In den frühen 90er Jahren schenkte der Zenmeister Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi, ein Schüler von Shunryu Suzuki und enger Freund und Vertrauter von Kanjuro Shibata XX., der Wiener Kyudo-Gruppe (Gako Kyudojo) diese Serie von drei Kalligraphien. Kobun Chino, der Shibata Sensei bereits aus Kyoto kannte und bei ihm Kyudo studierte, war maßgeblich an seiner Einladung in die USA beteiligt und unterrichtete selbst Kyudo im Auftrag von Shibata XX. Als Kalligraphielehrer genoss er hohe Anerkennung. Für die Übersetzung der drei Kalligraphien sei Michael Rich sehr herzlich bedankt.
By shooting with one’s own power, the rainwater of cultivation without a way is like losing the grain. (An archer who shoots according to his own style without receiving the teachings of a master is like the rainwater which flows without a channel, ruining the crops.)
By penetrating the inner teachings, the old horse in the midst of the snow of art seems to know the way. (The art which pursues the inner depths of the teaching to the limit never loses its way on the path. “The old horse knows the way” means that a well trained horse will always return home even if let loose in the middle of the mountains. The phrase “the old horse knows the way” comes from the unauthorized biography of Han Zi, which tells the story of when Duke Qi Heng got lost during an attack against Hu Zhu. Departing in the spring, he returned in the winter and got lost, whereupon Guan Zhong said “release an old horse” and they found their way.)
By practicing the method of shooting, the dewy flower of virtue has blessings like increasing color. (As for the method and ethics of shooting, the virtuous brilliance of attaining the correct path as taught by the master is as beautiful as the moisture laden flora growing in vitality.)
