A whistling arrow

[Sketch]

Ok, the funniest thing about archery from a self development  point of view was reading this;

 

 

http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/nfile/2726

 

It's a hilarious article by Shoji Yamada, "The Myth Of Zen in the Art of Archery", which explains that the author of that influential book was pretty willfully misunderstanding both the circumstances under which he was receiving archery instruction and the words his translator was conveying to him.

 

b'dum bum tish.

 

I've put the archery tackle away for the season, mostly been shooting 30 pound Bear Grizzly at hay bales at 16 yards in the backyard. In the spring I plan to debut/test a new release based on "Beautiful Ladies Hand" and other "releasy" things I'm working on within my practice.

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by Sketch

[Sketch]

[idiot_stimpy]

Quote

If the target and I become one，this means that I and the Buddha become one. Then, if I and the Buddha become one, this means that the arrow is in the center of an unmoved center, which is both existent and nonexistent, and thus in the center of the target. The arrow is in the center. If we interpret this with our awakened consciousness, then we see that the arrow issues from the center and enters the center. For this reason, you must not aim at the target but aim at yourself. If you do this, you will hit you yourself, the Buddha, and the target all at once. (Herrigel 1982，p. 43)

 

I loved this one.

Edited December 15, 2020 by idiot_stimpy

[Toni]

so everything was just in the mind of Herrigel? hahaha I am not even surprised honestly, but it is very funny. The difference between what the master said and what this german understood must had been huge. I wonder how many deluded westerners, included Herrigel, there have been.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Toni

[Sketch]

The punchline is... it's still not the worst set of notions to have when you pick up a bow.

[Sketch]

https://www.qigonginstitute.org/abstract/851/on-the-application-of-qigong-in-archery-synopsis

[Sketch]

Picked the bow up again. No brilliant improvement in form, but a more stable stance, coming from a better root. 

 

30 pound Bear Grizzly,  cedar shafts, 16 yards. Feels good to shoot again at the least.