Karlfried Graf Durchheim 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.
Karlfried Graf Durchheim (1896-1988) spent eight years in Japan before World War II and was a professor at the Univiersity of Kiel until Hitler's rise to power in 1933. In japan he discovered Zen Buddism in its various expressions and subsequently became a Western authority on the subject.