Zen Master

I just subscribed to everybody's blogs in the class and in doing so realized that I forgot to post my reaction the the Zen and the Art of Archery Reading. Here it is.

When reading Zen and the Art of Archery I couldn't help thinking about my own experiences in archery. Much as I would have liked to relate the story to my daily practiced, I related to it literally. I can empathize completely with the student and hs inability to shoot as the Master does. Just like him, I am not very good and rarely hit the target. However, every once in a while, when everything aligns just right, and my mind points just in the right direction, the arrow releases with a difinitive feeling of purpose and truth. I always took this to mean that my arms, legs, back, and general posture were all in alignment, that I had correct form. I had never thought that the bow was acting on me.
I think when the master talks about the bow cutting through you, he's referring to the equilibrium of forces and wills. The line from the article that really resonated with me was, "...am I creating tension in the bow, or is the bow creating tension in me?"
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every will there is an equal and opposite will. Of course the bow shoots you, how else do you expect to fire the arrow. I think the master is talking about the oneness of all things. And until you understand that, you will never master anything. Once you have submitted yourself and given yourself up to be part of a whole, that's when mastery comes.