Creative Zen Mind

What can you see in the photo ?

It is a strip of bras metal from an Art material shop.

In fact it is just a cut-off, left-over of a bras panel, yet sold as a material.

Material for what ?  —– for Art ?  For making small parts of electric device ?

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Some may think to utilize it as a book marker or throw into a bin after twisting it for a while  😀[]

But, flat metal doesn’t necessary to remain, as a flat object. Cut-off piece doesn’t

necessary be a rubbish = They are the stereotypical preconceptions =

If we couldn’t go beyond this kind of preconception, our ancestor couldn’t have invented

an arrow- head out of a stone.

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If it was a Zen question —– the answer could be even “It is the Universe, Sir ”

———- Did you get it ?   😀

If it is a thin metal, it can be easily cut by ordinary scissors, and easily twisted to make a shape.

It can be anything. (Well, in a theory. 😀 )

—– So, here, one of my attempt. This is a kind of 3D line drawing. = Strip of metal was cut even

narrower strips and twisted.  If this is still a sculpture, how cheap and easy = This is the beauty of it.

And this is all about [What you can see in a strip of metal]

——– (The face shows different expression with different viewing angle —- I’m studying how and why  :-))

BUT, to see it NOT as a strip of metal, but as a 3D figure, isn’t it a Delusion which exists

only in the mind ? = good question 😀

( Here, famous story of Flower Sermon (捻華微笑経) comes = a flower can be the Universe = Dharma.

—– though, why only Maha Kashapa could understood it ?  What other disciples were doing  ?  😀 )

—– Zen has its completely detached eyes, hence see it no more than it IS, but in the

same time, as it posses no preconception = see it in the Blank Space, it can see even

an invisible = it can be a Truth.

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But, [What is the Truth ?] —– is the big question.

The Truth, which affect our life ? Or fundamentals of our existence ?

Is the Truth which is relevant to our life, is the Truth ? —– Isn’t it a bit too utilitarian view isn’t it ?

How about Big-bang and Black-hole, are they True, or anything relevant to us ?

( So far the historical fact, therefore the statistical provability showed, that Zennist

didn’t find any important scientific Discovery or earth-shuttering Truth to the human

= thus, most likely, we don’t need to worry about Big Truth.  We are busy enough to

deal with the handful headache in the dairy Life and the matter of the Self.  😀 )

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(When Lord Buddha was asked about those Big Truth, he didn’t give any answer. 

Since then, traditionally Buddhists doesn’t talk about those question, which is out of our Life.

After all, so-called Mindfulness is to eliminate any thought other than the matter

the person is facing up front.

—— Even today, the scientists who is seriously dealing with Black-Hole Theory are not more than

handful in the world = it is nothing to do with rest of us, other than an interesting talking piece   🙂

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—– the choice is totally up to to you = the matter of who you are

= if you are a person to see it as a bare strip of metal, see it.

Or if you are a person to see it as a figure, go for it = Zen is not a fixed dogma or

an attitude, since [To be who you are] is only a matter !

But this [Who you are] is neither fixed or ideal existence, as time goes, the same YOU

may not be the same person on the next moment = try to act in a fixed face IS a delusion.

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So, enjoy each moment.   And enjoy a creative moment when it comes.

When something new idea of figure, or even an enterprising business plan came up to your mind, while

you are in the state of Mushin (Mind was open to Blank space) the idea was a product

of your subconscious thinking  (generally called Intuition, some called a voice of Heart,

the other even calls it as a voice of God = it could be just a random occurence, yet

it could be a result of Karma) = Why not TRY it = Just DO it.

===> Have a fun and enjoy your creative LIFE !

___/\___

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Is Buddhism a Religion ?

I spent half of my life to find what is Zen.

As my understanding of the Zen deepen and the points what

Lord Buddha taught then became clear, I realized many mix-ups and the confusions

surrounding the Buddhism. 

(Please read the previous post to see What was the original teachings ? = Scientific Universal Truth)

Provably the most controversial question I can make is, whether the Buddhism

(in its original teachings) was a religion at all in the first place ?

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The answer to this question must lay in the title what

Lord Syakya-muni Buddha was given = [ BUDDHA] the enlightened one, not a Divine figure

even not a reincarnated Divine figure, such as Brahman’s.

Instead, he was described as a person even the God Brahman came and pay a respect.

Hindu people regarding him as a Guru, the great Teacher.

Not as an imaginary Godly figure but a historical real person.

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Another fact to consider this question is, in his core teaching of  [Four Noble Truth], of which

one of them defined that the [Life is to have suffering, illness, getting old and to die] —– what sort

of the person was able to say such extremely blunt harsh words ?  = sound not very popular.

In contrast,  moneymaking Guru needs to attract a lots of worshipers hence resorting with soothing sweet

words. = Lords of attractive promises, Salvation, Heaven, Mythical Power, New Opportunities, Love

etc etc, while saying “Believe me” and in the same time “ Otherwise you go to the Hell ”

The same tactics of  fraudsters = [Carrot and Whip] = with those [Words], Guru mislead the people

= This is what the Religion is = “If you believe, it is True”.   ( Sorry to use harsh unreserved

words here, because I don’t need to be popular nor drive Mercedes neither  😀 )

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Lord Buddha didn’t need to tell this kind of mambo-jumbo at all. Because he was not teaching

a Belief System but just the TRUTH and that was the reason, on his death bed he gave an order to his

disciples [Don’t believe the words, but think yourself] and [Don’t worship me].

What Lord Buddha taught was a Technique to live the life in Peace, and the Truth of the Life.

Like a teaching of how to ride a bicycle, and the knowledges of the road and its terrain ==> having learned

this technique, anybody can have a freedom to go around by their will.

And knowing the road-map and the condition of the road, by which people can chose the best way to

reach their destination, while avoiding obstacles and dangers.

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So that, the teachings of Lord Buddha can be applicable to anybody, any people in any persuasion.

Since it was not a belief system but the Wisdom = Truth of the life.  (How the Mind works,

and How the existences, include us are operating as a Rational Interactive System)

And this is why it is appealing to even to the people of another religion, who is

searching the road-map and the direction.

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But Lord Buddha did know that his teachings itself is not a salvation by its own.

It is not his teachings save, but the people themselves,the rider of the bicycle.

And in his teachings there is no strong Carrots or Whip = no Heaven or Hell = no Get-Rich scheme

or God’s Punishment of which those illusion can scare and drive the people.

Lord Buddha didn’t use an illusion or fear, nor Placebo effects to fool the people,

but aimed to change their Habit = Habit can be changed only by the willing person.

With this reason, he intentionally put a [MUST] in one of [Four Noble Truth] =

[The One has to actively cherish and learn this teachings] —– This is a clear indication of

[How Buddhism was not a religion] = All the Religion says ” God will give you the benefit,

otherwise sends you to the Hell”.  But Buddhism doesn’t have a God to undertake this.  

So that, the matter was not a Belief, but the Mind-set and the Technique to get it.

It was more like to recruit a member for a fancy sports club.

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As everybody remember, it was not easy to learn how to ride a bicycle = unless you wished and had

eager will to ride, you couldn’t master it.  And the way of  learning / practicing  Buddhism is rather laborious

continuous work = you can’t master it quick manner, regardless how big the donation was.

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Yet another difficulty of the Lord Buddha’s teaching was,  as a nature of learning a practice,

it was hard to teach in the words.   (You can not find any written explanation, how to ride a bicycle.)

Even worse, practice itself was not the goal but a process to change a state of Mind, which is invisible.

Who can describe this. ( On top of this, there was no notion of  [SUBCONSCIOUS] then ) = Only the way

was to observe how  Lord Buddha was doing,  and try to do the same.

Still, the teachings has been kept by the people who actually mastered the practice.

If you try again and again, soon or later,  suddenly you become able to ride a bicycle.

Because, as a nature, our body has its sense of balance and dynamic controls.

And once you mastered it,  it is impossible to go back to the state of  [can’t ride]  😀

Same as riding a bicycle, Lord Buddha’s teachings are the universal technique applicable to the whole

human, in other words,  it is the Universal Truth,  like a Scientific Truth of the Gravity.

= Because, how human mind works, and its controls are common to all the human being.

Lord Buddha’s teachings can not be regarded as a kind of religion.

Whether the person chose it, believe it or not, it is there and working. (as Dharma and the Karma IS )

Therefore, classify his teachings as mere religion and try to monopolize it,  is a mistake.

Lord Buddha’s teachings are the asset of the whole human being =

it is much more than a religion.

___/\___

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Anmochi = Rice Cake with Sweet Redbean Paste (make it in 10 min)

It was a bit of blunder  :-D　（いささかドジだったね 😀 ）

This Post should have appeared on the 3rd of March, a day of

the Hina-matsuri (ひな祭 ）

Girls Festival in Japan.

And its formal name Momo no Sekku (桃の節句) suggests,

it has to come with  Plum Blossoms, —– m m m, though,

there wasn’t a hint of blossom at all．

Then, few days ago, I found it in full bloom !!!

So, the belated Plum Blossom and the Anmochi’s photos here.  Mission accomplished !  😀 

To cook  Anmochi  in 10 minutes may misleading to some readers, since this cooking is an addition to the

previous post on January [ Cooking  Oshiruko ] ( the Link here) of which the boiled down Red Bean soup

had become to  Anko = Sweet Red bean Paste.  And the  Anko should come out freezer for this cooking  🙂

( To make  Anko from scratch, may need at least 4 hours —– still worthwhile to cook = try it. )

Provided, you have  Anko , to make  Anmochi  is really 10 minutes process ( with Micro-wave Cooker )

*** Put 4~5 spoon full Glutinous Rice powder into stone-ware noodle bowl ( Micro-wave  proof)

*** Add 4~5 spoons of water and stir well to make it to gluey staff (photo right = slowly dripping )

*** Cover the glue with Red bean Paste and heat it up in Micro-wave Cooker / Mid High = for 3 minutes.

===== Here, Anmochi  is ready to eat.  (careful !  the bowl is very hot.   And the Rice cake is stacked

to the bowl = you need to use a spoon to scrape it.  If you like even more rich taste, add a cream on it.

Looks not very pretty though, taste is unmistakably Anmochi = believe me  😀

Enjoy an eating.   Welcome Spring.

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What Lord Buddha originally taught ? ? ?

My task is to find what the original

Lord Buddha’s teachings then 2500 years ago ?

As I wrote on the beginning, there was no direct recording ( I mean written ) of his words.

Even the earliest written scripture were made more than 200 years after his death.

So, does the earliest scripture Agama is telling true story —– I’m not very sure.

There is a Mantra in the Argama which is listing up what was the bodily appearances of

Lord Buddha. —– 32 major signs and another 80 miner signs of them.   (See Wikipedia 🙂 )

—– ? ? ?   Really ?

Among major signs, it is said that he had [ blue eyes ] —– M m m,  Really  ? ? ?

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Lord Buddha came from the family of the elected local chief = ruling family, but not rely on a military

power = seemingly a kind of Democracy there then.  —– Still, the dominant rich family could be a descendant

of the invader / conqueror = foreign people who got blue eyes, —– Caucasian ?.

Or a roving sword’s master with blue eyes / Hero who were married to a daughter of the King,  hence his

descendant could have blue eyes though, —– I’m very much doubt of it.   (No such historical fact there )

[]

Something certain is that the author of the mantra had a fascination / admiration to the blue eyes = almost

like a fanatic fan who chase Rock star.  (Despite, the idolized personal worshiping was prohibited by

Lord Buddha himself on his death bed)

And of cause, the author or the preceding people who had been keeping the teachings in a verbal form =

reciting the memories mouth to mouth, had never met

Lord Buddha himself nor able to give any rational thought while copying it. = It’s mean, despite of

Lord Buddha’s teaching [ Don’t believe the words, but think it yourself] the people had been

blindly following and believing what was toled. (regardless whether it was true or not)

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Make the situation worse was that those people who compiled the Mantras, the professional monks who

almost monopolized the writing, reading skill needed to justify their position and to enrich themselves by

tinkering the Buddha’s stories.  Later addition of the story/Mantra, such as that the Vedic God came to see

Lord Buddha and paid their respect was,  intended to show off the supremacy over the Hinduism.

Therefore, when we read those even earliest scriptures, we have to read them with a pinch of salt =

diligently follow the teaching of [Think yourself] = (this teaching seemed to be a true word of

Lord Buddha as it is not necessary convenient to the money-making monks = still,  not  altered) 😀

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While reading and thinking, we have to distinguish, what is metaphor of what, in reference to the real life =

your real life.   Especially, when it is dealing with the matters of our mind, as they are not necessary visible,

we need to give a very good insight.    And most importantly, give an insight to what was not written = such

as about their mundane dairy life in the community,  who got only a rice bowl in a bag = exactly the same

dairy practice was carried out.  And the instruction or advice to individual follower = that was the

Real Teaching given by Lord Buddha = which is the most crucial, but missing in the script.

———- In the situation of dairy life, to see what

Lord Buddha was doing, his body movement, attitude was what the CORE of the TEACHING.

That was why, all the Buddhist sects are telling importance of the dairy life.  ( Because the

Buddhism is not what you’ve read or understood, but what you are actually doing  = this

actual action become an habit which reflects into your subconsciousness = you only

learn this from ” DOING it by Yourself ” —– not from reading or thinking )

In a mantra, gone too-far-fetched glorious stories are likely just a glorious story, elaborating the glory of

Lord Buddha, nothing other than that.  ( In fact, it was a self indulgent of a monk who wrote the story)

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This is the reason why I’ve been relying on the reference to the science, since

Lord Buddha had very good observation and the insight in rational approach = very

scientific mind-set.  (But don’t expect the Modern science, it was 2500 years ago —– still,

Lord Buddha’s insight to the human mind is,  even in today’s standard,  astonishing.)

In comparison to the Hindu approaches, to see the natural phenomena —– instead of contributing

them to each God in charges with,  but see the facts and its relation, and understand it in the

frame-work of cause and effect is nothing but the scientific thinking.

———- With a psychological profile, I’ve been thinking

Lord Buddha was a scientist,  whose insight even reached to the edge of the Universe

And he found those rationally interacting system and its rules as the Dharma.

___/\___

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Early Cherry Blossom

In order to put  [ An-Mochi Cooking ] post, I needed to have a photo of Plum Blossom. 

Though I couldn’t find it in time of the 3rd of March, Japanese Hina-Matsuri (ひな祭り／Girls Festival )

Then few days ago, I saw a Pink Blossom from a bus window.  But when I went back there with my camera,  tree was

turned out to be a  Mountain Cherry  ( we call Yama-zakura/山桜 ) = the origin of  Somei-Yoshino variety.

Despite of normally rather small Mountain Cherry,  this tree was a quite hefty big tree of 5~6 m tall which

I can even climb up. ( Though, as a good citizen, I didn’t  😀 )   As it spreading the branches wide, it

convinced me to use Fisheye lens ( again )  😀

In the western tastes, the more the flowers, mean “Gorgeous” !

So, enjoy the view.  Gorgeous isn’t it.  — though, if I may a bit sarcastic, this psyche and its tendency

might be related to the birth of the Capitalism.  ( In its endless greed —– though, don’t ask me

how about the psyche of tremendously rich eastern industrialists  😀 )

So, it might be only a fig-leaf of yet another greed, still this kind of rather reserved decency, originated from

the Confucians philosophy is more appreciated in the east as it often appeared in the Chinese paintings.

Coinciding with Confucians, Taoism has been teaching

the virtue of  living with the rules of the nature.

 Be humble and live as an anonymous small person

 = This is the idea of Minimalism.

This minimalism has been reflected into Zen philosophy.

So that even in poetry, such as in Haiku/俳句, it is not just

short,but the strict rules limiting the use of the word  = only one word indicates the season/季語 = it must be

there, but another word doubling it is regarded to be superfluous, hence illegal = it got to be strictly minimal.

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So, in photography, in order to show the full bloom of cherry,  some time photographer only showed a fallen

petal or two on the ground, or floating in the stream.  ( Though, in real life, to create this image, photographer

remove all the petals on the ground before, and places the best look flower petal in the most effective,

looks natural position = it is a staged photo  😀 ) —– I don’t have any editor to please = I’ve just clicked

a photo above.   If you find the flowers in full bloom and its end of the life = temporariness of

the life,  it is what this photo meant to be.  ( Click on the photo to enlarge, and click it again for further

enlargement = it become about the life-size.   Put your lap-top or tablet on the floor.   Kneel down as if you

are  looking into the fallen petals on the real ground.  Give a thought.  =  It would make you feel a bit humble. 

—– Take this as a Buddhist’s practice in Direct Transmission. )

( Camera used was a very humble Canon EOS 5D Mk-II,  8~15 mm Fisheye Zoom, 24~70 F2.8 Zoom Lens )

___/\___

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Geo-Stats of the Blog

I just found the WordPress’ new feature of  Geo-Stats of the Blog which amazed me !

I did know the number of access, but had no idea  Who is reading my Blog.

—— So that, actuary see the worldwide distribution of the readers was nothing but the surprise.

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My view may not be felt comfortable to some another people of persuasion, still

receiving a lots of access from such as the India is really the encouragement to me. 

Of cause, the India is where  the Vedic Philosophy, Buddhism, Hinduism came from and naturally

there must be a lots of quite knowledgeable people there.  ( I feel a bit of tension 🙂  )

And of cause, it may not necessary mean a seal of approval, still if I’m talking rubbish, they

wouldn’t keep coming and reading.

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And to see the access came from literally all over the world, is telling me where ever the people lives

and what ever their culture or religion, the human being is the same human being and the truth will be

accepted universally  = is, nothing but the encouragement to continue this Blog.

Thank you very much to everybody visiting here and reading   🙂

___/\___

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Yoshizen’s Blog (Dashboard)

Stats for March 12, 2012, 6:52 pm

Top Views by Country for 7 days ending 2012-03-12 (Summarized)

2012-03-05 to Today

Country	Views
United States	309
United Kingdom	291
Canada	67
India	51
Malaysia	32
Netherlands	30
Germany	23
Japan	16
France	13
Sweden	12
Australia	12
Philippines	12
Spain	9
Argentina	9
Greece	9
Indonesia	8
Norway	8
Finland	8
Switzerland	8
Brazil	7
Thailand	7
Republic of Korea	7
Mexico	6
Viet Nam	5
Taiwan	5
Chile	4
Ireland	4
Colombia	4
South Africa	4
Serbia	4
Bulgaria	3
Italy	3
Hong Kong	3
Turkey	3
Singapore	3
United Arab Emirates	3
Macao	2
New Zealand	2
Poland	2
Puerto Rico	2
Kuwait	2
Ukraine	2
Venezuela	2
Slovakia	2
Macedonia	1
Pakistan	1
Mozambique	1
Sri Lanka	1
Malta	1
Croatia	1
Cayman Islands	1
Jamaica	1
Lebanon	1
Mongolia	1
Iceland	1
Latvia	1
Portugal	1
Czech Republic	1

Sitting in Mindfulness — What ???

Just imagine a situation [ Boss shouted to the staffs. “ Don’t just sitting there. Do something” ]

Can anybody imagine, a staff shouting back “ Yes boss,  I’m  DOING  sitting” —— 😀

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Just sitting is an iconic symbol of Doing Nothing, and in deed, doing nothing.

So, how come [ Mindfulness while sitting ] —— ? ? ?

Can anybody explain what it is ?

( I found hundreds of the people in the cyber space saying in their profile = Mindfulness Practitioner /

Instructor —– there must be someone to come up and explain )

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Lord Buddha taught the people, who even not able to speak standard language then, let alone write and read.

All of his teaching got to be based on the common-sense.

Yet still, against the common-sense, there was a wide spread delusion among those uneducated people,

[ A person could be reincarnated into awful animal ]

—– to brake this useless vulgar belief and associated fear, was one of the aim of the

Lord Buddha’s teachings by saying “ There can not be Perpetual Soul ( solid existence of the

Self ) such as in the Vedic belief —– because of the everything exists in relation to the other

existences.

Therefore when the body dies, the soul also cease to exists ”   “ One’s death is the Nirvana”

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When Lord Buddha finished a talking, he just had a break = just sitting and took a rest.

So, sitting is just do nothing and take a rest = doesn’t need to even think anything.

When we need to DO something, we may need to use the brain though, if we do nothing

the brain takes a break as well.  You don’t need to put so-called mindfulness to take a rest.

Just empty your brain and the body to relax.

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While doing something, we may conceive new idea, new way of doing or another approach by way of

analytical observation. = This is a logical thinking.

But we often, suddenly conceive new idea while do nothing or doing a thing which doesn’t need to think

such as sitting in a toilet or doing simple routine work. = This is a creative conception.

( In Zen term, this state of the Brain and the Mind was called Mushin / Mind of No-Mind )

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So that, Lord Buddha, while having a rest or after that, might have told “ Hey, Shariputra, that must be

such and such ” —– which made them to mistake that he must have been in deep thinking.

This was how a misconception and a myth of so-called [ Meditation ] had been created. But,

Lord Buddha was just sitting, having a rest, and of cause, his brain was blank or in Mushin.

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Hence, the most fundamental misunderstanding of the Buddhism = [ have to sit in Mushin,

yet still Think something deep and concentrating to this, in Mindfulness ] was created.

Ha ha ha 😀 😀

It is the clearest indication of that the so-called Academics and the Monks who introduced

Buddhism to the west didn’t know what the Mushin is.

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So, when you sit, just sit. = It is to have a break and to rest.

Never even think “ I’m doing something holy Buddhist’s practice ” —– while sitting like that, you may tired

to even think about Buddhism = your brain become blank = this is the Mushin = of which you really need.

And never expect, by sitting in Mushin, suddenly should the Glorious door of the Dharma open for you

and show beautiful rose-coloured room.  ( Historically say, you most likely find a Dog Shit )  Ha ha ha 😀

————-

You may realized, —– you can’t see the Dharma in your brain.

But they are right front of your eyes.

Congratulation = this is your Enlightenment.

___/\___

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Be in Emotion — or in Detachment

Gosh, it’s exactly a year from the Earth Quake

and the Tsunami in Japan.

After I caught a first short news, it took another

5 hours to know what has happened there in the Japanese

News site. The rest was, I don’t think I need to repeat here.

[]

Having one year anniversary, one of the literally left over

of the iconic land scape of the Tsunami = a Bus body left

stranded on the 10m roof top of the local town hall has

been removed. ( The photo left from the Jiji news.com site )

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There has been two opposing opinions among the local

people.  One was, as a historical, iconic monument,

the Bus should be preserved as it is.

But, the other opinion, as it recalls horrible memories = Don’t want to see it any longer, hence

it should be removed, was over whelming.

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Everybody has Emotion. It is the basic judgmental response to the stimulus, instantly created in

the old part of the brain, limbic system.   As limbic system also controls the physiological

reaction, an Emotion triggers the seclusion of the Hormone, Neuro Transmitter etc.

Unlike Nerve Signal which is an instantaneous electrical pulse, those chemical Hormone remain the body

system, so that, unlike a momentary come and go Thinking process, Emotion affects a person’s mental

condition and the physiology pretty long time, some time long enough to make a person fallen ill.

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This is the reason why and how the Buddhism invented the way to curve the Emotion by its

practice to enable a person to detach from it.

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While detached from the Emotion of the disaster —– to see the Bus stranded high-up on the top of the building,

must be really an amazing, unusual experience. —– Hence came to a thought to make it as a historical

monument, could be a good idea = can be only such a monument in the world.

Though, to the vast majority of the local people who have had literally run for the life or lost their family member,

close friend, the memories of the disaster were still too real.   And its memory re-creates the same Emotion,

hence the seclusion of the same Hormone = same reaction of the body, heart beat, blood pressure increase and

even having nightmare, and so on.

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In order to keep the compassion to the deceased and the fellow victims, it should be better to keep the memory

afresh, is the one opinion.   Though, to live one’s life in full potential, to keep the memories and to

be imprisoned by the same emotion has to be distinguished.

Time is the best cure for a sad memory —– the old say.

The Buddhism practice is to accelerate this aging process, and make a person to see its memory in a perspective,

in another word, in distance = detached = in Zen Buddhist’s term  Mushin ( Mind of No-Mind ).

By detached eyes, a person can see the situation and the possibility or the alternative, in much

liberated perspectives.   Hence able to make much better judgement in the life.

After all what local people needed was not a reminescence of the disaster, but the mind to look forward to

rebuilt the town and their life.   When a mountain of tasks on front, the emotion is nothing but the obstacle.

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How to learn one’s mind detached,  hence able to have turmoil-free calm mind-set is

what I’m talking about in this whole blog.

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PS : Further reading, how Buddhist’s practice works to achieve  Detachment > >>   http://bit.ly/yG6rph

(This post could be the most crucial post among the others in my blog )

—

Mushin / Peace of Mind – How To ?

In the past week or two, I’ve been heavily involved in talking to people who have trouble in mind.

(Hence, nothing new has been posted in this blog – I’m not by profession an agony-aunt.

I can’t mass-produce crap advice = one subject at a time = that’s as much as mindfulness can handle.)

(Total cop-out!)

One person beautifully described having a sort of escape-walk in the woods

and watching the flow of water in a small river.   She said, that this solitude seemed to

be only her escape = but, she knew of course that she had to go back to the mess of her life

disturbed by an agonizing regret.

Mmm ? ? ?

What a shame. The kind of the advice which so-called psychiatrists are giving nowadays would recommend

regressing to the source of the person’s trouble, hence re-experiencing the agony again and again.

[]

Unlike these so-called psychiatrists, Buddhism has been handling the matters of the mind for

thousands of years, so it is clear to Buddhist eyes that the solitude which this

woman found was, in fact nothing but the state of No-Mind = Mushin in the Zen term.

Unless this particular person was a botanist, knowledgeable as to the name of every plant, there wasn’t

much for her to think about in the woods and hence her environment out there was just an environment,

nothing more.   And the flow of the river with its faint song would have no meaning for her = outside of

any intellectual brain activity.

Let’s suppose this woodland had been visited many times by her = so that there was no new stimulation,

nothing to cause an alert of any kind.

If this had been the case this person could have had complete peace of mind in solitude without

any thinking-processes. Expecting nothing.  Projecting nothing. 

Her mind absolutely open, completely remote from any thought-disturbances.

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Well, as she had already found the state of No-Mind / Mushin, I advised her to follow a particular practice,

to just lightly shake her head, and at the same-time, visualize the scene of the woods with

the running water. 

And I instructed her that when she did this, her mind would become empty, distant from all useless thought.

Afterwards, when the simple practice was over, she could then start to do what ever she needed to do,

the work, the daily chores, even sitting on a toilet. 

And in daily life,  she should do this like a ritual, when ever she saw a sign of bad thoughts coming-up.

Shaking or wobbling the head once, visualizing the running water and emptying the mind does

actually work.  This is the right process to get rid of trouble-in-mind.
Following this advice, I sent her a few emails explaining how our mind works, describing the structure of the

brain etc etc = rather boring stuff = to make her fed-up of dealing with Mind-matter

and just concentrate on the work = Life.

[]

Just a week later, I received an email in which she explained that she was now free from useless thoughts,

or more precisely, she was fed-up with being bothered by such thoughts.

She felt that now she could just get on with her work; she has no time to waste on useless thoughts.

(Well done! )

This is a sample to apply state of Zen Mushin to the dairy life.  (and get rid of the useless thoughts)

Any practice by which a person can experience the Mushin, can be connected to this sample and

this was the reason why I’ve been writing about such as Lemon Zen, Walking Zen etc etc.

Like in this case, visualization and to shake the head was a trigger to go-into the state of Mushin

= conditioning of the mind.   Once this practice became a routine in the brain, actual action to

shake the head can be minimal (invisible).

In the Lord Buddha’s story, a woman called Kisa Gotami said to have achieved this, in one day.

Still, this person achieved this in one week ( plus priory walking in the woods) wasn’t too bad.

This person may not become knowledgeable to  Buddhism stories and its spiritual artifacts though,

what she needed was to get on her life without the disturbing thoughts = peace of mind.

___/\___

Note :  The photo = Magnolia Grandifloria —– from Wikimedia

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Japanese New Year’s Cooking = Ozoni

In Japanese New Year, eating Ozoni (rice-cake in soup) has almost ceremonial importance.

Though, the meaning of its name Ozoni (お雑煮） is unceremoniously humble = Jumble soup.

As Japanese staple diet is rice, anything else is accompanying dishes and a soup, since the rice got its own

taste, it has to be individually appreciated = it’s mean, put the rice together with something else is looked

down as jumble, such as Zousui (rice in the soup. —– Put a rice into Miso-soup was called Ojiya and this word

was used to describe a things in a mess = even a design which got few contradictory concept together would

be mocked as  “ It’s an Ojiya”   😀 )

So, to put a (or two) rice cake into a soup is Zoni. (put O to Zoni is a bit more polite expression).

To be a Japanese, it is [the must have cooking] though, there is no fixed style, and the

ingredients of the soup vary a lot, region to region and a family to family. —– nobody knows

the reason why, but in the western Japan (Kansai)  Zouni is based on a Miso-soup and the east of Sekiga-hara,

Zoni is the Kanto style, on a Soy-source based clear soup = Smashi-jiru.  (It’s a fun to know, in the

western Japan,  people makes Ozoni with  round shaped Rice Cake (made like a dumplings)   🙂

As I grown up in Tokyo, my style is Kanto-fu, and this is Yoshizen’s adaptation to make it in England  🙂

The ingredients, photo above are, (from the left) ;

*   Dried Shitake Mushroom, from a Chinese food shop. (from Taiwan seems to be the best )

— (Don’t buy so-called fresh Shiitake grown in this country under artificial light = they are tasteless.

— Shiitake got to be grown and dried under the strong sun light = Hence they are very rich in Vitamin D)

*   Dried Kombu (Kelp sea-weed) from a Chinese food shop.

*   Lime fruits. ( Yes, Lime —– substitute of Japanese Yuzu Lemon)

*   Glutinous Rice Powder from a Chinese food shop (Must be Glutinous ! )

*   Mangetout Beans (or can be a bunch of Spinach —– to add a green color  🙂 )

*   Onion (one medium size for 4~5 people)

*   Japanese Soy-sauce (Can not be a Chinese Soy-sauce.  It never be the taste same )

*   Chicken (I’m buying Chicken thigh to cut it into small pieces)

Preparation and cooking for 4~5 people ; ( see the photo above)

*   Make Rice-Cake according to the post [Make Rice Cake in 15 minutes] (Please click here)

— (Hardest part is to take cooked cake out of a plastic container — cover them with potato starch)

*   Quick flush 5 Dried Shitake Mushrooms under running water, then soak them in the 2 cups of water in a small

— pan and heat them ( but not boil —– to soften them.  Keep this water as Dashi !)

*   After well washed, put two of 4 inch square Kombu (Kelp) into 7 inches pan with just enough water to

— boil them once.  Drain the water, then put 2 cups of fresh water into the pan and boil.

*   Take softened Shiitake out and cut each of them to 4~6 strips, then put the warm water which the Shitake has

— been soaked, into the pan where Kombu has been boiled (now the pan got 4 cups of water).

— Boil the Shiitake and Kombu, then put sliced onion too, for another 30 minutes.

*   While Kombu, Shiitake, Onion are boiling, cut the Chicken (2 pieces of thighs) to small pieces and add to the

— boiling pan. If you like thick rich taste, use the skin of chicken as well, otherwise remove the skin.

— (Of cause, it can be done without Chicken or alternatively, use Fried tofu is an idea for a vegetarian.)

— Then boil yet another 10 minutes.

—– As those ingredients acted to make the Soup Dashi as well, the soup is now very tasty.

*   Then put the Soy-sauce according to your taste (in fact a lots,

— may be 100 ml ? = 1/10th ~ 1/15th of the amount of the soup)

*    Put prepared Rice Cake (3×2 inches size)  one for each person

—-and Mange tout Bean, then boil further 3 minutes.

*     Make small cut pieces of Lime skin (see the photo left) and

— sprinkle them into the soup. (10 pieces like photo is enough)

— Then the Ozoni is ready to serve.  🙂

(Everybody must be amazed the tiny amount of the lime skin

Changed the taste so good  !  = this is the Japanese Art of cooking)

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 ( A sort of Health warning )

Never eat Rice Cake in one big chunk —– as they are very chewy and sticky, never attempt to swallow in

big chunk.  It will stuck in your throat (every year tens of the Japanese people died with suffocation)

Otherwise, enjoy an Ozoni  and  have a Happy New Year  🙂

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