Eugen Herrigel

Zen in the Art of Archery

Zen in the Art of Archery, originally published in German, was first published in English in 1953, the first book to introduce Zen Buddhism to a Western audience. The translation was rather formal and scholarly, making for difficult reading about a subject that was already hard to understand. This new translation skillfully transmits the book's original meaning in a simpler, smoother style more accessible to modern readers, but with all of the author's fascinating experiences, explanations, and anecdotes intact. In this illuminating account, the author recounts his six-year study of archery as a way to understand Zen. Under the guidance of one of Japan's great archery masters, he gradually overcomes his initial misconceptions and inhibitions and begins to feel his way toward new, true ways of seeing, acting, and living. The author writes, "The art of archery is like a preparatory school for Zen, enabling beginners to understand, through their own experience, events that are not in themselves intelligible." Mastering archery is not the key to achieving enlightenment, and this is not a practical guide to archery. Rather, it is a fascinating introduction to Zen principles and learning, an excellent and informative guide for anyone who wants to know more about the "Great Doctrine" practiced by the spiritual teachers of the Asian tradition.