ZEN in the ART of ARCHERY

I have had this book for over a year now, but not read it all. So I decided to give it another go. The first page has some interesting text:-

If one really wishes to be a master of an art, techniacal knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes as 'artless art' growing out of the unconscious.

This strikes me as a nice way of looking at it. I will keep reading...anyone else gleened anything from this book?

[TJ Mason]

It's a very good read -- compelling, honest and well-written. Unfortunately it's ultimately just plain wrong about Zen and about archery.

Herrigel never learned the Japanese language -- a basic error, if trying to understand a foreign culture. He decided on archery because he had some previous experience with rifles -- another basic mistake, apples and oranges. His teacher, Awo Kenzo, was a maverick who disagreed strongly with many aspects of Zen philosophy. Awo's method of teaching archery took the "nothing is needed" idea to an extreme -- he didn't teach it at all, but left the students to do it "naturally". Communication between Herrigel and his teacher was via a translator, who often put his own diplomatic gloss on things.

Read the book by all means, but then read "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" by Yamada Shoji at this site:
http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/...rs/pdf/586.pdf

If you want to learn about Zen, go to a western author who has learned Japanese or a Japanese author who has learned English.

Originally Posted by TJ Mason

It's a very good read -- compelling, honest and well-written. Unfortunately it's ultimately just plain wrong about Zen and about archery.

Herrigel never learned the Japanese language -- a basic error, if trying to understand a foreign culture. He decided on archery because he had some previous experience with rifles -- another basic mistake, apples and oranges. His teacher, Awo Kenzo, was a maverick who disagreed strongly with many aspects of Zen philosophy. Awo's method of teaching archery took the "nothing is needed" idea to an extreme -- he didn't teach it at all, but left the students to do it "naturally". Communication between Herrigel and his teacher was via a translator, who often put his own diplomatic gloss on things.

Read the book by all means, but then read "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" by Yamada Shoji at this site:
http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/...rs/pdf/586.pdf

If you want to learn about Zen, go to a western author who has learned Japanese or a Japanese author who has learned English.

Thanks TJ you have saved me a lot of pointless reading time. I will drill a hole in it and hang the pages on the bathroom door. I'm quite glad it's crap, I found it was hard work to read...Just goes to prove, the written word is not always true.

[geoffretired]

I loved it!
I particularly liked the drawing of the bow and the eventual breathing technique required to make it bend. The secret was kept in order to make the point. Another interesting idea is that the master is all important and never to be questioned. That level of trust in the teacher is rare in our culture, I feel. In some ways I encourage the questioning approach, how else do we progress? In other ways, absolute trust is an amazing tool. I speak here from personal and very recent experience. My target panic rehab. would never have got started if I had not trusted those people who sent in their thoughts.
Geoff

[Furface]

Personally, I enjoyed it. It made me think about a lot of things, which is, after all, the point of a book. I form my own conclusions, which may not be yours. Whether it is an accurate Zen tract is neither here nor there unless one reads it as a zen tract.

[greydog]

I enjoyed it, but people will get different things from it, you might as well finish it off, even if you get nothing more than the inspiration to practise a little harder it will have been worth while

[Little Miss Purple]

I have merely glanced at it but I know womble has read it and found it to be of use! There are different copies RGS as we have 2 - one is easier to read!!

[morphymick]

Originally Posted by Little Miss Purple

I have merely glanced at it but I know womble has read it and found it to be of use! There are different copies RGS as we have 2 - one is easier to read!!

That'd be the English version.

Mick

[Little Miss Purple]

yeah, big writing and not joined up

[Tarkwin]

This is one of the many books I have half read.....

T.