Through the ages, the samurai havebeen associated with honor, fearlessness, calm, decisive action, strategicthinking, and martial prowess. Their ethos is known as bushido, the Way of the Warrior-Knight.
Here,premier translator Thomas Cleary presents a rich collection of writings onbushido by warriors, scholars, political advisors, and educators from thefifteenth century through the nineteenth century that provide a comprehensive,historically rich view of samurai life and philosophy. Training the Samurai Mind gives an insider’s view of the samuraiworld: the moral and psychological development of the warrior, the ethicalstandards they were meant to uphold, their training in both martial arts andstrategy, and the enormous role that the traditions of Shintoism, Buddhism,Confucianism, and Taoism had in influencing samurai ideals.
Thewritings deal with a broad range of subjects—from military strategy and politicalscience, to personal discipline and character development. Cleary introduceseach piece, putting it into historical context, and presents biographicalinformation about the authors. This isan essential read for anyone interested in military history and samuraihistory, and for martial artists who want to understand strategy.