Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00506)

Friends,

William Q. Judge wrote:

"Archery has always been in vogue, whether in nations civilized or among people of people of barbarous manners. We find Arjuna, prince of India, the possessor of a wonderful bow called Gandiva,the gift of the gods. None but its owner could string it (...)."

And Archery is a metaphor: 

"Archery is a practice that symbolizes concentration. There is the archer,the arrow, the bow, and the target to be hit. To reach the mark it is necessary to concentrate the mind, the eye, and the body upon many points at once, while at the same time the string must let go without disturbing the aim. (...) So those who truly seek wisdom are archers trying to hit the mark. This is spiritual archery (...). So if we start out to reach the goal of wisdom, the mind and heart must not be permitted to wander, for the path is narrow and the wanderings of a day may cause us years of effort to find the road again." (1)

And one must combine an intense concentration with an open mind and a calm heart. For there can be no real concentration in the absence of inner peace and a broad intellectual horizon. 

Regards, Carlos. 

NOTE: 

(1) From the text "Hit the Mark",  published in the pamphlet "Thoughts On The Path - Articles by William Q. Judge", The Theosophy Company, Los Angeles, 40 pp., see pp. 7-8. 

oooooooooooooo


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