{"product_id":"the-unfettered-mind-writings-from-a-zen-master-to-a-master-swordsman-9781590309865","title":"The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe classic samurai-era text that fused Japanese swordsmanship with Zen philosophy--written by the incomparable Zen master Takuan Soho\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Written by the seventeenth-century Zen master Takuan Soho (1573-1645), \u003ci\u003eThe Unfettered Mind\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003ci\u003eThe Unfettered Mind\u003c\/i\u003e was a major influence on the classic manifestos on swordsmanship that came after it, including Miyamoto Musashi's \u003ci\u003eBook of Five Rings\u003c\/i\u003e and Yagyu Munenori's \u003ci\u003eLife-Giving Sword\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWilliam Scott Wilson is the foremost translator into English of traditional Japanese texts on samurai culture. He received BA degrees from Dartmouth College and the Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, and an MA in Japanese literary studies from the University of Washington. His best-selling books include \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Five Rings\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Unfettered Mind\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Lone Samurai\u003c\/i\u003e, a biography of Miyamoto Musashi.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Shambhala","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50527906201874,"sku":"9781590309865","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9e936a2e-17ac-4c65-828e-759b65031417.jpg?v=1731317018","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-unfettered-mind-writings-from-a-zen-master-to-a-master-swordsman-9781590309865","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}