Unfettered Mind

<b>The classic samurai-era text that fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen philosophy--written by the incomparable Zen master Takuan Soho</b> <p/> Written by the seventeenth-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573-1645) <i>The Unfettered Mind</i> is a book of advice on swordsmanship and the cultivation of right mind and intention. It was written as a guide for the samurai Yagyu Munenori who was a great swordsman and rival to the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. <p/> Takuan was a giant in the history of Zen; he was also a gardener calligrapher poet author adviser to samurai and shoguns and a pivotal figure in Zen painting. He was known for his brilliance and acerbic wit. In these succinct and pointed essays Takuan is concerned primarily with understanding and refining the mind--both generally and when faced with conflict. <i>The Unfettered Mind</i> was a major influence on the classic manifestos on swordsmanship that came after it including Miyamoto Musashi's <i>Book of Five Rings</i> and Yagyu Munenori's <i>Life-Giving Sword</i>.