Caleb and Michael explore Takuan Soho's The Unfettered Mind, examining how Zen Buddhism approaches mental training through the concept of "no mind." They discuss why stopping the mind creates ignorance and how this differs from Stoic approaches to reason and attention.
They examine how mental stopping manifests in combat, conversation, and performance - from sword fighting to basketball arcade games.
(00:00) Introduction to The Unfettered Mind
(06:20) The Affliction of Stopping
(14:47) The Beginner vs The Expert
(27:22) Training
(37:22) Practical Life
(43:53) Stoicism vs Zen
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Thanks to Michael Levy for graciously letting us use his music in the conversations:
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