Japanese Arts and Self-Cultivation

Robert E. Carter is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Trent University in Canada. His many books include Encounter with Enlightenment: A Study of Japanese Ethics, also published by SUNY Press.

• Foreword by Eliot DeutschAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1.Self-CultivationThe BodymindUnification of Body and MindEnlightenmentMeditation as a PathThe Resultant TransformationKiA Brief Map2. Aikido—The Way of PeaceThe BeginningsAikido: One and Not OneAikido and BudoA Spiritual WayAikido and Ethics The Value and Worth of the OtherAikido and Sports YagyuLetting Go of the Ego3. Landscape Gardening as InterconnectednessPreludeThe Shinto InfluenceThe Buddhist InfluenceZen-Inspired GardensMasuno’s GardensI and ThouThe Ethics of Gardens4. The Way of Tea (Chado)—To Live without ContrivanceBackground to the Way of TeaWabiZen and Pure LandFrom Sen no Rikyu to Sen Genshitsu XVFuryuThe LineageBeyond Language5. The Way of Flowers (Ikebana)—EternityIs in the Moment IntroductionZen and IkebanaIkenoboShinto and IkebanaThe Koan of Living by Dying and Dying by LivingReflections of a PioneerThe Principle of ThreeA Culture of Flowers6. The Way of Pottery—Beauty Is in the AbdomenIntroductionNon-Dualistic AwarenessHamada: Teacher and Collector... and Ethics?SummaryConclusion Ethics and Self-TransformationThe Train to TakayamaAttitudes RevisitedGlossaryReferencesIndex

"What makes this book such an enjoyable read is the highly personal style that Carter brings to his journey across Japan as he recounts his visits to the different masters of the arts." — Philosophy East & West"…offers us a clear guide to some religious, philosophical, and historical traditions within Japanese arts, to counter forcefully the prejudice that Japan does not have an ethics comparable to that of the West … the author concludes that morality and ethics are not learned in Japan through words, rules, or principles, but by physical and practical training. This is a very significant insight … a wonderful resource for everyone involved in any field of Japanese studies." — Japanese Journal of Religious Studies"…this book exemplifies the mindful enrichment of everyday life that we think of as Japanese and exhibits precisely those elements of Asian awareness and attentiveness to detail that appeal most strongly to the West." — Library Journal Academic Newswire"…captures[s] the intertwining of art, philosophy, and religion as it relates to the Japanese ethic of self-cultivation. Ethical action is taught through the arts derived from Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism, rather than learned by abstract theory … The style is clear … the author writes for nonspecialists." — CHOICE"Easy and engaging reading. Profound ideas … groundbreaking. I believe that this outstanding book would be of great interest not only to philosophers and students of philosophy … but to much of the general public as well. In particular, I recommend it wholeheartedly as essential and necessary (as well as relatively easy and engaging) reading for every serious martial artist who wishes to develop a greater understanding of the deeper dimensions of the arts." — Jerry Larock, Aikido Journal"This excellent book on an important topic conveys a fine sense of the variety of the arts in Japan, regarded as ways of life and therefore harboring significant ethical dimensions. Written in a relaxed, accessible style with much of the text based on interviews, which make for an especially lively read, it will also appeal to readers beyond the academy." — Graham Parkes, translator and coauthor of Reading Zen in the Rocks: The Japanese Dry Landscape Garden by François Berthier