Zen in the Art of Archery & Zen and Swordsmanship

Zen in the Art of Archery, and Zen in Swordsmanship are two of the most read and respected texts which, paradoxically, bring Japanese martial arts into the fold of Buddhism with its deeply peaceful attitude to life. How did this happen, and how does it work? These are classic studies from two very different authors, a German teacher of philosophy and a Japanese scholar respected for his knowledge of Zen. Eugen Herrigel stayed in Japan in the 1920s, and became the first Western to learn Kyudo, the Art of Archery, under the eye of a traditional master, submitting to the traditional Japanese methods of practice. It proved a transforming experience. Newly translated for this recording. D. T. Suzuki, by contrast, used his extensive knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture to explain how the still environment as expressed in the Tea Ceremony and the Japanese garden can be seen in the potentially lethal and uncompromising medium of The Way of the Sword. Both authors show how, en route to mastery of these arts, it is necessary to dissolve the ego. A far cry from the vain posturing so easily associated with martial practice.