Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook | Thomas Cleary

Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook | Thomas Cleary | Wisdom for the Warrior Lifestyle

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	Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook Thomas Cleary Shambhala, 2009 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A unique treasury of writings spanning four hundred years on the ethos, training, and education of the Japanese warrior, compiled by the premier translator of Asian texts

Honor, fearlessness, calm, decisive action, strategic thinking, and martial prowess have been the hallmarks of the Japanese samurai culture through the ages. The ethos of the samurai is known as bushido, or the way of the warrior-knight. Here is an insider?s view of the samurai?s moral and psychological development; the ethical standards they strive to uphold; their training in both martial arts and strategy; and the enormous role that the traditions of Shintoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism have had in influencing their noble ideals.

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The Heart, Soul, Mind & Spirit of the Samurai

In his truly inimitable and engaging style, Thomas presents us with an introduction and then a summary of twenty two of Japans greatest samurai, there thoughts, philosophies and life stories.

Covering a period of samurai from 1349 to 1865, we get right into the mind, spirit and true nature of what it was like to live their dangerous lives and how they ingeniously schemed to work out ways to survive and win battles with their enemies. There was rarely any quarter given in these harsh and brutal times.

It wasn't all bravery, wit and courage. These Japanese "knights" had to work out life saving strategies and tactics that would always win the day. If they survived the battle that they had lost, then they would probably have to up their lives to their lord and do the honourable thing by committing suicide to save face.

Beautifully & interestingly written by an expert in his field, you would expect nothing less from Thomas.

With over 600 years of experience all in one book, this has to be one of the best reference books for those seeking to understand what "The Way of the Warrior" is all about.

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Wisdom for the Warrior Lifestyle

Training the Samurai Mind is a collection of teachings from samurai, Confucian teachers, and Taoist teachers from 1349-1865. I found the teachings in this book to be full of useful wisdom for those who are seeking to live the warrior lifestyle. Of course some of the teachings are more useful than others, but overall I really enjoyed this book. Thomas Cleary seems to have a knack for finding interesting writings and translating them so those of us in the West can benefit from the wisdom that we would otherwise not be privy to.

The subtitle on this book is "A Bushido Source Book" and could just as easily be called The Bushido Chronicles as it chronicles writing pertaining to the warrior lifestyle over 500 years. This book combined with the writings of Sun Tzu, Lao Ztu, and Cleary's translation of the Code of the Samurai, will give the warrior a clear picture of what the Asian warrior was all about, as well as give the warrior a guide to how to live a life of character, honor and integrity.

I highly recommend this book to every martial artist, every military man, and everyone who may be interested in the ways of Asian wisdom. I honestly don't see how you could read this and not get some benefit from the wisdom that it contains. Highly recommended!

Bohdi Sanders, author of Warrior Wisdom: Ageless Wisdom for the Modern Warrior

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Magnificent Collection of Samurai Philosophy

This book is a great edition to my collection and contains 22 short chapters of translated Samurai philosophical material spanning roughly the start of the Ashikaga Shogunate of 1338 (1349 in the book) through the Meiji Restoration in 1865. This period witnessed the Onin Wars and Warring States, the Feudal Wars and the unification, and the 300-year Tokugawa period leading to the end of the samurai and rise of the merchant class. If you are a fan of William Scott Wilson's "Ideals of the Samurai", you will love Training the Samurai Mind.

My main complaints about the book are more personal in nature and center around some of Cleary's commentary, which at times can be insightful while others clearly reveal his exceeding his own understanding of the subject. One example is his description of the ninja merging of the Left hand Path with Shinto and Buddhism for the purpose of "mental terror", which is arguably correct in certain later instances, though it suggests he has no clue about the ninja and their relationship with the Yamabushi or how this relationship developed over 900-years ago or the various evolutions that took place during that period. I could debate other issues but as mentioned this is my personal peeve and should not detract from the quality of the book.

My only other complaint is the inclusion of Yamamoto Tsunetomo taking up chapter 10. The Hagakure is a book unto itself and is translated by Wilson, which Cleary must certainly be aware of. Since this book would mostly appeal to people who have already read The Hagakure, why waste space including it here? I would have preferred to have been astonished with a never before translated piece by Yamaoka Tesshu or one of the Yagyu's. That could have put the book over the top.

As the 3-star review by Duff aptly points out, this is not a casual read or any sort of flowing study that will appeal to the mass market. Students of martial arts and history who are willing to read and reread and contemplate the material are certain to not be disappointed. I highly recommend this book.

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One of Cleary's Best

An excellent survey of samurai information and philosophy. Highly recommended to anyone wishing to learn more about the samurai. I found this book to be an excellent companion to the other edition I purchased, which was The Samurai Series.
The Samurai Series: The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure -The Way of the Samurai & Bushido - The Soul of Japan

I think this Western mind missed quite a few of the nuances...

I saw Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook by Thomas Cleary at the library awhile back, and picked it up. Japanese bushido thinking is something I normally find interesting, and I've gravitated to books like The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings in the past. In this case, I had a far more difficult time staying engaged with the material. Perhaps it was the "anthology" nature of the material, meaning that there wasn't necessarily a lot of continuity from chapter to chapter. Given the writings span over 500 years, I can somewhat understand that...

There are 22 chapters, each consisting of a writing by some Japanese individual who was well-known as a bushido teacher in that particular time period. Cleary gives a short intro of the person's biography and cultural setting, as well as their philosophical bent. The rest of the chapter is then a translated writing of theirs that covers some element of bushido, be it warfare, personal responsibility, or training. Cleary has done a nice job in translating the material in a way that makes it understandable to the Western reader. Given that each chapter stands completely alone, you can digest the book in small chunks without having to keep track of an overall plot or theme.

I think I struggled in that the writers each had their own slants and takes on Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shinto in terms of how they affected the life of a samurai. Not having a strong background in the differences and nuances of each, I think some of the material was lost on me. Also, I missed the continuity that comes from a single writer exploring a subject in some detail. I'm sure I'd feel different if the subjects were more a part of my normal culture. But as such, they came across as somewhat random and eclectic.

I think Cleary did a fine job in translation of the material. I just think that you'd have to be pretty well grounded in bushido thought to get the most out of this book.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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