Calm Warfare

D.T. Suzuki is an excellent author - not so much for his technical, literary abilities but for his personal, experiential knowledge of his subject: Zen.

Christopher Reeds performs articulately for the narration, with no complaints here.

This wonderful, concise volume focuses on the marriage of the Zen mind and the Samurai warrior class, discussing the intimate relationship between love and war, conflict and peace, immovable movement. Suzuki weaves into his narrative many wonderful and relevant stories, such as the Samurai who practised the Way of No Sword, as well as poems and letters and myths from Zen masters and Samurai lords.

As an aspiring martial artist, I appreciate the focus upon the paradox of Zen calm in the midst of combat, however, as all of life is a continuous struggle, the entirety of the volume relates ultimately to how we live our lives, no matter what profession we may have - for at bottom, a Zen mind is necessary not only for mastery of any art, but of life and death itself and for realizing our own intrinsic immortality.

Cons? I could only wish the other essays in the series (Zen & the love of Nature, etc) were included in this one volume instead of having been split apart.

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Fed my own meditation practice

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This book gives some insight into Zen Buddhism as practiced by the Samurai and why this religion was adopted by the Japanese warrior class. Whilst covering this, the book gave me new ideas and insights for my own meditation practice which Ive appreciated much. That said, if someone is new to meditation and seeking a "how to" book, this is probably not the one to go for as its not an intro to meditation; but if you already practice, you may appreciate the pointers that come from Suzuki's exploration of the Samurai way of Zen.

What do you think your next listen will be?

The 3 Pillars of Zen

What three words best describe Christopher Reed’s performance?

fine

Could you see Zen and the Samurai being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

A documentary only. The stars - unknown Japanese performers.

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Fantastic, Clear, Informative.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Zen and the Samurai?

When the Samurai shaves his head and pretends to be a monk in order to apprehend the kidnapper.

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Good

Where does Zen and the Samurai rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Good reading of an essay from Suzuki's

What did you like best about this story?

The content.

Which character – as performed by Christopher Reed – was your favorite?

It's nonfiction, there were no fictional characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

1 personne a trouvé cela utile

Fascinating!

This is a fascinating book that really gives insight into the mind of the Samurai. It does a good job of reconciling the violent life of the Samurai with the peace of Zen. For a westerner, this gives a glimpse into the eastern mind. The Mr. Reed does an outstanding job, but the sound quality is slightly lacking.

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Interesting Read

This book explores the parallels between Zen Buddhism and Japanese fencing. It is interesting to show the similarities between the Western concept of learning to fence between the differences between the art and science of European fencing.

Zen and the Samurai

This book is deeply insightful. So often in the translation much is lost. Yet the author takes the time to explain the true meaning of the word, not just the easiest translation.

Listen well there is much to learn.

2 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

a lot of rambling

Pretty boring and the material doesn't go anywhere. It doesn't make a lot of sense and it's hard to follow because the book just floats around from one random topic to another.