The Book of Five Rings

by MUSASHI, MIYAMOTOCLEARY, THOMAS

• ISBN13: 9781590302484
• ISBN10: 1590302486
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2005-01-11
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

"The Book of Five Rings" is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction. "The Book of Five Rings" was composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi. Thomas Cleary's translation is immediately accessible, with an introduction that presents the spiritual background of the warrior tradition. Along with Musashi's text, Cleary translates here another important Japanese classic on leadership and strategy, "The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War" by Yagyu Munenori, which highlights the ethical and spiritual insights of Taoism and Zen as they apply to the way of the warrior.

Author Biography

Miyamoto Musashi, who lived in Japan in the 1600s, was an undefeated dueler, a masterless samurai, and an independent teacher. He spent the last decades of his life refining and teaching his military science.

Table of Contents

Translator's Preface	p. xi
Translator's Introduction	p. xiii
The Book of Five Rings
Preface	p. 3
The Earth Scroll	p. 5
On the Science of Martial Arts	p. 6
Likening the Science of Martial Arts to Carpentry	p. 9
The Science of Martial Arts	p. 10
On the Composition of This Book in Five Scrolls	p. 11
On Naming This Individual School "Two Swords"	p. 15
On Knowing the Principles of the Words Martial Arts	p. 17
On Knowing the Advantages of Weapons in Martial Arts	p. 19
On Rhythm in Martial Arts	p. 21
The Water Scroll	p. 24
State of Mind in Martial Arts	p. 25
Physical Rearing in Martial Arts	p. 26
Focus of the Eyes in Martial Arts	p. 27
Gripping the Long Sword	p. 28
On Footwork	p. 28
Five Kinds of Guard	p. 29
The Way of the Long Sword	p. 30
Procedures of Five Formal Techniques	p. 31
On the Teaching of Having a Position without a Position	p. 34
Striking Down an Opponent in a Single Beat	p. 35
The Rhythm of the Second Spring	p. 35
Striking without Thought and without Form	p. 36
The Flowing Water Stroke	p. 36
The Chance Hit	p. 37
The Spark Hit	p. 37
The Crimson Foliage Hit	p. 37
The Body Instead of the Sword	p. 38
Striking and Hitting	p. 38
The Body of the Short-Armed Monkey	p. 39
The Sticky Body	p. 39
Comparing Height	p. 40
Gluing	p. 40
The Body Blow	p. 41
Three Parries	p. 41
Stabbing the Face	p. 42
Stabbing the Heart	p. 42
The Cry	p. 43
The Slapping Parry	p. 43
A Stand against Many Opponents	p. 44
Advantage in Dueling	p. 45
The Single Stroke	p. 45
The State of Direct Penetration	p. 46
Epilogue	p. 46
The Fire Scroll	p. 48
The Physical Situation	p. 49
Three Preemptions	p. 51
Holding Down the Pillow	p. 53
Crossing a Ford	p. 54
Knowing the State of Affairs	p. 56
Stomping a Sword	p. 56
Knowing Disintegration	p. 58
Becoming the Opponent	p. 58
Letting Go Four Hands	p. 59
Moving Shadows	p. 60
Arresting Shadows	p. 60
Infection	p. 61
Upset	p. 62
Threat	p. 62
Sticking Tight	p. 63
Coming up against Corners	p. 64
Flustering	p. 64
Three Shouts	p. 65
Mixing	p. 66
Crushing	p. 67
Mountain and Sea Changing	p. 68
Knocking the Heart Out	p. 68
Becoming New	p. 69
Small and Large	p. 69
A Commander Knowing Soldiers	p. 70
Letting Go of the Hilt	p. 70
Being Like a Rock Wall	p. 71
Epilogue	p. 71
The Wind Scroll	p. 73
On Wielding Extra-long Swords in Other Schools	p. 74
Powerful Sword Blows in Other Schools	p. 76
The Use of Schorter Long Swords in Other Schools	p. 77
Numerous Sword Strokes in Other Schools	p. 78
Positions of the Sword in Other Schools	p. 80
The Focus of the Eyes in Other Schools	p. 81
Footwork in Other Schools	p. 83
The Use of Speed in Other Schools	p. 84
The Esoteric and Exoteric in Other Schools	p. 86
Epilogue	p. 87
The Scroll of Emptiness	p. 89
Notes	p. 91
The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War
The Killing Sword	p. 95
Preface	p. 95
The Great Learning	p. 100
Mood and Will	p. 102
Appearance and Intention	p. 103
Beating the Grass to Scare the Snakes	p. 104
The Vanguard of the Moment	p. 105
Aggressive and Passive Modes	p. 105
Logical Principles of Aggressive and Passive Attitudes of Body and Sword	p. 106
Mental and Physical Aggressive and Passive Modes	p. 106
Things to Learn When You Face an Aggressive Opponent	p. 107
Things Learned for Facing Off in a Contest of Adversaries	p. 108
The Mental Postures of Three Ways of Feinting	p. 109
Addressing and Adapting to Changes of Mind	p. 109
Double Looks	p. 109
Hit and Be Hit At: The Sense of Winning by Letting Yourself Be Hit At	p. 110
Three Rhythms	p. 111
A Small Rhythm to a Large Rhythm, a Large Rhythm to a Small Rhythm	p. 112
Noting the Tempo	p. 113
Techniques	p. 113
Techniques II	p. 115
Hearing the Sound of Wind and Water	p. 115
Sickness	p. 117
The Sense of Elementary and Advanced Levels of Removal of Sickness	p. 118
The Normal Mind	p. 120
Like a Wooden Man Facing Flowers and Birds	p. 122
The Free Mind	p. 123
The Life-Giving Sword	p. 127
Perceiving Abilities and Intentions	p. 127
The Rhythm of Existence and Nonexistence	p. 127
The Moon in the Water	p. 130
The Quiescent Sword	p. 130
Explanation of the Characters Used for "Quiescent"	p. 131
Stride	p. 132
The First Principle	p. 133
The One-Foot Margin on Both Sides	p. 134
"This Is the Ultimate"/The First Sword	p. 134
Analysis of the Moon in the Water; the Quiescent Sword; Sickness; Body, Hands, and Feet	p. 136
Moves	p. 136
The Margin of Safety	p. 137
Maneuvering	p. 137
Seeing the Quiescent Sword: Distinction of Three Levels	p. 137
"The Mind Is Like the Moon in Water, the Body Is Like an Image in a Mirror."	p. 138
Hasty Attack	p. 140
Bringing Back the Mind	p. 140
The Sense of Total Removal, the Sense of the Void, the Sense of Presenting the Mind	p. 142
True and False Mind	p. 146
No Sword	p. 150
Great Potential and Great Function	p. 152
Mind and Objects	p. 156
Martial Arts and Buddhism	p. 158
Yes and No	p. 159
Truth and Untruth	p. 160
Notes	p. 163
Bibliography	p. 167
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