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So many books have been written about the meditation side of Zen and the everyday, chop wood/carry water side of Zen. But few books have approached Zen the way that most Japanese actually do--through ritualized arts of discipline and beauty--and perhaps that is why Eugen Herrigel's
Zen in the Art of Archery is still popular so long after it first publication in 1953. Herrigel, a philosophy professor, spent six years studying archery and flower-arranging in Japan, practicing every day, and struggling with foreign notions such as "eyes that hear and ears that see." In a short, pithy narrative, he brings the heart of Zen to perfect clarity--intuition, imitation, practice, practice, practice, then, boom, wondrous spontaneity fusing self and art, mind, body, and spirit. Herrigel writes with an attention to subtle profundity and relates it with a simple artistry that itself carries the signature of Zen.
--Brian Bruya
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
There's more to archery than you think, according to this compact audio, which is based on a 1953 book by a German philosophy professor. His philosophical work addresses intention and personal integration, and the importance of the unconscious in dealing with life's realities. The program's lessons are so broad and practical that you don't have to be attracted to Zen or archery to be thoroughly transported by what's expressed through the teacher-student dialogue. Selecting reader Ralph Blum was a great way to resurrect the ideas in this rich and satisfying book. His academic tone inspires respect and makes the ideas even more intriguing. T.W. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
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