Zen in the Art of Archery: Training the Mind and Body to Become One

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The right art is purposeless, aimless! The more obstinately you try to learn how to shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will succeed in the one and the further the other will recede. What stands in your way is that you have a much too willful will. You think that what you do not do yourself does not happen. The right shot at the right moment does not come because you do not let go of yourself. You do not wait for fulfillment, but brace yourself for failure. Apart from the mandatory clothes and the bow, the most distinctive feature of kyudo is the glove, known as the yugake, which the archer uses to give the string a distinct twist when drawing. A top-level, handmade yugake can cost more than 1200 USD. Kyudo around the world

Zen in the Art of Archery: Eugen Herrigel, Zinc Read Zen in the Art of Archery: Eugen Herrigel, Zinc Read

You have described only too well," replied the Master, "where the difficulty lies...The right shot at the right moment does not come because you do not let go of yourself. You...brace yourself for failure. So long as that is so, you have no choice but to call forth something yourself that ought to happen independently of you, and so long as you call it forth your hand will not open in the right way--like the hand of a child.” Anyone interested in the “Western tradition” of Zen should find this book interesting. Independently of my agreement or disagreement with some of the statements, below is a selection of quotes and excerpts from the English text. Nothing more is required of the pupil, at first, than that he should conscientiously copy what the teacher shows him. In the end, the pupil no longer knows which of the two, mind or hand, was responsible for the work" The misadventures of a group of extravagant Italians who arrived in Hollywood at one time or another searching for fame and fortune.

As I understand it, talking about Zen has a tendency to confuse things. What makes this a worthwhile read is not the author’s interpretation of what Zen actually is (or is not) but rather the fact that it is one of the earliest books to expose the Western public to Zen. It spawned a century of speculation and countless books on the subject. In another moment that I thought particularly fine when Herrigel shoots well his teacher breaks off the lesson and sends him home - he didn't want Herrigel to be distracted by reversion to the mean. Between the two states of bodily relaxedness on the one hand and spiritual freedom on the other there is a difference of level which cannot be overcome by breath-control alone, but only by withdrawing from all attachments whatsoever, by becoming utterly egoless: so that the soul, sunk within itself, stands in the plenitude of its nameless origin. This is one of the most profound books I’ve ever read. Stemming from both (Zen) Buddhist and Taoist philosophies, it discusses the artless art, action through non-action, and beauty in the mundane. It brings to life the inner world of one’s own consciousness. Its main focus is to help the individual release the ego, allowing us to work from our natural, unconscious flow state. This is something athletes call being in the zone, but its concepts can easily be extended to both our personal lives and careers. In being unattached to the results in life, we learn to apply ourselves fully to perform our most authentic, passionate, and paradoxically, best work yet.

Zen in the Art of Archery) Eugen Herrigel Quotes (Author of Zen in the Art of Archery)

In the end, the pupil no longer knows which of the two – mind or hand – was responsible for the work. The idea is that when archers shoot correctly, with “truth,” good spirit and attitude, beautiful shooting will naturally follow. (This idea, removed from a spiritual context, is present in modern competition archery traditions, too.) This was one of the first book I read on the subject. Given the choices made by Herrigel later in life, it is unclear what he took away from these experiences. Unless we enter into mystic experiences by direct participation, we remain outside, turn and twist as we may.

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The Misunderstanding about Traditional Japanese Archery is Caused by the Influence of Chinese Culture To become a master, walk past everything without noticing it as if there were only one thing in the world that was important and real, and that is archery. The demand that the door of the senses be closed is not met by turning energetically away from the sensible world, but rather by a readiness to yield without resistance. The soul needs an inner hold, at it wins it by concentrating on the breath. What stands in your way is that you have a much too willful will. You think that what you do not do yourself does not happen.”