Book Discussion/List

[Hudson]

I think it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to book discussion and philosophy discussion. That way you can keep the other threads clear of thought tangents.

 

Now, recently I've been compiling a collection of must-reads for all Martial-Artists. So no books like "Deadly Ninja Mind Control" or specifics like that, but books that relate to everything. I believe my favorite book is NOT the Book of Five Rings, or the Art of War, but rather the Hagakure. I think that the way it deals with a code of morality and honor in many of its pages is something missing from today.

 

So, now to change directions again and make this post even more poorly written, a question to anyone who has read the Hagakure: What did you think of the book? Anything you'd like to point out? Any stories that relate to it? Any thoughts that come to you on living a certain way? Any thoughts on anything at all?

[karatekid1975]

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but we have a thread for books on/about MA's:

 

http://www.karateforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=8082&sid=7caa15530bd00a95e2ec3718db472ea5

 

Hope this helps

[Hudson]

I was looking for more of discussion then I was a list. Strange how many people critcize the Hagakure for its "focus on death". I think that the readers were focused on death, not the book itself. Certain passages from the book certainly deal with death, and there is an overlying theme but it's nothing macabre, rather accepting. And the anecdotes are more then intriguing.

 

Qoute: "When the priest Daiyu from Sanshu was making a sick call at a certain place, he was told, "The man has just now

 

died." Daiyu said, "Such a thing shouldn't have happened at this time. Didn't this occur from insufficient treatment?

 

What a shame!''

 

Now the doctor happened to be there at that time and heard what was said from the other side of the shoji. He got

 

extraordinarily angry and came out and said, "I heard Your Reverence say that the man died from insufficient

 

treatment. Since I am a rather bungling doctor, this is probably true. I have heard that a priest embodies the power of

 

the Buddhist Law. Let me see you bring this dead man back to life, for without such evidence Buddhism is

 

worthless."

 

Daiyu was put out by this, but he felt that it would be un- pardonable for a priest to put a blemish on Buddhism, so he

 

said, "I will indeed show you how to bring his life back by prayer. Fleas' wait a moment. I must go prepare myself,"

 

and returned to the temple. Soon he came back and sat in meditation next to the corpse. Pretty soon the dead man

 

began to breathe and then completely revived. It is said that he lived on for another half a year. As this was something

 

told directly to the priest Tannen, there is nothing mistaken about it.

 

When telling of the way he prayed, Daiyu said, "This is something not practiced in our sect, so I didn't know of any

 

way of prayer. I simply set my heart for the sake of the Buddhist Law, returned to the temple, sharpened a short sword

 

that had been given as an offering to the temple, and put it in my robe. Then I faced the dead man and prayed, 'If the

 

strength of the Buddhist Law exists, come back to life immediately. ' Since I was thus committed , if he hadn't come

 

back to life, I was resolved to the point of cutting open my stomach and dying embracing the corpse." "

 

Now, yes, there is plenty of death in that one anecdote, and it cannot be taken literally. I think that it is an example to live by. Dont MA's always say that they must train a bag like they're in a fight to the death?