This book was written in 1948 by German philosopher Eugen Herrigel. It introduced "Zen" to people in the West. It is said that Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, loved to read this book in his lifetime.
This is an account of Mr. Herrigel's experience learning the martial art of Kyudo during his stay in Japan. His teacher at that time was Kenzo Awa, a master archer who was called the "Saint of Archery. The story focuses on the difficult teachings of the master and Herrigel's emotional struggle to understand them. I was so amazed at some of the divine feats that I thought it was a fantasy story. He told us, "Don't aim at the target," "Draw the bow with your heart, not your arm strength," and "Don't release the arrow by your own will. Like Herrigel, I found it difficult to understand many of his instructions, but I could feel the spiritual power of human beings.
Even if you are not interested in Zen, it was an interesting story and I recommend it. EBITEN
