Yoshizen's Blog

Hut Albireo in YASHIGA-MINE

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Gosh, I found the Web-site and a photo of the Hut Albireo (八子ヶ峰ヒュッテ,アルビレオ)

(When I searched in English before, I couldn’t find —– I got Japanese typing program only few years ago )

Hut Albireo (its name from a star in the Cygnus )  was a sister Hut of a mountain shelter Takami-ishi Goya (高見石小屋) in Kita-Yatsu-ga-take(北八ヶ岳), in japan.

—– (Until now I didn’t reveal the name of the mountain shelter I talked, because of my stories often goes too far, I thought, unless the people can verify it with the first-hand independent source, I didn’t like to do name-dropping).

[]Both Takami-ishi Goya and Hut Albireo were originally built by Mr. Satta but later they were taken over by the another hotel, Honzawa-Onsen.  And the Hut Albireo was bought by one of keeper, Mr.Kaji who was the chief volunteer of us.  In fact it was in a financial mess  we keepers were involved in a nightmare as Mr.Satta lost a lots of money in betting.   (Not very mountain like peaceful stories  🙂 )

( So, I learned a man’s life’s up and down entwined with a silly money affair, rather early stages of my life, fortunately or unfortunately. —– Since I hate money and gamble  :-D)

[] To build the Hut Albireo, we keepers were also worked hard from digging the ground works, to carry-up the building materials  (all worked for free though  😀 )  —– coming to the age of stock takings of the life, and looking back to those life I spent in the mountain (from 15 years to 27 years), I convinced that it formed my base of  Zen Buddhism.

In fact, I’ve learned the Buddhism in hardest way in the harshest condition   😀 After all, the matter is just do the work regardless even if it is for others. =  No Ego requiredSo, I’m very grateful I did it.  Ha ha ha  😀  —– (Such as a work in a building site in Okinawa while I was a drifter, the work in 30 m high was not too high for a rock climber, and the work was paid ! = In comparison to the unpaid work, such as carrying  the 50 kg of fire log 20 times everyday (its mean one ton everyday and continued one week ) any other work is easier =  who complains =only thankful to be alive = this must be the best lesson and the contemplation for one’s life.  Ha ha ha  😀 )

[] So that, to find the Hut Albireo is still there, and the same owner Mr.Kaji is still alive, was the greatest news to me.  (He was the keeper who carried 15 ton of log together every year. — the question is whether he became a Zen Buddhist or not  ? ) = I need to phone him ! —– Since then, what I found through phone was a bit spooky story that the volunteers, worked together with us (me and Mr.Kaji) around the same time, me and Mr.Kaji are the only surviving member now = rest of 5 were all dead.  What ? ? ? —– (I don’t miss them. Any how they didn’t work for cutting log, or carrying up the food staff = all the heavy work. — They did just disappeared.  😀 )

Yashigamine-031.06.22-teiten-600( Incidentally, when I had my wedding, the Ceremony was conducted in the Shinto Shirline  Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社) and we had wedding party in this very Hut = it was my biggest folly of my whole life.   😀 ) 

[]

Foreign Notion

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 —————-          — Tsurugi-dake 剱岳(富山県) (2999 m high)in Winter.

Among the old members of our Alpine Club, since one of member lost 4 of her friends in

avalanche in the Tsurugi mountain —– some Email conversation has been taking place.

In there, famous words of George Mallory = “Why you go to mountain ?”

“ Because it’s there” quoted again.

Though, the nuance in Japanese is slightly different. = It has been treated somewhat

special philosophical words   🙂

[]

—– If there is a field near house, kids or whoever walk into the field. If a river running,

kids or adults alike may jump into and have a fun, swim or even fishing.

—– Is it anything special ? = Mallory meant exactly the same. He meant,

it is nothing special even goes to mountain is just another activity of the

daily life = why not   🙂

But, when it was translated into Japanese “何故なら,山がそこに在るからだ/ Naze-nara,

Yama ga soko-ni arukara da” it started to have (or misunderstood) something special.

(One of the reason was, as the translator configured the words in formal “Translation style”

and no Japanese says like it in a casual conversation = more likely they say

“Datte, soko-ni aru ja nai ?” or “Soko-ni arukara sa”

—– from its style and a heavy connotation (because, Mallory was a famous man = not

a man on the street) the people took “It should have something heavy extra meaning” 😀

[]

When I read the English translation of [Heart Mantra] in the first time, it

literally astonished me how it was simple and plain.

No ghost, no mambo-jumbo left there at all. —– In certain extent,

Buddhism seemed to have lost its mythical connotation to me.

Japanese read Buddhist’s mantras in Chinese written form (with a lots of unfamiliar

complicated characters :-)) therefore the word itself sound literally foreign, not

mention the vagueness of its meanings => giving very mythical connotation.

[]

The situation is the same in most of the foreign cultures, even in a cooking.

= Western people complains, when Japanese boils pasta, it was over boiled to too soft.

In the same time, eastern people complains “Why westerner cook noodle so soft and

make it soggy” —– as they didn’t know what it should be in the original form, they

tend to think “If it was still raw, it must be awful, so that it is safer to cook longer”

and end-up eating quite unlikely food   😀 

Mimic the action is easy though, to know where to stop the action needs

to be grown-up in its culture. 

(I’ve learned this while clapping the hand in the Flamenco-dance Music  😀 )

[]

On the time of Lord Buddha, I don’t think the most of his followers were literate. And

Lord Buddha didn’t teach them in sophisticated Sanskrit but in colloquial Pari.

And, I don’t think it was a complicated philosophical or mythical thought but more likely

plain wisdom in the daily life. —– it’s mean, when the teachings were written down

after 200 years lapse, it is easy to guess, the teachings were much more formalized and

glorified by the person who were well educated (hence familiar with Sanskrit = Vedic

notions) while following the Sanskrit literature and its notions as a model.

This must be the reason why even in the earliest scriptures still having many

contradictory descriptions especially in the point,

Lord Buddha has denied the existence of the perpetual soul (Atman in Vedic belief) why

the past or future life exists = Mix-up with Brahmanism (Hindu) occurred in very early stage.

[]

It happens even within the same culture, it would be inevitable between foreign culture.

To drink a tea with different mix of formula, such as in India, garlic in a tea believed to be

good to cure the cold.   Chinese treat the tea as a herbal drink, though to make it as a level

of Ceremony seems to be an over-boiled pasta 😀

So, I wouldn’t go to the idea if Mallory believed that the mountain has

a holy spirit.—– “It’s just there” 

(The reason why the Buddhists treat the Dharma mythical is because

the most of it is unknowable and invisible to our humble eyes.)

___/\___

[]

Being Natural or Be Artful Perfection — Which is Zen ?

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—— Left Mug is the one I’m using now.  Right is the one I brought from Japan 33 years ago

and served me till 1992 and since it got hole on the bottom, it became a pen stand  🙂

Once, my tea drinking was a kind of Art = as I’ve been drinking 1.5 ~ 2 liters

(3 ~ 4 pints) of tea everyday, to make it, was not just a daily routine, it was

a refined flow of the action.

To begin with, the way to put a water into a kettle ~ ~ ~ to pour the tea into a cup then

drop one or two slices of the lemon etc etc.

As all the actions has been repeated everyday (I don’t know how many thousands times

I did ) naturally each action has been rationalized to the most efficient smooth manner.

So that, once a person who observed this process summed up, “It’s formalized to the

almost tea ceremony like process isn’t it”. Of cause, it was not intended to be a ceremony

but just doing it in quickest and smoothest way. As it is always the same action, it has

no dither or need any thinking, let alone any emotion.

May be this is the way what Master Dogen (道元 / Founder of the Soto-Zen)

has taught = to become perfect to be “who I am and what I’m doing”.

(= Nobody else.  Nothing else = this is what Mindfulness meant !)

[]

Sound so far so good isn’t it ?   But wait a moment —– ?

To be “WHO I am” = the very one who has been born under own Karma, hence grown-up

according to the occurrences given next by next.

The result is the only one, “me” = To be my own is nothing but to be Natural

(but not necessary perfect), still, “to be perfect” mean the person has to be

refined to be pure = eliminate all the imperfection and the foreign substance

(imported idea or pretense).

This is quite an artful existence isn’t it ? ? ?

[]

Making and drinking my tea, I’ve refined its process to the art level though, one-day in

the last Summer, I couldn’t bother to make a tea as I was too thirsty, instead

I just filled my cup with a tap-water and a slice of lemon. ————

Since then, I stop to make a tea but just drink a tap-water. (I don’t buy any bottled drink).

—- Am I lost an art and the mindfulness, while becoming lazy ?

OR, was that an Enlightenment ? —– Good, good question 🙂

To drink a water instead of tea —– It is obvious, which is simpler and natural.

[]

Tea-making started in the Rinzai Zen temple as Master Yousai (栄西) brought it from China.

Hence, Tea-making is a part of Zen teachings. In comparison, Soto Zen tend to remain much

humble and simple. ( = So that, I’m a simple poor man 😀 )

Therefore, isn’t it to drink water instead of Tea, is more Soto Zen ?

Not lazy isn’t it ?

[]

My answer is = I don’t care. As long as something to sip in the cup, it’s enough.

(with its consequence to drink 2 litres of water and going to a toilet every 2 hours =

flushing out any toxins in the body = no need to have doctor or any medicine

—– it may be true :-))

As I don’t need to bother buying tea any more, this is even more peaceful Life and the Mind.

(and cost less 😀 ) —– After all, I don’t think I was born for tea making.

This is my Zen as I’m nobody else of simple yoshizen 😀

[]

In fact, here lies very interesting question.

The ideal early Buddhists were the one who forsaken all the ordinary life to

pursuit Enlightenment, namely Bhikku and Arakhan though, the Buddhism

took the direction to more inclusive Mahayana = while living in the ordinary

life, still maintaining the Mind-set to be a Buddhist = more Natural life style.

My position is, the matter is not a superficial life style but the Mind-set since

the  Mind-set such as Mushin, Ichijo, Mindfulness , Selflessness are naturally

in our subconsciousness, in other words Natural Life-style is not a hindrance

to achieve its refinement, ultimately to reach Enlightenment.

(By the way, me doing something utterly useless, is for fun = Do something on

the hand and creating something new with good laugh is better than just

being passive, such as watching TV or Inter-netting.  😀 )

___/\___

[]

Capricorns Ball

Last night, there was a party [Capricorns Ball] held in a Pub in Brixton.  In fact this party

started as a birthday party of the Capricorn people among the staffs or ex-staffs of the

Fridge Night Club,  and as a regular I was invited every year —– in the past 15 years or so !

May be an excuse to get together and get drank or annual reunion of the people who had

their youth in the Club  (I mean, while working —– I was only dancing though)   😀

And all the photos here were intended for the guest to download and copy,  if they want.

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It’s nice to see the old faces, even though everybody is getting a bit older and having

different kind of life. (It’s really amazing, I acquainted many of them 20 years ago ! ! ! )

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As a party in a pub,  Pub-quiz is in a menu—– this time, about the Capricorns  🙂

( I didn’t know our Emperor, I mean Japanese, is also Capricorns.)

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And a birthday cake  🙂

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The top two Quiz winner received Trophy = they are ecstatic with a joy  😀 

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The each candle on the cake was blown by each Capricorns one by one.

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Then, live gig. (Not necessary my kind of music —– still it’s OK )

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I think it’s a nice photo !  (or, at least they think I’m a nice man. —– mind you, the camera

was only 10″  away from their faces)

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The Capricorn Short cake was made by a young lady and the piece here said to be an

art installation created by another young lady = happen to be a Japanese though, too

young to know what the Fridge Club was  😀

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This is not intended for a self portrait but a demonstration of how the lighting of those

photos were done. (Hand aimed bounce lighting).  By the way, something hang  from my

neck is one of my Disco Pendant = Sound-activated Flashing Pendant, I made 20 years ago

and been used in the Club almost every week. (I’ll talk about this design, in here soon)

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Then, let’s dance  🙂

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Despite the London having quite a snow and pretty cold though, number of people turned up. 

And it was a fabulous joyful night. 

Thanks to the Ex-Fridge Capricorns, work hard to organize this.

[]

Ikkyu story (2)

Ikkyu Sojun (一休宗純) was the most famous Zen monk in Japanese history,

especially with his hundreds of quick witty stories to deal with the situations or gave an

answer though, as so many books has been written much later, we don’t know which story

was true and which one was a fanciful invention.

—– I read this story in a cartoon comics when I was a child, so that it could be a nice

invention of comic writer, still, this story had such a drastic twist of rhetoric

therefore showing quite Zen like jump of wit, this one could be a real story,

if not, it might be written by another accomplished Zen monk.

[]

The Abbot of the temple where Ikkyu was staying, had a secret pleasure to lick a honey

kept in a jar.   When young novice asked him what is it, the Abbot told him that it is a

medicine of wisdom though, as it is so potent, only a learned elderly person can take.

Otherwise, it is deadly poisonous to a young brain. But novices, Ikkyu and others did know,

it was a lie and what in the jar was a honey.

[]

One day, when Abbot was out for a day, Ikkyu gave his drastic answer.

He took an old ceramic vase, which the Abbot was most treasured, and smashed it to the floor.

Then took the honey jar, and started licking honey with other novices.

Soon, the honey was emptied.

When Abbot came back in the evening, he found all the novices were in the crying state.

When he asked what has happened, Ikkyu replied that while cleaning the room,

they accidentally drop the vase and it was completely smashed.   As the vase

has such irreplaceable value, there was no way else to repay but with own life.

“So that, in order to commit suicide, all of us took that poison in your jar.

But, even after swallowed all the poison, we still couldn’t die and this is why

we are so ashamed and feel dreadful. ~ ~ ~ cry cry cry !”

—– Abbot had no word to return.

[]

😀 😀 this was the revolution. Face to face, asking the truth what is in the jar —– is

a democratic approach of dialogue   (provided if the Abbot treats them as equal and tell the

truth) though the Abbot was just a tyrant = there couldn’t be any fair negotiation => only

insurgence is the remedy = revolution, hence some casualties were unavoidable.

The ceramic vase could be worth million though, Ikkyu didn’t gave even a hint of hesitation.

= He just smashed it.   On the end, his revel exposed the fraud in the temple =

Abbot lost his credibility and the priceless ceramic vase —– even honey too 😀

But, what Ikkyu and the novices got — not much, just a taste of honey and a good laugh.

—– most of Ikkyu stories are for good laugh, not much else.

(Anyhow, they were aimed to the children )

[]

Still, real Ikkyu was a serious Zen monk.

As one of his Short-Poem (Kyoka 狂歌) for New-year said ;

門松は,冥土の旅の一里塚 (Kado-matsu wa, Meido no Tabi no Ichiri-zuka) 

馬,かごも無し,宿も無し(Uma, Kago mo nashi, Yado mo nashi)

New-year’s (Ever green) Pine branch is a mile-stone to the Nether world.

No Horse or Palanquin (for the journey), even no inn (to stay for a night).

= there is no celebratory mood at all.      Ha ha ha 😀

That was quite Ikkyu-san.   (He had no illusion to the life, neither to New-year,

though in reality unlike any other meek monk, he had very active eventful life,

all because of his completely liberated mind and the eyes. 

No illusion mean no emotional blockage neither  = This is the Zen )

___/\___

[]

Nattou (納豆) = Japanese food, others dread !

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(Photo left ;  Nattou I found in a Japanese food shop = £1.5 for 3~4 packages. 

It comes with light colored soy-source and mustard. 

Photo right ; Mixed all together with added spring onion = just in a minute, it’s ready to eat  )

You know, Nattou is the most popular food in Japan —– still, so far, I never seen

any westerner ever eat,  let alone liked it.  😀

Nattou is a fermented soy-bean.  To make it, soy-bean was just boiled and placed between a

straw-mat and kept overnight, that’s all, nothing else.   No trick, no additive, even no need to put

yeast kind of bacteria = in fact, the bacteria  [Bactillus Subtilis var. natto] naturally comes from the

straw or any kind of dried grass hence fermentation will be naturally taking place.

( —– though, today the production was automatized in the factory where no straw

in sight = using cultivated pure bacteria instead, still some enthusiast making it

in traditional way   )

[]

In nature, bacteria are everywhere, include inside of our body and some are doing pretty good

job helping digestion etc, but others are not necessary so, and cause illness.

Some are working to decompose the milk to make it a cheese, or to make a wine etc etc =

as long as it works useful to us, it is called fermentation otherwise called rotten.

So, fermented soy-bean is = to Japanese, it is a great fermentation but to rest of

the world, it is nothing but rotten. 😀

Rotten, because it smells like rotten and the bean became covered with sticky slime.

(In the same context, many of cheese here smells nothing but awfully rotten to the Japanese)

[]

To eat Nattou, Japanese are mixing it with soy-source, generally with mustard

and finely chopped spring onion — some people even prefer to add raw egg-yolk

to make it more slimy. (how delicious !  😀 )

As the protein of soy-bean has been decomposed by the bacteria, it is much more digestible and

nutritional value is much higher than just boiled soy-bean. = Hence, Nattou is an indispensable

part of healthier Japanese food life.

And an interesting point is, as Japanese are familiar with slimy Nattou, they also

eat many slimy food such as Okra, name but few.

—– You may not think,  Okra is slimy food because you eat them boiled.

But, Japanese eat it raw by cutting it into thin slices and mixed with dried fish flaks and drip of

soy-source = if you cut, you will notice, it got slimy mucilage =this texture is what

Japanese are after.   ( I’ll write about this kind of cooking more on a coming post 🙂

[]

Incidentally, Okra is a sister of Hollyhock or Marshmallow, and a cousin of

Hibiscus = all in the same Malvaceae family hence if you clash those plant between your

fingers you will feel it has slimy texture inside = using this slimy mucilage property,

a soft sweets  [Marshmallow] was originally created, as its name suggests.

(But today’s Marshmallow is an almost artificial sponge made by substitute) 

And using its slimy substance as a fiber-bonding glue, Malveceae plants has been used for the

paper making —– you believe or not 🙂 )   As a matter of fact, lots of food such as cheap

Ice-cream couldn’t keep its soft creamy texture without having those slimy additives.  

So, you may read a name of  Zantan-gum on a food packages, it’s a slime created

by the rotten Cabbage ! —– horrified ?  — Or you accept your unavoidable fate,

and start eating Nattou ? 😀

[]

—– thanks to its pure vegetarian contents, Nattou is very popular in the

Buddhist’s temple menu hence if any westerner had a chance to stay in a temple

= it would be a real dread as well, to face Nattou.  😀

But, I know, to get know to eat Nattou would be rewarded by really healthy life.

To open your mind (and the Mouth), it is the Zen —– ? —– really ?

Yah, —– may be. —- Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

[]

Sushi Party

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Me and the Artists friends, who also being involved in education, training program to the

disadvantaged people had a Sushi Party at a flat where those two are living.  I prepared some

in my place and brought up to their flat. —– I used to have a Sushi party in my place though,

my flat runs out of the space to receive the guests  😀 —– Preparation for Temaki Sushi is just

cut the material to a stick shape, other than the shoppings  🙂  —– So, cutting is very easy, but

the hardest part I always found was = to get the best Avocado, = matured still not too soft  😀

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(So, all the ingredients were prepared and cut into a stick shape for roll-up.

Photo left = Cucumber, Seafood Stick and the front three were  Cooked Kombu (Kelp seaweed),

Cooked fried Tofu ( Soybean Curd) and Cooked Shiitake mushroom = those three were

boiled together in one hour or so, then Soy-sauce, a bit of sugar, vinegar were added = they

were the improvisation and the substitute  of cooked Japanese Kanpyo (Dried Marlow) = as

Kombu and the Shiitake act as Dashi (taste base) no other Dashi was needed.

Photo middle = Salmon and front left was a substitute of Shime Saba (marinated Mackerel)

= Herring Rollmop and dark colored one was Tuna.

Photo right = Avocado, Cucumber and the front = Flied Egg and the Cheddar Cheese. )

So, I did some cooking and brought those to their flat in a big logistic operation and 

I made famous Miso soup as well.  😉

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To cook Sushi-rice to ideal condition is the most tricky part of Sushi making = Rice had to be

washed and soaked in the water over-night though, bring a big pan with soaked rice in water is

too awkward = so, next day, I drained the water and measured its amount ( for five or six people

I put 3 cups ( 1 cup = 250 ml ) of rice into a pan, and after washed, the water was completely

drained, then I put 4 cups of water for over-night soaking.    Next day the water I drained was 

3.5  cup = so, I added back the same amount of water in their kitchen,  then put it on fire.

= When the rice started to boil vigorously,  put the fire down to very small, and made it to

shimmer another 10 minutes. 

Then change the cooked rice to a big bowl and let it cool down, and to add the Vinegar and

Sugar though this time I mixed the rice with Sushi Powder.  (Sushi powder was made with

dried vinegar hence it prevent the rice become soggy —– but I found, it was a bit too sweet) 

Photo middle was prepared Prawn for Nigiri Sushi (My friend Alberto was very keen to it  🙂 )

[]

Temaki Sushi is, to take some amount of rice on a piece of  Nori (1/4 cut of the Nori sheet) then

put any ingredient(S) which was dripped in the Soy-sorce with Wasabi — then role it and eat  🙂

—–Every body try to use chop-stick  (it was not obligatory though  😀 ) some were well

managed but some were not.  As sushi has been well adapted in the west, the matter to cook it

by ourself is, where to get material or how improvised. = Instead to stick with traditional

ingredients, such as use of Avocado was  invented in California — may be use Herring Rollmop

was my invention still they quite liked it   🙂 

The party was a good success as everybody eat to the full or even over   😀

(Second round was requested )

[]

PARADOX in seeking the ZEN

 

I wrote in previous post, to reach Zen, how it is crucial to block the Emotion.

[]

Though, Zen or Buddhism in general, it is a strange maze of the Paradox =

the more you try to see it, you can’t see.   The harder you put the effort,

you can’t achieve. (—– I think, I wrote the same subject before, while using a metaphor

“You can’t run, as long as you got legs” 😀 )

This trouble is, all comes down to the existence of the Emotion or Emotional thinking.

Because of the strong intention or will is always accompanied by the strong

Emotion. The more you are serious, the more your mind is stack to the subject

though, ironically, the art of Zen is how to make you detached from the subject.

—– You can’t detach yourself from the subject when you are studying it —–

you may say.

(If you ever read the book of Zen Mondo / Koan, then if you read it again while this paradox

in mind, you will see the point, or it will make sense in each answer.

= They are in the matter of this paradox.)

[]

So that, there is a trouble to understand such as “what the Mindfulness is” =

the harder you try to be Mindful = you are falling into a Clu-de-sak or strays away to nowhere

because of your mind = Emotion is just stack to the subject. Emotion blinding You !

—– There is nothing else but the subject, and you can see it clear detached eyes.

= This IS Mindfulness. = because of your eyes are detached from your Emotion, there

couldn’t be any wishful thinking or a greed to succeed etc kind of destructive rubbish = you can

see the true nature of the subject. = therefore you can do the perfect job, hence you will succeed.

This state of mind, detached from the subject, = as there is no Emotional

attachment, hence the mind is blank but only eyes are gazing at =

This is Mushin and in Selflessness = This IS Mindfulness.

Why Selfless here ?  Because, only eyes and the subject are here.  Not your Mind.

[]

Sound easy ? —– or you may utterly bemused, how to do ? How far to be detached 😀

Because of this confusion, ancient Buddhists invented [Middle Way] 2,000 years ago.

While saying “Not too close, still not too far” — Because, they themselves haven’t experienced

real Mushin 😀

= It seems, the vast number of Mantra Authors are not necessary understood the Buddhism.

= That was why so many fancy stories of it was added to the original teachings to cover-up  😀

(Good in writing is not necessary knowing the subject 😀 = The Monks are familiar with sitting

in the temple, but they may not be any expert of DOING something — this is a reason why the

Zen was invented = Zen put an emphasis to DO something and prohibit Thinking)

[]

When you DO something, subject is very front of your eyes.

If it was cutting a lemon, lemon and a knife are there. —– So, just cut it. You don’t need to think

anything else.  After cutting 10 lemons, 100 lemons, (what to do those mountain of lemon slices =

may be better make Marmalade and use one or two for a cup of tea 😀   Or if you are short of

money, cut potatoes instead and make crisps ? —– though, I don’t like to use oil )  you will

run-out anything to think about (NO Thinking) = you will cut it almost like an

automatic machine (NO Emotion),  hence your eyes sees nothing else of Lemon

and the Knife = this is the Mindfulness.   And the brain is in the state of Mushin.

Then, applying this eyes and the Mind-set to see other things in the Life.

By actually DO something, there is NO PARADOX (Paradox is created in the

Emotional Thinking = such as Intention, Will, Gain / Loss Calculation, etc etc =

not exists in Doing )  —– This is the ZEN.

( So, it is a great mystery, what the people is doing while sitting and doing

so-called meditation ?  😀  😀 ) 

___/\___

[]

Clear the Deck for 2013 / Detach the EMOTION

Blogging, or writing in general, it is the process to convert the idea or notion into a separate object,

thus, enables it to be examined as an independent entity. ( on top of much more common purpose

to express it to others ) = like a Jig-saw Puzzle, we have to find, not only matching the shape of

pieces but also its picture printed on, which we can see the rationality in bird’s eye view.

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Thanks to given task of this Blog (yes, I regard this, not my choice but a given task I was assigned

— simply because it has occurred on my life — has anybody else assigned as well ? = if nobody

else there, I have to take care, haven’t I ? 😀 ) at least I managed to record the process what and

how I figured out Zen Buddhism in the past 3 years and 9 months, with over 400 posts.

(since, this is the DIY Zen study)

As it is still an ongoing process, I wouldn’t pretend it had consistent unity = far from it, it deviated

a lots, therefore it often contradicting each other.   And not necessary having even consistent

definition of the term, not because of mistake but change of my approach.

So, thanks goodness, I’ve managed to come to much clear picture of which those confusion has

been sorted out (well, more or less 😀 )

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My basic approach to the Buddhism is the same from the start, long before even I

started this Blog. —– It was to retrace the way and the process how

Lord Buddha found and came to his conclusion as a normal human being, not a

superman or divine figure.

Human brain is more or less having the same function and the same tendency.

As there couldn’t be any super natural phenomena such as Extra Sensory Power (though, I

reserve the judgement about this point, because there seemed to be something still there ) and

the human common-sense is more or less the same, therefore when we see the same subject, we

are able to deduce to the same conclusion.

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While I was blogging, there were two important view point came to my consideration.

The one was a phenomenon in the Neurophysiology, that the threshold of our perception

become higher against the repeating signals = I realized the connection to the repeating

action of the Buddhist’s practice which lead the person to acquire the immunities to the

repeating coming signal or same internal thought, hence higher threshold blocks the signal

reaching to emotional cortex and trigger the hormonal reaction. ( Such as if you see

the same porno photo on the wall every day, the perception was desensitized and soon it loose an

impact to arose you with a seclusion of Testosterone = photo become just another landscape. 😀 )

—– (On the beginning, I’ve been putting more emphasis to an effect of imprinting

by the repeated practice, but [imprinting into subconscious] alone couldn’t explain

the origin of Selflessness).

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And the other was a neurological symptom that the blocked connection to the emotional cortex in

the brain of Alzheimer’s case, it cause the loss of cognition to see the SELF and the

own possession = hence, loose the EGO, and the Self-preserving GREED.

Some of you may feel rather disturbing with this, because of the connection to Alzheimer’s though,

despite of it this is the very key to understand the MUSHIN and the SELFLESSNESS as

one phenomenon = the matter is to block the Emotion which is causing all the trouble

in the LIFE such as Obsessive Thoughts, sticky Attachment, EGO and the GREED.

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So, thanks to Alzheimer research, the mechanism of our Mind has been exposed.

But, to have this detached mind, you don’t need to wait another 40, 60 years =

while doing Buddhist’s practice, you might realized that you are doing it without

conscious (unconsciously hand was moving or automatically chanting) —– once

you see this phenomenon, practice the same while watching this blank-space in

your brain. —– Then, while having this blank-space in the brain (Being in Mushin)

turn the eyes beyond, and see the world in Mushin. = Soon or later, you will acquire

the skill to have this eyes in any moment and in any situation. = YOU ARE IN ZEN.

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In this context, so called Buddhist’s teachings = [eliminate THINKINGS] this Thinkings has to

be understood as [Emotional Judgment] not a logical clear thinkings. =

This is one of the most confusing part in the Buddhist’s teachings.

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples in his death bed

“Don’t believe what you were taught and what others say, but think it yourself ” =

Think logical in clear objective way, and use common-sense, was what he meant.

After all, cool dispassionate eyes = non-emotional, logical thinkings is the key to the Buddhist’s

Mind-set. —– (Without having Emotional conscious, we feel the Brain is blank ! 

= When we see something in total dispassionate way, we only feel the vision but

not a thought = This is MUSHIN —– still, the brain is working subconsciously )

There is no mythical secret technique which is not achievable to the ordinal mankind.

What Lord Buddha taught was not a kind of Mythical belief but the clear practical solution

—– such as the case of Kisa-Gortami, he didn’t tell her any Mumbo-jumbo such as she could see

her dead child in the Heaven or child would reborn and see her again, but simply made her just

running around and made her to reach logical understandings, that a death is the common

and inescapable truth. = This is the very Key teaching of

[Life IS, to suffer, getting ill and old, and to die].

[And the way to deal with this harsh Life is to learn Buddhism through its repeating practice] which

would eliminate the bad effect of the Emotion, hence able to live in peace of Mushin and Selflessness.

(As I rote above, without connecting to Emotion, the action can be done in

dispassionate way almost automatic = even without the conscious, and without the

obstruction of Ego, Greed and the Delusion)

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—– If you give a thought and review all the Phenomena in the Buddhist’s psyche, such as

Detachment, Detached to the Changing world hence Live in its Moment, Has no Fear of the Death,

no Ego, no Greed etc etc you will realize, all those were the manifestation of NO Emotion (and

Emotional Judgement). —–The man who could forsake the pleasure of life in luxury and the feast

of flesh, and able to bluntly define the [Life is Suffering],

Lord Buddha had no illusion, neither gave any sweet illusion to the followers,

especially his teachings were the one, revolutionary idea which against the popular

Vedic idea of Atman = (Perpetual soul, which has no logical, scientific proof) he would have had

no way to fabricate any another fancy stories. = Hence, the Buddhism in its original form is blunt

and straight, because of it was not considered to be popular but stand on the Truth, as it teaches

Own Enlightenment, not dependent on a Salvation which proved to be never come.

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Widely misconceived so-called Buddhist’s [Compassion] is not emanated from the tender

Emotion but it comes from the same Mind-set of Mushin and the Selflessness = see

the situation without Emotion and the Ego, hence able to see the needs of others as if it was one’s

own = then able to see what is the best to DO here = effectively helping others as a result.

= If the one still having own Emotion, the own self-preservation comes first.

Selfless act has no Emotion.   And this is why it has no notion of [giving to others]

= NO distinction of ME and OTHER. = in this Mind-set, there is even no conscious of Me and even

Animal or Plant. = This is the True Compassion in the Buddhism.

True Buddhist is not compassionate sweet person but he (she) is the person just Doing what he

ought to Do, without having even a conscious of doing or being as a Buddhist.

When the one has NO conscious of SELF, how the same person can have a conscious

of [I’m a Buddhist] —– And this is the true meaning of [There is NO SELF]

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Happy New Year 2013

yoshizen2012card3

Happy New Year to all those who is visiting and supported my blog. 

I hope it would inspire and cause more active and fulfilling life

on the 2013 and ahead for you. 🙂 

Yoshizen  aka  Kinetorori

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