Zen In The Art Of Archery
During the 1930’s, Eugen Herrigel taught philosophy at the University of Tokyo. While there, he studied archery under the guidance of a Zen Master. The training affected him for life. Later, he wrote, Zen In The Art Of Archery, a short (less than a hundred pages) classic.
One afternoon in 1956, my grandmother, who worked in the town library, brought it home, the latest hot book. I puzzled through the longer sentences, letting a few go by that I didn’t understand. I was caught up in his story of struggle and achievement; I had my own challenges—would I be a starter, was a certain cheerleader interested in me, would I get into a great college? I finished the book and forgot about it.
I won my share of the teenage wars. But, midway through college, I discovered that I was living falsely. There was nothing solid underfoot. Understanding had become more important to me than success that came from pleasing everyone else. I didn’t know what I was looking for exactly, but I knew I had to find it for myself. I dropped out (losing the aforementioned cheerleader) and started over.
To my surprise, I found that the little book had lodged in my subconscious, an arrow from Herrigel’s bow. Without realizing, I had learned from it that “seeking truth” is a real vocation. I could do this; there was precedent, a path, however faint.
A book is a delayed conversation—the better the book, the more intimate the conversation. You read and enjoy it or not, agree, disagree, laugh, cry. Sometimes, even, you are led to act.
The English translation of Zen In The Art Of Archery was published in the U.S. in 1953. Eugen Herrigel died in 1955. A collection of his further writings about Zen, The Method of Zen, was published in 1960.
