You Are as Brave as You Can Control Your Fear!

Life, much like an arrow released at a target during a moment of competition, is shaped by instantaneous decisions and our state of mind at those moments. Often, the greatest obstacle holding us back on this path is not a lack of talent, but our fears. So, is fear truly our obstacle, or is it a part of the road leading to courage?

As every member of Mamluk Academy knows, there are three stages in the inner journey of archery: Control of the body, control of the mind, and control of the soul. The second stage—control of the mind and heart—is actually the one that causes the most pain but provides the most maturity. Here, the archer is left alone with their own darkness and tries to build strong traits from their weakest points. It is at this very point that one of the deepest subjects of Islamic tradition, "Dying before you die," emerges. What does this mean? How can a person kill themselves before dying? Or to put it in a more sporting sense: how can one accept losing even before the competition begins?

Although every human is born with unique characteristics, what we fundamentally share is the "nafs" (the ego). The nafs wants to win. It is insatiable. It is the reflection of the greatest ambition within a human upon life. However, this ambition usually brings fear along with it. Because the more a person wants to win, the more they fear losing. Fear occupies the mind. it causes mistakes; just like in the story of how archery came to the world, it causes one to lose the "rizq" (sustenance) in their hand.

Here, the words of retired commando Petty Officer Cengiz Koçak serve as a key for us: “You are as brave as you can control your fear!” Whether you are a competitor or an archer who has simply devoted their heart to the art, the most precious thing archery philosophy gives us is meeting our flaws. This affects our lives at a very deep point. While a competitive archer fears not placing in a rank, an architect fears the possibility of their project being rejected. While a child fears not meeting their parents' expectations, an elderly person fears their lifelong efforts being ignored.

In Japanese philosophy, Satori is a kind of instantaneous enlightenment, a state of being free from all bonds and dualities of the mind. Satori is something that "happens without happening"; meaning, one cannot reach that point through intense personal ambition or force. It is not an effort, but rather a state of letting go. It is accepting that what will happen within the flow is unstoppable. When the mind is cleared of future anxiety (fear) and past regret, only that pure "moment" remains. At this point, fear can no longer exist, because fear only exists if the mind is divided.

This state of "effortlessness" and flow in Satori meets a deep truth in our tradition. The secret revealed in Surah Al-Anfal, Verse 17: "And you threw not when you threw, but it was Allah who threw," is the pinnacle of archery philosophy. The archer masters their body, fulfills all ancient methods, draws the bow, and then simply releases the string; however, they are not the one who creates the result. If we know that the one who will create the result is a Will beyond us, why do we fear? Whether you fear or act with ambition, only what is meant to be will happen. This submission takes the heavy burden of the "necessity to succeed" off the athlete or warrior and replaces it with an unshakable serenity.

We must remember that courage is not the absence of fear. When fear knocks on your door, let it in, recognize your own ambitions, but do not let it govern you. When you focus on the flow of destiny, the serenity of Satori, and who the true "Shooter" is, fear will leave its place to a tremendous courage.