The main themes of the three essays presented here are the sword - which we Westerners are

encouraged to transform into plows - the techniques and the right mindset to use it. The texts,
two

of which are letters written to swordsmen masters, were written by a Zen monk, Takuan Sōhō,
who

he vowed to work for the Enlightenment and salvation of all beings. It is likely that the
Western reader will not

understand immediately what makes a Buddhist priest dedicate himself to talking about this
instrument of

destruction and the means of domination.

The Japanese long ago established an intimate relationship between the sword and the spirit.
Both in

History as in mythology, the sword stands out as an instrument of life and death, of purity and
honor,

of authority and even deity. From the point of view of history, it was the possession of the iron
sword that

collaborated for migrants from the Asian continent to conquer the Japanese archipelago in the

2nd and 3rd centuries AD .; the success of this achievement elevated the sword not only to the
category of a symbol of victory,

but also a ceremonial object. From the mythological point of view, it was the sword found
inside the

Yamata no Orochi - a dragon that was killed by the storm god - who later became one of the

Three Imperial Insignia, symbols of power and purity that have been revered by the Japanese
for almost

two millennia. In practice, it was the samurai caste, with the sword in one hand and spiritual
truth in

another, which inspired most of the country's perennial values.

This association did not lose its strength when the samurai began to dedicate themselves to
other occupations,

little more than a century. Even today, the making of a new Japanese sword - although

infrequent - occurs in the midst of a highly spiritual atmosphere. The work is preceded by
prayers to

deities linked to this office; the artisan, after undergoing purification rituals, dresses

outwardly in ceremonial dress, and inwardly, in a reverent posture; and only then does the

job. The sword owner must, out of gratitude, assume the same mental state; and in fact when
the
Japanese executive reserves a quiet time in his house to unwrap his sword,

draw and clean it, this act is seen as a meditation exercise, not as an appreciation

idle of a work of art.

The sword, the spiritual exercise and the free mind are around which these texts revolve.
Reminds us of

author that, with effort and patience, these three must become one. We must practice,
practice with everything

whatever we have in hand, until hesitation and greed, our enemies, are

promptness, strength and precision of a sword stroke.

There are several editions of the works translated here, but they do not seem to have great
differences between

itself. I based this translation on the texts contained in Nihon in Zen Goroku, Vol. 13, which, in
turn, is used

of the texts by Takuan Osho Zenshu, published by Takuan Osho Zenshu Kanko Kai.

I sincerely thank Ms. Agnes Youngblood, who helped me with those parts of the translation
that

were more difficult; to John Siscoe, for his encouragement and suggestions; and teachers Jay
Rubin and Teruko

Chin, from the University of Washington, who, at a distance of more than six thousand
kilometers and about good

inches of snow, helped me with the support material. Any and all errors must be attributed to

myself.

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