Wisdom story: A Zen master and his test of true mastery of skill and mind

There once was a young archer who won every archery contest he participated in. Because of his success, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull’s eye on his first try and then split that arrow with his second shot.

‘There,’ he said to the old man, ‘see if you can match that!’

Undisturbed, the Zen master did not draw his bow but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain where they could test their archery mastery and not just skill. Curious about the old fellow’s intentions, the young champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm over which a rather flimsy and shaky log played the role of a bridge.

Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a faraway tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. ‘Now it is your turn,’ he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground.

Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target. ‘You have much skill with your bow,’ the Zen master said, sensing his challenger’s predicament, ‘but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot. When you improve that please find me and I will gladly accept your challenge.’