ABSTRACT
Healing is central to the domestic Zen, the author discovered in a longitudinal ethnographic study involving elder Japanese Buddhist laywomen. Their healing paradigm includes discipline, ritualized practices, and expanding their perspectives. Bowing in front of an altar further calms and focuses the body. A bow can help the body-mind trigger the cue to loosen up and accept whatever reality is unfolding. The arena of scientific and religious inquiry focusing on healing has increasingly diverse players. Quantitative studies can then explore the dynamics of theories produced from the qualitative materials. Increasingly, research designs include both qualitative and quantitative aspects, such as Paul Farmer's work with global health and social medicine. As new information is gained and new methods tested, there is often a process of disequilibrium. Disequilibrium is a vital part of expanding one's perspective. In physical terms, bowing might be a tactical decision that even goes beyond the 'fight or flight' response.
