Blank Space in the Mind / CREATIVITY / SPIRITUALITY

This is a speculation and in metaphor, since the mind even my own  is so elusive and impossible to see it

direct though, it seems in the edge of conscious and unconsciousness,  there is a Blank Space

where a seed of thought or image is first appearing.

The Space has no size, hence it can accommodate the notion of universe to the structure of sub-atomic

particle —– first in a vague form under dim light.

As this Space was surrounded by all library of knowledges and memories  include the subconscious

memory which is deep in the brain, therefore all sorts of connection can be made,  in order to make sense

of what is this seed meant,  in a fraction of second.

The direction of this connecting process can be logical but it is not necessary.

So that a  dream can be created in utterly illogical direction and  with completely  free connection.

In the same time this is the process where creativity works. Whether it is a flat image or a 3D

structure, or an idea  which would be then converted into a meaningful notion by the linguistic semantics.

In the case of image, some person can gradually clarify its vague image into more solid image,

some people has very clear spatial imagination and can do it in 3D structure, others may

only able to see vague 2D image.  The person who can see clear 3D image is also good to see

the object objectively. (And I noticed those people are also able to see the self objectively)

From those images, some of the people can convert it to a concrete drawings (with a skill to

coordinate with the hand) —- as an art or a design for the purpose.  It can also be an invention.

But those new connections are not the result of logical thinking and there is no formula,

or methodology, they are more like a result of chance.    It always comes unexpectedly  🙂

( Like a production of T-cell in our  White blood, the design or the combination of DNA pattern is random

—– no designated pattern against the targeted virus.  Just make a lot, some may match to the virus and

able to kill them, though the rest would be wasted and die.)

Our body is relying on random chance —– knowingly control the direction is done in much

higher region of the brain, with less creativity or fancy novelty. ( Logical but boring.  And

this is why  so-called Conceptual art is boring.   😀 )

—-

So, the field of creativity, new idea or art / design, even a dream are all born in this Blank Space.

It can be described even the limbo in our mind / brain.  Between conscious and unconsciousness.

Starting with very vague feeling, as if it is exist or not exist —— like what  Buddhist describes.

In this field, as the first seed has no defined direction,  chance / accidental connection could be

occurred,  and as the brain scanning all the file and  information, something very remote but possible

new connection can be made.——–> Eureka ! ! !

If it is something useful, we call it invention, if not —– can be an art. (—– Why not  😀  )

—-

To see the seed as it is,  in the clear eyes,  is what the Buddhists are working for.

Since it could be the sign from the Dharma or it could be the direct transmission.

Or it could be an ingenious new idea in physics. (Ask Einstein, how he did it.  😀  )

To see it as it is (before converting it to a known category / notion) need to have an  open mind,

and best to be done in Mushin without any idiosyncratic view imposed on it.

( Interesting aspect of this  Open Mind / Blank Space is, some people can put even clear easily

distinguishable object / idea  into this space, and able to make totally new connection free from any

crèche, idiosyncratic notion,——- it is THE creative brain, creative person. And strangely you might

think, the practice of Zen ( not just a twisted leg formality or patterned Koan ) is nothing but the way to

create this Blank Space in the brain and handle all the coming signal with totally open-minded

manner and purest perception)

And this  Blank Space is where we can communicate with our Spiritual World.

As a seed appeared to this Twilight Blank Space, it is not yet the form of legible word,

some people call this  Transcendental (if it was arrived to the unconscious region,

we couldn’t notice it,  and if it was a clear legible message or clear visible image, we don’t

call it Transcendental) in which we feel, something beyond of our understanding,

deep meaning must be there ——- this is what we call  Spirituality.

—————–

When we receive something very vague signal,  we feel it  Transcendental or  Spiritual.

Like a sound which doesn’t have a clear rhythm nor distinctive melody  but slowly moving rather high

tone (2~4kHz), especially if its got some echo ( think, such as  Mozart’s Requiem which was recorded

in a church acoustics, or some slow synthesizer musics), as it is not narrative or descriptive,

and as the echo gives a feeling of the space, we start to feel as if we were absorbed in the infinite

space and gazing into deep unknown world —— we describe the feeling “Spiritual”.

In this reason, sacred music use this effect —- most typically Mozart / Vatican’s  Miserere.

( This Allegri’s sacred music was smuggled out of Vatican, stashed in the memory of Mozart.  🙂  )

Even the Adagio of Albinoni or Samuel Barber makes our skin creep.

( There could be a neurological effects between the cyclic stimuli / such as sound vibration and

resonating nerve signal —– can be a  residue or left over of  far ancient sensory,  such as Pineal Grand

was suspected to have —– sensing Earth’s Magnetic Field, Cosmic Wave kind of fancy staff —- which

might explain even  Why harmonic sound is more comfortable to listen, or  tone of music affect our mood )

Those phenomena gave a clue —— undefinable signal, a seed of very vague feeling or idea / image is

coming to this Blank Space and making the mind to explore unknown field —– Dream, Creative Idea

—–> Art, Invention, New Theory.

In comparison, if the signal is clear and distinctive, it will be instantly linked to the specific data, category

or notion by the cognitive function of the brain, then it will be converted to the literal notion.

But to define the vague signal, whether it was internally conceived or externally received —- it first comes

to the Blank Space.  So, this Blank Space is functioning like the sorting room for the lost letters  😀

——————-

A scientist said, this function is in our Right Brain  though  I’m not sure as a person who got right brain

damaged still has some creativity,  free mind is functioning —– and I haven’t seen my brain cut open yet.

(Observation through latest brain scanner is telling, that the Nobel Prized Right Brain theory

seemed to be a myth ——- our brain is much more complicated)

—–

Big Brother

No no, it is not meant to be THE Dharma.  The size of  Dharma  is immeasurable.

This Big Brother is in fact small guys who is sneaking everywhere,  where ever you go.

——- If you clicked my humble Youtube channel,  and clicked  Virtual Woman,  you may see

a thumbnail of Space Hijackers title appearing  right-hand column.    And click that one to see a

video image —– then loads of  Space Hijackers’ thumbnails appears.    In one of them,  Plan C

happen to have some scene of me dancing —— strangely or inevitably,  what so-ever.

( I rather like to have a scene of me dancing in  Kung-fu style with my  fists flying an inch before

a nose of riot police, since as it was a day time, it could be a rare footage, if anyone shot it 🙂 )

Any how,  I  wonder the way of editing or the choice of thumbnails to appear next to each video clip.

Lots of dinosaur images appears next to my Wire Dragon,  is straight forward as the title relates.

Though,  what is the link of my kinetic sculpture to Space Hijackers ?

Was that just a seer coincidence or because of my link —-> yoshizen’s blog —-> Space Hijackers ?

( By the way, I’ve joined them not because of their anti-establishment activity, I was just asked to help

repairing their Tank, then I found the dance parties they are organizing are so hilarious and funny —–

” Could such decent grownups can have such crazy imaginations ? ! ! ! ”  😀 )

But, if those links has been traced by the Youtube automatic search system ——- m m m ?

I feel rather uneasy.

Google is watching all of our cyber activity word by word,  hence the choice of AD appearing  next

to our Email pages etc etc. —— and the Youtube are doing the same now ?

If you Tweet a word something-nitrate,  you could be listed in the MI5’s potential list. ? ? ?

——— Even more disturbing development is, if you use ( or forced to use as the new system

adopted by the service provider )  RFID system, which ever it is for shopping etc,  you are going

to be remotely watched.

RFID is a small radio wave responder.  It react and transmit the specific code of the user, hence

it can distinguish the person.   Not only for a door entry or supermarket shopping,  this system is

going to be used to control the information (AD) where ever you go.

So,  if you are a regular shopper of the item and the connoisseur of it,  video AD in a station could be

changed and display  Durex AD for you. —— How nice —— is the future is Orange ?

As the fancy devices like iPhone, iPad spread, the function of their radio wave connectivity

could be utilized yet more fancy purpose ( or malicious purpose ? ) —— who knows.

So,  stay humble (or others say poor ) not to have fancy staff ( my Mob’phone is 15 years old —–

still working ) and use only small cash (no credit card)  is a knack to have a peaceful life.  🙂

___/\___

State of Zen = Dharma

Through  email,  Jaganathan  asked me pretty significant question.

” It would be helpful to know, by doing what a person in  Zen can fall back into  NOT being in  Zen  ”

In fact there was a popular misconception behind of this.

Zen or ultimate state of the mind in the Buddhism is not a newly acquired fancy addition of

the Mind.  Far from it, it is just the default state (if I may use a computer term)  of the mind.

( Hence, it is the a crucial marker to distinguish out a sham  Zen instructor —– if he says ” You will get

something new” it is the indication of that he doesn’t know the Buddhism )

This is Why everybody has it and born with it.

This is Why all the Zen masters in the past, when he realized it, described  ” It’s a dog sit ”

And this is Why a small children often shows it,  even a small animal, the Nature itself  shows it.

And this is Why, the Buddhism asking and asking ” Get lid of your thought (which is the products

of the complicated brain activities)” —— so, it was described as, be in the Mushin / Selfless.

Of cause,  Buddha was fully aware of this.  That is why he showed it by doing, not by the words.

And this was Why the followers had to follow him and mimic (and repeat as the practice) what

Buddha was doing.  (so the tradition was created )

——- being in the Default state, even the perception of  ” I’m seeing or listening etc ” are not

there ( hence, later description of the sense itself are not existing  were appeared in the Mantras )

( You have to remember that the all the Mantras were written more than 200 years afterward  by

the memories and the guess-work —— since, often with misunderstandings)

All the conversion to the categorized notions or ideas are done by the additional Thinking process.

Still, without all those conversions,  our eyes are seeing. And to see it, as what we have seen in the

first moment, without conversion or additional process is  what we call as the Clear view or Clear eyes.

And without the complicated brain process, which mean without any masking of the thoughts,  we can

see the Dharma —– or one might say even without seeing the Dharma, but Just be with Dharma.

So, be with it —— its mean forget what you have just read here — blah blah blah, Just Do It.

—-

Therefore (back to Jaganathan’s question) as the  Default is the basis, one can not remove it,  though it

would be easily masked by any setting of  thought,  pretension,  borrowed buzz-word,  fashionable

popular idea,  useless Ego,  Greed  etc etc,  but with the price of the Karma.

That is why,  stay humble,  without any masking  or dress-up  would be better,  as it will lose nothing

——- so, peace in simple life is what the Buddhist’s choice.  ( Though, paying some price to the Karma

and have small pleasure may not to be too bad. —— If it was not forgiven,  we human being had been

eliminated long ago.)   Still, choice is yours.  Don’t blame me if its happened.   Ha ha ha   😀

___/\___

—

Yet another 8150

Among the regulars of the Dorkbot gatherings, there is a creative programmer Jagannathan,

who has presented semi autonomous, self interactive moving pattern of enigmatic images before.

On the Dorkboat, he performed an electronic music composed on the spot, jammed with Alex Mclean.

On the boat journey, we talked about our resent activities, since our idea to put his organic program

to combine with my strange kinetic design hasn’t been materialized yet.

I told him about my Youtube images with its key word Kinetorori.  To google Kinetorori, it led to both

Yoshizen blog and my Youtube channel.

Along side the Youtube video clip / Cupidon and the blog Kinetorori,  inevitably he stumbled upon

8150 story.  Which lead him to read a post ” Is Dharma directing us ?”

In that post I was asking the reader to check their Number.  So, he checked his Bank a/c number ——

Bang ! —— He discovered,  his Bank a/c number having this fatal 8150. ——- Please read

the comments on the post. ” Is Dharma communicating us ?” (To search, type in the box and click )

Later he said on the Email, Shocked and amazed by this.  And as he said on his comment, he is

having this only a Bank a/c number since he arrived here 10 years ago. —— does it mean,

the Dharma did know  from the beginning,  we are going to meet —- or the person who got this

number are destined to meet together?

Jagannathan is not a Buddhist but he believes Brahmanism.     Still, what so ever human make up the

name the ultimate power over there is the same entity.    All of us are under the rule of this power.

And, in deed we were watched by it.

I gave a thought for Jagannathan’s life —– then I realized a crucial point that is (as he described

in his email)  after he experienced the trouble of his program  Pirated, he decided to publish them

as open source  ” Instead to spend the time to encrypt them, better spend the time to create

something new,  which gives  more freedom” ——- abandon  the ego and greed and

give-away his creation, brought him more freedom and strangely more wealth and stayed in health.

—— this is the very paradox in the Buddhism which I described many times.

So that, the greed-free honest attitude in the life is the key factor, as his life style is far from ascetic —–

having a wife, likes cider and he confessed, its hard to stick with  Right-hand Zen. 😀 —– Still,

Selfless, Ego-less free mind may made him spiritually stand out.

Programing is a laborious work for perfection  ( if not perfect, it doesn’t work at all  🙂 )  and

even for open source free program, if it is not creative and useful enough, nobody give a sit.

And now he started to wonder —— is this, because of him being protected by the Dharma too ?

( Fascinating isn’t it —— or is it Spooky ?   🙂  )

—-

DorkBoat

Yesterday there was a marvelous boat journey called  Dorkboat organized by the Dorkbot London.

Dorkbot is a group of the people ” Doing strange things with electricity “ —— as their motto

suggests, it is the gathering of the people who is doing with electronics, electricity what so-ever

to show off or discuss what so-ever about their free-minded creation.

Naturally, some are purely digital electronics /

computer programmed graphics or music.

And some are involving kinetic mechanism with

electronic control.

As the group is completely open to anybody

some are doing it alongside of his or her profession

with profound expertise, but some time

utterly an outsider of electronics came up

with very witty approach of an invention.

—

Me to join the group was, again a sheer coincidence.

Somebody a friend, happened to know the member

introduced me to the Dorkbot London as I’ve been

making a lots of funny kinetic sculptures and designing lots of electronic devices.

I liked their motto and my approach —– making the things which are utterly useless but fun,

was exactly matched and found a common ground.

Since then, virtually all of my public exposure such as to French TV, news paper or BBC

were happened with the Dorkbot.  ( Gathering can be seen only for the members, which mean strict

Health and Safety Regulation which is always our headache, can be avoided )

—-

On the boat from Westminster Pier to Kew, we saw the presentation of many funny devices ——

” Mocking bird can be seen as a  recording device (since they can repeat human words ! )” or

ever hilarious  J.Rarson’s game controller, and some music performances  etc etc.

It’s funny to think, the people who follow rigid and rational Physics and Electronics rules

still able to conceive such utterly useless nutty idea 😀   —–  This is THE creativity.

—-

Event was coincided with the farewell award giving for the departure of one of the founder

Alex McLean / formidable  experimental Programmer, as his family is moving out London.

I wish his family’s ever happier life in new location

and his creative projects to ever more flourish.

—

Worship ?

If anyone think the Buddhism is one of the religion, soon you will be realized

“If it is the religion, where is the God and what to worship ? ” —— Then you might be

realized, something peculiar or even something wrong.

—

Since, on his death-bed,  Buddha ordered to his followers ” Don’t idolize or worship me”

In the Buddhist’s Mantras,  there is even a single line of script which described that

Buddha himself bowed to anything, exist.

Buddha respects the Dharma and its rules, though  rule is just the rule.

Rule is not the God or an object of worship. ——– Gravity is one of the physical phenomena.

Its rule is absolute.  No one can escape —- though, no one think gravity is  God  nor anybody worship it.

Dharma rules the universe though as it is not like a  personified western  God,

Dharma is not answerable, even communicable to the human,  it is not an object to worship.

Hence,  Buddha didn’t need to worship the Dharma  but he just followed and lived with it.

Because of this, the Buddhism has been often  regarded to be NOT a religion,

and often mistook as an atheist.

( Lots of you may think,  if this is the case, what about the many Devine figures in the temple and

worshiping rituals  the monks are performing ? ? ?

——- It is just because of a mix-up with Hinduism.    It is not the Buddhism )

In the same kind of misunderstanding, lots of people think the Buddhist practice is a part of rituals.

No, they are a training exercise to gain a state of the mind ” Mushin “.

( DO the things without Thinking —– leave it to the control of subconsciousness / Dharma )

Darma has unknowable mystical power ——- though, it is not because of Buddhism.

Since,  Dharma and the Karma are ruling anybody, regardless one’s religion.

Believe or not, everybody you too, are under the Dharma —— hence, it’s better to aware it.

To become aware it ——- you are wiser.        Which we call ” Enlightened “

Buddhism itself has no mysticism or mumbo-jumbo.

Buddha’s teachings or Buddhism is the way to see the Dharma and live with it.

Following and living with it, mean more smooth natural life, hence having the Peace.

___/\___

Short POEM ( but not HAIKU )

( may be titled as ) [秋]———————– Aki / Autumn

————————ある————————–aru / one

————————雨の————————-ame no / rainy

————————朝—————————–asa / morning

————————アスファルトに————asphalt ni / on the asphalt ( pavement )

————————アシナガバチの———-Ashinaga-bachi no / a Wasp’s

————————死骸————————–shigai / dead body

————-  Well, this poem was composed in my twenties when I was having evening class of

an   Advertising Copy-writer’s training.  ( Since, I didn’t expect Industrial Sociology BA may not enough

to go into  Advertising or Publishing industry)   I wanted to have a skill to compliment my photography

and  I was writing lots of poems.  ( Preceding to this,  I was a  fanatic of  Jean Arthur Rimbaud )

————– In one glance you may noticed there is no subjective word / Who is watching a dead wasp.

This is a deep and long tradition of the Japanese language —– not clarify the subject word.

This is a part of the Buddhist’s culture combined with Confucians ethos.

Name Me is arrogant.   Self shouldn’t be there.   And name You is disrespect —— it should be only

implied by the proper use of honorific expressions. —— hence, all the HAIKU is missing subject word.

More importantly, without seen by anybody, the pavement and the wasp is still there. We were not the

designer of the world or control it —- How, Self can be there.  Why we need to assert I am watching.

( Hence, lots of old Haiku is based on a  man’s vulnerability,  a powerless observer’s sentiment, Wabi )

Japanese has been using the same language all through the history ( well, classic style is a headache

even for me 😀 ) and having such thousands of years history with Buddhism culture in the bottom,

translate it must be a daunting task, much harder than a Japanese to read Chinese Buddhist’s Mantras.

(So, it is no wonder to find lots of misunderstanding of Japanese Buddhism and wrong translations there)

In comparison, when I read an English translation of  Heart Mantra, translated from

the Sanskrit, I was rather amazed ( and disappointed ) with its clarity as there wasn’t enigmatic

[ Mysticism ] left there.  🙂    There was no mysticism in the Buddha’s teachings.

It was our own creation with over jealous expectation. (save my 8150 story.   It’s not my creation.  😀 )

In the Paradox of Buddhism, mysticism  never appeared where expected.  Because the expectation

is a thought emanated from one’s ego —— which against the Mushin / No-Mind.

—-

Here another poem which I wrote when I left Japan. ( No need to have a title )

( In hind sight, this was the moment I became a Bhikku )

—

美しい手紙を書こうと思った—–Utsukushii  tegami wo kakou to omotta / I wanted to write beautiful letter

私は詩を勉強した——————Watashi wa Shi wo benkyo shita / I studied Poetry

* * *

手紙ー通——————————Tegami, ittsu  / A letter

母へ—————————-———Haha e / to my Mother

—-

ありがとう——————–———Arigatow / Thank you

ごめんなさい———————-Gomen nasai / Forgive me

さようなら————————–Sayou-nara / Farewell

—

( This could be the shortest poem as it using only three most ubiquitous mundane words yet to describe

a man’s whole life.    As after 35 years I still couldn’t find any shorter, fewer word could do the same.

The space inside of  Zero could have whole life history and all the thought —– yet no need to talk

or discuss.  Just shut a mouth and a thought. ——– it is almost like the Zen,  isn’t it )

___/\___