Under the Sword: Life Lessons to Awaken the Zen Warrior in You - Softcover

In one way or another, we are all being tested, every day of our lives. Sometimes, the challenge is simple and non-threatening. For example, we may be trapped in a traffic jam when we are short of time. How do we handle that moment? Do we become irritable, impatient? Or do we rise above the circumstances and remain untroubled by emotion? Vernon Kitabu Turner shows that how we handle so common a problem as this could easily determine the outcome of more serious matters. Learning to cope with the little things can preserve our well-being or even save our life - or that of a loved one. Under The Sword reminds the reader how to engage the hidden aspects of ourselves and how, with a unity of mind and spirit, we can claim an absolute autonomy of the self that will protect us from damage at moments of crisis. Frequently using game and sports analogies, the author gives us the wherewithal to re-order our minds to our own advantage. He teaches us to be like the samurai, and make our own mind our friend. This is a lesson that can transform our lives. As well as being uniquely inspiring, this book is also highly practical. If we strive to be safe and to advance in this world, we need to keep before us the idea that we are under the sword. Through step-by-step advice presented in an engaging style, Zen master Vernon Kitabu Turner teaches you how to follow his example.

African-American spiritual guru and martial arts master Vernon Kitabu Turner was raised as a Christian. In 1967, after a chance meeting, he became a Zen initiate of master Nomura Roshi, and eventually the Dharma son of Himalayan master Sadguru Sant Keshavadas. His previous books include Soul Sword: The Way and Mind of a Zen Warrior (2011) and Soul to Soul: Harnessing the Power of Your Mind (2006).