The Unfettered Mind
at Amazon.com
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| The Cover of The Unfettered Mind |
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| The Unfettered Mind at Amazon.com |
Elsewhere on this site you might get the impression that I "poo-poo" the whole notion of Zen. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that I really respect people who practice Zen, I mean I really respect real and authentic Zen practitioners. The problem with Zen, much like the same problem that we have with let's say, acting, is that just about anyone can "do it", or at least pretend to do it. Zen is tough. Zen is hard. Zen is not for the weak of heart, the wussy, the pansy, the whack-job you might have seen through the window of the "All Natural Hemp Products Emporium". That guy couldn't live a day in the way that real Zen acolytes live.
Taran Soho (1573-1645) was a real Zen guy, as far as we can tell from his history, but more importantly, what we can get from his writing. I don't know much about Zen but I definitely like the cut of Takuan's jib. The man has style, the man has wit and grace, the man says some very important things that we all can take a page or two to think on, and learn from. From what we know of the man's history, he was a member of the Rinzai sect of Zen and at the age of 35 was appointed as an abbot of the Daitokuji, a Zen temple in Kyoto. He was later banished by the Tokugawa Shogun but after three years, following the death of the shogun, he was brought back to the capital. He was the Zen teacher of Munenori, the official sword teacher of the shoguns. Munenori had the job that Miyamoto Musashi desired, and the two were well known as rivals.
This neat little book is divided into three chapters: The Mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom, The Clear Sound of Jewels, and Annals of the Sword Taia. It is not a long read, but most certainly an engrossing one. The advice and thoughts that are knitted so tightly through this text are everything that I did not expect it to be. The perspectives are clear, practical, and based on physical observations, rather than esoteric imaginings, daydreams, or conjecture. There are no koans (Zen riddles) to wrangle with, no "one-hand clapping" or "trees falling in an empty forest" metaphors. Just plain talk. Beautiful. Articulate. Startling.
I particularly like the intricacies that are woven throughout this text with literary nuances, references, and themes. These things appeal to my love of literature and verse. And I have fallen in love with the final chapter of this book, Annals of the Sword Taia. This part of the book explores the Chinese elements of the Taiaki.
These lines are particularly haunting:
Well then, the accomplished man uses the sword but does not kill others. He uses the sword and gives others life. When it is necessary to kill, he kills. When it is necessary to give life, he gives life. When killing, he kills in complete concentration; when giving life, he gives life in complete concentration. Without looking at right and wrong, he is able to see right and wrong; without attempting to discriminate, he is able to discriminate well. Treading on water is just like treading on land, and treading on land is just like treading on water. If he is able to gain this freedom, he will not be perplexed by anyone on earth. In all things, he will be beyond companions.
Beautifully written, articulate reflections on the preparation of the human mind in finding identity, purpose, and focus, this book is one of the more solid pieces of geography that you may stumble upon in the Floating World.
Expand your mind. Read this.
Mark Groenewold
February, 2004
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