A superb analysis by King (Religion/Vanderbilt University), a
renowned scholar of Far Eastern religions, of the curious marriage
between Zen Buddhism and samurai fighting. The contradiction is
glaring: Zen emphasizes tranquility and meditation, whereas the
samurai code deals with bloodshed. How then did Zen become the
religion of the Japanese warrior? King locates the roots of Zen in
Taoism, whose influence led to a form of Buddhism that emphasized
practicality, surprise, and irreverence. By the 13th century, Zen
had been adopted by the Japanese ruling elite, and most Zen
monasteries boasted their own large standing armies (this despite
the Buddha's injunction against killing). Meanwhile, the samurai
class rose to power under the aegis of the shogun, valuing absolute
obedience, spartan self-control, and precision in killing - a
perfect match for Zen's own emphasis on exactness and "visceral
awareness." King expands at fascinating length on Zen/samurai
swordsmanship, including the startling variety of sword strokes;
details of how Japanese blacksmiths produce the incomparable
samurai sword (the best in the world); and a cut-by-cut account of
sepukku, or ritual suicide. As he points out, the Zen/samurai
spirit still flourishes in Japan, finding recent manifestation both
in the kamikaze attacks of WW II and in the authoritarianism of
large corporations. In a controversial but persuasive argument,
King suggests that D.T. Suzuki, the most famous interpreter of Zen
to the West, sanitized the Zen/samurai connection and that Zen,
because it rejects the scriptural and literary traditions of more
mainstream Buddhism, lacks "intrinsic ethical quality" and thus can
be adapted to fit any orientation - whether for peace or war.
Daring and stylish - a true Zen/samurai stroke of religious
scholarship. (Kirkus Reviews)
This book examines the heart of the samurai ethos known as the `cult of the sword' and its relationship to Zen Buddhism. Surveying the origins of the warrior class, the ancient traditions of swords and swordmaking, Zen meditation techniques, and aspects of the Japanese martial arts, King reveals how this surprising alliance came about, and its implications for Japanese society.
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