Zen in the Art of Archery [B0085]

1999 PB reprint of 1953 original, 81-pages. A classic work on Eastern philosophy, and a charming, deeply illuminating story of one man's experience with Zen. Eugen Herrigel, a German professor of Philosophy in Tokyo, took up the study of archery as a step toward an understanding of Zen Buddhism. This book is his account of the six years he spent as a student of one of Japan's great kyudo (archery) masters, and of how he gradually overcame his initial inhibitions and began to feel his way toward new truths and ways of seeing.

From Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Beautiful insight into Zen. Zen and many aspects of Buddhism are hard to explain, but this book gives the reader a simple but deep understanding. A short book but like the Tao Teh Ching, the more often it is read, the deeper the insights into life are revealed."; "An interesting take on Zen Buddhism...reading this under the advisory of a Buddhist professor gave me much more insight into his teachings. As I used to do archery competitively, as well, reading about the experience of someone who found Zen in Eastern archery practices makes Western archery practices dull in comparison."; "This is one of the most beautiful and compelling texts on Buddhism there will ever be. You can read it in an hour. Please do."