This notebook is very thin. I rummaged in my bag and on the subway. I have read many books of this kind, and I don't find it difficult to understand. The roads are connected, and now the more you look at them, the more you can find the same point of view in different books.
I quickly finished turning over this little book. At the end of the page, there is a brief introduction of the author and the author's archery teacher. When they calculate their age, they are not even old. The archery teacher is 60 years old and the author is 7 1 year old. A little surprised, I always feel that practitioners should live longer. From this perspective, there is still a difference between the art channel and the body channel. They devote themselves to an art, and through the continuous cultivation of art, they reach the realm of self-forgetting, and then realize the promotion of art. The cultivation of Taoism is to focus on the body, open up the meridians of the body, eliminate all kinds of stasis, reach the initial realm, and realize the desire and desire of body and mind. Of course, these are just my fantasies, not necessarily facts.
In the preface to the translation of this book, it is said: In order to pursue the meaning of life that cannot be obtained in philosophy, German philosophy professor Ogen Heyliger came to Japan to study Zen. After hitting a wall everywhere, he experienced the meaning of Zen through archery. It can be seen that Zen is a living experience and does not exist in any language. Experience what? Experience the true heart of the moment. We ordinary people can't get rid of our troubles because our consciousness is almost always trapped in the projection of ourselves, or longing for or worrying about the future, or recalling or regretting the past, so we can't really live in the present selflessly. The current sincere state can be said to be a balanced state of mind without any greed or hatred, accepting all food equally and completely, and freeing oneself from all troubles and pains.
This avenue is nameless. Whether it is Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, Krishnamu or any other viewpoints and theories, they all emphasize the initial heart and natural heart without any prejudice. Our normal mind is a "machine mind" with a delusional mind. After getting rid of delusion, the mind is free, so there is no fear, no pain, no old age. In other words, people in the Qing Dynasty can always be quiet, and heaven and earth will be returned.
But such a heart is really hard to repair. Reading, meditation and thinking are difficult to achieve enlightenment. This book is realized by archery. Reading this book will naturally remind you of Morishita Noriko's book "Every Day is a Good Day". Similarly, that book also pursues a quiet mind without me through the study of tea ceremony. Similar arts include flower patterns, calligraphy and painting.
When shooting an arrow, the teacher asks you to relax all over, don't exert yourself, forget your goal and forget that you are shooting an arrow. Focus on breathing, let yourself really relax through breathing, and achieve a state of no self. Then let the arrow go out and find the bull's-eye.
This seems to be quite different from our usual skills. We emphasize keeping an eye on the target and staying nervous. You have to pull the bow with all your strength, otherwise it is impossible to pull it. But the teacher just asked not to pull the bow hard. Breathing in archery will make the arrow deviate from the target. The teacher's requirement is to feel the automatic shooting of the arrow when shooting, rather than aiming consciously.
In short, all activities should be conscious and unconscious. This is a detour, but this is what Zen pursues, to consciously reach the unconscious, that is, to return to the original state. There is nothing to do but do and practice what the teacher says over and over again. And you practice, practice enough, practice according to the teacher's ceremony and requirements, and one day you will realize. At this time, whether you aim at the target or not, the arrow will shoot at the bull's-eye. Because your heart knows.
Without personal practice, it is difficult to say clearly and understand. Perhaps this is why many people seem to find it difficult, although this little book is very thin. Studying Zen-related art here, the ceremony is very important and the steps are very important. Don't worry, don't think too much, just do it, do it over and over again, take it from your hand and take it from your heart. Just like every day is a good day for Nakamori to learn the tea ceremony, although I don't understand why the teacher did it, I just follow it, not one step less or one step more. When I do it, I will become skilled and my heart will gradually understand. As time went on, I found myself calm and realized the Zen in the tea ceremony.
Reading this book also reminds me of the two-disc record of Xiaoxi I saw recently. From 20 13 to now, five years have passed, and Xiaoxi's body and mind have made great progress. The elegance and tranquility revealed on her body make people feel very comfortable. Although it is not a natural beauty, there is no tall figure and exquisite facial features, but the overall posture and temperament are beautiful, a quiet beauty. She also sat quietly in the double disc by doing leg work, and realized the happiness of being completely empty and without me. This is also a practice.
Focus can live in the present, and living in the present is to return to the original heart. Keep your initial heart, you can experience no self and get rid of no self. Liberation is happiness.
Let yourself focus on one thing, focus on what you like, this is the least laborious exercise. Focus on the matter itself, not on winning, trophies, bonuses, honors, status or other purposes.
Of course, some people are interested in winning, that is, getting ahead and attracting attention. There is no absolute truth, and everyone has the right to pursue the truth that conforms to his personal temperament. As Wendy Wang once said, "Every world view is a pod. Inside the pod, it has the power of concentration, and it is the unity of knowledge and action. Find your pod. " Concentrate your strength and work in your cabin.