The Lotus Position in Anime And Manga
Piccolo Meditates
The Full Lotus position is a seated cross legged position employed in meditation practices throughout the world. In anime and manga it is often depicted incorrectly. But so far nobody on the internet has seemed to notice.
The Full Lotus position has a rich cultural background, many purposes and benefits, and is sometimes depicted in anime and manga… Though rarely in the traditional way. This is especially true in the Shonen (Young Boys) genre, such as in Dragon Ball.
In Dragon Ball there are martial artists and individual styles of martial arts based cultivation practices. Some of the practices involve meditation. For example, there are scenes where Piccolo meditates in a cross legged position as he levitates above the ground using his own internal energy. Meditation is the primary way in which Piccolo increases his power level. In this practice he strengthens and refines his supernormal abilities. While Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Chaozu engaged in North Kaio’s special training methods during the Saiyan Saga, Piccolo only sat in meditation. Yet in this simple process he became more powerful than all of them.
But the seated position that Piccolo maintains is not the proper Full Lotus. Instead it is a general cross legged position, with one ankle loosely crossed in front of the other. He supposedly sits like this for hours at a time.
However, it is nearly impossible to sit like this for extended periods of time. The body is too tense and a practitioner cannot enter into tranquility. The Full Lotus is a remedy to this problem.
What is the Full Lotus?
What exactly is the Full Lotus position and what makes it different from a regular cross legged sit?
Hammer of the Gods – Dragon Ball Martial Arts and the Double Axe Handle
Vegetto Smashes Majin Buu with a Double Axe Handle
In this Dragon Ball explorative essay we’re going to focus on the martial arts technique known as the double axe handle. This iconic technique is found throughout the Dragon Ball series and has both a rich history and symbolism.
Dragon Ball is a comic book and anime filled with fighting and all kinds of different martial arts styles. Yet many of them share similar techniques, and the double axe handle is one of the most identifiable.
These are the questions we will answer in this article:
- What is the double axe handle?
- What are its origins and history, and how does it relate to Dragon Ball?
- What are the histories of East Asian martial arts, Buddhism, and the Lightning Bolt Clasped Hands style of combat?
- How do eastern philosophies and this technique fit into the fights of DBZ?
- Why is the double axe handle used so often in Dragon Ball?
- Outside of Dragon Ball, where else can the double axe handle be seen?
Read on to find out! continue …
9 Divine Aspects of Dragon Ball Z
Goku with Angel Wings and Halo
Have you noticed divine aspects in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z or GT? How about similarities between Goku and a certain spiritual teacher? Or perhaps the way in which good always triumphs over evil?
If you did notice these it’s because they’re in there! If you didn’t, then read this to learn more.
Here are 9 specific ways in which the divine shows up in Dragon Ball:
1. Mythically Buddhist Origin’s
Loosely based on Journey to the West, a Chinese tale of pilgrims on a holy quest for the Buddhist sutra’s of India, Dragon Ball is rife with spiritual references of an East Asian perspective. Sun Wukong (Japanese: Son Goku), The Handsome Monkey King, is the character that Goku is based on, and Sun Wukong himself is most likely based on Hanuman, the Indian deity and warrior.
King Enma, lord of the afterlife, is based on a Chinese and Japanese deity that weighs the amount of virtue and karma on a person’s soul to determine where they should be sent, Heaven or Hell, and we find that same character in Dragon Ball.
There are a multitude of other examples and references to the Buddhist stories that Japanese children like Akira Toriyama (the creator of Dragon Ball) would have been taught while growing up.
2. Heaven and the Afterlife
Heaven plays a big part in Dragon Ball Z as Goku spends a lot of his time up there!
After sacrificing himself to save his son’s life (and the planet itself) Goku is sent to the afterlife where his soul is judged by King Enma. The King determines that he is pure hearted enough to ascend up to Heaven, but Kami requests a special favor of the King and asks for Goku to be trained by North Kaio, Lord of the Northern Galaxy. King Enma agrees and allows Goku to keep his physical body, now tricked out with a super spiffy halo. continue …
How Does Dragonball Relate to Falun Dafa?
Goku Faces Towards the Light
I recently received a question from a visitor to the main Dao of Dragonball Book site. He asked “What of Falun Dafa is similar to Dragon Ball?” This post reveals the relationship between personal cultivation, Goku, and Falun Dafa.
As visitors to the site may know, Dragonball is what actually led me into the martial arts. I started with Shaolin Gong Fu, progressed into Tai Qi, and then Qi Gong, and eventually Falun Dafa.
As I practice Falun Dafa I am able to gain a higher understanding of the three universal principles of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance. Looking through these three principles at Dragonball, and Goku especially, I see a lot to relate to in my own life.
If you look at Goku through this lense, for example, you can see all three principles.
He is a completely True person, and he is very honest and genuine. His mind is simple and straightforward and he does what he feels is right. continue …
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