The Demon's Sermon on the Martial Arts : and Other Tales

Chozanshi was a swordsman with a deep understanding of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Shinto. "The Demon's Sermon" is a masterful syncretic treatment of these philosophies and religions, bringing their central meanings to bear on the essence of the martial arts.

The demon delivering the sermon is the long-nosed half-man, half-bird Tengu, a terrifying but not necessarily malevolent figure who inhabits the recesses of Mount Kurama.

Opening this volume is a selection of short, humorous tales from Chozanshi's "The Hayseed Taoist" ("Inaka Soshi").

The stories are lessons about spontaneity and non-attachment, and prime the reader philosophically for 'The Demon'.

The final section is a translation of "The Mysterious Technique of the Cat" ("Neko no Myojutsu"), also from "The Hayseed Taoist" and a traditional favourite of the martial artists of Japan.

The section summarises the entire work and adroitly illustrates Lao Tzu's dictum that "The master acts, relying on nothing."