IndexIntroductionNo-mind (mushin)Thinking/Not thinking/Without thinkingConclusionIntroduction In every hobby, every sport, and every action there is the potential for enlightenment. Through repeated practice of an art, hobby, etc., one can realize the underlying principles of Zen Buddhism. All that stands in the way of the practitioner's Buddhist enlightenment is his perception of the practice and the world around him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Until he comes to understand that everything is related; that is, until he understands that nothing exists without being defined by something else, enlightenment will forever be out of reach. Once he realizes that all things lack an essence (because nothing can exist without being defined by something else), he will come to understand that: the pitcher does not try to knock down pins, the batter does not try to hit the ball and the The archer does not try to pierce the target. Everyone seeks to find “a real vision of the ultimate state of being” (Onuma 26) by realizing and understanding how they themselves relate to the goal of their favorite sport. No-mind (mushin) The concept of no-mind rests at the heart of Zen Buddhism. Those who possess this quality are totally aware of everything. Yet nothing manages to disturb him, despite his total awareness (Salgado, April 11). For him, things are “neither independent substances, nor dreams, nor illusions…. without denying the forms encountered in daily life [he], however, does not cling to them or consider them the only reality” (Kasulis 44). This person looks at situations with a non-dualistic perspective (an understanding of objects are interrelated with other things). He understands that bowling pins exist only because the bowler defines them; targets exist only because archers define them and so on. The opposite is also true; a bowler only exists because he has pins to knock down, and the archer only exists because he has a target to shoot at. Since these objects, devoid of their own essence, require someone/something to define their existence, we can say that the objects are interchangeable. The archer is the target and vice versa. So, in a certain sense, when shooting at the target the archer shoots at himself. This state of total awareness, brought about through the enlightenment resulting from the continuous practice of a specific art form, is something that only a select few are aware of. The vast majority of people see things as dualistic. In other words, people see the archer as just the archer and the target as just the target. I am unable to see the interrelationship of objects. One's thoughts lead to the fall in this area. Thinking/Not Thinking/Without Thinking If you pursue Zen enlightenment, you must be prepared that your thoughts will betray you. Because we think in language, and language is inherently dualistic, our thoughts are also dualistic (Salgado, April 18). As human beings, every day we think about where we need to go and what we need to do. In our thoughts we give names to things, places and situations without regard for the interrelationship that plays a role in their existence. Besides this, if one is obsessed with the right way of doing something, it means that vice versa there is a wrong way of doing it. Looking at things in terms of right and wrong, good and evil, etc., is dualistic and will only serve to slow, stop, or even reverse your progress as you seek enlightenment. In his book Zen in the Art of Archery, Eugen Herrigel reports on his quest for Zen enlightenment through learning archery. Describes a point.