In recent years, it has become common for people to speak of connecting Kyudo (Japanese archery) with Zen. However, among them are some who use the words of past renowned masters—such as “One must not be attached to hitting the target”—as if they were a license to neglect effort and inquiry into shooting principles. Their reasoning goes like this:
—“Since Kyudo is a spiritual discipline, it does not matter how the arrow flies or whether technique makes sense.”
When I hear such words, I cannot help but feel that they show no real understanding of what Zen is, or what skillful means (upāya) are. And I fear that this misunderstanding leads directly to the abandonment of technique and to hollow, lifeless practice.
1. What is Zen? — Form as the means to transcend form
Zen is not about scriptures or logic, but about realizing truth through direct experience of body and mind. Sitting meditation and ritual forms exist as means, but they are not Zen itself. Posture and gestures are merely the “vessel”; the stillness and awakening that dwell within them are the “content.”
The important point is this: without the vessel, no content can arise. Conversely, polishing the vessel alone without filling it with content is mere imitation of form.
The same is true in archery. Principles (the force of the arrow, the transmission of power, the unification of body and bow) are the content; forms and movements are the vessel. Neglect form and skill does not grow; neglect skill and form becomes empty. “To transcend form” is a state that appears only after one has thoroughly mastered form. It never comes to those who dismiss form and technique from the start.
2. What is Upāya (Skillful Means)? — A method to guide others
Skillful means (upāya) in Buddhism is the wisdom of choosing the most effective way of leading others according to their capacity and situation. The Buddha knew that disciples could not immediately grasp ultimate truth. That is why he adapted his teachings into forms they could receive, deepening them step by step.
For example, the phrase “Do not be attached to hitting” was originally such a skillful means:
- If you pursue only hitting, your mind becomes distorted, and both accuracy and spiritual growth recede.
- Therefore, one is temporarily directed to step away from fixation on hitting.
In other words, it is not a pretext for abandoning accuracy or technique altogether, but a provisional method to restore balance between the two wheels.
3. Without technique, it is neither Zen nor Kyudo
The Zen-like state is often described as “a mind beyond form and beyond purpose.” But this arises only after complete unification of form and principle. To pursue spirituality without learning technique is like trying to build a roof without first laying the foundation of a house.
To speak of spiritual cultivation while ignoring how the arrow flies is like trying to attain awakening in Zen while ignoring posture and breath—it ends in empty theory. Zen emphasizes that “all acts of daily life are practice,” and raising the quality of action requires cultivating the skills of that action. In archery, this means nothing other than the pursuit of technique.
4. Why misunderstandings arise, and their dangers
Such misuse of skillful means begins when the words of past masters are torn from context and used as slogans of authority: “A great man once said this.” Detached from the conditions and background, they circulate as convenient catchphrases. In this process, skillful means dies, leaving only hollow shells. Practice then loses its substance, and what remains is an empty form—“movements without knowing what is being refined.”
5. Conclusion — If one claims Zen and Kyudo
- Both Zen and Kyudo require both essence (substance) and form (appearance).
- Skillful means is not the goal, but a bridge leading toward essence.
- Sitting down on the bridge and boasting of the view will never take one to the destination.
- Spirituality that neglects technique is neither Zen nor Kyudo, but mere self-indulgence.
If one speaks of Zen, and if one speaks of Kyudo, then the connection must be built from the inside. To slight technique and carelessly bind Kyudo to Zen is perilous indeed.