The Religion of the Samurai
A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan
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Narrated by:
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Nicholas Techosky
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By:
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Kaiten Nukariya
About this listen
Zen was uniquely suited to the Samurai of Japan. The high moral principles of Buddhism, when adopted and adapted by the Japanese warriors who became the Samurai, created an austere philosophy of singular beauty and depth. Its characteristic requirements of strict control over body and mind was exemplified by ancient warrior monks whose serene countenance, even in the face of certain death, made them much admired even by their foes.
Zen may be the most misunderstood of the world's moral philosophies. While it is often classified as a Religion, it is frequently considered by its adherents to be a utilitarian philosophy, a collection of rational moral precepts or, even more simply, as a state of being. The aim of the practice of Zen is to become Enlightened and achieve the beatitude of Nirvana.
To reach Nirvana means to achieve the state of extinction of pain and the annihilation of sin. Zen never looks for the realization of its beatitude in a place like heaven, nor believes in the realm of Reality transcendental of the phenomenal universe, nor gives countenance to the superstition of Immortality, nor does it hold the world is the best of all possible worlds, nor conceives life simply as blessing. It is in this life, full of shortcomings, misery, and sufferings, that Zen hopes to realize its beatitude. It is in this world, imperfect, changing, and moving, that Zen finds the Divine Light it worships. It is in this phenomenal universe of limitation and relativity that Zen aims to attain to highest Nirvana.
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Kaiten Nukariya attempts to explain Zen philosophy - its basic teachings and also the history of Zen and how that fit in with the history of the Japanese warrior class known as samurai. Inherent to Zen is its difficulty to explain, thus its reliance on riddles and metaphor. This audio uses these imageries to get at the deeper meanings of Zen while using plain language to describe its history, originating in India and spreading through China and Japan, and the reasons the violent samurai were attracted to this philosophy that is often considered peaceful. Nicholas Techosky performs the audiobook in a slow and straightforward manner, allowing anyone interested in Zen's philosophy, culture, or history to easily digest the material.
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Socrates is in prison, sentenced to die when the sun sets. In this final conversation, he asks what will become of him once he drinks the poison prescribed for his execution. Socrates and his friends examine several arguments designed to prove that the soul is immortal. This quest leads him to the broader topic of the nature of mind and its connection not only to human existence but also to the cosmos itself. What could be a better way to pass the time between now and the sunset?
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The voice acting is horrible
- By Will Livingston on 03-25-21
By: Plato
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Great Disciples of the Buddha
- Their Lives, Their Works, Their Legacies
- By: Hellmuth Hecker, Nyanaponika Thera, Bikkhu Bodhi
- Narrated by: William Hope, Nicolette McKenzie, Ratnadhya
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty-four of the Buddha's most distinguished disciples are brought to life in ten chapters of rich narration. They include monks who were very close to him throughout his life, including Sariputta and Mahamoggallana; his cousin and companion Ananda; his principal women disciples, including the nun Isidasi and his lay disciple, the courtesan Ambapali; and the serial killer Angulimala, whose character was transformed after meeting the Buddha.
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Beautiful stories of Buddhism's earliest heroes
- By Blake Rampy on 01-05-17
By: Hellmuth Hecker, and others
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The Gay Science (The Joyful Wisdom)
- By: Friedrich Nietzsche
- Narrated by: Michael Lunts
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The Gay Science (The Joyful Wisdom) is one of Nietzsche's greatest books. His wonderfully fertile mind roams over mankind, his thoughts, his emotions, his behaviour and his weaknesses with remarkable clarity, with insight - but also with humour!In this work are 383 separate paragraphs, some short, some long, but all singular observations - the epitome of his famous aphoristic style. 'Morality is the herd instinct in the individual.'
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I am now a full-fledged fan of Nietzsche
- By RS on 02-24-18
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Plato's Phaedrus
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: Ray Childs
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Phaedrus lures Socrates outside the walls of Athens, where he seldom goes, by promising to share a new work by his friend and mentor, Lysias, a famous writer of speeches. This dialogue provides a powerful example of the dialectical writing that Plato uses to manifest ideas that are essential to human existence and to living a good life. Phaedrus shows how oral and written forms of language relate to each other and to philosophy.
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six pages (Hackett Complete Works edition) missing
- By S. Lee on 01-17-19
By: Plato
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Life Is Worth Living, Part 1
- By: Archbishop Fulton J Sheen
- Narrated by: Fulton J. Sheen
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
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Here is the best of the audio from the famous Catholic television program, "Life is Worth Living!" For more than 30 years, Archbishop Fulton Sheen was the voice of the Catholic Church, with his radio and television ministries that touched hearts all over the world. His wisdom and gentle insight are once again available in digitally remastered audio recorded from his live programs.
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Amazing audiobook!!!!
- By Amazon Customer on 07-03-14
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Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Here in one volume are both the Essays: First Series and Essays: Second Series from one of the most influential philosophers in American history. Although Ralph Waldo Emerson, perhaps America’s most famous philosopher, did not wish to be referred to as a transcendentalist, he is nevertheless considered the founder of this major movement of nineteenth-century American thought. Emerson was influenced by a liberal religious training; theological study; personal contact with the Romanticists Coleridge, Carlyle, and Wordsworth; and a strong indigenous sense of individualism and self-reliance.
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Riggenbach's Essays, Not Emerson's
- By Jake Behm on 12-01-15
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God Speaks Again
- An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith
- By: Kenneth E. Bowers
- Narrated by: Brian W. Roberts
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The Bahá'í faith is a recognized independent world religion attracting increasing attention--and followers--in the U.S. and around the globe as people from all walks of life search for practical spiritual direction and meaning in these deeply troubled times. Founded nearly 160 years ago, the Bahá'í Faith is today among the fastest-growing of world religions.
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Extremely informative and insightful
- By Walter on 07-10-19
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Nature
- By: Sam Torode - foreword, Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Sam Torode
- Length: 1 hr and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Nature" is perhaps the greatest original work of philosophy written by an American. This specially-prepared edition includes a foreword on the origin and significance the book.
By: Sam Torode - foreword, and others
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Hinduism
- Adopting Hinduism as a Way of Life + The Ultimate Guide to Hindu Gods, Hindu Beliefs, Hindu Rituals and Hindu Religion
- By: Cassie Coleman
- Narrated by: sangita chauhan
- Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Hinduism is the oldest and the third largest religion by population. There are more than a billion Hindus in India, Nepal, Indonesia (Bali), Mauritius, Canada, New Zealand, Kenya, and elsewhere in the world who practice the faith. However, many scholars and practitioners believe that Hinduism is not a religion at all - it is a way of life.
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informative
- By Rose Ericson-Caen on 04-24-19
By: Cassie Coleman
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50 Spiritual Classics
- By: Tom Butler-Bowdon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.
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useful as review or starting point
- By connie on 01-03-09
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Primitive Mythology
- The Masks of God Series, Volume I
- By: Joseph Campbell, David Kudler - editor
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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The author of such acclaimed books as The Hero With a Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth discusses the primitive roots of mythology, examining them in light of the most recent discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, and psychology.
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Epic speculation into the origins of our mythic consciousness
- By BGZ on 01-10-19
By: Joseph Campbell, and others
What listeners say about The Religion of the Samurai
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joe
- 10-23-15
Content & Narration
Semi-typical account of Buddhism which, taken as a whole, is incoherent. Also, as with so many Audible recordings, narrator does not know proper pronunciation of foreign terms and names.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Mango
- 04-26-22
A mixed bag
Enjoyed the first few chapters. Became completely lost trying to follow the later chapters. I gave up.
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-02-12
Easy to understand,Kind of preachy,but still good
Any additional comments?
I've listen to it a few times now. The book gives a great history of Zen. I also like multi-cultural approach of bringing in favorable comparisons with other popular religions like Christianity. There are great object lessons, parables, and explanations of what they mean. However, it doesn't quite cover how to actively practice or grow in the religion. It says to seek out a qualified Zen teacher for such training but that why I bought the book.
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6 people found this helpful
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- charles roland
- 01-20-23
the narrator has a quick inhale after each line
had to stop listening. you can hear sudden breath gasps at each sentence.... literally every sentence like they can't breath.
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- hellokitty
- 06-11-21
fourth listen but not my last
I'm ready to learn more even with this being my fourth or fifth listen of this book I'm not ready to put it down just yet. loved the performance and the content.
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- Anonymous User
- 11-01-24
A better knowledge of others
I wish this story could have been read by someone else, I truly enjoyed the story but not the reader
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- A. E.
- 09-17-20
Factually vapid
It is historically wrong with the first two minutes. Chan is alive and well in China.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Tauli
- 04-03-12
Robotic narration
What didn’t you like about Nicholas Techosky’s performance?
The voice sounds far too artificial. There is an inhaling sound every few words that is distracting to say the least. It makes punctuation more difficult to follow and nearly impossible to keep track of the storyline. It is the first time I am dissatisfied with an audiobook and I felt I lost $20 on this one.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Thomas
- 08-18-14
WOW, actually quite terrible reading.
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Sorry, but I found the narration tremendously difficult to listen to. Repeated pausing and consistent hesitation throughout, made for an unpleasant experience. Sadly, I wasn't able to return the item. :(
I'm sure a different narrator would've been the key.
Would you be willing to try another one of Nicholas Techosky’s performances?
No, I would not.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
I'm quite keen on the subject matter, again the only let down for me was the narration, and my inability to return the item for an exchange or credit.
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2 people found this helpful
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- AlchemistGeorge
- 05-21-21
Bad History and Terrible Pronunciation
When you hear the narrator talk about the Tokugana shoguns, that tells you most of what you need to know about the book. [They were the Tokugawa Shogun.]
Much of the book is read mechanically, and with many long pauses. There are many many errors of pronunciation of both Sanskrit and Japanese words. Some words are sometimes pronounced correctly and sometimes incorrectly.
The book is full of numerous small factual errors about Japanese history, and presents exaggerations and myths as truth. Zen was not the religion of the samurai. It was popular with some samurai, and in a minority of Japanese schools of swordsmanship (kenjutsu ryu).
I will never knowingly choose a title by this narrator again.
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