Tibetan Magic and Mysticism

This book is more like an "Idiot's guide to Bön," although it covers both Buddhist and Bon concepts. The topics are various, and include information on the khor-lo and rlung (Tibetan chakra and energy channels, not unlike Chinese energy meridians.)

It covers the basics fairly well, and provides a good look at the founding beliefs of Tibetan mysticism (encompassing both Bön and Buddhist perspectives.) Various visualisation and meditation rituals are given in detail, and intended effects and sensations are described. Prayers and mantras are listed as well, along with various rituals for summoning deities from the Tibetan pantheon.

Several sections deal with Gtum-mo, or Tibetan yoga, which involves breathing, posture, and visualization. You also get an abbreviated lesson from the book of the dead, as it describes the process of dying and decomposing physically, and progressing through the bardos.

In short, this book has a little bit of everything, giving the reader a general overview of the practices and mindset of the Tibetan mystics (Bön or Buddhist.)

Opening the Door to Bön

This book is a good starting point for someone new and unfamiliar with Bön. It provides a brief overview of the basic beliefs, and practices. Definitely recommended to someone who is curious about Bön, and needs a good starting point.

The Life-Giving Sword: The Secret Teachings From the House of the Shogun

This is without doubt, one of the more deep, philosophical treatises on swordsmanship, zen, and the proper mindset of a swordsman. If you found Musashi's Go Rin No Sho a bit difficult to follow, this book might be for you.

I picked this little gem up in Kyoto a few years back, and was glad I did. Nitobe attempts to describe to a Western mindset the essence of Bushido. He brings up many comparisons and parallels between the Japanese and Western culture, in an attempt to bridge the gap of understanding between them.

However, with all due respect to this classic, it still falls short of actually DEFINING Bushido. Several examples and anecdotes are set fourth, and scenarios involving Bushido conduct are described. However, in the end, the reader is left with a somewhat vague feeling, as if something is still missing.

This is not a book of code in a sense of providing the reader a set of rules, idioms, and behaviors to follow. If you approach this text with some pre-conceived notion of learning the ways of the warrior, you will find yourself disappointed.

To get a clearer understanding of Bushido, should you be so inclined, I would recommend the Hagakure as supplementary reading.

Tsunemoto dictated the Hagakure, not a treatise on Bushido. The latter was attempted by Inazo Nittobe in more recent years. The Hagakure (falling leaves) is a series of anecdotes from the time Tsunemoto spent as a retainer, recorded by a scribe.

This text (which is actually the Hagakure, NOT BUSHIDO) does provide the reader with a solid mindset of Bushido more so than Nittobe's writing. However, it is still not a treatise on Bushido, nor was it meant to be, as the publisher of this book is seeming to imply.

If you are truly interested in learning about Bushido, I highly recommend the Hagakure along with Nittobe's Bushido, the Go-Rin-No-Sho, and the Heiho Kadensho.

Wilson, William Scott, Soho, Takuan

I found this text to be a complex, informative glimpse into the Zen mindset towards swordsmanship, yet general enough to be applicable to other martial arts.

Takuan Soho's words will show you something new about yourself, and perhaps change the way you perceive certain aspects of yourself/ your training. A must read for anyone who is serious about applying a Zen mindset to their daily practice, whatever it may be.