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meat
17th May 2004, 12:27
Hi guys, I'm doing an essay on the myth of Zen as a religion of the Samurai and I was wondering if you could help. There is a thread in the koryu message archive about zen and koryu, and the fact that zen is non-existant in it. But how many samurai actually learned from these koryu schools? Was it only the higher ranked or the lower ranked samurai as well?
Also, can anyone recommend a good book for me on this? I know of 5 mountains by M. Collcutt, what about Karl Friday's most recent book? Does it deal with this subject matter? Are there any other books that do?
Thanks

Robert Wolfe
17th May 2004, 15:15
Koryu Bujutsu, available at Koryu.com, contains an excellent essay by David Hall -- “Marishiten: Buddhist Influences on Combative Behavior".

renfield_kuroda
18th May 2004, 01:11
At least one koryu art, Mugairyu Iaiahyodo, IS intimately associated with Zen.
Tsuji Gettan Tsukemochi founded Mugairyu in 1693. He was as well known as a swordsman as he was famous as a zen philosopher.
He studied under Monk Sekitan at Kyukoji in Tokyo, and after reaching enlightenment founded Mugairyu. The name 'mugai' comes from an ancient Chinese zen poem:
ippo jitsu mugai
kenkon toku ittei
suimo hono mitsu
dochaku soku kosei

For more information check out http://mugairyu.com -- there's a bit more detail in English. One warning: there are very few English resources/books about Mugairyu and, in my opinion, all of them are suspect at best.

Regards,

r e n

Joel Simmons
18th May 2004, 01:22
Aloha,

Well, Zen isn't exactly non-existant in Koryu arts. Some koryu arts were more influenced by it than others, however, this all depends on the founding dates of said ryuha. The older they are the less influence from Zen (or none at all).

Try:

"Sources of Japanese Tradition" 2nd Edition, Volume 1. Eds: De Bary, Keene, Tanabe & Varley. Columbia University Press. ISBN#: 0-231-12138-5

Chapters 7, 12, 14, 18 & 19 should be relevant to your paper.

"Japanese Religion: Unity and Diversity" 3rd Edition. Earhart, H. Byron. Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN#: 0-534-01028-8

If you're just setting foot into the world of Japanese religion, this book is a good source for introductory information.

Enjoy.

Joseph Svinth
18th May 2004, 04:19
Check Prof. Bodiford's essay on the role of religion in the Japanese martial arts in volume 2 of "Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia," ed. by Thomas A. Green (ABC-CLIO, 2001). Shoji Yamada's "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" is also useful.

Joshua Lerner
18th May 2004, 07:31
Originally posted by Robert Wolfe
Koryu Bujutsu, available at Koryu.com, contains an excellent essay by David Hall -- “Marishiten: Buddhist Influences on Combative Behavior".

For an even more in-depth treatment of the subject, get a copy of his dissertation, on which that essay was based:

"Marishiten: Buddhism and the Warrior Goddess" by David Avalon Hall, University of California - Berkeley 1990.

You can order it from UMI Dissertation Services. (http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb)

Zero breasts, many pages of esoteric tantric Buddhism-fu, much koryu-fu, some hoplology-fu. Joe Bob says check it out.

meat
20th May 2004, 02:42
Many, many thanks for the help guys.
:smilejapa

Ian McDonald
20th May 2004, 21:42
Hey Meat,

There is an book/article you can find online. Just do a Google search for "The Religion of the Samurai" by Kaiten Nukariya in 1913. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but it is a good enough read.

Ian McDonald
20th May 2004, 21:55
Here is a link to some pretty good stuff on Japanese religious resources. Have fun with your paper.

Katsujinken
20th May 2004, 23:08
I always understood that Marishiten, the Indian name of which is Marici, was actually related to Mikkyo Buddhism. Marici is also seen as a manifestation of Tara and Yeshes Tsogyal in Tantric Buddhist lineages, rather than related to Chan and Zen which stems from the 6th Patriach Daruma.

Anyway as for Zen try some of the translations by William Scott Wilson:

Takuan Soho (1986) The Unfettered Mind. Kodansha

Yagyu Munenori (2003) The Life Giving Sword

Also as a nice primer to these

Nobuko Hirose (1992) Immovable Wisdom: The Art of Zen Strategy. Element. (Its about Takuan)

For something a bit heavier:

Kammer, R (1969) Zen & Confucianism in the Art of Swordsmanship: The Tengu-geijutsu of Chozan Shissai.

Kaiten Nukariya (1973) The Religions of the Samurai. London Luzac 7 Co.

Regards

Chris Norman

Arman
21st May 2004, 03:14
Marishiten is related to mikkyo and its' related kuji. Again, see David Hall's essay for an excellent discussion of Marishiten's role among the warriors and samurai of ancient Japan.

Best regards,
Arman Partamian

Ian McDonald
21st May 2004, 16:19
Sorry, Meat, I forgot the links:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/rosa/ Religion of the Samurai (on-line)

Japanese Religious Resources (http://www.uwec.edu/greider/Chinese.Japan/Resource.Japanese.htm)

SBreheney
21st May 2004, 19:31
I always understood that Marishiten, the Indian name of which is Marici, was actually related to Mikkyo Buddhism. Marici is also seen as a manifestation of Tara and Yeshes Tsogyal in Tantric Buddhist lineages, rather than related to Chan and Zen which stems from the 6th Patriach Daruma.

Sorry for nitpicking, but "Daruma," or Bodhidharma, was not the Sixth Patriarch.:smilejapa

Bodhidharma is regarded as the Twenty-Eight Indian Patriarch, and the First Patriarch of Chinese Zen.

The Sixth Patriarch of Chinese Zen was Hui Neng (Jp. Eno).

A good resource for this is Zen's Chinese Heritage (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0861711637/qid=1085164272/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-3210258-9373401?v=glance&s=books) by Andy Ferguson.