Here are the inspirational life and teachings of Awa Kenzo — , the Zen and kyudo archery master who gained worldwide renown after the publication of Eugen Herrigel's cult classic Zen in the Art of Archery in Kenzo lived and taught at a pivotal time in Japan's history, when martial arts were practiced primarily for self-cultivation, and his wise and penetrating instructions for practice and life —including aphorisms, poetry, instructional lists, and calligraphy—are infused with the spirit of Zen.
Kenzo uses the metaphor of the bow and arrow to challenge the practitioner to look deeply into his or her own true nature.
Home Explore. My Cart. Advanced Search. Home Zen Bow, Zen Arrow. It is credited with introducing Zen to Western audiences in the late s and s. Jan 26, Ken rated it liked it Shelves: Can we please ban money and all its accouterments and live by the High Arts; that might then bring some insipid meaning back to our lives?
The wider theme of many of these works is that a regular routine can have a spiritual dimension. This, too, you must practice unceasingly. Some of my favorite quotes from a practical perspective are below. Mass Market Paperback81 pages. Zen takes Buddhism a step beyond the simple dictums of Theravada.
You cannot conceive how important it is. For me from my sadly limited experience of archery the incident is a demonstration of a thoroughly practical nature. Further there was deep cultural misunderstanding on at least one occasion. If it resonates with you like it did me, it has hit its target. The relationship between the teacher and the taught involving; and if as Yamada Shoji argues The Myth of Zen and the Art of Archery the archery teacher had no formal insight, background in or knowledge of Zen many of their conversations become inadvertently humorous.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Alone, Kenzo went to the archery range and with his beloved bow and arrows quietly faced the target.
He was determined. Would Jiis flesh perish first? Would his spirit live on? He was determined that with this shot there would be no retreat, not even so much as a single step. The Ditter struggle continued. His body had already passed its limit. His life would end here. He thought it must be from heaven since never before had he heard such a clear, high, strong sound from the twanging of the bowstring and from the arrow piercing the target.
At this moment the self is both the self yet not the self. Surprisingly, it appears that Awa never practiced Zen even once in his life. The year after Awa established Daishadokyo, however, he fell ill. Awa died of illness in during his sixtieth year. Nonetheless, as a religious organization, Dai- shaddky6 died with Awa.
Herrigel was born near Heidelberg in At the University of Heidelberg he first studied theology but later switched to philosophy. Academically he belonged to the Neo-Kantian school of philosophy. As a result of his interest in mysticism Herrigel became interested in Zen, which he thought to be the most mystical of religions, and through Zen he developed an interest in Japanese culture.
In Herrigel obtained a position as a lecturer at Tohoku Im perial University in Sendai, where he taught philosophy until Already from the time I was a student I had assiduously researched mystical doctrine, that of Germany in particular. This was something of an ultimate nature, which seemed as though it would never come to appear to me and which I felt I would never be able to resolve.
I felt as though I was standing before the final gate and yet had no key with which to open it. Subsequent cases of this practice are not noted, but should be obvious from the publication dates of the works cited. Regarding D. Actually, all three sets of essays were published in time for Herrigel to read them before writing his first account of Japanese archery. I too had jumped up in order to get out in the open.
I wanted to tell the colleague with whom I had been talking to hurry up, when I noticed to my astonishment that he was sitting there unmoved, hands folded, eyes nearly closed, as though none of it concerned him.
Not like someone who hangs back irresolutely, or who has not made up his mind, but like someone who, without fuss, was doing something— or not-doing something— perfectly naturally Follow ing that advice, Herrigel decided to learn kyujutsu. From these essays it is clear that Herrigel read extensively about Zen. When Komachiya had studied at the Number Two college which prepared students for Tohoku Imperial University he was enrolled in Awa5s first kyujutsu class. In both Herrieel and Komachiya became instructors in the Faculty of Law and literature that had been established only the previous year.
Looking back on the situation that prevailed at that time, in Komachiya wrote: I think it was the spring of Please introduce me to instructor Awa. I wondered what had caused him to want to try his hand at it. I have finally realized that there are many things in Japanese culture that should be studied.
Komachiya subsequently prevailed upon Awa, who agreed to teach Herrigel on the condition that Komachiya take upon himself the responsibility oi interpreting. Thus, Herrigel beean taKing lessons in archery from Awa once a week.
Consider the characteristics of these two protagonists. There was Herrigel who ceaselessly searched for Zen and Awa who by no means affirmed Zen. What were the conversations between these two men actually like? Do not aim at it. In the English-language translation , which is divided into a different number o f u n tile d chapters, it corresponds to pages We then went to the shooting area.
Since the master was standing directly in the light, he was dazzlingly illuminated. The target, however, was in complete darkness. The master had said not a word for some time. Silently he took up his bow and two arrows.
He shot the first arrow. From the sound I knew it hit the target. The second arrow also made a sound as it hit the target. The master motioned to me to verify the condition of the two arrows that had been shot. The first arrow was cleanly lodged in the center of the target. The second arrow had struck the nock of the first one and split it in two. I brought the arrows back to the shooting area. The master looked at the arrows as if in deep thought and after a short while said the following Facing a target that is practically invisible, the master shoots an arrow and hits the mark.
Anyone would be moved by this story. I posited that the arrow was 8 millimeters in diameter and that it was shot into a standard target, which is 38 centimeters in diameter.
Then, I used , computer simulations to find the probability of an archer with a These computer simulations yielded a 0. I have ruined one of my favorite arrows! Is it possible that Awa did not want to divulge that he had shattered the nock of his arrow because he regarded it as something of which he should be ashamed?
Awa laughed and said, 4You know, sometimes really strange things happen. Herrigel went to retrieve the arrows, but after a long time he did not return. Oh, Eugen! How come you do not answer? I went up to him like this. Then, without removing the arrows from the target, he brought them back I had no special intention to demonstrate such a thing.
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