Zen in the Art of Archary
As I sat around thinking of how I could answer this question, I realized that I had never experienced the feeling where I lost my ordinary sense of self-consciousness that Eugen Herrigel describes. I can come up with numerous occurrences in my life where I lost track of time, but not the loss of self-consciousness as well. I would imagine it must take vigorous training to learn this skill of such magnitude. Of course there are instances when I have become very relaxed where I just think to myself and lose track of my surroundings. However, to me this state of mind is more of a daydream state, which everyone has. It is still very far from losing your self-consciousness, because even with that feeling I can still say that I am thinking in terms of “I” and not in terms if “IT”. I cant say that I have ever felt this outside force of “IT” that Eugen mentions. Nevertheless, the closest occurrence I can think of is when reading a book, in which I am very interested. When I get into this state of mind I began to truly enjoy the experience, doing so with extreme focus on the text. This is the best example I can supply that . . .
Therefore, my reading a book example is all I can produce to answering this question. It's as if the natural state of the arrow is in the center of the target, and the only contribution is to free the arrow to pursue it rightful place. According to Herrigel "For access to the art - and the master archers of all times are agreed in this - is only granted to those who are 'pure' in heart, untroubled by subsidiary aims. This is why it can help develop such a great state of unconcerned immersion. When a man reaches this stage of "spiritual" development, he is a Zen artist of life. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an "artless art" growing out of the Unconscious. All the while, trying not to think about technique, nor to strive to hit the goal, eventually achieving a "purposeless and egoless" state, which allows the arrow to shoot itself supposedly. " Thus, the pursuit of archery is not one of sport, but one of gradual mastery of one's self. However, I feel that it does not relate because, when reading a book, there is no need for me to achieve a purposeless and egoless state. The book example came to mind because I felt there were similarities in the activities that led to the Zen state that Herrigel explained. When reading a great book time can just fly away, and I can feel myself becoming one with the book, where its no longer me reading but experiencing the words. In addition I suspect that I am having trouble answering this question since I probably don’t fully understand what must occur or what it feels like to transform oneself into this state of mind. I can read a textbook and have minutes feel as hours. On the other hand, there are probably examples in my life that I cannot think of, which might better relate in answering this question.
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