Zen in the Art of Archery

By Eugen Herrigel

A classic work on Eastern philosophy, Zen in the Art of Archery is a charming and 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 the 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.

Recommended by 3 people

Aubrey Marcus: “Zen is not about what you are doing, it is about how you are doing it... As an amateur archer myself, I found the archery analogy to fit me well.”
Ryan Holiday
Shane Parrish: “The author, Eugen Herrigel, spent time in Japan after World War II and wanted to better understand Zen Buddhism. This is impossible to understand through books and requires an activity. He picked archery and found a Zen master who reluctantly accepted him as a student.”