THE ARCHER
In feudal Korea there was a young Hwrang warrior who became very skilled in the art of archery. He trained very hard and soon became known to nearly everyone as one of the most skilled warriors in the land with the bow and arrow. One day the emperor held a series of contests to determine the kingdom's greatest warrior. The young warrior easily defeated all of the other warriors in the contest. In fact, the young warrior scored a perfect ten out of ten bull's-eyes at 50 and 100 meters. At the conclusion of the contest, the young warrior was very proud of his accomplishment and swelled with pride when he heard the people refer to him as the best archer in the land. Then one of the contest officials pulled the young warrior aside and informed him that if he was truly the finest archer in the entire kingdom, he would need to defeat the old master. The young warrior promptly issued a challenge to the old master who gladly accepted.
Out of respect, the young warrior went first and placed his first three arrows side by side in the center of the bull's eye. The master then proceeded to do the same and one of his arrows split the centermost arrow of the warrior as it entered the target. The two contestants took turns at various distances with the same results, a seemingly unbreakable tie. As the sun began to set the master issued one final challenge to the warrior in order to attempt to break the tie. He asked the young warrior to follow him as he proceeded to hike up a nearby mountain. Partway up the mountain the master carefully straddled a deep but narrow crevasse that cut hundreds of feet deep into the side of the mountain. Then with a slow deep breath he gently raised his bow and buried an arrow squarely in the narrow trunk of a tree 100 paces up the mountain. The young warrior was impressed and was sure he could match the master arrow for arrow, whatever the challenge. However, as he approached the crevasse he peered downward and became very nervous due to the depth of the hole in the earth. He carefully placed his feet on both sides of the opening and turned his gaze upward at the tree where the master's arrow was lodged. He took a deep breath, but was unable to slow his heart rate and when he let his arrow fly it missed the tree by several feet. The warrior's head dropped because he knew that he had been defeated.
This Zen story teaches us several critical life lessons important for all warriors to learn and practice. In this story, the young warrior clearly demonstrates several envious warrior attributes. He exhibits courage and determination in his commitment to become such a skilled warrior, he is a fierce competitor and he shows respect to the master. However, he learns a very important lesson from the master that we should all learn and practice as martial artists and as warriors. The young warrior learns that you are really not very good at any skill unless you can perform under pressure. Your skill will really be tested when you are asked to perform outside of your comfort zone. The young warrior is unable to hit the target when he is standing precariously straddling the crevasse because he is unable to calm his mind and block out his fears. He allows his fear to throw off his focus and therefore he is defeated.
The same lesson is true for us as martial artists and as honorable warriors inside and outside the dojo. Many of us have practiced the martial arts for years and when we perform the basics up and down the floor during class can throw powerfully quick, well executed punches and kicks. However, when we are asked to do the same during free sparring we more commonly freeze up or lose our focus like the young warrior and are unable to perform in the same powerful fluid manner that we do as we fight imaginary opponents. The ability to master the technique of maintaining laser like focus regardless of the situation is an invaluable skill to develop yet very difficult to achieve. Even some of the greatest athletes in the world fail to produce when the game or the season is on the line. It is through daily meditation and practice under stress that we can learn to mindfully maintain our focus regardless of the circumstance. When instead we become distracted by our fear of failure, our fear of bodily injury or our fear of embarrassment then our bodies become tense, our breaths shallow and our ability to maintain our focus on the present moment becomes difficult. When we allow this to happen we are unable to perform our best and are more likely to be defeated.
Outside of the dojo the same skill is just as powerful for each of us as athletes, students, businessmen, leaders, and parents. I can assure you that when I have had a good night sleep, I don't feel stressed, I have had time to take care of my own needs and my relationships and interactions have been positive that day then I am a very patient, thoughtful, nurturing parent. But, when all of these conditions have not been met then it is more difficult to be mindful and focused and I am not always proud of my parenting skills. The same can be said for most of us with regard to each of the important roles that we fulfill in our daily lives. Just think about the possibilities if we were all able to live up to our full potential by maintaining laser like focus in whatever we are doing no matter what the circumstances.
KAIZEN!!!!
Respectfully,
Steven M. Erickson
© Copyright 2009-11 Steven M. Erickson, MD
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living.
