The unfettered mind
by Takuan Sōhō · first published 1986
88% recommend13% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Short letters from a Zen master to a swordsman, valued for practical insight on freeing the mind from fear and fixation, with links to martial arts and everyday self-possession. For readers curious about Zen.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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My favorite (copied from Wikipedia): The Unfettered Mind (Japanese: 不動智神妙録 Fudōchi Shinmyōroku) is a three-part treatise on Buddhist philosophy and martial arts written by Takuan Soho, a Japanese monk of the Rinzai sect. The title translates roughly to "The…
on “Ask HN: good books about military strategy?” ↗- A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich - aleksandr solzhenitsyn - Breakfast of champions - Kurt Vonnegut - Plato's the republic - The unfettered mind - Takuan Soho
on “Ask HN: What books have most influenced the way you see the world?” ↗The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho and Psychology of Intelligence Analysis by Richards J. Heuer Jr.
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗Fear of Freedom from Erich Fromm is also good. The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Soho is one of my favorites. Short but to the point. Here is my virtual library link: https://vengrams.blogspot.com/p/books.html
on “Ask HN: What is one book you would recommend everyone to read?” ↗…browse/skim/read/study a lot. Then trust your inner self/intuition to do its thing by freely expressing itself in Writing. To get some background on this sort of mindset, you might find the book The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman by Takuan Soho and translated by William Scott Wilson helpful (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unfettered_Mind). The book is written w.r.t. Martial…
on “Ask HN: How do you improve your writing?” ↗…this direction is lacking. I would rather you reflect upon this fact instead of responding because I'll only tell you in response: you don't need to justify yourself to anybody but yourself. Read "The Unfettered Mind" by Takuan Soho. If you can understand "immovable wisdom" then you have taken the first step in a long journey towards becoming more confident with what you want to do. Being at peace with the outcome…
on “Ask YC: Should I quit programming to pursue the arts?” ↗Have you read Unfettered Mind? Interesting intersection between martial arts and zen which touches on precisely this conditioning and state of being. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unfettered_Mind
on “Gunslinger Effect” ↗…training as supplemental exercises to the book - only now exists and consideration of future and past is irrelevant and dangerous. Good luck with your quest. Edit: you may want to have a look at the "Unfettered Mind"
on “Ask HN: Great books for transforming how I approach conflict?” ↗…want to know more on these. For a even more direct source see Takuan Soho's texts written to Yagyu Munenori on how to adapt Zen to Martial Arts translated by William Scott Wilson under the title "The Unfettered Mind" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unfettered_Mind). Based on this Munenori wrote "Heiho Kadensho" which has also been translated by William Scott Wilson under the title "The Life-Giving Sword"(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hereditary_Book_on_the_Art_o...)…
on “60 Years Ago, a Submerged Submarine Circled the Globe for the First Time (2020)” ↗…want to know more on these. For a even more direct source see Takuan Soho's texts written to Yagyu Munenori on how to adapt Zen to Martial Arts translated by William Scott Wilson under the title "The Unfettered Mind" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unfettered_Mind). Based on this Munenori wrote "Heiho Kadensho" which has also been translated by William Scott Wilson under the title "The Life-Giving Sword"(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hereditary_Book_on_the_Art_o...)…
on “60 Years Ago, a Submerged Submarine Circled the Globe for the First Time (2020)” ↗…mind) with the goal of understanding the concept better, and possibly laying out proactive steps one can take to put themselves in a position to experience mushin. I'm about 70% through all the readings (Unfettered Mind, Zen in the Art of Archery, Kakusei-Mushin, some Alan Watts videos on the subject, some Zen Koan videos, and more). So far, it's very evident that the feeling of being in a "flow state" or "just doing…
on “Thinking on Your Feet” ↗