The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman | Takuan Soho

The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman | Takuan Soho | The Work of a Genius

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	The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman Takuan Soho Kodansha International, 2003 - 142 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.

Insight into Zen mind

I found this text to be a complex, informative glimpse into the Zen mindset towards swordsmanship, yet general enough to be applicable to other martial arts.

Takuan Soho's words will show you something new about yourself, and perhaps change the way you perceive certain aspects of yourself/ your training. A must read for anyone who is serious about applying a Zen mindset to their daily practice, whatever it may be.

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The Work of a Genius

Takuan is one of my sources for inspiration, and I value this work. He was born during the Warring States period in 1573 into a Samurai family of the Miura clan, and entered a Jodo-sect Buddhist monastery when he was 10. He joined the Zen Rinzai sect when he was 14, and made history by becoming the abbot of Daitokuji, one of the major temples in Kyoto, at the young age of only 30.

He was a prolific writer who composed over 6 major volumes, of which this is but a small fragment. The three works contained here were all written to great sword masters including Yagyu Munenori, and last piece was possibly to the head of the Itto school of swordsmanship, Ono Tadaaki. The purpose of these works is to unify the spirit of Zen with the spirit of the sword. To transcend the physical duel and have unbroken awareness of everything in the moment.

This is not a book to read quickly and hope to find entertainment or a lesson in history. This is deep martial philosophy written by an absolute genius and master of some of the highest arts in ancient Japan. The book contains a few images of his art and calligraphy, but unless you know what to look for it is hard to see just how great his work is. I bought a repo scroll of his calligraphy when last I was in Japan. There is a standout quality about his style in that his scripting appears three dimensional. In fact, it is almost impossible for at least my mind to follow some of the path. Never seen anything like it. I own an original Tesshu who was a great master, but there is something unique and special about Takuan's style that suggests he may have indeed been operating on a whole different level.

"The unfettered Mind" is very advanced stuff. This is not a casual read, and it will appeal to experienced martial artists willing to work with it and apply deep meditation to the many concepts that may not be apparent at first glance. This is one of the greats.

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A Masterpiece

Beyond any other text on swordsmanship, Takuan's writings illustrate that the true weapon of the master swordsman is the mind...or I should say "the mind of no mind" (mushin no shin). Musashi and Munenori both reference this mindset, but neither captures it nor explains it as succinctly as Takuan. This book is a contemplative piece that had me stopping to reflect every few pages. It is an essential piece for any martial artist, and is far and away my favorite book on the subject. It does not go so far as to describe how to achieve this mindset, but rather explains in vivid detail the possibilities of one who achieves "mushin no shin".

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One of the best books I've ever read.

The Unfettered Mind gave me a lot to ponder. It was almost meditative and enriched me with principles I hope to live by.

-Dan, Providence

The Unfettered Mind

I read this book out of a recommendation from both Jerry Poteet (a student of Bruce Lee) and his student (and my instructor) Ed Monaghan. From what I was told Sijo Bruce Lee had read this book over and over again for regular insight into the martial arts. I thought it was okay. I have practiced both Zen and Martial Arts for 15 years now, and found that this piece was not as great as the Five Rings, or the Art of War, but it had it's moments. I really like the last section, Annals of the Sword Taia, and the first section The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom. However, the middle section was okay and more about Buddhist beliefs and such.

It's not a bad book to read but it definitely didn't tickle my feathers in any way more than I have already read in other Zen/MA related texts.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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