The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman: Amazon.ca: Takuan Soho: Books

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Review

"All of the essays aim at helping the individual know himself and in helping him to embrace the art of life." -The Japan Times

"Takuan's writing is light on sword-handling and heavy on the spiritual side." -Asahi Evening News

Product Description

Unfettered Mind is a Kodansha International publication.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The term ignorance means the absence of enlightenment. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Insights into the Employer/Employee contract, May 19 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman (Paperback)

While this is a book of sayings by Takuan Soho, it illuminates the unspoken lifetime contract between employer (master) and employee (student). Volumes have been written about lifetime employment in Japan, but I find this small book captures the spirit of that contract which goes well beyond what I know of in the U.S. Unfortunately, this contract has slowly been perverted to gradually eliminate the obligations of the employer and today we see the virtual abandonment of this idea as Japanese companies eliminate their obligations and join the West in its brand of capitalism. Reading this book will give great insights into the modern ideas of "growing a business" and "sustainability". A must read for FastCompany magazine readers. - Donald Nordeng

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for any martial artist or business person, May 28 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman (Paperback)

This is not an entertaining book. This is not a story and
is not engaging. What it is is illuminating! This very
short (and frequently hard to find) collection of three letters/essays
from Takuan Soho to masters of the sword arts contains some
incredible gems. It is the kind of book that should be read
a page or even just a paragraph at a time followed by a period
of thought. The ideas of the interval between striking flint
and steel to the production of the spark, or the visual and
mental image of the glint of light on the blade of a sword
become captivating and even revelatory.

If you are a martial
artist, you MUST read this book. If you are in business,
this is as essential as Musashi's Book of Five Rings.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book!, Feb 23 2002

By

William Rushlow (Ann Arbor MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman (Paperback)

I've been reading The Unfettered Mind for the past week and I'm amazed by the depth of Takuan's writing. I thoroughly enjoy the anecdotes and the references to Kendo masters such as the Yagyu clan for advice on matters of lord and retainer. Takuan Soho must be placed in the pantheon of other highly influential writers such as Sun Tzu, Confucius, Musashi and others.
Takuan is at or near the top of my must read list.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Neither zen nor sword
I got interested in the book because of its references to swordsmanship and Buddhism, two seemingly incompatible subjects. Read more

Published on May 11 2003 by S. Park

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book
I just started The Unfettered Mind today. I'm amazed that Takuan Soho had that much influence. Great Book. Read more

Published on Feb 15 2002 by William Rushlow