caspian38

Hope you enjoy it... As much as I'm enjoying the Bodhidharma ( Red Pines translation ) that you suggested. If that was the link you used .... It looks like it didn't have The Book of Family Traditions. Althought amazon is substituting the inside view of the 1997 with the 2008 printing. Amazon is treating it like its the same book, not cool when your looking for a specific book. Guess I was luckier than I thought to stumble across Munenori. Thanks for the tip on Thomas Cleary ill check out his other translations/works. This is the book I have (1997 printing). Sorry for not posting a link earlier. http://www.amazon.com/Book-Five-Rings-Miyamoto-Musashi/dp/0760704449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400133325&sr=8-1&keywords=0760704449

My wife woke me up at 4am this morning saying I should thank you (Agney5) for her ,she enjoyed reading your post and insight. As did I. ...lots of good posts so far in the thread. She hasn't shared her thoughts with me on the thread..If I have learned anything from being married it is the more I push ,the more resistant she becomes. I'm letting her mull.

"Even when you are going in and out a door ,do not neglect attention to the going out and going in,always keeping aware." Munenori Even when I think I'm being aware ,I'm not that aware. I won't be snatching the pebble from anyone's hand anytime soon.

Looks like its the same book ... Although the translations differ greatly ! This is most of the first page from my copy! so you can compare the translations on amazon. Thomas Cleary translated my copy if that means anything(I have never read any of his other translations). The Killing Sword There is an old saying, " weapons are instruments of I'll omen, despised by the Way of Heaven. To use them only when unavoidable is the Way of Heaven". The reason weapons are instruments of I'll omen is that the Way of Heaven is the Way that gives life to beings , so something used for killing is truly an instrument of I'll omen . Thus the saying has it that what contradicts the way of heaven is despised. Nevertheless, it also says that to use arms when unavoidable is also the Way of Heaven. What does this mean? Although flowers blossom and greenery increases in the spring breez , when the autum frost comes ,leaves always drop and trees wither. This is the judgment of nature. This is becuse ther is logic in striking down something when it is completed. People may take advantage of events to do evil,but when that evil is complete,it is attacked. That is why it is said that using weapons is also the way of heaven. It may happen that myriad people suffer becuse of the evil of man. In such a case ,myriad people are saved by killing one man. Would this not be a true example of "the sword that kills is the sword that gives life"?

I cant find it on amazon. Is it in the rare / collectable category? The current copy I have is paired With the book of five rings , ISBN 0-7607-0444-9 It's not the best translation of The Book of Five Rings. I was just replacing the Book of Five Rings and had no idea The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War was in the back ! Amazon has it for about $4.00 used right now.

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (Tun-Huang manuscripts) "Although enlightenment [bodhi] is originally pure, Creating the mind that seeks it is then delusion." (sec. 36 ) The Master Hui-neng http://www.fodian.net/world/Platform_Sutra_Yampolsky.pdf It doesn't have to be "The Book " just a good book ,sutra...ect. I see all these great quotes on the forum ,and I have never read most of them. This thread was an attempt at finding some guidance. When I said one book , one quote ... You either know you can post as many books as are appropriate ( I was thinking one per post would be easy to read) ,or you don't ,and you have one book to suggest. The whole "The same man can't read/ suggest the same book twice" applies... Pardon my paraphrasing. Thanks benos! Found it for free just added (.pdf). Adding the translator is a good point ! The Zen Teaching of Bhodidharma, translarted by Red Pine http://selfdefinition.org/zen/Zen%20Teaching%20of%20Bodhidharma%20-%20trans.%20Red%20Pine%20-%20Clearscan.pdf

It's all good ,until its not. I rush , go faster , try , care ,you name it. You can feel the edge ,and sometimes you just think you can. I have had moments where I was are flying through a stage and for some reason ( I do it after I drop a shot or I relize I'm just too slow) my mind says rush and all of a sudden I'm in warp drive. I still see everything I still call my shots ,but it's perfect( relatively speaking) Its controlled chaos. Other times it's just chaos. It resembles luck but you feel, see and know the difference. How you find it doesn't matter. If you can control it ,control it. I have to let it happen ,as soon as try to control it it slips through my grasp ( or explodes in my hand ). I have no doubt great shooters can control it at will. This is a great thread it's like listening to Leonardo and Michelangelo discuss art ( not the TMT ). I almost feel like I should just keep my mouth shut and listen. BE and TGO podcast ? If it's already happened some one send me a link please!

The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War, Munenori, Yagyu (1600s) "The heart of those on the Way is like a mirror ,empty and clear,being mindless and yet not failing to accomplish anything."

One book... One quote. What book changed your way of thinking! If you where trapped on a ..... Which book would you take if you had only one choice. ( no porn or survival books ) What should the rest of us read that we might have missed! Here is the catch, you get one pick and a reasonably (small) quote. The idea is to share what book the rest of us need to read, but not make it overwhelming down the road. Starting with the title might help. If it's hard to find ,and you know where to find it ,point us in the direction. This is not about quantity it's about quality!

It's one of those books you might have never read just becuse of the weird title. Has anyone started a what books to read thread? I'm always seeing awesome quotes and ideas on the forum that I have never seen or read. After getting on the Maku Mozo mailer I can see I have missed a lot of great reading along the way.

"It is essential to practice an attitude of not dwelling on anything , be it the actions of an opponent , your own skills , or slashing and stabbing. " "No matter what kind of secret transmission you obtain and what move you employ, if your mind lingers on that move , you will have lost in martial arts." "If you have attained the mastery of swordlessness, you will never be without a sword. The opponent's sword is your sword. " The Book of Family Traditions That last one might not be relevant ,but I like the thought process.

"To embody the free-minded mind means that as long as you use the mind that release the mind to rope the mind and keep dragging it back, you are not free and independent. The mind that does not stop and linger anywhere even when it is set free is called the free-minded mind." "A well- governed mind does not use expedients to pacify it " The Book of Family Traditions

"Suppose you are shooting with a bow and you think you are shooting while you are shooting ;then the aim of your bow will be inconsistent and unsteady." The Book of Family Traditions I read it again for the first time.

Just a page I thought worth reading. Sorry for any mistakes I was to lazy to go to my computer and spent more energy typing it on my iPad. The Great Learning In all things, uncertainty exist becuse of not knowing. Things stick in your mind becuse of being in doubt. When the principle is clarified , nothing sticks in your mind . This is called consummating knowledge and perfecting things. Since there is no longer anything sticking in your mind all your tasks become easy to do. For this reason ,the practice of all the arts is for the purpouse of clearing away what is on your mind. In the beginning, you do not know anything ,so paradoxically you do not have any questions on your mind. Then when you get into studies ,ther is something in your mood. And you are obstructed by that. This makes everything dificult to do. When what you have studied leaves your mind entirely , and practice also disappears ,then ,when your preform whatever art you are engaged in ,you accomplish the techniques easily without being inhibited by concern over what you have learned and yet without deviating from what you have learned. This is spontaneously conforming to learning without being consciously aware of doing so. The science of the art of war can be understood through this. To learn all the sword strokes ,the physical postures ,and the focus of the eyes ,to thoroughly learn all there is to learn and practice it ,is the spirit of consummating knowledge. Then,when you have succeeded in learning ,when everything you have learned disappears from your conscious mind and you become innocent,this is the spirit of perfecting things. When you have built up achievement in cultivation of learning and practice ,even as your hands ,feet and body act ,this does not hang on your mind. You are detached from learning yet do not deviate from your from your learning. Whatever you do ,your action is free. At this time, you do not even know where your own mind is; neither the celestial devil nor outsiders can spy into your heart . The learning is for the purpouse of reaching this state. Once you have learned this successfully , learning disappears. This is the ultimate sense and the progressive transcendentalism of all the Zen arts. Forgetting learning ,relinquish mind, harmonizing without any self -conscious knowledge thereof, is the ultimate consummation of the Way. This stage is a matter of entering from learning into no learning. The Book of Family Traditions On the Art of War , Yagyu Munenori