El alma del Samurái: Una traducción contemporánea de tres clásicos del Zen y el Bushido

by Thomas Cleary (translator)

Including translations of Yagyu Munenori's Book of the Sword and Takuan Soho's Inscrutable Subtlety of Immovable Wisdom and The Peerless Sword, the teachings in this spiritual guide represent the recording and codification of these 17th-century beliefs. From its emphasis on detachment to the attempt to clear the mind and "be in the moment," the book delves into the key influence of Zen on the samurai's combat style and way of life. 
 
Incluyendo traducciones de los libros de Yagyu Munenori y de Takuan Soho, las enseñanzas en esta guía espiritual representan la codificación de las creencias del samurái del siglo XVII. Desde su enfásis en la idea de la separación al intento de aclarar la mente y vivir "en el ahora," el libro explora la influencia del Zen en el estilo de vida y de combate del samurái. 

Genres: Martial Arts, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Japan, History, Religion, Self Help

164 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Dr. Thomas Francis Cleary, Ph.D. (East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University; J.D., Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley), was a prolific translator of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Muslim classics, with a particular emphasis on popular translations of Mahāyāna works relevant to the Chan, Zen, and Soen systems.

Reviews

[Danielle Tremblay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in GoodReads giveways. I admit that I don't know much about martial arts in general and Samurai in particular. But I've always been fascinated by Japan and Samurais. I read historical books on that subject. But maybe I should have begun with The Art of War by Sun Tzu and translated by Thomas Cleary, which seems more accessible for neophytes like me.

I can tell that people who think that this book is only on swordsmanship miss the point. Everything is tinged of Zen. I realized how the Samurais think differently than us Westerners. Here, someone who teaches how to move while fighting would describe each move in detail. The Japanese swordsmanship masters taught by metaphors to help you to visualize the fight and to know how "to answer the question" (attack) without a gap.

"To be obsessed even with winning is sickness.
To be obsessed even with using martial arts is sickness.
To be obsessed with showing all one has learned is sickness too.
To be obsessed with offense is sickness; to be obsessed with defense is also sickness.
To be rigidly obsessed with getting rid of sickness is also sickness.
To fix the mind obsessively on anything is considered sickness.

'Letting go of the mind without abandoning it' means freeing the mind of fixations without loosing concentration, attention, or control."

You can't win a fight if you're not concentrated on the present moment, on what's happening NOW. Could we consider the quote above as a martial arts technique or as philosophical teaching? Zen philosophy teaches that there are neither past nor future but only present. This is typical Zen teaching applied to swordmanship. This is Zen Bushido. This is what this book is about.

When Zixia explained to Marquis Wen that Confucius said that it was possible to go through rock or metal and to walk on water or fire, the Marquis asked: "Why didn't Confucius do it?" Zixia answered that it was because Confucius was one of those who were able to do it or not to do it."

This book gives us a lot to think (or not :D) as much about swordmanship than about spirituality. But this is not an easy read for a beginner. So I give it 4 stars.

[The Scrivener's Quill · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Matoutou B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge focus on keeping the mind healthy and in the present, which makes sense since in a fight you cannot be thinking about anything other then the fight at hand or else you’ll be killed. There are also several lessons on leadership which use a lot of Buddhist and Taoist trains of thought to justify their lessons. In terms of combat, they teach several techniques to win a duel which include counter attacking when your opponent opens their guard, keeping a safe distance, and creating feints to open up the opponents guards. Great book to learn about the mindset and some historical facts and leaders of old Asia.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if your opponent has a hundred postured and you have a hundred stances, the ultimate point is solely in the perception of abilities and intentions.

i must admit I didn't fully understand this book so I will be re reading it in some time, but what my basic english understood was really beautiful so cheers!

[Dina Kaidir · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Asian tradition, martial arts have always been associated with philosophical and religious tradition. My personal interest in this topic/genre cropped up at a time when I embarked on a 400 year old Javanese form of this ancient art. 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.

More potent when practiced in a religious/traditional framework.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two stars is not a criticism of the actual text but of the presentation of the material. The text is constantly interrupted with explanatory sections. This made it difficult to digest what the original text presented and distracted from the lessons it conveyed.

[T.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soul of the Samurai: Modern Translations of Three Classic Works of Zen is a much longer read then it appears. There are roughly 152 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.

On the surface, this book has extreme value for any martial artist/boxer/combat specialist/or professional athlete looking for an edge. 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. I also suspect that this book would be useful to those in the corporate arena as well. Sun Tzu's "Art of War" and Musashi's "Book of Five Rings" are studied by several business titans of today. I believe that this work is deserving of such attention as well.

[Rab Araujo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es un libro pequeño pero con un contenido inmenso para el artista marcial. Y aquí quiero recalcar el "artista marcial" real y no solo el aficionado que practica por deporte, en ese caso encontrarás muchas palabras sin sentido y supercherías al por mayor.

Poder leer más enseñanzas de verdaderos maestros samurái así como su sistema de creencias en su actuar y en su ser es algo maravilloso y de cierta forma revelador.

Mi recomendación es la siguiente: lee este libro 2 veces, una poniendo toda tu atención en el texto principal sin leer nada más para que destiles tu propio entendimiento. Después léelo lentamente con las interpretaciones de Thomas Cleary que en su mayoría son de ayuda pero a momentos están cargadas con temas que pueden salir un poco del concepto en si.

Después, lo guardarás en un lugar muy cercano para poder acceder a ese conocimiento siempre que te haga falta.

Para todos aquellos que no sepan nada de artes marciales, igualmente puede representar un enfoque distinto al tradicional estilo del Zen y de su estudio así como también de su gran aplicación en la vida.

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Purity of essence is to will one thing".---Soren Kierkegaard. I didn't know Kierkegaard was Japanese. He would have been right at home in the world of the 17th century Samurai and the code of Bushido. There is no Samurai without honor, and no honor outside of Zen Buddhism. Zen is purity of mind, and if the warrior not posses this quality he will lose every battle before it is fought. Purity is to take a blade to all that distracts you from being you. Are you tired? You have not attained purity. Are you busy? You have not achieved purity. Only the calm, who have reached what the Japanese call "presence of mind", will master themselves, and then any opponent, no matter what size, strength or reputation. The Samurai is no fanatic. He fights for his lord, family and country. (Though not religion; to fight for Zen is to overthrow Zen.) This is a guide to all those who would rise. A Machiavellian handbook, with Zen for morals.

[Marc Abboud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Used this book as a distraction while I was getting a tattoo, but it turned out to be not bad.

Covers different techniques and beliefs of the Samurai , as well as common traditions in Japanese culture.

Ironically, the tattoo I got was a Japanese-styled dragon, didn’t even realize this until I wrote this review.

[Sergio Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simplemente excepcional, muy completo, una gran recomendacion!

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of gems found in amongst a lot of hard to read and digest text. Not beginner friendly for those interested in Zen/Buddhism etc. For a time long passed.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 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.

[Chimezie Ogbuji · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many books on philosophy of samurai, bushido, etc., but this is my favorite for several reasons. 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 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.

[Fundinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 intermediate reader will not catch.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book. Pretty much a catechism of Zen practice and useful if one practices meditation or a martial art. Zen is a philosophy of experience. This is not a beginner book. And its small size is deceptive. It's a book that needs to be experienced, like any work which is grounded in the sacred. My Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis is a book which can only be read a page or a chapter per day because of its profundity and required introspection. This book is less accessible if you don't practice meditation, martial art, or lack a background in philosophy.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure my mind is not clear enough to truly understand the deeper meaning in this book. To me it was just...too obscure I guess. 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.

[Neel Kuila · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

Very interesting. Maybe I'm just not quite ready for it yet.

[Diogo Jesus · Rating 3 out of 5]

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)

[Austin Hunter Somers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the art of combat and sword fighting. But read closely and you can apply those same principles to your life as well, for life and martial arts are not that different.