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Dr. Prahlad's Soliloquy - 28 April 2009 : Zen in the Art of Archery |
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Zen in the Art of Archery
Zen in the Art of Archery is a small but fascinating book by Eugen Herrigel (1884–1955) a German professor of philosophy, with a special interest in mysticism . From 1924 to 1929 he taught philosophy in Japan, and studied Kyudo (the art of the Japanese bow ) under a master named Awa Kenzô. Awa taught kyudo in a way that was regarded by some as a mystical religion, called Daishadokyo . Daishadokyo was an approach to kyudo that placed great emphasis on the spiritual aspect and differed from much of the mainstream practice at the time. In 1936, Herrigel wrote a 20-page essay about his experiences, and then in 1948 expanded the essay into a short book. The book was translated into English in 1953 and Japanese in 1955. In this book he describes his spiritual journey through the practice of the sport Archery. Art of Archery with a history of 30,000 BC, involves shooting at targest using a bow an arrow, has many lessons for life.
Regardless of whether the book is an accurate portrayal of Zen Buddhism or traditional Japanese archery (kyudo), it is well liked by many and has been a bestseller for more than fifty years. Many of the ideas in the book have become fundamental tenets of how Westerners view Zen Buddhism. One example is the idea that a devotee studies simple tasks for many years at the feet of a master, before being allowed to do more substantial tasks. These perhaps mistaken ideas of Zen and kyudo being synonymous have gained some interest in Japan, and especially in the west, with schools devoted to "Zen archery." The book contains accurate ideas about learning and control, that provide useful lessons for learning any sport or physical activity. For example, a central idea in the book is that through years of practice, a physical activity becomes effortless both mentally and physically, as if the body executes complex and difficult movements without conscious control from the mind. Herrigel describes Zen in archery as follows: "The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconscious is realized only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the perfecting of his technical skill, though there is in it something of a quite different order which cannot be attained by any progressive study of the ar t..." Some extracts from the book: "When you apply tension, focus it solely on the thing that you require the tension for; otherwise, conserve your energies, learn (with the bow) that in order to achieve something, you do not need to take a giant step, but simply to focus on your objective." My teacher gave me a very stiff bow. I asked why he was starting to teach me as if I were a professional. He replies: "If you being with easy things, it leaves you unprepared for the great challenges. It's best to know at once what difficulties you are likely to meet on the road." For a long time, I could not draw the bow correctly, until, one day, my teacher showed me a breathing exercise, and it suddenly became easy. I asked why he had taken such along time to correct me. He replied: "If I shown you the breathing exercises right from the start, you would have thought them unnecessary. Now you will believe what I say and will practice as if it were really important. That is what good teachers do." Releasing the arrow happens instinctively, but first you must have an intimate knowledge of the bow, the arrow and the target. When it come to life's challenges, making the perfect move also involves intuition; however, we can only forget technique once we have mastered it completely. After for years, when I had mastered the bow, my teacher congratulated me. I felt pleased and said that I was now halfway along the road. 'No', said my teacher. "To avoid falling into treacherous traps, it is best to consider that you have covered half your journey only when you have walked ninety percent of the road." "Zen in the Art of Archery", A must read for everyone. Prahlada N.B
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