One Arrow, One Life: Zen, Archery, Enlightenment

by Kenneth Kushner, Jackson Morisawa

One Arrow, One Life is the ultimate study of kyudo (the art of traditional Japanese archery) and its relation to the ideals and practice of Zen Buddhism. But it's much It also serves perfectly as an informal manual of practice for anyone who wants to bring a living, moving Zen into the activities of everyday life. Beginning with a solid introduction to the foundation techniques of both kyudo and zazen-breathing, posture, and concentration-and quickly moving on to the subtleties of advanced practice, Ken Kushner then ties it all together into a personal testimony of the pervasiveness of Zen in everyday life. For those interested in Zen and moving meditation, kyudo practitioners of all levels, as well as students of the Way of martial arts, this volume, beautifully illustrated with line drawings by Jackson Morisawa, is an indispensable guidebook.

Genres: Philosophy, Zen, Nonfiction, Self Help

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the techniques of meditation, that is, sitting posture, breathing technique, and method of focus. The authors also apply these ideas to zazen (sitting) meditation and to kyudo, which is the art of Japanese archery. There is also a very interesting chapter on "chi".

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este é o segundo livro que eu leio sobre arquearia zen. Tudo isso para desenvolver um artigo sobre o Arqueiro Verde Connor Hawke que é também um arqueiro zen, entre outras coisas. Enquanto o primeiro livro, escrito por Eugen Herrigel era um livro mais esotérico, místico e misterioso, este, de Kenneth Kushner é mais claro sobre a arte da arquearia zen. Ele fala sobre o kiudô e o caminho do arqueiro e como ele se relaciona com alguns princípios da cultura japonesa e do budismo. Ele traz os passos do processo, uma meta interior. Ele diz que se alguém arremessar a flecha e não acertar o alvo, vai ter sucesso da mesma fora, porque mesmo que o alvo não seja atingido, o arqueiro não deixa de acertá-lo, tendo atingido o estado espiritual necessário. Essa é uma filosofia bastante complexa de se entender para nós, ocidentais, criados dentro da lógica da essência, da meta e da identidade, enquanto os orientais são orientados pelo princípio da ausência. Mas seguimos tentando.

[Ferci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Enlightening

After all the books on Zen that I have read, this is, by far, my favourite. And not only because it was written by my teacher, but because it truly encapsulates the experience of a westerners that runs into Zen training just to have their life changed forever. Highly recommended to those who train in the Zen arts.

[William Carey]

Easy read, big insights.

[Ame Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book, except for the constant referral to "Zen and the Art of Archery." I read that book, too, so you don't have to keep quoting it. Other than that, this is a really great book, especially for someone who recently took up archery (not Kyudo - this book would be even better for that person).

[John Fredrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book, Hits on martial arts, Zen, breathing, spirituality.

[Mark Bourdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading to be a successful archer and the lessons that are inter-related with life.