Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Giving Beyond the Arrow In archery, generosity is often thought of as something that happens away from the shooting line. We think of volunteering at tournaments, donating equipment, or helping a new archer find their footin... Perfections Zen in Archery Jul 17, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary The Six Perfections and Competition The Six Perfections provide an interesting framework for competitive archery. Rather than seeing competition as something separate from practice, the perfections invite the archer to use competition i... Perfections Zen in Archery Jul 10, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Confidence Through Awareness Doubt is one of the quietest hindrances an archer encounters, yet it has the power to influence every part of the shot. It rarely appears as a loud voice announcing itself. Instead, it whispers questi... Hindrances Zen in Archery Jul 3, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Restlessness and Practice Restlessness is one of the most recognizable hindrances in practice, but it is not always easy to understand. In archery it often appears as a feeling of urgency, impatience, or agitation. The body ma... Hindrances Zen in Archery Jun 26, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Dullness and the Archer’s Practice Of the five hindrances, dullness can be one of the most difficult for an archer to recognize. Unlike desire, aversion, or restlessness, it does not demand attention. Instead, it quietly settles into p... Hindrances Zen in Archery Jun 19, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Aversion and the Missed Arrow Every archer knows the feeling. The release breaks and before the arrow reaches the target, the mind already knows it was not the shot it wanted. The body tightens. Frustration appears. Attention shif... Hindrances Zen in Archery Jun 12, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Five Hindrances and the Archer’s Mind Archery reveals far more than physical skill. Every archer eventually discovers that the greatest challenge is often not the target, but the condition of the mind standing before it. Thoughts, emotion... Hindrances Zen in Archery May 29, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Mental Formations and the Archer There is a moment before every arrow leaves the string where the shot has already begun. Not in the body. Not in the bow. Not even in the conscious mind. It begins in the formations beneath awareness.... Skandhas Zen in Archery May 15, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Perception and the Archer’s Eye In archery, perception is the quiet act of interpretation. It is not the target itself, nor the arrow’s flight, nor even the feeling in the body. Perception is the meaning the mind assigns to those th... Skandhas Zen in Archery May 8, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Sensation and the Archer Before thought forms, before analysis begins, there is feeling. The pressure of the grip against the hand. The tension building through the back. The string against the face. The weight of anticipatio... Skandhas Zen in Archery May 1, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Your Form Form is often treated as a set of positions to master. Feet placed a certain way, shoulders aligned, anchor fixed. While that approach is useful for building consistency, it only touches the surface o... Skandhas Zen in Archery Apr 24, 2026
Archer's Path, Michael Cleary Ikkyu’s Tree. Archer’s Arrow There is a story of Ikkyū Sōjun who presented a crooked tree and offered a simple challenge. Anyone who could see the tree as straight would be rewarded. People gathered around it and tried to underst... Zen in Archery Apr 17, 2026