Karate-Do, Kenjutsu, Kendo and Tantojutsu for more than sixty years, I have also studied various warrior philosophies. When I saw this page hardcover book on Amazon for a bargain price Soul of the Samurai: Modern translations of three classic works of Zen and bushido by Thomas Cleary I immediately purchased it. The author is a well-known and respected author of numerous books on Japanese warrior principles and philosophy. This book focuses on three Asian classics of martial arts philosophy and explains the relationship between Zen and the warrior principles followed by the ancient samurai.
This volume covers the following material: The book of family traditions by Yagyu Munenori , The inscrutable subtlety of immovable wisdom and Tai-A-Ki: Notes on the peerless sword by Zen Master Takuan If you are into any of the Japanese martial arts you should check out this excellent volume.
It provides a fantastic overview of how the Samurai lived and the code and principles they followed. The Samurai Workout Program: A total workout program for old warriors. One person found this helpful.
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I have recently become a die hard Thomas Cleary fan. A few short months ago I received and read my first of his books.
Now I own over a dozen. My husband is into martial arts and I thought he might enjoy this book. He likes it very much, finds it very informative. I received this book as a present for my husband around Christmas. It not only arrived fast, but also in great shape. This book is an excellent gift for someone who loves Martial Arts.
Notes on the Peerless Sword. The introduction does a good job of providing context for the translations. The books themselves are rendered in an easy reading literary style, with intra-textual commentary.
Soul of the Samurai: Modern Translations of Three Classic Works of Zen Bushido
Some readers may feel that this disrupts the flow of the text, but I found that the commentaries were quite helpful. The translator does a good job of placing the commentaries in locations where the modern western reader is likely to have difficulty. So rather than disrupt the text, they aid the reader's understanding and keep the flow going, rather than forcing the reader to choose between stumbling on in confusion or flipping to the back for end-notes. Overall, I found this collection full of insightful wisdom and a joy to read.
Cleary is a legend. The Japanese Art of War is superb. This book is bad! I don't believe much effort was put into this book. See all 7 reviews. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway. Set up a giveaway. Customers who viewed this item also viewed. The Book of Five Rings: Training the Samurai Mind: Pages with related products. See and discover other items: There's a problem loading this menu right now.
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So I give it 4 stars. This is another book that looked fun, but it turns out to be more about the study of war. I was looking more for the philosophy of the samurai and not the war strategy. It may show up later in the book, but I don't have the desire to wade through the other stuff to get there.
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In Asian tradition, martial arts have always been associated with philosophical and religious tradition. These esoteric studies of the "working of energy," is fascinating. That martial arts is, in this modern day and age, more entertainment, sport and the like is a loss indeed.
Soul of the Samurai: Modern Translations of Three Classic Works of Zen Bushido by Thomas Cleary
Jun 22, T. There are roughly pages but you will want to the read the comentary by the author as he has done an excellent job of explaining some of the more esoteric concepts of Zen Buddhism. I found myself reading certain passages more than once as there are a fair number of Zen phrases and koans that require critical thinking. Soul of the Samurai covers a wide range of advanced combat concepts such as closing the distance after an attack, not letting your mind become fixated on any one point, and being aware of your opponent's actions by reading his or her movements and intent.
However on a deeper level, the book covers the psychology of conflict and self development. It drives home the premise that ultimately, focusing on nothing yet being aware of everything is the key to true enlightenment, or in some cases, survival. On a more practical level, I do believe that this book could be used by just about anyone looking to improve up on themselves in the face of adversity.
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I also suspect that this book would be useful to those in the corporate arena as well. I believe that this work is deserving of such attention as well. Mar 27, Lauren rated it liked it Shelves: First off, I received this book free through the Goodreads First Reads program. Samurai's have always been more interesting to me than the Ninja, so when I saw this, I thought it'd be interesting.
It was definitely interesting for me, but at times extremely dry. It also wasn't what I expected, yet at the same time it was. I expected more on the samurai and less on the sword, but at the same time I was aware swordsmanship was very vital to that of the Samurai. Definitely wouldn't use the sword tec First off, I received this book free through the Goodreads First Reads program.
Definitely wouldn't use the sword techniques for anything, but the thought of taking care of the "sickness" of the mind was rather interesting and something useful. A lot of what is discussed in here, about focal points, the mind, and movements made a lot of sense. It was always interesting seeing the different quotes from masters and applicants a like on what was being discussed.
Definitely recommend this to those who want to learn more about the Samurai, but be aware, you're learning more about their training and movement during their "fight" than the other parts of a Samurai's life. There are many books on philosophy of samurai, bushido, etc. Thomas Cleary is a well established expert on translations of Buddhist-influenced philosophy as well as an expert linguist as his translations are from the originals which I prefer.
So, his understanding of Buddhist philosophy his technical skill in translating traditional chinese text Kanji written form is traditional Chinese contribute to making it a very authentic body of work coveri There are many books on philosophy of samurai, bushido, etc. So, his understanding of Buddhist philosophy his technical skill in translating traditional chinese text Kanji written form is traditional Chinese contribute to making it a very authentic body of work covering the theory of war that the Samurai followed. Most importantly it has some insights into sparring rhythm, when to strike that are invaluable in competitive martial arts as well as military strategy and general conflict resolution.
Apr 14, Fundinn rated it it was amazing. I loved this book. I am biased because I like the Samurai Culture and their history. It was so great that I wrote down the major ideas of this book unto a single page that is framed at my office desk. As far as reviewing goes, Thomas brilliantly translates and explains some of the difficult passages that exist in this book. Some of his interventions were absolutely necessary since they bring light to obscure references that are contextually depended on historical moments that the novice or interm I loved this book.
Some of his interventions were absolutely necessary since they bring light to obscure references that are contextually depended on historical moments that the novice or intermediate reader will not catch. Aug 22, Neel Kuila rated it really liked it. Having studied martial arts for almost a third of my life, this book put into words concepts I only knew with my hands. It elucidates a few ways of how to master the act of mastery. A short read well worth your time. The killing sword can probably be skimmed, it has a lot to do with practical martial arts techniques.
Cool from a historical point of view though. I'm pretty sure my mind is not clear enough to truly understand the deeper meaning in this book. To me it was just The one thing I did learn was to not let your mind linger on anything. Other than that, it was just too complicated and fullvof imagery etc that I just didn't understand.
I wouldn't necessarily say this was a bad book. It's actually quite good. It did however whet my appetite for more of a buddhist oriented text and I haven't found reason to pick it up again. Maybe I'm just not quite ready for it yet. Jul 18, Diogo Jesus rated it liked it. An english render of japanese religious and ethic principles to be followed by a Samurai. Very complete and interesting. Made me recall the old european cavalry honor a pagan one. Lindsay Goto rated it really liked it Feb 11, Dave rated it it was ok Jul 31, John rated it really liked it Jan 23, James Morenz rated it it was amazing Jun 24,