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  <title><![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]></title>
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  <original_title>The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master</original_title>
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        <name><![CDATA[Takuan Soho]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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  <average_rating>4.29</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sat Apr 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Apr 09 19:51:38 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 09 20:18:21 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Great book, but difficult reading from a Westerner's perspective.  Have to read parts of it several times before I understand what was being said (at surface level).  This is a book to come back to at a later date when I have more experience.<br/><br/>One has to take into consideration that it was...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52143126">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>61320029</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Glasgow, W2, The United Kingdom]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman]]>
  </title>
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    <![CDATA[In a life-and-death situation of being sword-tip to sword-tip with the enemy, where should the swordsman put his mind? This is the first question posed in the first of three essays written by a Zen master for the guidance of samurai swordsmen. Among the other questions that arise are the difference between the right mind and the confused mind, what makes life precious, the nature of right-mindedness, the Buddhist paradigm of form and consciousness, and what distinguishes the True Mind. So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present as sources of guidance and inspiration for captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern forms.<br/><br/>The history of the sword in Japan goes back to antiquity. Zen and its meditative practices also have a long history, but it was not until the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns, beginning in the early 1600s, that the techniques of swordsmanship fused with the spirit of Zen. And if one man can be said to have been the prime mover in this phenomenon, it was none other than Takuan Soho, confidant and religious instructor to an emperor, to a great sword master, and to the heads of the most important sword schools of the time. <br/><br/>Takuan's meditations on the sword in the essays presented here are classics of Zen thinking.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jun 27 15:36:01 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jul 15 02:37:55 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Being a (lapsed, due to injury) martial artist myself,I've always had a fascination for how the Japanese, in particular, apply many of the philosophies associated with Zen Buddhism to the martial arts - and in particular kenjutsu (swordsmanship). <br/>This book is the classic of the genre, written ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61320029">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61320029]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>39189876</id>
    <user>
    <id>1591120</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Austin, TX]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 03 07:58:23 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 03 07:59:14 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>3</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I consider this to be essential reading.  For everyone.  The concepts can be a bit dense, but it's well worth the effort.  Combined with <em>A Book of Five Rings</em> by Miyamoto Musashi and <em>The Art of War</em> by Sun Tzu, this is part of a set that I frequently give to people.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39189876]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>33151847</id>
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    <id>1538729</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Aaron]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 17 23:42:56 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Dec 12 20:43:47 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A good translation of Takuan Soho's classic text on Buddhism. The book was written to bring understanding of &quot;No Mind&quot; to the samurai warrior. It's rather dense, and assumes familiarity with Zen Buddhism. <br/><br/>Chances are you're interested in this because you a) read about it in a J...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33151847">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33151847]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/33151847]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>64662453</id>
    <user>
    <id>2313870</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Henry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Stanford, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2313870-henry-leung]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313m/863239.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 23 10:59:15 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 23 10:59:20 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A frequent reread. Practical and spiritual advice from the most renowned Zen master of feudal Japan.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64662453]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64662453]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>55519996</id>
    <user>
    <id>1718290</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sighris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Angeles, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1718290-sighris]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">13</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313m/863239.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 09 17:16:01 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 09 17:22:36 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[Good book!  Written by a Buddhist to Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵).]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55519996]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/55519996]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5975467</id>
    <user>
    <id>295745</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Genocide]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Jakarta-Bogor, Indonesia]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/295745-genocide]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a life-and-death situation of being sword-tip to sword-tip with the enemy, where should the swordsman put his mind? This is the first question posed in the first of three essays written by a Zen master for the guidance of samurai swordsmen. Among the other questions that arise are the difference between the right mind and the confused mind, what makes life precious, the nature of right-mindedness, the Buddhist paradigm of form and consciousness, and what distinguishes the True Mind. So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present as sources of guidance and inspiration for captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern forms.<br/><br/>The history of the sword in Japan goes back to antiquity. Zen and its meditative practices also have a long history, but it was not until the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns, beginning in the early 1600s, that the techniques of swordsmanship fused with the spirit of Zen. And if one man can be said to have been the prime mover in this phenomenon, it was none other than Takuan Soho, confidant and religious instructor to an emperor, to a great sword master, and to the heads of the most important sword schools of the time. <br/><br/>Takuan's meditations on the sword in the essays presented here are classics of Zen thinking.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 10 00:18:17 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 09:50:40 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Great book.. So beautiful <br/><br/>   Buat temen2 yang pernah baca &quot;Musashi&quot; karangan Eiji Yoshikawa, pasti bisa tau siapa Takuan Soho. Kalo ada yang belum tau, gw kasih tau deh, he.. Beliau seorang pendeta Zen yang sangat terkenal pada masanya. Beliau seolah &quot;angin&quot; yang beba...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5975467">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5975467]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5975467]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5098550</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Nash]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Thailand]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Martial artists and those interested in mind training.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 25 10:04:44 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 25 10:05:17 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a translation of a 400 year-old book by a very cultured Zen monk, Takuan Soho, who was the contemporary with the likes of Miyamoto Musashi and another great swordman Yagyu Munenori who was then the sword teacher of the 3rd Tokugawa Shogun. If you have been to a mindfulness meditation retreat...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5098550">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5098550]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5098550]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>12818656</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Rahmat]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Citayam City, Indonesia]]></location>
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  <isbn>4770029470</isbn>
  <isbn13>9784770029478</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">4</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172513961m/182405.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a life-and-death situation of being sword-tip to sword-tip with the enemy, where should the swordsman put his mind? This is the first question posed in the first of three essays written by a Zen master for the guidance of samurai swordsmen. Among the other questions that arise are the difference between the right mind and the confused mind, what makes life precious, the nature of right-mindedness, the Buddhist paradigm of form and consciousness, and what distinguishes the True Mind. So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present as sources of guidance and inspiration for captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern forms.<br/><br/>The history of the sword in Japan goes back to antiquity. Zen and its meditative practices also have a long history, but it was not until the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns, beginning in the early 1600s, that the techniques of swordsmanship fused with the spirit of Zen. And if one man can be said to have been the prime mover in this phenomenon, it was none other than Takuan Soho, confidant and religious instructor to an emperor, to a great sword master, and to the heads of the most important sword schools of the time. <br/><br/>Takuan's meditations on the sword in the essays presented here are classics of Zen thinking.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 12 19:27:55 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 18 00:34:42 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 12 19:27:55 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Buku ini berisi refleksi pemikiran yg hrs dimiliki bagi semua pebeladiri, khususnya ahli pedang. Untuk memiliki pemikiran yg tidak terbelenggu memang tdk semudah yg dibayangkan, hrs diiringi oleh latihan &amp; pemahaman yg sgt mendalam. Tp saat membaca buku ini kita akan mendapat perspektif lain dlm men...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12818656">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12818656]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12818656]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1556164</id>
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    <id>107518</id>
    <name><![CDATA[C.]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brookline, MA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu May 31 07:12:58 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 20:25:19 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Very interesting parallels/contrast between the two individuals in this piece - it was enlightening because it precipitated in my mind the tensions between a warrior's heart and monk's heart..given that I am drawn to more contemplative life and also have the heart of a loyal Kokondo-ka, I could rela...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1556164">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1556164]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1556164]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>3216700</id>
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    <id>15048</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Finbar]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Middletown, NY]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
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  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
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  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[budoka]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 18 08:38:06 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 01:01:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I've been wanting to read this book for a while and I am glad I did. This selection of essays makes the tie between Zen meditation and the practice of the martial arts. It is a beautiful exploration of the spiritual side of budo and a must-read for anyone who practices its principles.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3216700]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3216700]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>27353039</id>
    <user>
    <id>1332329</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Graham]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Victoria, BC, Canada]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1332329-graham]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313m/863239.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jul 15 15:16:49 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 15 15:16:49 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A bit spiritual: I couldn't get into this book. I preferred the philosophy of Hagakure and the practicality of the Book of 5 Rings. This is pretty spiritual and worth deeper analysis, but not by me.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27353039]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27353039]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>11029278</id>
    <user>
    <id>712663</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Reuben]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman]]>
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  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In a life-and-death situation of being sword-tip to sword-tip with the enemy, where should the swordsman put his mind? This is the first question posed in the first of three essays written by a Zen master for the guidance of samurai swordsmen. Among the other questions that arise are the difference between the right mind and the confused mind, what makes life precious, the nature of right-mindedness, the Buddhist paradigm of form and consciousness, and what distinguishes the True Mind. So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present as sources of guidance and inspiration for captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern forms.<br/><br/>The history of the sword in Japan goes back to antiquity. Zen and its meditative practices also have a long history, but it was not until the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns, beginning in the early 1600s, that the techniques of swordsmanship fused with the spirit of Zen. And if one man can be said to have been the prime mover in this phenomenon, it was none other than Takuan Soho, confidant and religious instructor to an emperor, to a great sword master, and to the heads of the most important sword schools of the time. <br/><br/>Takuan's meditations on the sword in the essays presented here are classics of Zen thinking.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 26 09:30:18 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 26 09:31:49 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Great analogies in this one as to how the mind can operate.  If you are not familiar with Eastern styles of writing, it may come across a little weird, but it is definitely a good read.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11029278]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11029278]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>37514960</id>
    <user>
    <id>1708883</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Dan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Newark, DE]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1708883-dan]]></link>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313m/863239.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 12 08:27:50 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Nov 12 08:36:17 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A treatise written by Zen Buddhist Soho, which applies Zen to the martial arts.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37514960]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37514960]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>35432626</id>
    <user>
    <id>1625675</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Travis]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1625675-travis]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">13</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313m/863239.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178998313s/863239.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/863239.The_Unfettered_Mind_Writings_of_the_Zen_Master_to_the_Sword_Master</link>
  <average_rating>4.23</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>125</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1986</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 15 20:58:19 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 15 21:00:05 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The most influential book I've read on how to approach stress and boredom.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35432626]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35432626]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>14025401</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Monk]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Leicester, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/853353-monk-fish]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[some useful insights than can be applied to living]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14025401]]></url>
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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  <read_at>Wed Mar 18 23:56:22 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[worth reading several times!]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master]]>
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    <![CDATA[So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present and be read for guidance and inspiration by the captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern form.]]>
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    <![CDATA[The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman]]>
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    <![CDATA[In a life-and-death situation of being sword-tip to sword-tip with the enemy, where should the swordsman put his mind? This is the first question posed in the first of three essays written by a Zen master for the guidance of samurai swordsmen. Among the other questions that arise are the difference between the right mind and the confused mind, what makes life precious, the nature of right-mindedness, the Buddhist paradigm of form and consciousness, and what distinguishes the True Mind. So succinct are the author's insights that these writings have outlasted the dissolution of the samurai class to come down to the present as sources of guidance and inspiration for captains of business and industry, as well as those devoted to the practice of the martial arts in their modern forms.<br/><br/>The history of the sword in Japan goes back to antiquity. Zen and its meditative practices also have a long history, but it was not until the rule of the Tokugawa shoguns, beginning in the early 1600s, that the techniques of swordsmanship fused with the spirit of Zen. And if one man can be said to have been the prime mover in this phenomenon, it was none other than Takuan Soho, confidant and religious instructor to an emperor, to a great sword master, and to the heads of the most important sword schools of the time. <br/><br/>Takuan's meditations on the sword in the essays presented here are classics of Zen thinking.]]>
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