What is “It”?

In the book “Zen in the Art of Archery” by Eugen Herrigel, the author describes

his experience as a pupil of a Japanese Master of Archery during his residence

in Tokyo. Throughout the entire book he expresses his feelings and the lessons

that the Master taught to him.

For many people who do not know the art of Archery profoundly, Archery was

considered a simple sport, but truly the Masters who practice this art did not see

it that way, and the author emphasizes that he learnt that this art goes very far

from just being a sport, instead, it is considered a spiritual ritual.

The author had the purpose of understanding the Zen Buddhism through the

practice and learning of Archery. He took the opportunity to learn with the Master,

whose name was never revealed in the book, for about six years of his life. When

the man arrived to Tokyo, with a different purpose, he had a regular job as a

professor. Even so, he decided to take the advantage to learn and truly

understand more about archery, and it would not be a better opportunity than

personally approaching this Eastern experience.

The author refers to the pursuit of Zen in archery as:

"(...) The archer ceases to be conscious of himself as the one who is engaged in

hitting the bull's-eye which confronts him. This state of unconscious is realized

only when, completely empty and rid of the self, he becomes one with the
perfecting of his technical skill, though there is in it something of a quite different

order which cannot be attained by any progressive study of the art (...)"

Throughout the entire reading, it is mentioned that Zen is a concept very complex

to understand in words and it can only be pursuit personally and learnt through

personal experience. It is also constantly mentioned that in the pursuit of Zen the

archer goes through a contest with himself. Though not exactly did it mean that

the archer should aim at himself, but instead become part of both, the hitter and

the hit simultaneously. The concept of becoming one with the object of work is

also very present in many Japanese arts. Although Herrigel mentions as well that

the tangible objects of work, in this case arrow and bow, are not the goal itself

and that the chief goal could happen without them.

There are similar concepts of Zen Buddhism that are very broad and mystical

that the author narrates. “Detachment” is probably the most repeated concept

that he mentions, because this had a great importance for the Master. He was

asked to get rid of himself and leave everything in the past, be patient with

himself in order to learn and accomplish the lessons of this art. The Master

referred to Archery as an ”artless art” in order to emphasize that the efforts in this

spiritual ritual should be effortless.

The Master asked him several times to let the shot fell or go and let it take

himself by surprise. It was important to let it happen without thinking too much

about every movement, right position and taking consciousness of everything.

“The right art, is purposeless, aimless!” said the Master. For the pupil to hit the

goal, it was not him the only one who should obstinately try to hit it but at the

same time let the goal come to him.

This last concept resonated in my head several times when I kept reading the

book, because it was so constantly repeated in different ways and every time I

felt that it became deeper in meaning. It was not until the middle to the ending of

the book that I understood that what Herrigel was trying to find was impossible to

find it in books, colleges or even words of Masters. The only way to find “it” was

in the constant struggling and growing of his spiritual self.

Herrigel asked the master how would it be possible to the shot to happen if he

waited self – obliviously without actually doing it. The Master mentions that “It”

waited until the highest tension. Herrigel never mentions in words what “It really

is though. But it was still enlightening and understandable after reading his

experiences with this great Master.

For us, as musicians, that especial “It” that we look for a long period of time can

vary from one person to another. It is true that most of us, at some point of our

artistic careers have been frustrated because we found ourselves learning very

slowly and sometimes not learning at all, or at least thinking that we are not really

learning. I have been studying music since I am 10 years old, now I am 26 and I
feel that I had probably thousands of different types of lessons but I cannot say

that I am an expertise and that I have found that complete “detachment”.

I can definitely distinguish my triumphs from my failures, just as Herrigel did once

he started to liberate from himself.

As performers and musicians, it is primordial to find the perfect combination of

our instruments or voices with the consciousness of the technique we are using

to reach our goals. It is very easy to forget about essential factors, such as

breathing, relaxing, letting ourselves go throughout the emotional sides of the

music. It is very easy to fall in the path of doing everything automatically and

forgetting about being one with our instruments, in mind, body and soul. But

definitely this book helped me rethink about my approach to my daily practices

and that sometimes it is not only important or beneficial but necessary to forget

about ourselves, our fears and our obstinacy and simply find a spiritual and free

way to generate music in an effortless way.