Unanswered Questions 無記

Without doubt, the biggest problem in Buddhism is that against some questions why

Lord Buddha didn’t give an answer.  

This is an issue known as “10 (or 14) Unanswered questions” which was known in Japan and China [無記] = Muki or Wu-ji. —– With seeing all those questions, it is obvious, no answer was given to the matter of [Infinite] [Eternal] kind, the time and the space of the Universe, and the matter related to [I] or [Self].

—- obviously, like us, a small mortals fussing about the infinite eternal Universe kind of imaginary matter IS utterly waste of the time.    (Especially when Einstein was not born yet. 😀 )

And the matter of I or Self is not existing = Who can give an answer for “Non-existent phantom” = this was the very fundamental stance of what

Lord Buddha taught, strangely you may think, it was not elucidated in the scripture. —– Why ? Because, such matter was not existing = how to elucidate the Self which is not exists. —– After all, there was no teachings of abstract nor imaginary idea = its mean there was no “Spiritual kind of concept” in the Buddhism.

[]In fact, this is the question even bigger than the “Unanswered Question”.

Lord Buddha denying the existence of the Self / Atman was his fundamental stance therefore, the “matter of the existence of the Self” itself was not existed = because,his own Self was not there. = When he couldn’t see his own Self, in his own mind, how he could guess other’s mind and analyze “so-called Self”. 

(It may sound complicated though, IT’S simple — for instance, you may suffer from Alien fever symptom from the space though, actually no such illness ever existed = it was your imagination.   In such situation, what is the point to discuss the matter — only the remedy is you to open the eyes and become aware that no such fever exist and symptom was own delusion !)

Lord Buddha’s teaching of No-Self couldn’t have even an explanation because the word to deny the Self is, “in effect” recognize the existence of the Self.  It sound strange though, this teachings of Selflessness was not necessary understood even by his closest attendance, Ananda (he was a cousin of Lord Buddha) as he kept asking why not answer.)

When ever a kind of explanation of No-Self appeared in the scripture, it was a kind of metaphor, such as to explain what is Real Giving = “Giving without having a conscious of “I’m giving” is the Real Giving”.    Or even worse, “Giving as not Giving” — You can not understand this by reading or by thinking —- but only by DOING.

(I’m sure, if you DO the giving million times, you will become an expert of giving to hand-out the money to a needy, food for a hungry, a rope for a man to hung without need to think ! ) Like the teachings through Tea-making — after 10, 20 years of practice, when the person fully mastered and able to make a perfect Tea, even with the eyes closed, it’s mean all the procedure has been completely programmed into own subconscious and the motor-region of the brain, therefore all the process of Tea-making could be done without the Self or any thinking (= it has all been done in Mushin) — still, it doesn’t necessary the person did (intellectually) understood the Selflessness.  ( —– Ideally, the person can make a Tea without having any notion of Zen or Buddhism even Tea-making is the best, and it IS closest to be an Ichijo.)

It would be much clearer to see it in the case how to ride a Bicycle = there is no theory or explanation or understanding is necessary, but by actually master it by the body you can ride it. —– Then, when you ride it, you can do it without a conscious of that you ARE riding the bicycle = “You ARE riding it without your SELF” and more importantly, this selfless condition / situation IS NOT an imaginary / spiritual matter. = IT IS A HARD EXISTENCE. = And to become aware or grasp this condition as it IS (without the literal interpretation = without thinking) IS what all about the the teachings of Lord Buddha.  = Just to be riding, as to be Ichijo in riding, even without having the awareness of riding, of course, without the conscious of “Me riding this” = IS the situation becoming a part of the Dharma, or the Dharma itself. (= when you became able to glasp this Dharma, it is your Clear Eyes = So as the Dharma IS not an abstract idea neither imaginary existence = this HARD FACT is the Enlightenment though, in reality, what you ARE seeing IS the same existence and the same fact = this world (nothing new neither special) = hence, it’s a Dog Shit.

And this tradition = learn from the practice, only kept Zen Buddhism as Buddhism of No-Self —– not by the scripture which doesn’t contain the explanation of  [Selflessness]  anyway. —– Think, Selflessness IS NOT a spiritual matter at all.  It IS a fact “you can do it without your own conscious” and its physical, neuro-phisiological mechanism IS the Selflessness.

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Ghost — Buddha’s Psychological Profile

Can you describe the details of a Ghost ? — how it looks etc, etc. — CAN YOU ?

Imagine, it was a kind of public gathering and somebody started to talk about seeing

a ghost and some others responded and told their own experience or hear-say but

 most of the others didn’t say anything, other than murmuring their doubt.

—– I think this is the general situation and it wasn’t so different in 2,500 years ago

in India, even if more superstitious people was there, still, only very few could say

actually seen it. 

[]

Lord Buddha’s time, when out of Sanskrit / Vedic belief, a new religion, later known

to be the Hinduism was emerging.   Over the Sanskrit belief of perpetually remaining

soul, Hinduism put an emphasis on the reincarnation of each soul which reflect the

previous life = hence, the life in this world is the result of previous life, in other words,

every life was fixed which makes a person’s Cast.

—– This idea horrified the people then = the endless cycle of reincarnation traps the

person, if not make the worst to reborn to be a beast.

To against this idea of endless suffering of reincarnation, (called Samsara)

Lord Buddha was the one offering the rescue, saying “Don’t worry, no such things

like endless reincarnation, because the one supposed to be reincarnated = the Self or

so-called Atman is not existing, therefore when your body dies, it is the total end =

Nirvana” and offering the refuge where there is no notion of Cast or previous life.

[]

Lord Buddha’s this understanding came from the observation of the Karma and

the Dharma.    Everything depend and rely on others in every moment.

Without this inter-dependency, nothing could exists, so as our body and the mind.

It’s mean, when the body goes, the mind which has been imagining the self, also goes.

The self is mere illusion and the cause of all the troubles.     As it was clearly stated 

in the Four Noble Truth, the Life IS nothing but the suffering. —– In this respect,

Lord Buddha gave no illusion.   Very realistic and blunt.   To observe and give an

insight to the relation between the phenomena of the Karma, eyes and the brain has

to be as clear as a crystal or like a critical scientist.  

No illusion, not mention a delusion was in the mind of

Lord Buddha, it’s mean, there was no notion of Ghost existed.  = As such notion

was not exists in the first place, no such image, let alone the word exist there.

No ghost exist, and its source, the Self itself neither exist.   Therefore, not only the notion

of Self, but the attitude to recognize or mind it shouldn’t be there.    Hence, in this respect,

Lord Buddha was very strict, even harsh.   When somebody who couldn’t understand

the imprecation of No Self, made a question “What happens after the person’s death ?”

its question was completely ignored. —– (There was a description in the Agama Sutra

“Completely stop speaking is same as to kill the person” )

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To understand this post, please read “Test of Selflessness” as well.

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Pippin’s Art

As I described in the other post,  South London Deptford is a peculiar town.

And an artist Steven Pippin must be the most well known (to the certain

people) peculiar resident there.   On the Deptford High Street,  his studio

or work-shop having a sign as an Optician.   (I haven’t ask him why though,

I guess, may be because he is dealing with “Optical things”  🙂 )

So, in his “shop front” there are numerous “Kind of Camera” or “Used to be a

Camera” which are heavily modified or some might say “almost destroyed.” 

Whether his art lies in the resulting images created by those cameras or the

Camera itself is the Sculpture —– or the action to make those Cameras are

the conceptual art ? —– is a question but I couldn’t find an answer yet.

Like a typical artist, he seemed to care little and just doing what he want to do.

(Right = Pippin.  Center = Julian,  and James —– we three were from the

Wireless Workshop in Greenwich)

Often, his creation was more of the destruction — such as to make a camera

explode or shot with a gun.

But his recent project  [ Ω = 1 ]  is a kind of autonomous  machine to keep a

pencil standing upright. = It’s a X-Y optical feed-back system, and he want to put

this machine installed on top of the tall tower. —– (on the end, he seemed to 

persuade the people of the [Sky-tree (634 m tall)] in Tokyo to install this on top.)

(I guess, this optical feed-back system would  work only on the solid ground.  

If the machine itself, with optical detector altogether moves (not just wobbling

pencil), its movement may go beyond the feed-back range, as the Sky-tree’s top  

sways more than 5 meters, wen hit by an earthquake or strong wind ! )

—– incidentally, the link for the anti-shake structure of the Sky-tree Tower 

[Shin-bashira] and  [Mitsubishi Counter-weight system].

By the way, the reason why Sky-tree was 634 m tall was because it’s in Tokyo where

used to be called the county of Musashi. (to pronounce  6=Mu, 3= San, 4=Shi) 😀

Photo Left = Carl Zeiss’ folding camera “Zeiss Ikonta” was burnt to produce

the image of the  “End of the Camera”.   In his “Aladdin’s cave” it’s hard to

guess what there and what for or what would it become to.    🙂

He got fully equipped work shop and all those tools are pretty familiar to me.

Though, to the local folks, the world see through his window must be

the remotest world, let alone to understand the significance of the

[Half-cut Camera] !

So, whether his studio is transparent or invisible to the people or not,

a gap on the street itself shows the mysterious zone in the human mind.

Ω[]

Wash Grapes

Grape is one of the most ancient fruits recorded in the human history 

though, as it is the cousin of Ivy,  I guess,  in the ancient time its

fruits must be as small as Ivy’s berry.   (about 1/4″ — 6 mm big ?)

Any how, the matter here is not a big (or small) issue at all = the way to serve.

—– In my bad boy’s habit,  there is nothing but a pleasure to steal a fruits.

(Fortunately or unfortunately I didn’t grown up to acquire the pleasure to

steal a woman.   😀  —– before read such menu available

I’ve become a monk (?)  —– how shame,  what a boring life isn’t it ! )

[]

To pick  and eat a fruit in the (Somebody else’s) garden, I wouldn’t be bothered

to wash it while presuming that the dirt has been washed away by the rain, and

no human hand ever touched it anyway. 

Though, when I bought it from a shop, I suspect it has been handled rather

dusty condition hence they are not clean. —– So, how to wash it ?

Long before,  I was washing the bunch of grapes under a jet of water then later

changed to wash each individual fruits —– I mean one by one,  since when

I noticed some time, some of them were covered with quite stubborn film of dirt.

( Remember, we eat grapes with its skin !  —– Japanese grapes can be skinned !  )

And these days,  I separate each fruit from a bunch and wash them in a plastic

bawl under the running water while make them well rubbing each other.

[]

Considering the amount of dust we are inhaling and eating, which may consists

sand or dried soil, even dried dog shit etc etc, without  knowing,  some dirt on

the occasional grapes wouldn’t make any concern.  —– So,  is this a matter of

principal or most likely the personality ? —– A kind of contemplation such as

“Resisting the dirt would be useless” may have an effect still,  the sense of 

cleanliness came from one’s up-bringing, and IS the one’s second nature.

[]

So, as a practice, how about the point of  so-called “Mindfulness” or “Middle way”

= how can we be “single-minded” and in the same time “be tolerant”.

(Is it a funny question ? )

If you think this is a funny question,  your understanding of Buddhism was wrong.

Wrong in the “Thinking” of  both  “Mindfulness” and the ” Middle way”.

[]

We don’t need to think about how to wash or how to eat grapes.   We should just Do.

= Wash or not wash what so ever you Do, IS a reflection of WHO YOU ARE.   As you

are born to be under the own Karma,  to follow it,  is the most natural way to live.  

And to be natural, need no thinking = just to be the own.  

No thinking or no conscious mean no Self is there.  And no Self,  no conscious mean

no intentional thinking NOR being not natural,  hence no over doing = Middle way.  

Without the Self, still able to do what necessary to Do, IS the Mindful way.

In fact, all the teachings of Buddhism are [ To be done without conscious ].

= Live without a conscious of Self IS Selfless.  Do without thinking IS Mushin.

When you Do the thing, there are no other things in the mind IS Mindfulness.

And when you Do,  no intentional thinking is there, therefore

Do only naturally you need to Do,  IS  Middle way.

If you are Doing something special to be a Buddhist,  IS not Buddhism.

[ Buddhism is Do nothing special, Think nothing as Thinking.

This IS why, Buddhism mean the VOID.  —– And this was what

Lord Buddha taught though, it was not fully understood by even

the author of scripture. ]

___/\___ 

[] 

Mono Hole – DD Pinhole Comparison

Another day, I demonstrated the effects of the Pinhole to a sceptic in a Park.

So, the Photo above is the reference shot by a Fish-eye lens.

Photo above are the images made by [Wide-angle Mono Pinhole] (Left)

and the Pinhole alone (= Wide-angle lens was removed) (Right)

And here, the Photos were made by [Concentric Double-density Pinhole]

with Wide-angle lens attached (Left) and without (Right)

A Fish-eye image of  “Pink Forget-me-not” (I think) — note,

even Fish-eye lens has limited depth of field.

Left was [Wide-angle Mono (single) Pinhole] (Orange cast was caused

by a light-leak.)  Right was [Wide-angle DD-Pinhole]

Left = Wide-angle Mono-Pinhole.  Right = Pinhole alone and close to the flowers.

(Remember, Pinhole has no focus —– even no view-finder image = too dark.  

Therefore all those photos were the blind-shots)

Left = Wide-angle DD-Pinhole.  

Right = Pinhole alone and close to the flowers. (The line in the left side

was caused by an internal reflection.)

[]

At least, my friend was convinced that the effect was not by a digital

manipulation though still sceptic about the significance of the image.  

That’s a matter of the taste Sir.  😀

[]

Snap-shot by DD-Pinhole

All the photos here were taken by my ” Wide-angle Double-density Pinhole” on

Canon 5D Mk-III.  In fact on that day, I went for a walk only with this lens (?)

and the Tamron 500 mm Mirror lens, hoping to see Parakeets.

Original pinhole got about 60 degree of view though, with the additional concave

lens ( from a Canon Zoom lens) the angle was greatly widened to nearly 100 degree.

You may guess that the Pinhole Camera needs to have long exposure though,

with the advantage of Hi-ISO digital camera, such as with ISO 12,500,  the shutter

time can be  1/80~1/8 like this outside shot. —– who care with slightly

blared photo on 1/4 or 1/2 slow shutter any way.  😀

The best thing was,  no visual details were given in the image,  

no further information would be needed.   Photo has atmosphere only.

So, the photography (for me at least) purely a fun.

No complicated notion about the subjects or message in the photo 

= image or the subjects were there just as they are.

To see the world in clear eyes, the world showed its fuzzy nature.

This paradox is what the Dharma is.

 ___/\___

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Snap-shot in the Park

I think they are the Canadian Geese but I’m not sure as the

color is dark grey — or are they juvenile ?

And they are the Coots.  Unlike ducklings,  Coot’s chick looks rather odd.

Now I realized, Coot’s chicks got full-size foot !    But no web — how

those chicks can swim ?   (Photo right )

[]

I think, most of the bird’s chicks are not cute or I rather say, they are ugly.

When I was young, I rose a pigeon chick whose mother didn’t return few

days after egg hatched.  New born chick was almost naked with few yellow hair still,

the beak was quite big, and eat a lot. —– I had to feed the chick mouth-feed while

chowing the grain myself.   When chick got stomach-full, the eaten grain or maze

were visible under the thin skin.   So, chick walks with full-up chest while shaking ass.  

= looks awful — not mention utterly noisy begging call, and shit everywhere.   😦   🙂

Still, this chick became a fully grown-up pigeon though, she (he ?) was completely 

imprinted me as the kind, and couldn’t become a member of pigeon society.    So, 

even after became independent, she stayed under the roof many many years. 

—– I don’t know whether I did good things to her or not = wasn’t that better, leave

her fate to the nature and let the chick dies ?    Good but heavy question.

You may say, why Dandelion here ? —– Well, all the photos here were taken

by 500 mm Mirror lens.    And my mirror lens works well as a Macro lens too.

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Daddy Long Legs

————————   HEALTH-WARNING = NOT suits for Squeamish person  🙂   ————————-

M

M

M

M

M

Well, this is about a visitor here / Daddy-long-legs.  🙂

In principal, I don’t discriminate any life form —– though, in practice,

I’m not welcome any visitor here. (Before, I invited the person to come and

see my work here.  Though, since I started this blog, I just tell the person

“Just look into my Blog and Youtube”.  Yet still, insects are kept flying in and

I knew the Spiders must be somewhere —– though, I didn’t expect to see a

Daddy-long-legs in my Kitchen.  =  She hanged on the inside of a fruits bag.

But, how she came here — walk-up all the way,  outside wall  ?  

Or born and had been living under the floor board  ? 

(Photo Left /  F5.6 ,  1/60,  ISO 3200.   Photo Right / with Flash,  F16,  1/100,  ISO 400

by Canon 100 mm Macro F 2.8,  5D Mk-III )

( Part-enlarged Image —– It is an incredibly designed piece of mechanism ! )

Well, —– not so pretty face to watch.  😀

Though, she might not wish to born as a Daddy-long-legs, and a Hindu person

may even say that she could be a woman before !     Who knows.  

—– still,  what so ever, she is an amazing creature !

(How she could sense and catch small insect ? — by eyes or detects vibrations ?)

(To see how she hunt other insect,  I should watch her all through the night

though, I’ll do it one day in my next life. —– I guess, somebody must have done.

= Isn’t there any video clip “Hunting of Daddy-long-leg” in YouTube ? )

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Why “Don’t Think” ? ? ?

 When you are walking, you never thought about how to move your foot.

Same as to read this blog.  You are using your brain and thinking “What a hell

this guy is talking about” still, it is about the meaning of “What was written”

but not about the action, [Reading] itself. = Your eyes automatically scan the

line and pick the pattern of Alphabet —– and in most of the case, you don’t need

to even think what I wrote here = as no sophisticated literacy or academic

knowledges were needed to read this.

So that, to read this, you don’t need to “Consciously” think anything.

Almost automatically your eyes gliding over the line.   (While unconsciously

feeling “nothing special = ignore this” 🙂 )

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Yet still, when the matter came to the famous theory of [Nut Macadam]

suddenly your brain awake and try to sort out “What this Nut Macadam is”

because you don’t know what this is, and you don’t want branded to be an

Ignorant = since this could be important and missing this might be

disadvantageous. = (Your Greed and Ego was alerted !)

So that, suddenly your thinking started to be in full swing. (Though,

no such Nut Macadam has a value more than a Peanut, this

thinking process would find nothing.)

[]

Like this experiment, you may become aware a fact that the thinking is

associated with the own ego and greed. In other words, your own “Self”.

“The Self” is so eager to defend the own interest and try to gain something

though, see the situation.    On the end what you gain ? = And in any way

you will loose all you have gained and die soon or later.

(So, Don’t think is in fact same as “To be Selfless”)

Or is it a game to make a life more fun ?

(Make a life more fun = this is in fact the way of the Mahayana, instead to

live sombre life with so-called “Contemplation”. 🙂 )

___/\___

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Impressionist’s Flower Photo (without Pink)

Those photos were taken on the same day of the Shooting Party.

Being as an impressionist (for one-day 🙂 ) = no botanical

observation or comment.

Till here all the photos above were taken using a Fun Camera’s Lens.

And those last three photos were taken by the Wide-angle

Double-density Pinhole on Canon 5D Mk-III.

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