"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" – Eugen Herrigel
ZEN meditation teaches conscious experiencing with effortless ease. Practical application of a simple technique is utilized for the path to enlightenment. The idea is to become one with the object you hold in this moment above all else through transcending physical boundaries in spirit, thus achieving genuine understanding and direct insight into the true nature of things. In Zen archery the student is taught to become one with the aim of the arrow.
Zen practice is an approach to managing the human mind and its tendency to seek suffering. In daily meditation the mind and body are calmed and healed. An emphasis on the spiritual aspect versus the material is suggested since attachment to the physical increases desire and the need to control, which in essence is unattainable and with that it promotes suffering as in unquenchable continuous thirst.
Zen is a practice that utilizes a phenomenon deliberately – the magnetism of intense mental/emotional process. You become what you think (if you give it enough time and energy). Notice how old people become physical representations of their belief system and lifestyle. It may not be too obvious when you’re young, but in looking back, you may notice that in fact your intense wishes have come true and your life reflects your interior.
Zen offers the basic simplicity meditation. Be one with everything – fully embrace fate and reality as is. We are advised to sit, raise our awareness of the breath, and gently notice all our feelings… and resistance melts.
Wikipedia Quote: "Through years of practice, a physical activity becomes effortless,
both mentally and physically, as if the body executes complex and difficult movements without conscious control from the mind."