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What does this even mean?!

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Mesophilic:
Watching a Japanese archery documentary.

Took away two quotes from the show:


--- Quote ---If you focus on hitting the target you will always miss, the aim is to hit the target without trying to.
--- End quote ---


--- Quote ---If you will yourself to hit the target this will upset your mind.
--- End quote ---

What do these quotes mean?  Maybe someone here could explain it in a way that makes sense.

Pappy:
To deep for this feeble mind, some think ZEN will do your shooting for you. ;) :)
 Pappy

WhistlingBadger:
Ha ha, Zen thinking.  I'd say the take away, to my feeble mind, is "Don't overthink it too much; don't get so upset about misses that you forget to learn from them; don't be so intent on hitting the mark that you fail to appreciate the journey; the ultimate goal is to be so  one with the arrow that it hits the mark without your conscious effort;" all that sort of thing.

It might also help to keep in mind that, for a Zen practitioner, hitting the mark is not really the point.  The goal is spiritual enlightenment, and archery (or flower arranging, or calligraphy, or bonsai, or martial arts, or whatever) is just the vehicle to get there.  At least, that's how I understand it.  Pretty heavy stuff for a Tuesday morning when I haven't had a cup of tea yet.  Best I can do.   :o

TimBo:
Try to find a copy of Zen in the Art of Archery.  Actually I think I have a second copy I can send you if you want.  It is a good read and talks a lot about this issue.

mullet:
I was taking Zen Archery for a few months. Basically what I got from it was that trying to perfect your form till you did not have to think about what you were doing was more important then thinking about where you would hit the target.Once shooting became as natural as breathing you wouldn't have any trouble hitting the target.

I trained in Japanese karate for over 40 years and I remember Otsuka Sensei , the founder of Wado Ryu, say that in all of the years he had trained he never learned to throw a perfect punch.

It's Zen. Always thriving for perfection and harmony. WhistlingBadger is on it.

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