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    Zen in the Art of Archery
    Zen in the Art of Archery
    Zen in the Art of Archery
    Audiobook (abridged)1 hour

    Zen in the Art of Archery

    Written by Eugen Herrigel

    Narrated by Ralph Blum

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    This intriguing, influential work of literature—an outstanding way to experience Zen—is now available on cd
    It is almost impossible to understand Zen by studying it as you would other intellectual pursuits. The best way to understand Zen is, simply, to Zen. This is what author Eugen Herrigel allows us to do by sharing his own fascinating journey toward a comprehension of this illuminating philosophy. In Japan, an art such as archery is not practiced solely for utilitarian purposes such as learning to hit targets. Archery is also meant to train the mind and bring it into contact with the ultimate reality. If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an "artless art" growing out of the Unconsciousness. In this way, as the author simply, clearly demonstrates, archery becomes a path to greater understanding and enlightenment.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateJun 1, 2005
    ISBN9781427208583
    Author

    Eugen Herrigel

    EUGEN HERRIGEL (1884-1955), a German professor who taught philosophy at the University of Tokyo, penetrated deeply and personally into the theory and practice of Zen Buddhism. In endeavoring to become a Zen mystic, he experienced the rigorous discipline of training with a Zen Master for six years.

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    Reviews for Zen in the Art of Archery

    4/5

    528 ratings18 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be an interesting and inspiring exploration of Zen and archery. Some readers appreciate the unique perspective on Zen and the honest storytelling. Others find the sentence structure frustrating but enjoy the clarity of the audiobook version. The book is recommended for those searching for meaning, musicians looking to let go of desires, and anyone interested in Zen or Bushido. Overall, it is considered a true classic and a worthwhile read.

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Interresting. we will be reviewing it in class today and I will post class opinions afterwards
    • 5/5
      Just great! I loved it! Recommend for everyone who is searching for meanings
    • 4/5
      Interesting story about a man's study of archery in Japan.
    • 4/5
      A good short story of ones journey through zen archery. It did leave a feeling of wanting more.
    • 5/5
      A true classic that everyone interested in Zen or Bushido should read. Written when getting a book published required expertise.
    • 4/5
      I like the book but maybe wanted for more in depth. I've practiced Kyudo, Japanese Archery liked this idea and manner of Zen that's written in this book
    • 5/5
      A complete revelation. Inspiring, and incredibly honest. An in-depth chronicling of a journey to inner zen.
    • 5/5
      I tried to read the book and became very frustrated with the wonky sentence structure. I decided to listen to the audiobook and couldn’t believe how much clearer it became. The speaker found ways to slightly rearrange some of the phrases in the sentences that allowed them to flow more clearly. Love it! It was a quick listen too. At times, I even followed along with my book. Thanks!!
    • 5/5
      If you are a musician, then I highly recommend this book. This helped me let go of my heavy desires to play well and I became a better musician because of that.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      The lesson don't think, do.
    • 2/5
      There is only one thing the Zen Master has taught me, and it is that mud is better than words ("...boy"). So I feel kind of underwhelmed by Herrigel's attempt to Teutonize kyūdo into submission. Like, as long as he's trying to isolate its unique conceptual essence in the grand tradition of the Romantic philosophers, you're all "yeah right man, I seen the Matrix or the Karate Kid, this never gonna work," and it doesn't, and then he learns to embrace irrationalism and wins the approval of his sensei (and who knows what that means really, since evidently it's not about whether the arrows hit their target exactly, but still kind of is) but he still hasn't emptied out entirely and you can see that unreason for him is still a kind of wild man way to break open and plumb this tradition and something doesn't sit right and then you look him up and sure enough, he was a committed Nazi right to the end and beyond. Presumably of the mystical variety, but still, ugh.
    • 4/5
      This is a very interesting book. Archery in respects to the Japanese is not a sport. Learning archery involves a spiritual approach. You must detach yourself and learn to breath through everything. If you have enough time and patience, you should try it. The author took more than 4 years to become a master.
    • 4/5
      An interesting and informative book on mind and action.
    • 5/5
      A very interesting and enlightening little book on the essence of the spiritual experience in Zen Buddhism.
      A German philosophy professor goes to Japan for six years and practises Zen through archery. The book is a summary of his experience.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite 'small books', Zen in the Art of Archery so well captures what it is to practice any discipline as an exercise in no-self. It is so paradoxical to most of us that the culmination of one's training and study should not be to become 'larger' and 'better,' but rather to essentially disappear so that no credit is taken for what is accomplished.
      Other than practicing a little sitting Zen from time to time, I am on the outside looking in to this great tradition. It is humbling to read a work such as this, and realize what is apparently possible, given the proper frame of mind. Or perhaps: given the absence of no frame of mind.
    • 4/5
      It seems the oriental concept of selfless and that of Meister Eckhart, niht, met in the heart of Herrigel.

      He thought that he lucks something, lucks some capability to accept and understand mysticism. And then he sought that in Japan, found the way to Unio Mystica in Zen in the art of archery.

      Hard to believe what he saw in a hall of archery in the night.
      But the point is what inspired he and not what he saw.
    • 5/5
      when i was studying the harpsichord, my teacher, Margaret Fabrizio, gave me this book as a textbook. it was of course a brilliant idea.
    • 4/5
      Zen and the Art of Archery was written in 1953 by a German philosopher named Eugen Herrigel. It chronicles Herr Herrigel's progress towards an understanding of Zen through the teachings of the Great Doctrine as applied to the martial art of archery. That Herr Herrigel, along with Frau Herrigel, also studied Flower Arranging is mentioned but the author does not dwell upon the subject, rather focusing his very precise descriptions of lessons and ceremony solely on Archery.

      I found the book instructive and very German.

      [Update: I recently saw the film "Enlightenment Guaranteed" and was reminded of Herrigel's book. EG is an intellectual comedy about two German brothers who go on a pilgrimage of sorts to a Zen monastery in Japan. If you liked Bill Murray's "Lost in Translation" I highly recommend "Enlightenment Guaranteed".]