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jmoravec's review
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
A short primer to Zen that was pretty light and easy to read. Not knowing much about the actual practice of Zen, I'm not sure how accurate it may portray it, but I think it does generate interest in the topic for further study, which hopefully I'll be able to do in the future.
d5lefko's review against another edition
5.0
Completely changed how I think about running, which is funny because it never mentions running once
yates9's review against another edition
4.0
Quick read walks you through the experience of a German philosopher to learn Japanese archery in ita spiritual Zen form.
The book walks you through the transformation, this process is hard, takes several years and leads to a kind of non conscious state.
The most practical translation I have read of Zen in an accessible format.
The book walks you through the transformation, this process is hard, takes several years and leads to a kind of non conscious state.
The most practical translation I have read of Zen in an accessible format.
alanffm's review
5.0
For what it is Zen in the Art of Archery is an absolutely unique and fantastic book that outlines the relationship between a master and a student and the steps required to master a skill through Zen-inspired practices. While this book focuses mostly on archery (and a bit of swordsmanship near the end) Herrigel's clear writing allows the reader to appropriate the lessons explored in this memoir and apply them to the study of almost any skill or long term complex pursuit. This book truly contains a flexible type of wisdom; I am definitely better off having read it.
talonx's review
1.0
This slim book has two points that are valuable
- Contemplation and meditation (the Vipassana kind) are essential to mastering any skill, including art forms.
- Years of practice are necessary to perfect technical expertise, where the necessary movements become effortless and can be performed without thinking.
There is nothing new about these two, but this book is well-known because it is one of the first books to introduce what Herrigel thought was Zen to Western audiences. Herrigel wrote this book about his experiences with learning archery from a teacher in Japan. I read about this book in Thad Carhart's memoir "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank", where his French piano teacher gives him this book to read to improve his playing.
Although the book attempts to talk about the spiritual dimensions of practice, it does not do to much in that direction. Instead, we get trite utterings which promise to sound profound - if only we could understand them.
A good critique of Herrigel's book is Yamada Shōji's paper "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" - https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/journal/6/issue/162/article/1043 - which demolishes the basis of Herrigel's entire interpretation of his experience.
- Contemplation and meditation (the Vipassana kind) are essential to mastering any skill, including art forms.
- Years of practice are necessary to perfect technical expertise, where the necessary movements become effortless and can be performed without thinking.
There is nothing new about these two, but this book is well-known because it is one of the first books to introduce what Herrigel thought was Zen to Western audiences. Herrigel wrote this book about his experiences with learning archery from a teacher in Japan. I read about this book in Thad Carhart's memoir "The Piano Shop on the Left Bank", where his French piano teacher gives him this book to read to improve his playing.
Although the book attempts to talk about the spiritual dimensions of practice, it does not do to much in that direction. Instead, we get trite utterings which promise to sound profound - if only we could understand them.
A good critique of Herrigel's book is Yamada Shōji's paper "The Myth of Zen in the Art of Archery" - https://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/journal/6/issue/162/article/1043 - which demolishes the basis of Herrigel's entire interpretation of his experience.