caspian38 Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 "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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 (edited) "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 Edited May 10, 2014 by caspian38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 (edited) "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. Edited May 10, 2014 by caspian38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt in TN Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 Excellent book. Thank you for posting. I may have to re-read it for the tenth time now. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 The Book of Family Traditions On the Art of War , Yagyu Munenori I cant find it on amazon. Is it in the rare / collectable category? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 (edited) The Book of Family Traditions On the Art of War , Yagyu Munenori 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. Edited May 13, 2014 by caspian38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I'm wondering if this my be as good, or the same as the The Book of Family Traditions: http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Living-Sword-Teachings/dp/0595279988/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1400021096&sr=8-2&keywords=Yagyu+Munenori Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 (edited) 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"? Edited May 14, 2014 by caspian38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Thanks for all the details! The Book of Five Rings I have was translated by Victor Harris. I'm a huge Thomas Cleary fan, I have a boatload of his translations, and prefer them to most all other translators. I'll try to get Cleary's version of the Book of Five Rings, with hopefully The Book of Family Traditions in the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Found it with the ISBN (you provided): http://www.amazon.com/Book-Five-Rings-Miyamoto-Musashi/dp/1604593709/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1400104544 Thanks again. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caspian38 Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) 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 Edited May 15, 2014 by caspian38 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 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 Perfect - that is the one I ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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