Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Yamamoto TsunetomoTranslator: William Scott Wilson
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1992-03-15
ISBN: 4770011067
Number of pages: 180
Publisher: Kodansha USA
Book Reviews of Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
Book Review: Musings of a samurai
Summary: 5 Stars
The "hidden leaves" of Yamamoto Tsunetomo were collected, between 1710 and 1716, by a young samurai. Tsunetomo had been a samurai himself, when his original master died. Prevented by imperial command fromfollowing his lord into death, and unable to accept the new lord, Tsunetomo withdrew into monkhood. This collection summarizes the wisdom gained in his career.
This book collects passages, a few lines to a page long, on a wandering range of topics. Some reflect on historical events, others on proper behavior, yet others on Zen and bushido. The range of topics appeals to me, making it easy to open the book at random and read until something touches on my current thoughts.
One recurring theme is acceptance of human failure, with examples on pp 28, 42, and 113. By analogy, a wooden beam may be a little out of true or hold little knots and weeps, but still be strong and sound - perfect boards are rare, and very rarely needed. He also acknowledges (p.52) that "great genius matures late," that one can not reach the highest achievements without twenty or thirty years of development. This has meaning for me personally, and I hope for the best.
I have a few reservations about this translation, no matter how much I like it. It abridges the original 1300-plus passages down to 300, and abandoned the traditional organization of passages. I appreciate the brevity, but I wonder how much this non-native translator may have sacrificed in the abbreviation.
This is an important look into the samurai's heart and mind - I do not see that becoming a monk ended his life as a samurai. It is cryptic at times, but describes difficult matters. It is as relevant today as when it was written, almost three centuries ago.
//wiredweird
Summary of Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai
|Hagakure ("In the Shadow of Leaves"') is a manual for the samurai classes consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction-in the philosophy and code of behavior that foster the true spirit of Bushido-the Way of the Warrior. It is not a book of philosophy as most would understand the word: it is a collection of thoughts and sayings recorded over a period of seven years, and as such covers a wide variety of subjects, often in no particular sequence.The work represents an attitude far removed from our modern pragmatism and materialism, and posesses an intuitive rather than rational appeal in its assertion that Bushido is a Way of Dying, and that only a samurai retainer prepared and willing to die at any moment can be totally true to his lord. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Hizen fief to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought and came to influence many subsequent generations, including Yukio Mishima.
This translation offers 300 selections that constitute the core texts of the 1,300 present in the original.
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