Author: Stephen

Published in The Pharos (Winter 2026)

Embarking on formal koan study of the 100 cases in The Blue-Cliff Records, I pondered how I might document my experience of direct non-verbal insight (“breaking through the barrier”), both for my teacher and for myself. I discovered that my spontaneous way of responding to a koan is with a spoken poem (or brushed calligraphy/painting)…

November 22, 2025. The arrow flew off the bow unexpectedly–as if of its own volition. It was how correct hanare (release) is described by master Zen archers. The release was crisp, the sound of the string was pleasant, and the bow did not vibrate in my hand during the shot. The arrow hit the bull’s…

History and Philosophy Iaidō (居合道) is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to sudden attacks. It is in essence the way of the “quick draw.” Iaido consists of four main components: the smooth, controlled movements of simultaneously drawing the sword forward from its scabbard (saya) with the…

Published in The Pharos (Spring 2006) © 2006 Stephen Hsu

Published in The Pharos (Summer 2000), Winner of Editor’s Prize © 2000 Stephen Hsu

The aesthetic principles that guide my carefully curated collection of beautiful objects from ancient Japan reflect my longstanding practice of the zen arts especially kyudo (Zen Archery) and iaido (Japanese Swordsmanship). I am a more recent novice student of chanoyu (Tea Ceremony) and ikebana (“Making flowers come alive”). Each practice requires specialized objects that are…

Hyotan (gourds): long used in Japan as containers for sake, water, and flowers; regarded as lucky charms; gourd shapes appear as architectural motifs, cartouches for woodblock prints, and signatures of print artists; multiple gourds on a battle standard (sennari hyotan) is attributed to the samurai warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi who unified Japan in the late 16th…