Zen in the Art of Archery

The language in this book is hard to understand. It is full of mystics and riddles. I know every word, but when they were put together by the author, it doesn’t make sense.I don’t know if this was caused by translation since the original book was written in German. Or, the writer wrote it in this way on purpose to make people scratch their head.

The book came in great condition and earlier than expected. No markings and hardly any wear. Very happy with the service and highly recommend the seller.

Spiritual teaching and understanding that requires long, patient, rigorous learning. Now the Zen of trumpet playing. Repeating exercises, expanding range, performing the ritual to play correctly, mastering the craft, the art. Playing with a quiet mind, worrying no longer on the how, but letting go the intellect and playing from the heart, the soul, the mysterious muscle memory, performing without worry, without the critical voice interfering, finding the center in oneself.

I know this book has been on the recommended reading lists of most musicians for a long time, but I finally undertook to read it this year. It happened to be at a time when I was about to start a run of a Rossini opera, which is a very particular musical style requiring the players to play on the front of the beat with extremely precise articulation and unity (musicians are called upon to be able to control their timing by as little as one millisecond), and hold their focus for the duration of nearly three hours. This can sometimes lead to a lot of physical tension, exhaustion, and mistakes, or result in a less enthusiastic performance from the group as the task seems insurmountable. Learning from this book the technique of setting up your shot and it "happens" at the right time, I was able to shift my focus forward to setting up each note and "letting it happen" at the right time on the front of the beat. For thousands and thousands of short notes that each had to be (in theory, at least) precisely placed over the numerous performances, I found the sum of all my training and 35 year performing career comes down to putting it all on THIS eighth note, setting it up to do its part in telling the story. When I dedicated myself to it, I found I could hear a lot more of what my colleagues were playing, and be much more reliable to them, and I felt relaxed and free from worry. Large-scale performances are a pretty cool exercise in group dynamics, and there is a delightful synergy in dozens of people coming together to tell a story. Different than, but remarkably like, practitioners of kyudo coming in from all different careers and walks in life, and reaching new heights of personal achievement through an ancient form of archery.

My martial arts instructor has many books that he allows his students to take out. Some of them he recommends, others he recommends quite strongly. ZEN IN THE ART OF ARCHERY, however, is the only book which he actually handed out to every member of the advanced class. Clearly there is something he wants us to know.The book revolves around Herrigel's attempt to understand Zen through the practice of kyudo (Japanese archery). Although I am no expert in either Zen or kyudo, I think he does a pretty good job. The concepts that Herrigel communicates to the reader are extremely esoteric and I found them easy to grasp through this slim volume. However, reading the book solely as a story about one person's search for Zen is to read the book far too narrowly.The concepts that Herrigel addresses are universal concepts. They are not strictly religious (Zen), martial (kyudo) or even Asian (Japanese). Any substantial activity, be it learning kyudo, becoming a chess grandmaster or practicing to become a classical pianist, requires one to reach beyond psychological and internal barriers. This is what should be taken from this book.During Herrigel's study, he focused not on the target, but on himself as the archer. The struggle was both an internal one, including physical aspects such as breathing properly and relaxing, as well as a refocusing of his mind, such as NOT focusing on the ultimate destination of the arrows he was shooting. The transcendence was within Herrigel himself.This lesson is applicable to numerous situations across cultures and across activities. ZEN IN THE ART OF ARCHERY provides a good example of this phenomenon but not the only possible example. broadly, this book provides anyone undertaking a long and arduous activity a simple framework for reaching beyond those plateaus that we all frustratingly find ourselves on from time to time. I recommend it on that basis. Read more

A short, concise autobiography about German professor and would-be mystic Eugen Herrigel who travels to Japan and takes up Japanese Archery in a quest to understand Zen. The good thing about this book is that it is short and sweet and communicates Zen simply. But I'm very skeptical as to whether some of the events in this book took place as written. Herrigal seemed to have no trouble casually moving to Japan for five years; or understanding extremely vague and complex Buddhist ideas through conversation with his Master (who must have spoken remarkably good German?); and in one passage the Master's abilities seem superhuman. Did all of this really happen? If so, perhaps 80-ish pages is too short, actually.The legacy of this book is tainted by the fact that Herrigel was a staunch supporter of the Nazi Party. How can a mind that has been liberated by Zen also subscribe to the Nazi ideology? The two seem incompatible--in fact, any concrete ideology seems incompatible with Zen. Is this really just a book on muscle memory and repetition after all?

This is probably the original discourse on zen and still the best. Amazon wants me to post more words but I am speechless.

よく、「禅」は宗教か？という議論が起こるが、これは、ジュダイのフォースとしての「禅」を語ったもの。一番近いのが、中島敦の「名人伝」。しかし、方法論が書いてあるわけではない。奥義はやはり名人に弟子入りするしか手に入れられないのかもしれない。しかし、それでも、その道への展望をかいま見競ることにこの書の価値はある。

I read a book of the same name, though I cannot remember the author. It was an account of a gold medalist that decided to try the zen approach and was a very engaging read. This did not.

The task Professor Herrigel set himself was to experience true Zen, he did this without realising that abandonment of self was a primary objective. In other words the practice or the decision to undertake anything very much is a step into the unknown even when the person involved never considers the possibility of his very self undergoing radical change, somehow one believes "I" will always remain afterwards. Little by little Herrigel underwent powerful changes in his Zen experience which literally must be undertaken in an authentic way i.e. by the sort of practice having no limits or bounds, a wholehearted approach somewhat alien to most westerners. The book is an honest and clear account of his experience in Japan and is somewhat akin to that of Jan Whilhelm van de Wetering in "The Empty Mirror", humourous experiences such as when the master wishes to find out more about what he does and in this way try to understand why the practice of archery is so difficult for him : exclaiming after he reads a philosophy book that "no wonder you have so much difficulty", adds to the humanity of the story. Although a small book it is rich in personal experience and a treasure which can be read again and again to revitalise one's own practice. It is also far more readable than his other books which are full of difficult philosophical concepts and lack the depth of humanity shown in this one. The book stresses what must be said again and again, Zen is about doing rather than knowing (in the conventional sense) and Herrigel realises that only in the practice of Zen, rather than just reading about it, can it be truly "known". He also demonstrates the great challenges to be faced in this practice especially as regards the conflicts which arise between the "artless art", Zen, which is free of thought and that of his profession which is never free of the constricting domain of thought. A superb book which never fails to inspire.

This is a short yet interesting book, that offers guidance concerning archery from the perspective of Zen Buddhism. The underlying premise of this book is that the central principles of Buddhism can assist with the practice of archery. What are these principles? Well, offering a simplified overview, one might say that through the rejection of material things so clarity of focus may be attained. Applied to archery, this involves meditation and self-control - striving to be fully aware of one's surroundings and one's goals - which, in this case, involves the drawing of the bow string, the aiming of the arrow, and the hitting of the target. By way of achieving a state of 'zen' (total focus) so archery may be mastered.This is, more than anything else, a philosophical introduction into the ideas of practicing Zen ... and archery is the example offered, so as to demonstrate such practice. If you're after a thorough guide to archery, look elsewhere (e.g.  Archery: The Art of Repetition ). But if you're looking for a short guide to aspects of Buddhism, this is a good book. Archery: The Art of Repetition

Like an old Japanese paint. Slow, wise, effective, kind. A meditation other than a book. A haiku book,may be. Thank you