In classic Zen training the masters proposed four very simple practices: archery, calligraphy, pouring tea, and arranging flowers. The goal was not to create an impressive result—a bull’s-eye, a masterpiece, the perfect matcha latte, a good-looking vase. The goal was the process itself. Could they devote every bit of their focus to the task at hand, without letting their mind wander? Could they take the perfect shot, make the perfect stroke, the one where 100 percent of their mind, body, and spirit was unified in the task at hand?
