Michael Sternbach

Well as I said... " If it works for you...." good luck.

Thanks. Same to you!

Anything which causes an extreme change in perception of one's reality will tend to shake up the balance of one's momentum through change, inviting further extremes of perception (highs and lows) amidst the various cycles through life.

 

To balance one's momentum in change amidst strong extreme changes requires an equally matched strength of intention. Martial arts and exercise can help metabolize the effects of extreme change, raising the intensity of the dynamic to encompass both ends of the polarity.

 

There are reports of LSD begin given to a guru high up in the mountains in the 60's, and the guru actually took a bit more than what is considered a safe dose... but showed no external signs of discomfort and didn't say much other than that he felt just fine. Adepts in awareness are already operating at a different level; and their body chemistry has already been altered significantly and perception operates differently for them. Perhaps different in the way that psychedelic drugs are said to effect the brain and perception, and thus don't pose the same type of threat to one's balance in reality as they might to those of us who are more in the beginning stages.

 

Modern society doesn't train us very deeply in the ways of navigating spiritual energy, and I wonder if psychedelics are the best way to properly train this awareness. The more this level of perception is altered and developed by forces external to one's own spiritual devising, likely the more difficult to achieve clarity of understanding, at least one one's own, and unless this happens to be one's natural path.

 

It is up to each of us as to the flavor of extreme change we operate under. Some chose to cultivate simplicity, to aid in getting deeper. Other choose to go wild. Is there only one path to balance? No.

 

But it is also said that life is like a sine wave, with a limited length. The more extreme jumps, the shorter the length. The smoother and more gradual the ups and downs, the longer the length.

Well said. I'd like to add that internal martial arts, qigong, alchemy provide means to extend the sine wave, to whatever degree. Or so I believe.

Something your post reminded me of is how, in my wildest years, a bartender once observed: "Michael, you stay quite the same, no matter whether you are sober or had a few drinks."

 

The point being that all approaches to 'western' alchemy are, of necessity - fictive. These are stories told, shared and compared. Made up, unreal beyond the telling. If it works for anyone then well and good but on a public forum there is surely the right to comment and contribute? Just step back for a moment and consider... It's September 2014, the venue is a dinner party or other social gathering. Someone says..." I am Frater X and I am an alchemist." Where does the conversation go from there?

There are many things that could be said in favour of "The Royal Art." I may do so if this discussion merits it.

For starters:

One part of Western, Arabic, Indian, Chinese, Tibetan Alchemy is, and has always been, the manufacture of medical remedies, called Spagyrics in the West. Such remedies are commercially available and have been proven time and again to be very effective in all kinds of health afflictions - I can confirm this based on my personal. fairly comprehensive experience.

Now, alchemists endorse that even more potent agents can be made. The processes leading to such are complex and have not been completely revealed for various reasons. This is not very surprising, other occult traditions (along with more mundane crafts) are keeping their most advanced secrets to themselves, as well. However, in light of the efficacy of what is indeed out in the open, to laugh at what remains hidden demonstrates nothing but one's bias.

i.e. decline the beneficial effects of Qigong without having any real knowledge or experience about it.

But if you have any substantial evidence against Alchemy, I challenge you to present it, and I (and probably others) will give it due consideration.

 

Which rules are we referring to..?

Rules which are perceived as unnecessary restrictions tempt to overstep them. You know, the Yin/Yang thing.

Brazilian Capoeira

This martial art is unique in its defiance of what most other martial arts take for granted (i.e., never stand on your hands while facing an opponent ). Not my first choice as far as realistic self-defence, but I think there is some useful stuff in there in this regard. Also, I think it's noteworthy that Capoeira kicks (literally done with the whole body) have been measured to outdo any others in a study that I watched.

Rules often achieve the opposite of what they are meant for.

What matters here are things like the type of drug, amounts, frequency of intake, circumstances (in what kind of place and with what kind of people are you?) and your condition. I.e., a moderate amount of alcohol every now and then are probably not detrimental. While big amounts of this or another substance may temporarily open up a door, this comes at a fairly high price, especially if done frequently. Receptivity levels to psychotropic substances drop quite quickly, so frequent intake actually destroys the exhilarating experience, and the thing becomes a mere bad habit. What's bad for your chi and health (especially the nerve system including the brain cells) is also detrimental to true cultivation. There is also the issue that many psychedelic substances, if used unwisely, weaken your aura toward negative influences.

So I suggest that you limit the application of any kind of psychotropic substances to special "celebrations", make sure that these are taking place in a positive setting, and take your time to ground yourself afterwards. Your focus should certainly be on more valuable ways to access the inner dimensions. Taking drugs excessively looks like a convenient shortcut to some, but eventually it's a blind alley.

Love Helen Liang -- have you ever seen her snake style? Emei, is what it is called.

Yes, I have that dvd of hers she did with Bob Klein. She is graceful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTrbbzGGnVI

Nungali,

I only have time for a short post right now.

This is one of the teachers I had in Japan: Kazuo Nomura. You surely didn't have to roll for him... it was in your own best interest!

I found my copy of "Shotokan's Secret" meanwhile (it is the expanded edition ) and started reading it thoroughly (only read it diagonally when I first got it). Interesting!

Comments to your post later (I need to do some searches myself).

I hope this thread proves useful to those interested in learning a Taoist (and Buddhist since it also works heavily on the conditioned mind) internal art. Avoid falling into the "I want to learn Bagua for fighting" camp, it is far more important developing yourself as a true individual and learn how to walk the circle perfectly (no room for error) rather than getting involved with the superficial aspect of the art.

Don't worry. People of your mind have seen to it that most practitioners are hardly aware of the "martial" in the internal martial arts any longer. And instructors able to teach this side are rare and far between.

As a result, folks who are interested in self-defence are more or less forced to turn to harder styles.

The way I see it, cultivating "the warrior within" can indeed be an important aspect of in-depth self-development. Pardon my superficiality.

Pendulum work is interesting. I tend to see it as a non psychic phenomena. That it provides access to the subconscious.

I would say it's intuition expressed via the body. But how does my body know what my conscious mind definitely doesn't? I'm really not sure where you would draw the line to "psychic".

all simultaneous before the 'then' ... " evade, block / cover, hit (sting, whip, distraction, etc) then lock ... " even that is not quiet right, (trying to be brief), in many cases it would be (again all at he same time) ; evade and 'block' by striking in to a sensitive parts of the attacking limb, while the other hand / arm takes control (it comes from white crane style) , then the first arm strikes back as a preliminary to applying a lock or control, which is to deliver a decisive technique, while the opponent is in a controlled and weak position, I suppose there could be up to 3 hits before the control in some cases.

 

I also agree with David 62 about the sometimes ineffectiveness of the 'one-punch' (sometimes ... I know a bareknuckle boxer who could easily do it in most fights) I have also seen a big Maori get a running / jump / swinging flagon smashed right upside his head ... he shook like a dog shaking off water and turned around and shaped up to the guy.

 

Shotokan used to teach the 'one punch kill' .... that takes a lot of training ! ... and precise targeting.

It's for a reason that I didn't write "one hit" but "three". If one technique (or none, for that matter) resolves the issue, all the better... Just be ready and know how to keep going if one is not enough.

A few more things... It's true that you often see full contact fighters who keep knocking the crap out of each other for quite a while. But even in the most ferocious types of tournament there are still rules prohibiting certain techniques (well, except in the fights JKA seniors Gigo Funakoshi and Shigeru Egami were conducting when training special units for going on WWII missions - that is, the ones who survived the education!). The ability to finish an altercation quickly is not only a matter of power, but also of knowing where (your "precise targeting") and how to hit - most kyusho are reactive when struck in certain directions, but less so in others. This is not generally part of the sport training.

What it boils down to is something Roosevelt said: Avoid hitting at all if you can, but if you have to hit - never hit soft!

You would not believe what I was taught back then ! Later, in a different context and understanding the real (er) application many things made sense ( like the senseless windups ... we had to extend the other arm out straight at 45 deg up with fingers pointed, then draw that arm back while closing the hand into a fist then sliding the other arm up along it when the opposite retracts to the hip - just for an 'upward block' hooo boy ... the reasons I heard for doing that back then ... no one would have refuted what we were told , even though back then we must have known ( ? ) that you can just slap a punch away (if you are set up with position or evasion) . It was the same for each block ... and taught to practice front kick from a deep low fore ward stance with arms and fists out and down to sides at 45 degrees ( with an angle check ) WTF!

 

Same for a whole range of strikes as well.

Sounds pretty much like your standard Shotokan training. Most of these moves (besides some exaggerated ones) do have their practical application. It's too bad that it is usually just not what the instructor thinks it is. It's as if they got a bike and keep thinking that they would have to push off from the ground by their feet all the time.

I seen guys put their big toe through a board ... but this type of kicking works good with shoes .... did you read my comment elsewhere about the steel-capped moccasins ?

I heard of an Okinawan Uechi ryu practitioner who punched a hole into a big steel milk can by his big toe.

Um, yes, I remember your moccasins. I would ask you to take them off if you were going to spar with me.

" non-cooperative opponent" ... I always want to put up some youtube vid on that . People used to find me very annoying in Aikido when I wouldnt 'roll for them' .... I prefer to roll after I am thrown.

I once asked my Aikido teacher in Japan about this, and he said, we practice with resistance from about 3rd dan on! I hope a real-life assailant attacking prematurely would kindly be mindful of this.

I was even told Aikido was two parts ; one does a technique and the other rolls , I said, no, one does a technique and the other tries to smash his head into the ground, the first tries to avoid a broken neck and the second then allows him to roll out by releasing grip before the damaging take down, because he is a training partner. The person was horrified and told me Aikido was meant to be non-violent .... ha!

When once practising with a senior, I told him that I could hit him if he was doing a certain move the way he did. His answer was: "You're doing Aikido, so you don't want to hit me!" I informed him that I'm also doing Karate... Next I thought I should simply have demonstrated to him what I meant.

(Thats why I keep some of those old pics of Ueshiba , evading a sword blow while striking into the eyes with the end of a fan, etc. )

Ueshiba actually once said that 90% or so of Aikido is striking. Btw, he was also active in that special units programme, prior to the JKA. But the people in charge thought Aikido was too time consuming to learn.

- They block catch strike with a reversed fist inside the shin bone or the side of the kneecap ( see beginning of Niharchin Nidan) ... although its very hard to do to a quick snapping kick ... all of this is just if the opportunity is presented to you.

 

I dont like the big toe kick to the prostrate ...

Sounds like the Taiji lotus kick. Needless to say, this kata move has a couple of applications. Blocking a kick to the genitals (as I have heard stated) is not one of them (you would actually help the assailant deliver the kick where you definitely don't want it to go. )

From what I have seen, Tekki is very different to Naiharchin , as Henan is from Penan. As far as 'single' kata idea goes Mr Nishihira's one was Naiharchin Shodan .... which, after a while, one can see much 'crane technique' in (even though the 'highest' kata was Hukatsuru - the crane ) . Matsamua developed the style based on Chinese arts mixed with local ones (he may have been of Chinese decent himself ... check the photos in that book you have) ... mostly white crane, Niharchin, Hukatsuru, Chinto ( from a Chinese pirate Matsamura fought and couldnt defeat) and Kusanku , from a Chinese envoy (I think, at the time of Matsamura's teacher ? ) ... co a lot of Chinese influence , as many things in Okinawa.

There is a revised ed out with supposedly more info and pages ... my old one got flogged by a karate instructor

Still haven't located my copy yet. Anyway, your mention of White Crane is interesting. It's a very influential "mother style" which has a lot of good stuff in it, including kyusho and tuite. I mostly got to know it by the books and videos of Jwing Ming Yang and George Alexander - the latter showing the Okinawan version, Matsumura seito shorin ryu, which Hohan Soken introduced and which you are referring to.

I didnt try to .... its a very full site, I'd have to find the papers I mean .... I can find the link and post it for you if you want to read it, its detailed Aikido history and dissemination but is basically about the Japanese mind set ... and that applies to the disemination of karate as well. The thing with the research, even the researchers freak out a bit ... especially the 'spirit' and 'Kami' stuff ... its a different mind set and confuses many westerners ... especially with Ueshiba, who was even back then and to his students, a 'relic' who also spoke an arcane form of Japanese.

I would enjoy to read it.

The concept of him battling Kami in his garden at night with his sword ( which turned out to be himself) seems a bit much for some ... some here on TTBs might not have a problem with that )

Yeah, this would be the right website for showing this kind of stuff.

Interesting that you say that Michael.

MCO/ Zazen.

I can see where that could work but if someone is sitting zazen and at the same time 'thinking' about working the MCO might that not detract from the zazen?

What I meant is that Zazen works along similar principles like MCO and therefore has comparable effects (but you may be having a hard time to find a devout practitioner who would admit this). I thought of combining them explicitly but never really tried it, until now. Yes, it would shift the mental focus from pure awareness to visualization (or however you look at MCO). But it might be worth trying for somebody like me whose mind rarely comes to rest anyway.

Never tried both at the same time but I only sit zazen now and again anyhoo as my poor old legs don't enjoy it as much as once they did.

Yeah, what Alan Watts referred to as "the aching legs kind of Buddhism". Could handle it best when I was sitting right next to the priest in the Sosenji for two hours. I like to think that it was the priest's aura that helped me through it - even with a sense of power. Alas, I wasn't sitting next to him every time...

Shobogenzo's hard going in parts and is sure to be better in the original but no way can I be ersed learning Japanese.

There's some good stuff in there plus lots of humour.

I really should have got that book when I saw a German edition in a book store many years ago. Well, it's never too late... I will read it soon and then let's talk about it some more.

Yeah, I know what you are talking about. I went through that search and found a whole lot of illusion and delusion. I never did find anything that was useful.

Never mind... stay tuned.

For fundamental personality and partnership analysis, medical information and general themes of a given time: Astrology.

For getting a better view on what's going on and what can be done about it: I-ching and Tarot (sometimes other cards as well).

When uncertain which of several options (e.g. vibrational remedies) to choose: Dowsing by using a pendulum.

Yeah, we have to be careful when listening to physicists. The are the physical ones and there are the theoretical ones. The physical ones live and talk in the provable Manifest. The other ones, well, I really don't know where they live but it's not anywhere on this planet.

 

And yes, this has a lot to do with Chapter 1 because we are talking about what can be spoken of and what cannot. The Manifest (Yo) can be spoken of, the Mystery (Yu) cannot. That's why it is a mystery.

Agreed again. I addressed this topic in my post of 02 September 2014 - 09:13 PM.

In the forward of one translation of the TTC I read suggested that Taoism is the belief system that is closest to the study of science. I hold to that understanding.

 

True, identifying a thing is not the thing itself. It is more than what we identify. This is where we must stop with our search for knowledge.

Nice, your view of Daoism.

Believe it or not, I was quite a reductionist thinker in my childhood. But I came to understand that there are things beyond my understanding early on.

Nevertheless, I'm ever on the outlook for the line where the scientifically tangible and the still elusive meet each other.

Well, based on what the astrological physicists are saying, the universe is expanding, that is, the space between the galaxies is expanding. That would mean that there is something in "empty space" that is causing this action.

 

Therefore, I would say that they are not "virtual" but rather "physically real", it's just that science doesn't yet know what they really are nor how they do what they do.

Hey Jim, you actually agree with me, overall? You just made my day!

If you allow me to be a little fussy, the space between the galaxies (actually, the whole Universe) is expanding at a velocity beyond Einstein's cosmic tempo limit, plus the expansion is accelerating!

Yes, there is a theory that it's the "vacuum" itself which has this effect. An older term (not too popular with modern physicists, mostly for historical reasons) is "ether".

You are right, the particles I referred to are as real as can be - physicists call them virtual because they pop out of the vacuum into our level of reality and back into the vacuum at such a mind-boggling rate as not having to care about breaking another fundamental law, namely of energy conservation (hint: Heisenberg's Uncertainty Relation gets involved here).

Well, this discussion has taken a somewhat unexpected turn! I can't say that I understand all the quantum stuff, but are we essentially saying that it could be translated

 

名可名也非恒名也 The thing that can be identified is not the eternal thing

 

and interpreted as an early understanding of modern scientific thought?

I base this on Dawei's subtle translation or interpretation. If you prefer, we could as well say that thoughtful scientific minds of modern times are reaching essentially the same conclusions like the natural philosophers of yore.

Dawei,

I would also like to mention that according to quantum physics particles are popping out of and back into the "vacuum" all the time, so quickly that they can't be observed - thus they're called "virtual".

It looks like the ancient daoists and kabbalists already had an understanding of the underlying principle. I find this quite amazing!

Moreover, quantum physicist David Bohm coined the terms "implicate" and "explicate order", which could be seen as correlates of "Dao" and "De".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicate_and_explicate_order#A_common_grounding_for_consciousness_and_matter

Quoting from this Wikipedia article:

 

The implicate order as an algebra

 

David Bohm, his co-worker Basil Hiley, and other physicists of Birkbeck College worked toward representing the implicate order in form of an appropriate algebra or other pregeometry. They considered spacetime itself as part of an explicate order that is connected to an implicate order that they called pre-space. The spacetime manifold and the properties of locality and nonlocality all arise from an order in such pre-space. A. M. Frescura and Hiley suggested that an implicate order could be carried by an algebra, with the explicate order being contained in the various representations of this algebra.^[1] (See also: Work by Bohm and Hiley on implicate orders, pre-space and algebraic structures.)

In analogy to Alfred North Whitehead's notion of actual occurrence, Bohm considered the notion of moment–a moment being a not entirely localizable event, with events being allowed to overlap and being connected in an over-all implicate order:

I propose that each moment of time is a projection from the total implicate order. The term

projection

is a particularly happy choice here, not only because its common meaning is suitable for what is needed, but also because its mathematical meaning as a projection operation,

P

, is just what is required for working out these notions in terms of the quantum theory.

Bohm emphasized the primary role of the implicate order's structure:

My attitude is that the mathematics of the quantum theory deals

primarily

with the structure of the implicate pre-space and with how an explicate order of space and time emerges from it, rather than with movements of physical entities, such as particles and fields. (This is a kind of extension of what is done in general relativity, which deals primarily with geometry and only secondarily with the entities that are described within this geometry.)

 

What is particularly interesting is that consciousness is indeed included in this concept.

 

A common grounding for consciousness and matter

Karl Pribram's research suggests that memories may not be localized in specific regions of brains

The implicate order represents the proposal of a general metaphysical concept in terms of which it is claimed that matter and consciousness might both be understood, in the sense that it is proposed that both matter and consciousness: (i) enfold the structure of the whole within each region, and (ii) involve continuous processes of enfoldment and unfoldment. For example, in the case of matter, entities such as atoms may represent continuous enfoldment and unfoldment which manifests as a relatively stable and autonomous entity that can be observed to follow a relatively well-defined path in space-time. In the case of consciousness, Bohm pointed toward evidence presented by Karl Pribram that memories may be enfolded within every region of the brain rather than being localized (for example in particular regions of the brain, cells, or atoms).

 

Bohm went on to say:

As in our discussion of matter in general, it is now necessary to go into the question of how in consciousness the explicate order is what is manifest ... the manifest content of consciousness is based essentially on memory, which is what allows such content to be held in a fairly constant form. Of course, to make possible such constancy it is also necessary that this content be organized, not only through relatively fixed association but also with the aid of the rules of logic, and of our basic categories of space, time causality, universality, etc. ... there will be a strong background of recurrent stable, and separable features, against which the transitory and changing aspects of the unbroken flow of experience will be seen as fleeting impressions that tend to be arranged and ordered mainly in terms of the vast totality of the relatively static and fragmented content of [memories].

 

Bohm also claimed that "as with consciousness, each moment has a certain explicate order, and in addition it enfolds all the others, though in its own way. So the relationship of each moment in the whole to all the others is implied by its total content: the way in which it 'holds' all the others enfolded within it". Bohm characterises consciousness as a process in which at each moment, content that was previously implicate is presently explicate, and content which was previously explicate has become implicate.

 

One may indeed say that our memory is a special case of the process described above, for all that is

recorded

is held enfolded within the brain cells and these are part of matter in general. The recurrence and stability of our own memory as a relatively independent sub-totality is thus brought about as part of the very same process that sustains the recurrence and stability in the manifest order of matter in general. It follows, then, that the explicate and manifest order of consciousness is not ultimately distinct from that of matter in general.

 

Well said.

 

I believe this chapter is supposed to be read as a continuation or part of chapter two.

Glad you like my interpretation.

Yours is an interesting consideration.

 

In the past, I have made too much of a dichotomy/duality of Dao, buying into the idea of a Wu-state [non-existence] of Dao and a You-state [existence] of Dao.

 

Here, Dao is equated with ONE as well; but I now view Dao akin to non-existent emanation or coming forth from ONE. Maybe it is the dormant, potential blueprint for creation waking up...

 

 

I explained a little more here recently: (#21 and 26)

http://thetaobums.com/topic/36132-if-god-exists-has-he-always-created/?p=576845

 

 

I have slowly moved away from a dual-state picture to more of a linked, continuous chain as: All things originate in non-existence; Dao is the turn around point and thus is sourcecode and causality of the manifest world unfolding and returning. (The linked, continuous chain is something which Flowing Hands mentioned concerning Pre-heaven and Post-Heaven issues and I found it meshes with my newer picture)

 

Where you wrote "The Dao that is manifest" is maybe my older generalized idea. But how do we know the manifest world? Through observation/senses.

 

So maybe in the simplest form: The Dao'ing we observe in creation is not the absolute Dao.

 

We see but the outward working through creation. We are not viewing the absolute aspect yet but only one-half (which seems to put me back to my dualism but it is more like looking at Ice-form does not mean we see the Vapor-formless).

 

 

I actually like the second Dao as a verb (Dao'ing) to reveal the movement and unfolding.

Now I would explain that Dao is manifested/invested in creation but I think this is where one has to rightfully bring in the concepts of De (Dao's capacity/power/efficacious) and Ziran (self-so'ing naturalness) to round out the idea.

What comes to mind is the Kabbalah in which there is En soph (the Infinite) which makes its first appearance (albeit "high above" the physical world) in the sephira Kether, which is somehow non-manifest/manifest at once.

I mention it in a much earlier post here... but it is in chinese:

 

http://thetaobums.com/topic/19570-ttc-study-chapter-1-of-the-tao-te-ching/?p=403363

Thanks. I'm afraid my Chinese is a little rusty.

When I started studying the Tarot, RW was recommended to me, too. However, I preferred the Thoth deck, and studied other decks later. I think it's important to go with what you resonate with most.

In what regard does RW contain errors in your opinion, Nungali? Waite considered his deck to be the "rectified" Tarot; Crowley thought of his version as the only valid one in the New Age, too.

The way I see it, the Tarot is an archetypal system, and archetypes as such, as Jung said, have no particular form, albeit they can take on many forms. So all the different Tarot decks are so many possible manifestations - each valid in their own right, despite differences in the way Hebrew letters or star signs are ascribed to the Major Arcana etc. There are always various ways to look at such matters.

Alchemy is interesting........My current understanding is that alchemical experiments were done both in a lab

and spiritually speaking.

This is obvious to me, too.

Alchemy has the 3 great ingredients: Salt, Mercury, Sulphur (?)

Yes, these are the three alchemical principles according to Paracelsus. (He had forerunners in this.)

Alchemy deals with the reconciliation/unification/bypassing of the male/female duality.

 

Tantrism deals with the unification/bypassing of the male/female duality as well.

See in particular the illustrations in "The Rosary of the Philosophers."

http://www.alchemywebsite.com/rosary0.html

In Alchemy, the colors red & white figure predominantly and as symbols of gold & silver

In Tantrism, the colors red & white (in the "Hindu" lineage, denote the solar & lunar channels)

The White Stone is Lunar, the Red Stone is Solar. I (for one) don't think the parallel is accidental at all.

In the final analysis, I believe that Rosicrucianism incorporated alchemical motifs along with magic (not Alistair Crowley folks...don't associate me and him) and Kabbalah and dealt with transformation, spiritually and perhaps physiologically as well. In Tantrism, both "Hindu" and Buddhist, the body is seen as something with can be actually changed by the particular practices of each tradition.

Don't worry, it's very unlikely that anybody would associate you with Alistair Crowley.

As an example, Tibetan Buddhists believe in the rainbow body and in Kriya yoga, oxygen saturates the bloodstream in effect slowing the aging process down.

Interesting... Do you have a reference/link for Oxygen playing such a role?

More to come,

Stefos

I look forward to it.

Michael

I was practising Zazen first with a Zen monk in Switzerland, then I attended a group in the Sosenji in Kyoto/Japan in the late 80s. I'm not continuing this particular practice any longer but I never lost my interest in Zen. The Shobogenzo has been on my "books to read" list for quite a while. Thanks for reminding me of it!

Also, the Zen spirit ties in rather nicely with my practice of martial arts.

I think that Zazen is a form of practising the Microcosmic orbit.