"(...) 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 (...)"

Eugene Herrigel

*Herrigel (1884–1955) was a German professor of philosophy, with a special interest in mysticism. From 1924 to 1929 he taught philosophy in Japan, and studied Kyudo (the art of the Japanese bow) under a master named Awa Kenzô.

*Awa taught kyudo in a way that was regarded by some as a mystical religion, called Daishadokyo. Daishadokyo was an approach to kyudo that placed great emphasis on the spiritual aspect and differed from much of the mainstream practice at the time.

*In 1936, Herrigel wrote a 20-page essay about his experiences, and then in 1948 expanded the essay into a short book. The book was translated into English in 1953 and Japanese in 1955. * (Wikipedia).