***Zen Meditation: How it Works

For people in the West, Zen Buddhist meditation can often seem mysterious and magical, as well as a bit confusing at times. If you take some time to look unde
eath the mythology around Zen, however, it can be much easier to comprehend.

I have to warn you, though, that discovering the simplicity behind Zen will remove the magic and mystery that has drawn so many people to it in the first place.

Okay, so let’s take a closer look.

My focus for this discussion is going to be on Zen archery, also called Kyudo, often referred to as Zen meditation in motion. It’s a useful example because when you have an understanding of Zen archery, it will become clear how these principles relate to other meditation forms.

There is a fascinating paradox in Kyudo in that you try to shoot an arrow at your target without attempting to actually hit the target. Having correct form is important - and if you had it, you would hit the target - still, your goal is to stay unattached to either hitting the target or doing the form correctly. This creates an impossible, but brilliant paradox: you try to do it perfectly, but you can't do it perfectly, so you want to be okay about not being perfect while still trying to be perfect.

While doing Zen archery, with the bow fully drawn, you must also balance strength and relaxation, openness and focus, and an edge between being in control and being out of control. You are using a potentially dangerous weapon that could be harmful to you or those near you, so you need to treat it respectfully, yet still stay casual.

While attempting to master such an impossible practice, you generally experience just a few different types of thoughts. Striving is one, the desire to hit the target and do the form properly. Fear is another, knowing that with too little or too much control you might hurt someone, including yourself. Still another is the desire to look good doing the right form, knowing that people, including your teacher, are watching you. When you think you actually are doing well, pride can come up. Then there are the usual random thoughts that float through your mind when you grow bored with the whole thing.

Generally, as you shoot the arrows, you have one of these four or five thoughts arise each time. Not much else happens. Again and again, you go through the same steps to shoot and the same thoughts come up.

One of the first things you discover doing while doing this is that you can practice regardless of whether or not these thoughts come up. The presence of thoughts can’t actually prevent you from shooting the arrow.

So, eventually, after much time and repetition, your thoughts just become a bit less interesting.

With more time invested (and "more time" could mean decades), as your practice continues, you get completely bored with your thoughts. You get worn out listening to all the same thoughts pass through your mind each and every time you point your bow at the target, pull the string back, and let it fly.

In time - did I say this might take decades? - you will get so bored with all the same repetitious garbage going through your mind that you will learn to ignore it. Sometimes, it doesn’t even show up any more.

Basically, you bore yourself to death, and the end result is that you are left with a small amount of quiet.

So, if this seems like what you are looking for - boring yourself to tears for years and years in order to find some quiet in your mind - let me share the Zen punch line: There is no relief in finding that quiet.

The quiet doesn't bring happiness or make you feel any better. The quiet becomes just as boring as the annoying repetitious nonsense was!

You have probably already guessed that the only real difference betwee
Zen archery and sitting in Zen meditation practice is that Kyudo tends to have a more limited range of thoughts for you to grow tired of. Given the greater variety in the thoughts that come up during sitting meditation practice, it might even take longer for you to get bored with yourself and find your peace and quiet.

Welcome to Zen.