There are various kinds of meditation in Buddhism. Well-known is a sitting meditation called Zazen (座禅) in Japanese. Sitting straight, we focus on subtle movements of breathing in and out, noticing our diaphragm. Traditionally, we call this breathing technique Zuisokukan (随息観). Zui (随) means to follow. Soku (息) for breathing, and Kan (観) for observing … Continue reading Breathing, the Third Eye
Tag: #Cosmology
Consciousness Only
In Mahayana Buddhism, there is the school called Consciousness Only (唯識）As the Four Noble Truths say, if there is no such thing as a self, then what this self sees must be imaginary or unreal. Nevertheless, the self looks like the most critical part in our life. How should we handle what we see? What … Continue reading Consciousness Only
Schrödinger’s Cat
Schrödinger's cat is one of the well-known thought experiments to explain the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. In the extreme microscopic scale, we can no longer observe things in the manner that Newtonian physics works. Observing things in the quantum level, what we see would be no longer distinctive between particles and waves. As commonly … Continue reading Schrödinger’s Cat
The Cosmic Dance of Shiva
One of the driving forces in the universe is the second law of thermodynamics, called entropy. From the Big Bang until today, we are in the midst of the gigantic explosion. And we are part of it. Because its scale is too extreme, we cannot sense it as the explosion. The reality, however, is that … Continue reading The Cosmic Dance of Shiva
Time Does Not Exist
Expressing eternity, we use a word "timeless" like God is timeless, heaven is timeless, and so on. What does timeless exactly mean? It means that time does not exist. Can we believe this truth? Time does not exist. The latest theoretical physics and cosmology such as loop quantum theory hypothesize this possibility as one of … Continue reading Time Does Not Exist
Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
One of the key fundamental questions in cosmology and metaphysics is this: "Why is there something rather than nothing?" If there is something, then there must be the beginning of something. So, another question is: Who or what created something? In cosmology, this beginning is the Big Bang. And if so, who or what caused … Continue reading Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?
Butterfly’s Dream
One of the most famous stories in the Zhuangzi is perhaps this anecdote between Zhuang Zhou himself and a butterfly, dreaming. Once Zhuang Zhou dreamed he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn’t know he was Zhuang Zhou. Suddenly he woke up, and … Continue reading Butterfly’s Dream
