The Beginner's Mind: One Opinion 

   'In the beginning, there was darkness....and then there was light!'

   Maybe in the creation of anything deemed beautiful, one must move from the darkness into the light.  I think however much we may want to argue the point initially, as beginners of Kyudo, we are in the dark.  Only as we begin to know do we realize how "in the dark" we truly are.

   So, how does one move from the darkness into the light?

   As a beginner, I'm still working on this and probably will be for the rest of my life. "Kyudo is a path, not a destination." The path may be littered time after time with confusion and frustration and finally we reach a step in understanding.  As I approach each new step in my Kyudo, I find it is a new beginning. Each time I make a change trying to correct my technique or make a change in equipment, it seems that I have to begin anew.  I have to remind myself that while seemingly taking a step backward, I am making progress in the true sense.  And if we are not doing Kyudo for the truth, then why are we here?

   As Westerners, when we step into the world of Kyudo we are bombarded, more often than not, with a cultural and language shock.  In addition, we are learning all new techniques and new uses for old muscles.  There are many mistakes to be made in Kyudo, as well as in life.  It's what we do with our mistakes that count. It's all a learning process.  By openly listening and observing and then putting into practice, we can open up to new ideas and new worlds.

   In order for these new ideas and new worlds to become our own, we must reach back to old ideas and an old world that has been passed down in the form of the Kyohon (the green Kyudo manual).  What can I say here, other than "Open the Kyohon, then open and open and open again"?  That first or second or third opening may not yield much, but hopefully when the time is right some part of your reading will click and keep you reopening time after time in search of what we seek.

   If what we read in the Kyohon is true, and we have no reason to believe otherwise, there is an aspect of Kyudo beyond the sport and technique side.  There is a profound aspect that is beyond comprehension in the beginner's mind. Maybe we can find no more in Kyudo than what we are seeking!  Maybe it should be approached with an "open mind" and "open heart" if what we seek is the "empty mind" and a "full heart".

   In closing, let me borrow a line from Confucius....  "Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."  I believe that if we carry this into our Kyudo, as well as our daily lives, it will bring light into the darkness and beauty will emerge.