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Zen in the Art of Archery Paperback – January 26, 1999
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Eugen Herrigel, a German professor of Philosophy in Tokyo, took up the study of archery as a step toward an understanding of Zen Buddhism. This book is the account of the six years he spent as a student of one of Japan’s great kyudo (archery) masters, and of how he gradually overcame his initial inhibitions and began to feel his way toward new truths and ways of seeing.
- Print length81 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage Books
- Publication dateJanuary 26, 1999
- Dimensions5.2 x 0.25 x 8 inches
- ISBN-109780375705090
- ISBN-13978-0375705090
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- ASIN : 0375705090
- Publisher : Vintage Books; Reprint edition (January 26, 1999)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 81 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780375705090
- ISBN-13 : 978-0375705090
- Item Weight : 3.36 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.2 x 0.25 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #55,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Archery (Books)
- #1,391 in Personal Transformation Self-Help
- #4,191 in Reference (Books)
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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 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. Read more 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.
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?

















