Synopses & Reviews
The classic text on balance, inner calm, and the cultivation of tranquillity using the age-old techniques of Zen mastersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Reveals the psychosomatic underpinnings of Zen, Taoism, and other Eastern traditionsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Provides an alternative to the and#8220;chest out-belly inand#8221; postural attitude of the Westandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Includes translations of the wisdom teachings of three Japanese masters andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Shows how the theory and practice of Hara helps us find our essential selfandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;When we speak of an individualand#8217;s andlt;iandgt;state,andlt;/iandgt; we are actually referring to something that transcends the duality of body and soul, something that reflects the entirety of a personand#8217;s being. Because each of us is a unity of body and soul, there is no psychic structure or inner tension that is not reflected outwardly in the form and order of the body. When we find the physical center of the body we also find the psychological center of the soul. According to Zen masters, by correcting posture and breathing to balance this center, one can cultivate inner tranquillity and balance: the state called Hara.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In andlt;iandgt;Hara,andlt;/iandgt; Karlfried Graf Dand#252;rckheim shows the Western world how to overcome the physical and spiritual decay of modern life by adopting the age-old techniques of Japanese Zen masters. By leaving behind the and#8220;chest outand#8211;belly inand#8221; posture and attitude of the West and adopting the belly-centered posture and attitude of Hara, individuals can live a calm, grounded, and more balanced life. Included in this classic text are vital life force practices and translations of the wisdom teachings of three Japanese Zen masters. This book also explores how the practice of Hara emphasizes empirical learning and the cultivation of self-knowledge through the perfection of arts such as painting and archery.
Review
and#8220;andlt;Iandgt;Haraandlt;/Iandgt; is essential reading for all who inquire into the spiritual principles and practices that are fundamental to all wisdom traditions and natural healing professions.and#8221;
Review
"...the formalism is well worth accommodating in order to gain its gems of wisdom."
Review
“Hara is essential reading for all who inquire into the spiritual principles and practices that are fundamental to all wisdom traditions and natural healing professions.”
Review
"...the formalism is well worth accommodating in order to gain its gems of wisdom."
Synopsis
The classic text on balance, inner calm, and the cultivation of tranquillity using the age-old techniques of Zen masters
- Reveals the psychosomatic underpinnings of Zen, Taoism, and other Eastern traditions
- Provides an alternative to the "chest out-belly in" postural attitude of the West
- Includes translations of the wisdom teachings of three Japanese masters
- Shows how the theory and practice of Hara helps us find our essential self
When we speak of an individual's state, we are actually referring to something that transcends the duality of body and soul, something that reflects the entirety of a person's being. Because each of us is a unity of body and soul, there is no psychic structure or inner tension that is not reflected outwardly in the form and order of the body. When we find the physical center of the body we also find the psychological center of the soul. According to Zen masters, by correcting posture and breathing to balance this center, one can cultivate inner tranquillity and balance: the state called Hara.
In Hara, Karlfried Graf Durckheim shows the Western world how to overcome the physical and spiritual decay of modern life by adopting the age-old techniques of Japanese Zen masters. By leaving behind the "chest out-belly in" posture and attitude of the West and adopting the belly-centered posture and attitude of Hara, individuals can live a calm, grounded, and more balanced life. Included in this classic text are vital life force practices and translations of the wisdom teachings of three Japanese Zen masters. This book also explores how the practice of Hara emphasizes empirical learning and the cultivation of self-knowledge through the perfection of arts such as painting and archery.
About the Author
Karlfried Graf Dand#252;rckheim (1896and#8211;1988) spent eight years in Japan before World War II and was a professor at the University of Kiel until Hitlerand#8217;s rise to power in 1933. In Japan he discovered Zen Buddhism in its various expressions and subsequently became a Western authority on the subject.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Introductionandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part I--Hara in the Life of the Japaneseandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1and#160;and#160; Hara in the Life of the Japanese andlt;BRandgt;2and#160;and#160; Hara in the Life of the Japanese andlt;BRandgt;3and#160;and#160; Hara as the Purpose of Practice andlt;BRandgt;4and#160;and#160; Hara in the Japanese Language andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part II--Hara in its General Humanandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; and#160;and#160; Significanceandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1and#160;and#160; Eastern and Western Views of Hara andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; andlt;Iandgt;The General Significance of the Centerandlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; of the Body andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The European Attitude to the Belly andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Natural Hara andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; The Two Levelsandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part III--Man With Haraandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1and#160;and#160; The Living Form Centered in Hara andlt;BRandgt;2and#160;and#160; The Ego and the Vital Center andlt;BRandgt;3and#160;and#160; Malformations of the I andlt;BRandgt;4and#160;and#160; Hara as Secular Power andlt;BRandgt;5and#160;and#160; Hara in Experience: Insight and Practiceandlt;BRandgt;6and#160;and#160; The Strength, Breadth, and Closenessand#160;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Engendered by Hara andlt;BRandgt;7and#160;and#160; The Order of Life in the Symbolism andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; of the Body andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part IV--Hara as Practiceandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1and#160;and#160; The Purpose and Prerequisite ofand#160;andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;All Practice andlt;BRandgt;2and#160;and#160; The Purpose and Limits of Practice andlt;BRandgt;3and#160;and#160; The Prerequisites of all Practice andlt;BRandgt;4and#160;and#160; Posture, Breath, Tension--as Starting andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Points of Practice andlt;BRandgt;5and#160;and#160; The Practice of Right Posture andlt;BRandgt;6and#160;and#160; Sitting with Hara andlt;BRandgt;7and#160;and#160; Tension-Relaxation andlt;BRandgt;8and#160;and#160; The Practice of Breathing andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Part V--Retrospect and Outlookandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1and#160;and#160; Retrospect and Outlook andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Appendix--Japanese Textsandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;1and#160;and#160; Okado Torajiro andlt;BRandgt;2and#160;and#160; Sato Tsuji-The Teachings of the Human andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; Body andlt;BRandgt;3and#160;and#160; Kaneko Shoseki-Nature and Origins andlt;BRandgt;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; of Man andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Index andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;