© 2025 Marc Bubel

Why did I call this podcast, Meta Zen instead of the world's greatest ambition? 

I agree, that alternative name seems more appropriate. 

But, that's promoting instead of demonstrating. It's encouraging a prescription instead of an awakening. 

What I've just described defines the fine Arts of documenting a vision. 

Black - scaling mentorship

Welcome back to Meta Zen. The podcast for cleaning and unlocking the mind without ever crossing our fingers. 

I’m your host and mentor, Marc Bubel.

To get the best experience from this podcast, listen to the episodes in sequence. 

In the previous episode, we let our consciousness heal and let it remain objective in the face of our own judgement. 

We started collaborating with our successors to enable their protégés to become successors of Visionary 3.0 status. This is one way to increase the membership of nirvana.

It’s straightforward. As Black Belts, we’re an expert at weaving all the skills we’ve learned from the White to Purple Belt. By observing protégés in action, we mentor them for the nuances we see. 

Then, after some time, it will dawn on us, our time is better spent elsewhere. 

Naturally, through working with our successors and their protégés, we begin seeing patterns of mental barriers that constrain protégés and the expansion of nirvana. 

We will never defeat patterns of mental barriers through mentoring one protégé at a time when systems preserve them. We need to find a way to defeat mental barriers at scale and at the source.

To do this, we establish a philosophy that can be shared in written form. Like Bruce Lee’s, Jeet Kune Do, which enabled martial arts to become Mixed Martial Arts. Like FIFA’s 2016 update to the kickoff rule, which enabled teams to do what they want. 

To enable listeners to complete the Third-Degree Black Belt swiftly, I’ll explain how to develop such a philosophy through five details.

Detail number one:

The philosophy needs to be presented as a Mentorship Program—like the field of Applied Mathematics. I could call it applied philosophy, though the term Mentorship Program is more insightful.

As a Mentorship Program, the philosophy becomes enabling. 

When a Mentorship Program is absent, everyone crosses their fingers, which keeps up the façade and strengthens the status quo.

Detail number two:

The process for developing and launching a mentorship program was first defined by Rene Descartes in what is called Descartes’ Four Precepts. 

I’ll share it with you now and I recommend you write it in your journal. 

Here are the four precepts in modern terms:

1. Remain curious about all points of view.
2. Structure every point of view into their simplest parts. 
3. Study every part until all points of view have been integrated with the respect they deserve.
4. Present the findings transparently as a metanarrative.

Under the four precepts, draw a square. This square represents the scope of the first precept. 

Now draw 2 lines in this square from corner to corner to form an X. This separates the square into smaller parts like what the second precept expresses. 

Now place a few dots into each of the 4 sections. These dots represent studying every part like what the third precept expresses.  

Notice, this square with lines and dots is your simple visual metaphor for Descartes’ four precepts. Like what the fourth precept expresses. Now you will never forget it. 

In summary, the first precept is pure curiosity without an intent to make a difference. It begins by noticing an absence of objectivity and exploring what the objectivity would look like. Through curiosity with the second, third and fourth precepts, we develop a philosophy that establishes the objectivity that enables conversation.

Here’s a skills testing question:

Do we split hairs or turn over every stone when progressing through Descartes’ Four Precepts?

The Four Precepts are straightforward. It’s the basis of all logic, of all science. Logic and science that are unable to present an understanding as a metanarrative have yet to become logic and science.

Note: this shot across the bow is what will bring an end to pseudoscience once and for all. 

Detail number three:

Wherever there are narratives, we need to exercise objectivity to get to level ground and build the foundation. We do this using Descartes’ Four Precepts.

Here is an example application of the four precepts that does just this.

One of its most central concepts of Buddhism is the Eightfold Path. As translators continue debating a word in the title, Descartes’ first precept is already underway. Let’s make our way through the second, third and fourth precepts to uncover its true English title.

At the time of this writing, the English translation of the title is the Noble Eightfold Path. The use of the word noble is what continues to be debated. I stumbled upon the debate when I realized the word noble changes the meaning. 

The original pali and sanskrit word used in the title is a noun representing the people who have achieved enlightenment. Like the word Canadians represent people from Canada. Therefore, the title needs to be in a context like, the Canadian Eightfold Path. 

As the word Noble as a noun is an aristocrat, who are not known to be enlightened people, it changes the original meaning into something completely unrelated to enlightenment. 

To restore the original meaning, we need a better word. 

As there is no English word for such people, it’s only appropriate to preserve the original word and call it the Arya Eightfold Path. 

What do you think? Is that presented as the metanarrative?

If you are wondering how to spell Arya, I advise using the Sanskrit spelling, which is a r y a. This is because the Sanskrit version of the Eightfold Path was deliberate at expressing details in nonduality terms. 

Detail number four:

Descartes’ Four Precepts requires a person to be skilled at structuring information. They have to structure so well they find continuums. This is because continuums contain harmonics that are unequivocally true. Like Flow-State Ambition from Episode 5. 

In contrast, Conventional Ambition is much more like the game Jenga. The further we build it, the less stable it becomes. This is why people with Diehard Ambition say, trust me. They are afraid of the collapse and they will do all they can to prove themselves right like playing god. Like playing Jenga and saying nowhere in the rules does it say you can't use glue.

To develop the skill of structuring information in the listeners of this podcast, here's an assignment.

First, remember the main continuums discussed in this podcast. There are six and they as follows:

The Belts For Meta Zen.

The Seven Levels of Flow-State Ambition from episode 5.

Five Mechanisms of Higher Consciousness from episode 7.

The Ten Harmonics For Patrons from episode 9.

The Four Harmonics For Murmurations from episode 9.

The Four Visionary Versions from episode 11.

Refer to the table you wrote in your journal for the murmuration and patron continuums in Episode 9. Notice they are structured together. They share nodes with each other where murmurations shift to a new harmonic. 

To develop your skill for Descartes’ second, third and fourth precepts, your assignment is to put the six continuums together so that the nodes between continuums are where they resonate with each other. 

To see an example of what you will create, visit moxiefrontier.com, download the book, The Flourishing Method and look at the block diagram on page 127.

It’s like a sudoku puzzle. 

To make this easier for you, I highly recommend the following:

Do this digitally as you will likely revise your work hundreds of times over.

Build them horizontally so that the continuums progress from left to right.

Use The Seven Levels Of Flow-State Ambition as your base continuum.

Next, choose one other continuum and find where its nodes resonate with Flow-State Ambition. 

Continue to align one continuum at a time until all six are aligned together.

This assignment will test your objectivity and will further your understanding of the continuums. It might also reveal a mental barrier that encouraged your past self to quit. Remain curious and you will succeed.

For transparency's sake, I found this assignment to be difficult to start. It felt like I was stuck in a traffic jam. But, with curiosity, I made my way through it. Then, when pieces of the puzzle started falling into place, it was as beautiful as the dawning of a new day. 

Think about that. When was the last time you appreciated the dawning of a new day? If it wasn't recently, do it more often.

They're among the most beautiful experiences in the world. It's as gradual as the progression through harmonics, like for Flow-State Ambition. It's a breath of fresh air.

Feel free to work on this assignment before becoming a Black Belt. How the nodes match up will help you progress through the belts for Meta Zen. 

When they are organized from left to right, as you practice Meta Zen, you will complete all vertical nodes before you progress to the next set of vertical nodes. 

This contains an important insight which is as follows: 

Patrons were unable to pass their good fortune onto the coming generations…because they were on the path of trial and error.

Trial and error is slow as it’s impatient. Through trial and error, we’ll achieve the World’s Greatest ambition in a few thousand years if we're lucky.

In contrast, through patience as defined by Meta Zen, we’ll achieve the World’s Greatest ambition in…what do you think? Shall we count by centuries or decades?

You are welcome to review the work of another. Just don’t copy what someone else has done because they could be wrong. Have a conversation. Use your skill in meditation with your journal to be certain the pieces of the puzzle fit a certain way.

To make comparisons easier, put the continuums in this order from top to bottom: belts, ambition, consciousness, patrons, murmurations and visionaries.

When you complete this assignment, you have the basic skill of structuring a concept into its harmonics. This means, you know how to use Descartes’ Four precepts to unravel an ethical dilemma into a Mentorship Program.

Detail number five

While I could share more than five details, I would begin venturing into the minutia and shift from mentoring to instruction. 

Mentoring is about enabling others to begin exercising their curiosity, objectivity and moxie. It's akin to on-the-job training.

Instruction, however well intended, gives others an untimely sensory overload that encourages them to lose their confidence or become dogmatic.

In summary, when you start structuring a way to unravel an ethical dilemma using the structuring skill you learned in detail number four, you’ve completed the Third-Degree Black Belt.

Closure

This is the end of the second episode for the Black Belt. 

As you are enjoying Meta Zen, enable people to stumble upon it. Buy some Meta Zen stickers from moxiefrontier.com and put them where you and others will see them.

The Meta Zen sticker is our invitation to give our life a flourish.

It's a great time to be alive.