Zen in the Art of Archery
by Eugen Herrigel · first published 1948
44% recommend56% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Short, personal account of learning archery as inner discipline and letting go of effort; recommended for its Zen ideas of self-forgetting and mastery through practice, and for readers curious about Zen beyond textbooks.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The path to achieving Zen (a balance between the body and the mind) is brilliantly explained by Professor Eugen Herrigel in this timeless account. This book is the result of the author’s six year quest to learn archery in the hands of Japanese Zen masters. It is an honest account of one man’s journey to complete abandonment of ‘the self’ and the Western principles that we use to define ourselves. Professor Herrigel imparts knowledge from his experiences and guides the reader through physical and spiritual lessons in a clear and insightful way. Mastering archery is not the key to achievin
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Zen in the art of archery Best book about Zen I've ever read. It doesn't relate to anything about computers but if you get into the Zen philosophy your whole life will be more satisfactory and thus you'll become more productive.
on “What one book could give me a new, useful superpower?” ↗…Wikipedia [1] is not terrible. The other concept indicated in the last paragraph on "results tank" not "effort tank" is lust of result. There aren't as many sources discussing this topic directly, but Zen in the Art of Archery [2] is good, as is Watts' Way of Zen [3]. I highly recommend them all for anyone interested in creating things. [0] http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Watercourse-Way-Alan-Watts/dp/0394... [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_wei…
on “Toss Your Expectations Into the Ocean” ↗Fascinating concept. For those interested (and who have not yet done so) look into Zen Buddhism, which has been teaching this lack-of-self for ages. I recommend Herrigel's "Zen in the art of Archery," and Suzuki "An Introduction to Zen Buddhism." Both Zen and the more modern take on the ego (or lack thereof) in this book are endlessly interesting.
on “The Illusion of Self” ↗…the teachings of W. Edwards Deming, and it's fundamentally how Jobs turned Apple around. Lots of lessons here, the most important of which are not technological in the slightest. Recommended reading: Zen in the Art of Archery: http://rum1.aarch.dk/uploads/media/Eugen_Herrigel-Zen_in_the... The Zen of Steve Jobs: http://www.forbes.com/special-report/2012/the-zen-of-steve-j... A Short intro to the teachings of W. Edwards Deming:…
on “Jonathan Ive and the Future of Apple” ↗You might like the book "Zen in the Art of Archery" by Eugen Herrigel, first published in 1948 / 1953 (German / English).
on “Why didn't France adopt the longbow like England did?” ↗This feels like the start of scientific insight into what is described in the classic Zen in the Art of Archery. [1] [1] https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Archery-Eugen-Herrigel/dp/037...
on “Why athletes need a ‘quiet eye’” ↗"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom"—Richard P. Feynman (1959) http://www.phy.pku.edu.cn/~qhcao/resources/class/QM/Feynman'... "Zen in the Art of Archery" — Eugen Herrigel (1953)http://www.ideologic.org/files/Eugen_Herrigel_-_Zen_in_the_A... "What is it like to be a bat?" — Thomas Nagel (1974) https://organizations.utep.edu/portals/1475/nagel_bat.pdf…
on “Ask HN: Older textbooks/papers you consider classics still worth studying today?” ↗As to any discipline that deals with abject failure, I'd recommend reading "Zen in the art of archery".
on “Jack Sharp works of amateur photographer circa 1950-1970” ↗…your wife isn't happy to see you fencing (which I can understand) you might want to take a look at archery instead? And add this book (which impressed me during my teenage years) to your reading list: Zen in the Art of Archery - Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_in_the_Art_of_Archery
on “How to live an intellectually rich life” ↗Ever read Zen In The Art of Archery[1]? In it, the author talks about how, when learning a brand new physical practice like archery, at first you just dive in and start doing it without knowing the fundamentals and, truly, how difficult…
on “Mindfulness and meditation can worsen depression and anxiety” ↗For those unfamiliar with the works, it's a good reference. In 'Zen in the Art of Archery' Eugen Herrigel uses archery as a metaphor to initially learn, and then to teach Zen to a western audience because teaching it directly, intellectually, is indicated to be impossible. Pirsig's novel…
on “On the Road with Aristotle: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974)” ↗…were asked which books «left them transformed». Individual responses included: -- The Bible -- Aristotle - Nicomachean Ethics; Politics; Rhetoric -- Ralph Ellison - Invisible Man -- Eugen Herrigel - Zen in the Art of Archery -- The Way of a Pilgrim -- Pirkei Avot (transl. "Ethics of Our Fathers" or "Fundamental Principles") -- Lev Tolstoy - The Death of Ivan Ilyich -- George Eliot - Middlemarch -- Roland Huntford - Shackleton…
on “Maybe this book will change your life (2022)” ↗I don't think the intent of Robert Pirsig's work was to outline a git gud strategy cloaked in chillness. The book is heavily inspired by Eugen Herrigel's Zen in the Art of Archery which is explicitly not about trying to get good at something. Both books highlight the value of dissolving conscious aim in favor of experience something. Pirsig's point isn't, you gotta act like a…
on “Zen and the Art of Machine Learning Research” ↗…of understanding the concept better, and possibly laying out proactive steps one can take to put themselves in a position to experience mushin. I'm about 70% through all the readings (Unfettered Mind, Zen in the Art of Archery, Kakusei-Mushin, some Alan Watts videos on the subject, some Zen Koan videos, and more). So far, it's very evident that the feeling of being in a "flow state" or "just doing it" is not something that…
on “Thinking on Your Feet” ↗"Its title is the genesis of your buzzy cliche" It's not, actually. The progenitor of such titles is "Zen in the Art of Archery",[1] which was published 26 years earlier. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_in_the_Art_of_Archery
on “On the Road with Aristotle: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974)” ↗