Do you really believe that the Zen monks who served feudal warlords
were intinerant hapless indigents who walked around the country side
begging for food??
I have seen enough samurai movies to get the feeling that those in
power were regarded by the popular culture of Japan as being very
arrogant and autocratic. That is another way to look at all those koans
where Bankei or some other guy is popping someone on the head with a
stick or cutting their hands off.
I read this book a long time ago, it was called Was Musashi Murdered?
It had a different take on what was going on back in the medieval
Japan. It basically took the view that all the same kind of corrupt
people have existed throughout time, and that you have to read the
history books and records based on the fact that the truth is often
hidden under the propaganda. After all, history is written by those in
power.
Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are
reading! Talk about it today!
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