Green — Photos from Park

In japan this plant was called  Naruko-Yuri.  Naruko is a line of small wooden pieces hanged

from a long rope, similar to the Bamboo Bells, brown by the wind and hitting each other to

make noises.   The rope could be stretched across the rice-field to frighten off the birds.

Over a pond in the park, huge Willow tree has new leaves which is making messy reflection.

To look into the reflection —– in fact, often we are looking deep into our own mind.

The photo left was said to be a cousin of Asparagus hence their young shoot is edible, are they ?

And the center is a Goliath’s Stick (I’ve picked up this name long time ago though, it may be wrong.

Proper name is  Aralia Elata and in Japan we call them  Tara no Ki).  Their young shoots are

highly praised spring delicacy in Japan = (Ki no Me / Tara no Me).  In my theory, the Plants which

got a lots of thorns are normally edible.  In the same Aralia family, Udo is also edible but got thorn 

as well —- (otherwise plants need to have a poison for their own protection).  

The photo right is meant to be an answer to Ms Bente Haarstad (Link here) who showed

the Norwegian Nettle in her photo blog.  This is the English Nettle, hence they got the same

square stem and the stings, but it looks quite different from theirs. (not know the taste 🙂 )

———- So, the park can accommodate all walk of the life. 

———- Don’t think too much. Just enjoy the sun on this moment. 

(Since we didn’t have enough of it, on wet April  🙂 )

[]

Yellow — Photos from Park

Probably the most common spring flower, Butter Cup.  ( Poisonus, Ranunculas Family)

I’m not sure whether they got honey — anyhow, the insect (here winged Aphis) would come

= So, a green Spider is hiding and awaits them to come.

I thought, this Wasp came to Honey though, I found,  it was not Honey but after a Spider !

Inside of a pretty flower, there quite a bloody battle was going on. 

M m m ?   No comment needed.

End of the day, way back home — He would be a star player and she might become a top model ?  

[]

Effort ?

An exchange of Comments in the [Spoon !] post may highlight the point of this Blog.

A person called [EML to OUTLOOK] commented ;

“ I have learn some good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting.

I wonder how much effort you place to make the sort of great informative web site.”

—

What I replied was ;

“For your eyes, it may looks an effort though, the notion of effort is = If you got to

do it for somebody else or for something obliged to do. (not necessary wanted to do)

But in this case, to sharpening the tool, to carving the wood, to take photos of

it and to write about = all together for no purpose and I have no obligation.

I’m just doing it.

( —– What can I expect and going to do with those utterly useless SPOON  😀 )

If you do something such as a game and completely absorbed in it, you may not

feel you are putting an effort (even though you put so much time and energy)

= same as that.

But, was this for myself ? = Zen doesn’t feel even myself was doing it.

Just the hand was doing it.

This is the Zen in action, or it can be said, living Zen. Zen need no effort.

(This is the reason why such a spoon item is in the Zen Blog)”

[]

As often I said in this blog, the most big misunderstanding in the Zen study

emanated from the word [Mindfulness].

And even more fundamental misunderstanding is = try to DO the ZEN. —– Zen is

not a kind of activity to DO = Zen is a condition like a body temperature. It might be 0.1 degree

higher or lower even you can do the same though, it might have an effect to the result.

You can not intentionally choose to be higher body temperature = it is just to be, as it is. 

What actually I was doing is such as sharpening tool, carving wood or typing.

Or Sword Master’s case, just fighting with his sword = Zen is just a mind-set behind.

[]

Mindfulness is the same = you can not actively DO it.

It is whether you were being absorbed in it or not.

This is the reason, why it is hard to understand, let alone achieve it, when you do something

not familiar or not very keen to do the subject. = And this is the reason why I’m keep writing

“Try to do a thing which is familiar to you or very ordinary such as [Cutting Lemon]

or [Walking] as a practice for Zen.  Instead, if you do very peculiar activity = peculiar only

to a sect of religion = until you get used, its strangeness makes your conscious uneasy = as long as

you feel uneasy, you can not settle with the activity = you can not be absorbed in its subject.

( Hence it takes longer time to get used for it become a daily norm = which you can do it

without conscious = automatic)

[]

The man commented was seeing an [Effort] in this blog, especially to make spoon etc, though

as I wrote in my reply, there wasn’t much effort there. = I got used to do all those process.

—– this is the reason why the Buddhism keep saying [Heijyo-shin / 平常心]

( Mind in ordinary) = Zen is just a condition of the mind in the dairy life and

it is nothing special.

[]

There is a fundamental paradox in the condition of the mind —– people were

attracted by a peculiarity of a strange religion which give an impression of something special

= which may give a person to feel “I’m special = better than others” —– though, as long as the

person having this kind of arrogant feeling or Ego, there is absolutely no benefit

of such religion other than a placebo effects of such [special] feeling.

[]

Nothing special or noble, let alone peculiar super-natural vision etc.

in Zen.   Only Zen makes difference in the results in the dairy life.

That’s all.

(The best thing of it is, we can do it without effort = since we can do it while

absorbed in its subject, hence with much higher efficiency 😀

 —– I mean not just carving a Spoon.   😀 )

___/\___

[]

[]

Spoon !

One of the group I’ve been involved is OWN (Open Wireless Network) and their

weekly workshop = where people exchange the information and the skills around Computer,

Wifi connection, and all sorts of electronics (and having usual silly chats.   🙂 )

After a while, I suddenly realized, a guy who I’ve been thinking a graphic designer was in fact

a silver-smith.  (In any trade, people using the computer devices, having the same kind of

trouble or discovering useful knack etc. to talk about).

[]

I know few Jewelry Designers though, to encounter a silversmith who is doing welding

work of silver and gold every week, is a different matter.  Since I’ve been making a kind

of  twisted wire sculptures (Link here), to which if necessary I been using lead-solder which is

not strong enough (Lead-free solder is even worse ) = I need to use proper welding.

So that, I’ve been thinking to make a Spot-welder using series connected PC power supply

(such as 30A, 12Vx3 = 36V, with huge bank of Capacitors) though, I haven’t done yet.   🙂

I also have Arc-welder though, it has to be used in the proper workshop, not in a flat.

So that, to meet well-seasoned silversmith is a good coincidence and a sign,

it must be a time to work out, long over due silver work.

[]

Photo top is a Cherry-wood Spoon which I carved more than 10 years ago thinking

to put the hands, made by a silver wire.

= Here, it was completed with the proper silver wire acquired through him.

——– (Wood carving is not necessary done by the Chisel alone.  Fretsaw, Files for

——– metal work, Drill etc etc.  The most useful tool for this kind of fine carvings is

——– a Small piece of Blade in a holder and a Sawing Needle sharpened in angle

——– = work as a minute-size round head chisel.  Work start to make tools  🙂 )

—– Why spoon ?   Why spoon has the hands ? —– I would only say “why not”. 

Spoon can be a Female Figure as well, hence it got hands.  I make something

with joke = I don’t like ostentatious, typical art-like art.  😉

If I see a wood, I carve it with my chisel. That’s all. That’s how creativity works.

To create something, there is no reason or explanation needed. It just happen !

In fact, this wood had happened to come from a cherry stump left in a garden. —– When I

removed it with my hatchet, I found it is a good wood to carve = so I carved it.

It occurred just as coincidence.  I take a coincidence as a given opportunity.

( —– In the mountain, often I needed to make a spoon but this was the first time I ever

carved nude figure = I learned a lot about sculpture and it opened new field to me.  😀 )

[]

  So, this photo is yet another Cherry wood Spoon.

  In fact, it was the last remaining wood, top end of the stump,

 hence the head part was cracked off, and I left her as it is.

 I liked this, as it showed an unexpected fate.

 In the carving, half of the design was the idea of the

 sculptor though, the wood itself determine the rest.

 The reason why this nude figure putting her hands there was

 = the wood had a hole in the left chest.

 In order to hide the hole, left hand had to come there = and

 right hand was placed in symmetry. (Click photo to enlarge)

In wood carvings, we can’t go back.  Once chiseled off.  That’s the end.

While carving without a model, I wasn’t sure of her back shoulder —– I’ve carved again

and again feeling not quite right hence, originally planed rather chubby figure shed a

fresh and getting thinner and thinner, ended up like this.

Still I wouldn’t complain the end result, as the shape came in its own.

[]

Our life is the same. = Want to live in such a way, was what we had wished.

Though, the actual figure was shaped by the external event and the condition

etc. etc.  Once chiseled-out, no one can glue it back and re-do.  Only one LIFE.

So, that the final work is the interaction of two or more forces which makes it even more

unpredictable, hence adding even more fun to live a life.  😀

[]

Keep clear eyes to see the flow of happening — If it was [Unpredicted], it

might be happened as [It should happened] = no time for Regret or

Resentment to dowel the past = The matter is What the next move is ? 

Cracked-off head told me  [Not cling to a crèche = Free the Mind].

This is what the LIFE is.

[]

Shallow Focus — Pan Focus (with tilting lens)

Some sharp eyed reader quizzed me, the photos of Dandelion seed are odd on previous post.

Very good eyes and the knowledge on photographic image !  —– So, I reveal the trick behind.

There is no such things [Lens Rivers Adapter for Canon EF lens].

But it is just a lens mount ring with a male filter thread on the other end.  That’s all.

If Canon is not selling,  make it ourself.   Why not  😀

Anyone can put two together with glue !   What’s the hands for ?  (not much brain needed ) 😀

But to make it,  I wouldn’t just glue together straight —– I glued them in 40 degree in angle !

(I wanted to make it 45 degree though, it was too much, and caused image-cut off = I had to

compromise though, the photo is using the image to the edge, quality became pretty low )

—– With this tilted lens, Focused field is 80 degree in angle to the camera = much easy to have

a light and able to creates Pan-Focus effect.  (Photo above, Left)

But, when it was tilted to the opposite angle,  focused field is perpendicular to the object, hence

it shows very shallow focus and exaggerated off-the-focus “Boke“.  (Photo above, Center)

[]

In fact, I’ve been using this Pan-Focus effect since I created Yoshi-Handy and Conica-Tilt

40 years ago, long before Canon TS lens. (You can see both cameras in an old post = Link here)

unlike this Tilted Revers Ring on 5D,  Conica Tilt gave a Pan-Focus from lens front to infinity.

———————- (Without the Lens lock pin, lens was secured by a crow inside, operated by the top-left round lever)

———————- (Incidentally, the Iris was automatically operated by a solenoid on the moment of shatter release)

To have a pan-focus to infinity in one shot, one side of the lens has to sink into the camera body,

so that, the camera front had to be Huck-sawed,  giving a margin of lens movement.

(See the inside detail in a photo right —– to do this kind of work = to prevent the camera

mechanism jammed by the metal dust, all the mechanism had to be removed

= it’s mean, camera had to be completely disassembled and made it to an empty shell).

[]

With this modification, lens can tilt 30 degree max, and one side of the lens is effectively

extended 18 mm = with such extension  to 15 or 16 mm lens meant, it is effectively

life-size macro !   (As I was an original member of  PCW (Personal Computer World Magazine,

until they were bought up by I.P.C) this tilting lens camera enabled to produce a photo 

“Foreground  is a CPU chip, and background is the computer company’s building, in one shot”)

[]

I’m planning to make yet another lens tilting camera using Canon 5D body (though, I have to

do its hack-saw work without disassembling the camera body   😀  )   May be I Just Do It. 

( It is a Zen in ACTION !   With open-minded way, there is no prohibition.  Only, Do the best  :-))

This is a photo of a Canon EOS Body.   Although this is the Body of EOS RT,  as most of the

camera designer in the same company are using the same layout of  the mechanism, even

using the same frame die-cast,  (since the position of Switch, lens-lock-pin are all same)

it wouldn’t be so different on 5D body.  = to modify the body to tilting-lens body only needs

to remove the metal frame marked between yellow stickers. ( —– in theory.   😀 )

[]

How shallow the Focus can be

This is yet another attempt to create  [Not necessary sharp nor pretty photos] and in here

they are the technical samples.

Lens used was Canon EF 28mm F2.8 but mounted on Canon 5D with Rivers Adapter.

As electronically there is  no connection to the body, F-aperture was fully opened  F 2.8.

And this is not purposely designed Macro Lens  (Macro Lens was designed to give the best

performance at  1/10  of Magnification ratio = if it was 50 mm lens, at the distance of 50 cm

to the object), with fully opened F-aperture, image quality is no way near to a sharp image.

With popular belief, you may be thinking that the Wide-angle lens has deeper depth of field. 

This is only true to the Object side, but not to the image side. 

Think, —– 50 mm lens needs to move 5 mm forward from infinity position to focus 50 cm

distance, but for 28 mm lens, from infinity to 28 cm object (at 1/10),  it needs only 2.8 mm shift. 

In other words, if lens was used in reverse direction, depth of field would be even shallower,

and the out-of-focus image, “Boke” would spread much wider, as you can see in the photos.

But, whether it has any significance to the photography is a matter of individual taste.  😀

The reason why I’m showing this is, this optical effect is a sanctuary in the photography,

away from a hand of Photoshop,  unless a photo was completely repainted pixel by pixel with

human brain.  Make a photo looks sharper is easy but very difficult to reproduce 3D “Boke”.

If anybody think otherwise, Please send me the Sample = Before and After, created by Photoshop.   😀

[]

Humble Lens (?) for Canon Camera = Pinhole Photo / BGR Tri-Pinholes Photo

You might think the Photo here is yet another bloody Soft Focus lens.

It’s not by Soft Focus lens. —– In fact it was not even a lens at all.

——– ( Like latest  5D Mk-III,  5D Mk-II also has Light-leak or it might have caused by the internal reflection

———  on a shiny surface of a parts.   Canon can say, it is not in a normal use what camera was designed for)

This is a Pinhole Photograph on Hi-Tech DSLR —– ! ! !

You might be surprised —– or bemused ?

(End of this post, you can see  3-pinhole photo with BGR color-filter for each pinhole )

—————— ( Cutty Sark in Greenwich —– Hand held Pinhole camera, F250, 1/15th Second, ISO 3200 )

One of the best advantage of the Canon EOS cameras is, their Light-measuring

function works  without any lens attached on the body. = Light was

measured on the light actually came into the sensor, and the exposure value

was calculated on So-called Stop-down Metering.

In comparison, other cameras are guessing the exposure based on the

information came from the lens, mounted on the camera. Its mean, their

camera was designed to work only with a ROM memory hidden inside of the

lens which gives the information of lens ID, what is the current setting of

focal length on Zoom, F-aperture setting (in a case such as Nikon which allow

you to use an old manual lens) etc, with an assumption of the lens would

work accordingly.  (If the lens was F4 in full open, calculates how many stops

needs to close in this lighting condition.  Canon measure actual light instantly,

when F-aperture was closed, then select the shutter speed).

The reason why other manufacturers are using this design was, to prevent

the use of a lens other than their genuine products.

(The ID of lens would direct a correction program,  such as to brighten up

the corner-fall-off of the wide-angle lens).

——–  — ( Cutty Sark in Greenwich ) ——— ( There was a Cinema Film Shooting at Old Royal Naval College )

On the beginning, in order to cut into the Nikon dominated professional

camera market, Canon designed their camera even capable to use with

Nikon lens.   Hence, in the early 70th, they sold a lens mount adapter to use

for Nikon lens.  (Later, when they gained popularity and their confidence grow,

they stop to sell this adapter). 

The First Gulf war was the turning point for the choice of professional camera,

as most of Nikon were stopped to work, thanks to the microscopic sand dust in

the desert.  Only the camera kept working was the Canon. —– As a consequence,

News Photographers changed to Canon.

Still, the tradition to allow the use of Nikon lens was kept by Canon, since such

as special 2000 mm lens which was made only by Nikon, Canon has to make a

provision for News photographer to use such special lens on their Canon body.

= hence, camera was designed to functions with the lens which has no Canon

ROM memory.  In other words they can work with any lens. 

So that, their camera, even Digital SLR can give enough exposure function except

Tv and Program Mode. = still perfect on AV Mode and of course with

Manual Mode.

Above all, with DSLR, we can check the result on the spot, and change

manual setting or exposure compensation on Av.

( Or, change ISO setting further).

——————————————————- ( At Painted Hall, Greenwich )

So, there is no problem to use Canon with a reading glass, plastic flat lens

(Fresnel lens, which gives utterly unsharp image 😀 ) —– even with

Pin-hole, while leaving all the exposure control to the Camera !

= Just use AV mode and adjust exposure compensation.

(Though, Canon 5D gives only up to 30 seconds on AV Mode, if you need

longer exposure to make picture brighter = increase ISO to higher setting,

or change to Manual Mode.

And if you need to have very long long exposure to make all the moving

things disappear, use lower ISO or use dark ND filter together.

Unlike on color film, the adverse effect of UV light  (which causes blue cast),

doesn’t affect the color on Digital camera.  But never have a direct sun in

the image.  Without having any protective glass lens which blocks UV light,

it may damage the Image Sensor).

————————————————————— ( At Greenwich Town )

And, to do this kind of creative shooting, you need to pay attention to

[Good Common Sense] such as, to use View finder cover to block the

stray light from the back.  

And use good black paper for making Pin-hole, and make sure, pinhole

should be clean round hole with no paper floss messing on it.

And DO MAKE SURE, keep everything DUST FREE. 

Wash your hand before hand.

= a dust particle got onto the Image Sensor is very tricky to clean.

Your acute mindfulness was required.

——— ( Sake of photo, Pinhole was placed on EOS RT body )—– ( To make a perfect hole, it was made on a smaller

———————————————————————————————- piece of thin metal and attached in the center )

A paper with Pinhole, will be stacked on the lens mount of the body by a black

PVC tape to seal-off the stray light.

The Canon DSLR camera has the depth = Flange-back (Lens mount to Image

Sensor) 44 mm, therefore the field of view is the same as 44 mm lens. 

And if you use an Extension Ring and stick the pinhole further away from the

body, effectively it would give you telephoto images.

In the most of the case, (as a fine sawing needle has a diameter about 0.5 mm)

the size of this hole is equivalent of F90. (With a focal length of 44 mm lens,

if the diameter of the lens was 44 mm, it would give effective F-aperture F1,

hence, 44 /0.5 = 88 = about F90)

—– I’ve made it less than 0.2 mm = F250.  Instead to use a paper, I used thin

aluminium panel of a Drink Can, and pierced it with just a tip of the needle.

The smaller the hole, it would give sharper image though, the optical effect of

Diffraction will scatter the light, it can not give sharp image like an optical lens

anyway, but on the other hand, it gives pan-focus. 

(The hole doesn’t necessary in the center = You may put it far side and take

picture always one half, like top-end.  Or to put TWO, to make double images,

or one with color filter and so on, there are endless possibilities,

still cost nothing.  😀 )

—– (The samples of 3-PINHOLEs photos with each Red, Green and Blue filter)

—–

—– It would be a fun to play with a camera in open-minded way.

(Try it and find new play ground in photography  😉 )

[]

Fuji Soft-Focus Lens

While looking for a Pentax 20 mm lens to use for Macro shot (use it with revers mount-ring

on Canon —– Canon’s 20 mm lens is too big and F-aperture couldn’t be set manually),

Then I bumped to 40 year old  Fuji Soft-focus 85 mm F4 lens, deep inside of camera cabinet.

Yah, yah, I’m still having this ! —– I remember, I used this lens twice = It is my bad habit to

buy strange Camera, Lens, funny devices whether I need to use it or not = still, to see how

it was designed or what sort of things could be created from such junk is,  I should say,

my pleasure. —– (Like £10 broken camera, it is a treasure box of spare-parts)

Any how, to test this lens, I popped out to take picture of  Chery Blossoms. (Yet again  😀 )

Most Soft focus Lens is using an optical aberration = Uncorrected Spherical Aberration, 

which cause the light spread out side of the image, hence giving soft halo around the image

while maintaining the sharply focused core image in the center.  (Though, having inherent

soft image in the view finder, to have sharp focus in the first place is not easy  😀 )

And as this Fuji Lens is using so-called Lotus-Root Iris (having lots of hole in a disc) to

control intensity of the effect, some time the artifact appears in the off-focused Boke image. 

In the photo above, you can see the ghost of multi-hole disc. = this is a sample of dirty Boke.

When soft effect works well, effect is far better than soft filter or grease, as the image has

solid core of focused image.   (With soft filter, everything become soft).

With darker background,  you can see how halo spread around the bright images.

Though, with low contrast subjects, the effect is subdued.  In fact, with smaller F setting,

the effect of aberration become very little, same as even a cheap bad lens can give sharp

image with small F-aperture setting.

These days,  even a Mob’Phone camera can take pretty sharp photos.   Sharp images with

over Photoshoped photos are everywhere, and I’ve got rather weary with them.

Our eyes are not necessary need to see everything in its details. That is why, when sharp-eyed

Photographer showed unknown view or fresh viewing angle, the image surprises us.

So, I found, soft images which shows [the details as if no details are there],  isn’t too bad.  😀

[]

Principle and Reality

Oh, holy Mackerel.     Is it Palm Sunday ? ! —– It must be April-Fool.

In principle, I don’t buy a calender. —— May be not such a principle but I just don’t buy.

Regardless whether a calender says it or not, the days come.  Next of 31^st March is definitely 1^st

of April.  In that case, why DO I need to have a calender.   It is a waste of money isn’t it.   😀 😀

In a principle to be a Buddhist, I should be a humble, poor man, hence not spend a money for non essentials.

A calender comes in this category. —– Therefore, I hardly know when is the Easter.  Ha ha ha 😀

[]

Without having a calender, how do I know, this is the Palm Sunday = because the Radio said so.

(I don’t have TV) And I’ve been wondering, why BBC Radio 3 plays such as J S Bach Mathieu Passion. ? ? ?

Then blimey, the so-called Easter said to be coming soon.

Unlike Xmas, the exact date of Easter is always drifting = it’s a headache, especially before, suddenly, all the

shops were closed, as they say it’s Easter —– What a hell, I don’t care Easter, I need to buy a bread. 😀

—– So, for a wise precaution, I have to make sure, in my fridge, at least something to eat is there.

[]

Principle or just a mean man’s habit, it often cause a conflict with the reality of the world.    He he he.

—– I don’t care Easter, is a principle though, in the same time I got so used to listen Baroque music,

especially J S Bach’s.   In my view (or should I say, my ear ? ) Bach’s Mathieu Passion is one of the

zenith of the human musical culture = just a combination of the sounds in a sequence, how such

purely sound stimuli can make a person to tear. ? ? ?

I don’t care and not necessary believe the whole story of the Passion, and unlike Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s

view of him, Bach may not necessary wholly committed Christian ( such as a fact in reality, he composed

Mass C miner, in order to seek a position in Roman Catholic ) —– still, (regardless Protestant or Catholic )

he knew what is the Spirituality in the human mind and in the ear = Sound of the God is

beyond the argument of the Christian sects.

[]

From the principle, or a posture to be a Buddhist, I should find something Buddhists Music though,

there are virtually non.  (the President of Mitsutoyo Co. Japan is a profound Buddhist, and organizing

International Buddhist’s Music Competition though, I haven’t heard any music from its event)

Virtually non mean, of cause there are some, such as Nen-Butsu Wasan (念仏和讃) or

Tendai Shomyo (天台声明), name but few though, sorry to say they are in musical term, not listenable.

May be only the exception is the one composed by Takemitsu (武満徹), using Tendai-Shomyo in very

powerful contemporary music style —– yet, I have heard its broadcast only twice in my life.

[]

Leave the Moslem, as they prohibits religious music (still, their secular, so-called Arabic music has

literally Arabesque universe of rich music culture —– their rhythm automatically drives my body).

The Hindu has such great tradition of religious music which gave an influence and flourishing in the

Indonesian Gamlan music too (incidentally some Gamlan tune were even imported to the Okinawa (沖縄)

music = some use of chromatic tune are unmistakably Gamlan !)

Whether they are religious music or not, Jewish music is one of a basis of the western music.

—– yet still, where the influence of the Buddhism, of its music tradition has gone in China

and in Japan. —– was there any prohibition, or repentance of music in the early Buddhism ?

To keep the music kind away, —– was it in the teachings and in their principle ?

Didn’t Lord Buddha sang a song with followers ?

(Imagine, Pope singing popular song. Doesn’t he?  Didn’t he ever ? — I’m sure he got his real life as a human.

Enjoying a wine and singing loud   😀 )

[]

Historical facts showed, at least the musical instrument from India had reached to China and to Japan though,

it seemed it was only as a fancy goods = not accompanied by a musician, hence no music came together.

Such as a string instrument called Piipa (琵琶) in China, Biwa in Japan is the same Veena in India

(incidentally, it is the origin of Lute in the west)

In China and in Japanese traditional performance, a story teller use this as an accompanying instrument.

( In Japan Hei-kyoku (平曲) or Heike biwa (平家琵琶) and Chikuzen biwa (築前琵琶) is an old tradition,

but now kept by only handful players —– how sad )

How sad is my principle.  Though, in reality, I play its tape only as an sample sound when I have a

conversations with friends.

And in reality = regardless whether I’m Japanese Zennist or not, I listen and deeply appreciate

J S Bach’s Mathieu Passion = in this very moment it was played by the radio. (come from Amsterdam)

( The sound of Mathiew Passion, but in Miku Hatsune version is in this post (in enbeded YouTube ) )

If it is a good music just listen it.   There is no Dogma in Zen.

If anybody having fixed view, the mind has just stacked ===> free your mind.

If the song and dance is such bad, Dharma wouldn’t have created the musical tone

in the first place.  Don’t you agree ?    Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

[]

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 ?

[]

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.

[]

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.

[]

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.  😀 )

[]

(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   🙂

[]

—– 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.

[]

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 !

___/\___

[]