{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6a4f0637f8a80edf850eaf26/6a4fe1831c8f5a97d8d94ada?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"The Mugai-ryū and the Way of Zen","description":"<p>Why handle a katana in the 21st century? In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of the samurai, far from the clichés of the battlefield, to explore a true spiritual quest through the art of drawing the sword: Iaido.</p><p>Discover the secrets of Mugai-ryū, a traditional school founded in 1693 by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi, an outstanding swordsman who became a Zen monk. We decode how this pure martial practice, free of any superfluous movement, became a genuine path toward spiritual awakening (Satori).</p><p>On the agenda for this episode:</p><ul><li><strong>The history of Mugai-ryū:</strong> How a Zen poem meaning \"There is nothing outside the Unique Truth\" gave its name to this legendary Edo-period school.</li><li><strong>The Sword and Zen are One (<em>Ken Zen Ichi Nyo</em>):</strong> Understanding how each codified movement (<em>Kata</em>) becomes a moving meditation (<em>Ritsuzen</em>) to achieve <em>Mushin</em>—that state of an empty mind, liberated from the ego, illusions, and fear.</li><li><strong>The realism of combat (<em>Iai Hyōdō</em>):</strong> Why the school uses this specific term with the kanji \"Hyō\" (the soldier/strategy) to recall its visceral anchoring in martial reality, refusing to let Iaido become just a \"vague, empty dance.\" We will also talk about the importance of Kenjutsu and actual target cutting (<em>Tameshigiri</em>).</li><li><strong>An answer to modern stress:</strong> How the demands of this practice and grounding yourself in the split second where the blade leaves the scabbard (\"the eternal present\") offer a powerful way to navigate the stress and turmoil of our contemporary society.</li></ul><p>The modern art of the sword is not meant to destroy the other, but to build oneself and find inner clarity. Plug in your headphones and let yourself be transported into this exploration where physical rigor meets peace of mind!</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>","author_name":"Lionel Reynaud"}