When Buddhists Attack

Film, television and popular fiction have long exploited the image of the serene Buddhist monk who is master of the deadly craft of hand-to-hand combat. While these media overly romanticize the relationship between a philosophy of non-violence and the art of fighting, When Buddhists Attack: the Curious Relationship Between Zen and the Martial Artsshows this link to be nevertheless real, even natural. Exploring the origins of Buddhism and the ethos of the Japanese samurai, university professor and martial arts practitioner Jeffrey Mann traces the close connection between the Buddhist way of compassion and the way of the warrior. This book serves as a basic introduction to the history, philosophy, and current practice of Zen as it relates to the Japanese martial arts. It examines the elements of Zen that have found a place in budothe martial waysuch as zazen, mushin, zanshinand fudoshin, then goes on to discuss the ethics and practice of budo as modern sport. Offering insights into how qualities integral to the true martial artist are interwoven with this ancient religious philosophy, this book will help practitioners reconnect to an authentic spiritual discipline of the martial arts.

Jeffrey K. Mann earned his doctorate in Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University and is currently Chair of the Religious Studies Department at Susquehanna University. In addition, he has served as a Visiting Professor of Religion at Senshu University in Ikuta, Japan. A longtime student of Japanese martial arts, he has trained and competed in karate throughout North America, Japan, Okinawa and the Philippines. He is instructor of the Susquehanna Goju-ryu Karate-do Club, a school affi liated with the International Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Federation

Contents
Introduction
The Life and Teachings of the Buddha
Zen in Buddhist Context
The Warriors' Zen—Part One: Initial Attraction
The Warriors' Zen—Part Two: An Established
Relationship
Meditation
Mushin and Mindfulness
Zen, Budo, and Ethics
The Contemporary World of Budo
Epilogue: Is it really Zen?