DIY or Expect Others to Do it for You ?

Somebody asked me “ How I could cut a plastic jar (in Lens Cap post = link here)

so clean and precise”. —– well, there was a bit of preparation to do it which you

can see in the photo I’ve took on the time.

When you cut or chisel the material, there is a rule [Firmly fix either the tool or the material].

Even to peel a skin of an apple by a knife, there is a knack,

“It got firmly hold the knife and only rotates the Apple, not other-way round”.

Therefore, to cut the plastic jar, a sharp blade was fixed on the flat board by a G-clamp

(hight was adjusted by something such as aluminum bar etc under the blade which got

suitable thickness) and plastic jar was rotated on the flat base while pressing against

the blade.  (while rotates it, never wobble and rotates many times

= cut it gradually deeper)

This principle is always the same = cut a pipe or bar using a hacksaw, fix the material or object

on a vice clamp.   When drilling a hole = only the drill bit moves but not the material.

On a Lathe Machine or Wood-turning Lathe, only the material rotates and the cutting-bite which

was fixed to the machine, moves slowly while having the position precisely controlled.

[]

In a hind sight, I was lucky to grown-up in Japan where everything had been burnt

down and had nothing else of the abandoned field with wild flowers and insects.

Having no ready-made toys, we had to improvise or make our own toys.  And in the

magazines, there was a lots of article of “How to Make Something by Ourself.”

—– Grown-up was literally meant to know How to Do = not just

to know the names and words.

[]

Do It Yourself mean, to learn the material, and to know and having the control

of all the process, and to take a responsibility for the result = no one else there to

take a blame but oneself.

—– in this aspect, I really pities the kids and the grown-up version of those kids = young peoples

of today = while growing up with a toy bought by somebody-else’s (parent’s) money, without

knowing how it’s works, let alone how it was made, and only know to buy another one, or blame

somebody-else, such as the manufacturer,  when it was broken.  No idea of how to repair it.

[]

This utterly irresponsible, only expecting to others to do, mentality is the

fundamental problem of the whole society today.

Without knowing whole system, but only know to press a button (like a game-machine), and handling

even a financial operation, just for a short-eye-sighted gain, only on his narrow scope of speculation

= then end-up to pile-up uncontrollable amount of debts = yet still expecting somebody-else

(IMF etc) to bail-out their problem. —– (But, where the money of IMF come from ?)

A system having no feed-back and built-in self regulating mechanism,

it can not be called a system.

[]

Still amazing things are, the people are flocking to buy share of FACEBOOK,

while speculating it would grow and creates big profit.  But the reason why F’ is

floating their share in this moment is, that they realized no more growth in

a sale of AD business = This is the last opportunity they can fool the people.

GM has already stopped to advertise in F’ since it didn’t sell their car. 

And as majority of the F’ user were shifted to see F’ in their Smart-phone,

= who want to see an obstructive AD in their small screen ?

This is the typical sample of “Greed blind the people”  😀

Where the money to fill their Greed come from ? = are they still expecting

somebody else to create the money and give to them ?  Because of it is nothing

certain, F’ is doing it somebody else’s money. ( Sell the Share to public) !  😀

[]

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.

[]

Brutal Nature = or is it just a Nature ?

They are the photos of a Dandelion seed magnified  x16 times (in length, on 36×24 screen)

the Lens used was the one I’ve hand-made to take May Fly Egg before (click the Link here).

———— (This photo is a comparison, taken by Pentax 20mm F4  Lens, in Revers with Extension Ring,

————  but to make a comparison, photo was trimmed to the same size = x16,  like the photo above. 

————  As it was able to stop down to F8 ,  Depth of Field was much deeper than Microscope Lens )

As often the case, it looks pretty and fragile though, nature do have sharp claw and poison.

= Disneylized  romanticized look is just a thin veneer ( still, it would inspire a child’s dream

” Like a Dandelion seed,  fly away in a wind and have a bloom somewhere in a new world” =

how romantic ! ) though = they also live in the same, or even harsher Samsara.  

(And they are really the Nemesis of a gardener   😀 ) —– Through the evolution, Dandelion

seed must have adopted this looks brutal barbed armor, against eaten by a bird.

And this photo was taken by Canon EF Macro F2.8 , at F2.8,  magnification was  x1.

And in comparison, this photo was taken by a lens, once regarded to be one of the best

Macro Lens, Tamron SP 90mm F2.5  at F2.5  with Extension Rings,  magnification was  x1.5.

( Because of this lens has some softness at F2.5, quite few photographer loved it for female

portrait, but I used this lens only for closeup work ) —– all those shots here are for the tests

of shallow focus and the soft image at the fully opened F aperture, since when I found an

Olympus 50mm Macro F2 lens has phenomenal off-focus “Boke” = I wanted to investigate.

[]

In photography, there are two opposite approaches to emphasize the subject = one is using

wide angle lens and close to the subject, hence make the subject over-sized.   😀

The another is, to use telephoto lens, and focus only to the subject. —– even though I like to

do [Man-watching] in distance, when I come to take photo, I don’t like sneak view. 

I like to have face to face, and communicate with the subject, or to commit to the situation. 

( This is the attitude of [Engagement] of the Existentialism and the  Mahayana Buddhism. ) 

—– As I started my photography taking photos of plants, insects = use smaller F-aperture

to get sharper image, deep depth of field was the norm. = I was not a man to use the lens with 

its F-aperture fully opened —– unless the situation demand, under a dim light.  🙂 )

[]

In the life, nothing is simple but having many contradicting facets.   Behind of loving care

of  Tiger mother to her cab, there are misery of a Deer family.   Even a fluffy dandelion seed

having such fierce face which I didn’t know until I gave a very close look.

We tend to makeup a convenient story from just one facet, in most of the case with our

ignorance, or even worse, with a sake of convenience to make the story nice and sweet.

So that, such as in the Eightfold Right Path of Buddhism = to make Right Speech needs to

have right knowledge and the understanding.   It’s  quite a tall order isn’t it.  

And with a crèche, we casually use an expression how gorgeous the spring blossoms are,

or glorious golden color of autumn trees and so on, but nature may not be there to

please mankind = Flower was there, waiting the insects, and we just happen to be there.

[] 

To interpret the Nature in our sake is just our Ego, and romanticize it would be a delusion.

Who said, Mankind conquer the Nature ?  — We only found a bit of way to tamper it, that all.

They may not willfully Brutal against us, as they have no self or Ego, but the Mechanism.

This Mechanism contain us as its part, but they operates without recognize us.

—– and this System is what the Nature mean.   And this is the Dharma in Buddhism.

To see it beautiful or brutal is in our eyes, in fact it’s all in our Mind.  Nature is just there.

[]

 

What is Natural — Tea-bag Story

Many years ago I needed to filter out crystallized residue in a photo-chemical solution.

On that time, I improvised a paper of a tea-bag = it is quite strong not like a tissue paper, neither

it would disintegrate in a liquid.   (If it was in my school time, I could have proper filter paper for

chemistry, and till decade ago, a blotting paper was in a stationary shop, but not in these days. )

—– anyhow the matter is neither type of paper or chemical solution, but

what I found in the contents of a tea-bag = powdered tea of cause. But something

annoyed me was, I found looks like a thread or a sort of fiber sticking out of the

tea powder. It can be a broken jute rope or a sack, or it could be even a fiber from

a cow-dung, came to a floor stuck to a sandal of worker.

[]

Before the invention of tea-bag, the powder or dust of tea, flying out of tea processing machine

was only recycled in a small scale as a give-away to the poor people working there.

But when somebody got very very good idea to utilize those dust, put it into a paper

bag and sell it as Tea-bag, the more convenient way to make a cup of tea, then the

dust was collected using a vacuum-cleaner, hence the dust on the floor as well.

—– (I heard this story, first from a man used to work in a tea packaging factory, and again from

a daughter of an English manager used to be there )

Still, to design an automated machine to make such a bag without using glue was a good effort, but

it was a bit expensive way= hence, to make a round flat tea-bag with one stump process was

another step to make yet more profit = insatiable appetite to satisfy their greed.

[]

There was a report, about the coming food-shortage and “Then, why not eat the insect” story

—– in the story, there was a statistics “the average person eating so-much-so amount of

insects comes with food without knowing”—— yeah, I’ve noticed this many times, while

eating such as vegi salad, I had funny taste.   As I used to collect the insects to make a collection of

specimen, I knew a certain insect gives off particular smell. It was that kind. But, anyhow it was

too late and so far there wasn’t any detrimental trouble I’ve ever had. = So, it should be OK. 😀

[]

In the same context, is there anybody ever thought about, —– in the processed food such as

mince-pie, fig-role or jam kind of milled fruits, packed into a sweets or in a jar, what is in there ?

Are you expecting in a food factory where the one end, truck lord of fruits was through into the

machine and on the other end, packed jam is coming out in a jar, whether individual fruits was

inspected for insect and rejected one by one ? —– (So that, there is a law giving the allowance

for such kind of food can contain so-much-so number of the insects)

[]

The question is, what is natural ?

It is not an issue of credibility of the manufacturer, but ourself.

= If we are believing the quality or its purity

—– Isn’t it our wishful imagination or indulging illusion ?

After all, in reality, nature is not necessary friendly, or the conditions of our life may not so ideal,

we should better accept it as it is, instead to project our idea and create frustration.

[]

To become aware who I am (of whom never be perfect or ideal) is what we need to

have, as the first step to become a bit wiser. (not mention to get enlightened 😀 )

To accept or appreciate a hint of cow-dung in a tea, might be the crucial step

to be a broad minded Buddhist 😀 😀 —– (Do remember, this is the way, how our

immune system was developed = hence, it enabled us to live in this bacteria, virus infested world

= dirt is our part of the life 😀 )

So, keep yourself reasonably clean for not to have too much bacteria, but in the same time never

become compulsory cleansing fanatics. Happiness lays in between = in a so-called Middle Way 🙂

Enjoy your happy day, and a nice cup of Tea as well.

___/\___

[]

Delusion or Common Sense

In a good sense, we human is a very creative people by which it had lead the

advancement of our civilization.

In the same time we are the most deluded creature on the earth.

What is common between creative and deluded is, its thinking process, think beyond the fact

which was known or widely accepted, or believe to be exist, or true.

Our cognition and its assessment of the fact are always following after the event or encounter.

To compensate this time-rug, our judgement is projecting time ahead.

In another word, speculative.

—– When you see a cockroach running on the floor, you wouldn’t hit the place where it WAS, but

look under the bed where it has disappeared. —– and put a cockroach trap expecting if it comes

again, the trap should catch it.

[]

Audiophile is the people who is the most speculative kind of people apart from the delivertive

or commodity trader 😀 —– of cause, they would say, it is not a speculation but

the fact of what their ears hear.   Here, fundamental speculation is that they are

believing their ears are correct. —– Once I was an audiophile (in meager scale 😀 ) hence,

I tested Audio-amp, Class A, B, AB etc with different transistor etc. ( On the end, I was convinced

that it would be fruitless attempt which never able to achieve the quality of live music = I decided to

listen the original sound at the original place where the recording was made = so, I came to Europe.)

[]

Time to time, people asking me to repair their audio amp.   In most of the case it was a kind,

a professional repairman has forsaken, such as a transistor had been exploded hence the name of

component was lost (and it would be too expensive to ask the maker to give a service, if they still

exist at all, but often not — in such case, analyze the circuit and find what to replace it best)

So, I have ample experiences to see the realities in the audio amp design = how far it is, from

the belief or deluded wishful thinking of the people buying it. = It is a fraud.

( Go too deep into the technical detail is not in an aim of this blog. So, I’ll show a point in a level of

secondary school common sense —– I think you can understand)

——————————————————————————————— (Photo right/ Yellow mark pointing burnt out track )

A photo above is said to be a car audio amp for sub-woofer speaker. Apparently, it was solidly built

hefty amp which is saying 500 W ! — Who believe it ? (obviously a man who bought it did )

To use an audio amp in the car, the power is a car battery which is 12 V.

Every body remember, the Ohm’s Law which I learned in the secondary school Physics, they are

few lines of very simple formula like as [ R x I = V, hence V/I = R and V/R = I ] V=Voltage,

R=Resistance, I=Current.   And in addition [ I x V = W ] W=Wat.

(In fact, it is more of the definition. The unit were defined as it is. = from 1 V source, the current

run through 1 Ohm wire was defined as 1 A —- I admire the scientist who measured then).

[]

As a car audio amp, the supply Voltage is 12 V.  = To out-put 500 W, the amp needs to draw

500/12 = 42.6 ( A  ampere ) —– though, a fuse fitted was mere 15 A.

Assuming, the amp was able to draw 15 A without blowing the fuse.  = 12 V x 15 A = 180 W.

—– within safer operation, it may not more than 150 W.   Then, to consider the efficiency of any

electric devises, they never be 100 %.   In a case of audio amp = every body knows, the amp is

getting quite hot = the power was wasted to make heat = and that was why this amp has such heavy

heat-sink and needed to make it so solid. But this amp is designed rather new Class G like design (but

without having additional power supply line) —– so, the out put power is 120 W  in its best.

—– still the person who was using this amp has been enjoying to be a proud owner

of what he believed to be 500 W car audio system.

[]

It is more like a religion.  It was out of school level common sense though, is it a matter for him ?

—– Like a people, believing so-called power of crystal with pretty happy feeling, “what is the truth”

may not be a matter for them.   Feeling happy might be more important. —– Is it ? ? ?

Pretty picture on a sham-doctor’s beauty potion might give better dream than the truth in reality.

After all, we human is a people living on the dream.   Even a placebo effect of false

belief still able to give some positive results.  What’s wrong to be deluded ? ? ?

The question is should I tell the truth what is the real power of this Amp ?

Keep him happy or make him wiser ?   (Good question ! )

[]

Thought on MARATHON — SUFFERINGS

Tomorrow, tens of thousand of people will run for London Marathon.

Quite few of my friends did it and till some years ago, I was thinking I’ll do too though,

I’m becoming aware, better not.

( I can invent hundreds of the excuse not to do = it’s mean to think about itself is utterly a waste of

time.= So that, in accordance to my Zen Moto [Just do it] => Just think not. Ha ha ha 😀

Therefore, in my peaceful mind — Marathon ?  What Marathon ?   What a nice day !

[]

Why people run for such enduring action which is not even their imperative, which is,

some said useless action.  = Of cause, some are running for the Champion Medal and some are running

for Charity though, bast majorities are running for a sake of just running, or even for a fun.

What is a fun while giving 50 km or so torturing, punishing task to the own body ? —– of cause, as

I used to be a member of the Alpine Club, I know what it is, as we did similar training and above all,

we did pretty similar body punishing long walk in the mountain, often carrying 40, 50 kg of lord on

our back. —– and we mountain climbers were always making joke

“ What silly things we are doing 😀 ”

[]

Then give a thought or two. —– ? ? ?

Have I, have we ever had an easy life ever ? —– We, the greedy creature, the human,

always assess an action in comparison to the gain though, is this kind of view true ?

For a sake of convenience and to have an quick answer, we Buddhists having a tendency and good

excuse to end the argument, we have pretty nice story to convince ourselves into contented, which

called Enlightenment 😀

—– See this in reverse. = Need to have an excuse to have a peace of mind is,

because it is not in a peace at all isn’t it. 😀

[]

In Lord Buddha’s teachings, life was defined as SUFFERING (how nice). Yes in deed, this is true.

So, a training is the training for this unavoidable enduring life. = training for the Marathon but the

Marathon itself is a training to face a situation in the life.

June in every year, we members of our High School Alpine club had a special stamina training for a

preparation for a summer climb while carrying 40 kg of stones to a 900 m high mountain top,

starting 6 o’clock morning, reaching the top about mid day.

It was on a ridge called Baka o-ne in Oh-yama, west of Tokyo. Why it called Baka o-ne, Nut’s ridge

is, it is just one continuous boring climb, no respite = makes anybody just fed-up.

[]

While carrying 40 kg of utterly useless stones, I cursed every single step “What am I doing.

How silly I am. Ok, on the next step, I’m going to through this stones away and shout to the leader

“ Kill me here, I’m out” — on the end we reached to the top AND came down with empty ruck-sack,

that was all.  (Since many clubs are doing this many years, the mountain top having tens of tons of

round shaped river stones, which makes innocent walkers just puzzled.  “How come ?” 😀 )

( Soon or later, I tired to complain = after all, to join the club and came to the mountain was my

choice.  I’ve gained a kind of contemplation [Just walk] otherwise I shouldn’t have born to this

world. — And I continued this, while keeping Mountain shelter as a volunteer, we had to carry-up

the food staff for the lodgers of up to 300 people a night, without receiving any money, far from it,

we had to spend our own money to get there  Kita Yatsuga-take.)

[]

Anyhow, the life is the suffering  😀     But, if we have a training while having heavy punishment

to the physics and to the mental strength, we obtain good resilience to a cause of those sufferings.

To over-come the endurance of Marathon, the person gain the proof in the fact, I did.

And this proof gives the person a confidence = I can do, because I have done.

This confidence brings a peace of the mind = Don’t worry too much, it may not

as bad as the Marathon. 😀

So, it is a good news, it wouldn’t be in vain.

Enjoy a running.   Have a good Marathon 🙂

___/\___

[]

Mushin – Panya Paramita – Dharma (in [Z-band] )

Hidden between the line of funny Cat’s story, the paragraph ;

The stories of the Zen Buddhist communicating with other animal may have

the basis in this phenomenon = silencing the noise of thinking in the Brain

mean, it is to be in a state of  Mushin.

Not in thinking but having a deepest perception of  friendliness in the

primeval Limbic feeling = This feeling is the common language with any

living form.

= Here is a good insight to understand what the Panya Paramita and the Dharma is.

[]

To make the story easy to understand, let’s use a metaphor = assuming the [common language]

quoted above is a kind of signal in certain frequency, to say [Z-band].

Like Internet system, all the Spiritual communication and the information are exchanged through

this [Z-band] channel.

This channel is inherent to all the existences include the all the life form, it’s mean this is the

communication system of the Dharma.

All the life form mean it’s include us too.   Therefore everybody having born with

the Dharma with in (born with a Receiver and Transmitter) hence, the person

should able to receive the signal.

But, unfortunately, because of us, only us human got hugely out grown brain, thanks to the evolution,

our brain and its activity is creating too much noise, and this noise is

masking the [Z-band] signal.

[]

Since we evolved like an “add-on extension” on top, we still retain old system in the base.

The process how we were developed in the Mother’s womb, from a single-cell organism = egg to

fully grown human body, showing this fact.  = (Once, you were a fish —– remember ?)

In other words, we are retaining whole evolutionary history together with its DNA (and memory).

In our expanded brain / neural system, the old part is known as the Limbic system.

This Limbic system is common with another animal.   So that, we (our far ancestor) were

using this Limbic system with pretty small brain.  But, as there was no huge noisy brain then, all the

signal we were using for communication was in the [Z-band]. As all the existences are using

this [Z-band] too, we were able to communicate with other animal and the nature.

Life and the survival was relying on this system.

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You may feel strange though, this communication in [Z-band] is existing even in a photography.

In WordPress Blog, such as [draw and shoot] (link here) I noticed, the author, Karen is communicating

with nature in this [Z-band] as her photos are showing it.  Hence, I often commented saying her, her

eyes are the eyes of Zen. = No wonder, her Blog was selected as one of the great blog for Earth Day.

(Incidentally, Radio Communication is using X-band for Satellite channel but not Z-band yet.  So, I

made up a word Z-band = Z after Zen  😀 )

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Unlike so-called intelligence and our signal processing system in the current brain, which got only

few hundred thousand years history, this [Z-band] has been used and refined in the hundreds of

millions of years in the history since then the Universe was created.

Because of this, this is the channel, where the information of  Dharma, even the

activities of such as this Planet was broad casted.

(Hence animal can sense the coming Earthquake or foresee the weather).

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To listen this [Z-band], it is essential to silence the noise of the brain.

The Buddhist’s practice is a way to obtain this silence = Mushin.  Then, in Mushin,

what we are able to listen is, what Dharma is telling = This is the Panya Paramita.

But this signal is not an abstruct message such as the God’s words, but live broadcast of the

situation we are facing. = It’s like a latest Drive Information system. You can see all the

meter-readings and the SatNav information of trafic condition though, it wouldn’t tell you

the destination or Philosophy in driving.    Read it and what to do is up to you.

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Lord Buddha’s teachings are all about “How to get it” = the way and the Practice, not an

abstract answer.   The Answer has to be found by the person = [Think yourself], as it is different

in situation by situation, person to person, as each person has own Karma.

To see its situation and respond to it,  live in its moment is the matter.   It can only be found

by [mindful clear eyes] of the person, obtained through the learning. —– This was why

Lord Buddha didn’t answar “General view or belief” like what the Dharma is = Because

the Dharma is a moving mechanism, working in its rationality ( of which we only able

to analyze its small corner, not in its total dynamics, and WHY) = The important matter for us,

is to see the Fact in meter-reading, not a belief or a fancy illusion which exist only in the mind.

Lord Buddha didn’t teach anything supernatural.  But, this Panya Paramita in the [Z-band]

came to the edge of it.  For him, it is the FACT though in the same time, he knew it is audible

to only few people who can hear = no need to explain to them since they knew it, but impossible

to make sense of who couldn’t.  It’s like a pain of Kidney stone = only the people who got it knew.

This was the reason why he taught only the way to get it ( I mean not Kidney stone  😀 ). 

And this was what

Lord Buddha found and taught.

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Talk with Cats = What is MUSHIN

Somebody said “Hey yoshizen, you are utterly nuts, how you can talk with cats ?”

—– Quite often, when I saw a cat, I call him (her ?) “wu Nya” 😀

And lower my body or crouch and say “Oide, oide” (it’s mean, “Come, come” in Japanese.)

So that, my friend who happened to be with me, say “How this cat understand Japanese ?”

or “Can they understand Japanese ? Hey, don’t be silly ” —– then, those friend

was surprised as he saw the cat is coming to me and having their head scratched.

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So, I said to my friend “Of cause, they don’t know what that Japanese mean.

But, do you know, the cats can read our mind ?” “Oh yes, I know they can”

“So, this is it. It doesn’t matter what language I have used on my rip, but my mind,

in fact deep down to my subconscious level, I’m expressing the friendship message

as the same kin.  Cat understand this message like a mind reading”

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If you remember what I wrote in the previous post, you may be confused by this description.

—– “Deal with cat in Mushin”. —– What the Mushin mean here ?

THIS IS the most misunderstood point in the Buddhism and in the concept

of Mushin and the SELF.

Open your mind, don’t think anything, empty your mind, brah brah brah ——.

They are all just the words, only described the superficial appearance and its observation.

Yes it is true. There was no thinking in the brain on that moment, hence it seemed the mind

was empty. —– still, full function of the body is continuing.

Tea Master is making a tea, Sword’s Master is fighting, I was calling the Cat. = all

those actions were carried out in Mushin.

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Lots of amateur Buddhists and Sham Monks or so-called Instructors, Practitioners are believing

and teaching that the Mushin is a kind of special mental state occurred only

when sitting and meditating.

—– Forget the Buddhism for a while. (Before talking Buddhist’s mind, you better know what

the ordinarily mind is 😉 ) = Remember what people say “Talk from your Heart”

“It struck our Soul” “Selfless Love” etc ==== You can understand all those words straight,

what it’s mean. = In fact all those words are describing the same psyche in our deep-down mind

= the pure human emotion in our subconsciousness, without any intentional thinking

= away from political, psychological manipulation, self enriching maneuver or egotistic thinking.

People can naturally feel, talk and act without having any those intentional artificial thinking.

—– Where those Thinking come from, and where those psyche described as

Heart, Soul or Pure Human Emotion come from ?

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Complexed highly intentional thinkings are all bore out of our highly intelligent Cerebrum =

large Brain.  But Heart, Soul and Pure Humanistic Emotion are come from our

Old Cortex and Limbic System.

(Which is common, even with cats, hence we can shar the same psyche. 😀 )

Mushin = Mind of No-Mind is the state of the brain, when all those Thinkings in the Cerebrum

were stopped (or suppressed, abandoned what ever the word. And an advanced Zen Master can

stop even the process or Emotion in the Limbic System as well). = Still, some subconscious and

basic function in the Limbic System can be maintained and continue its process.

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Likewise, the Self with its Self Conscious Thinking together with its Emotion could

be disappeared, still able to maintain the integration of the body and its function.

= Thinking was stopped still, subconscious is aware the situation.

In fact, subconsciousness knows the situation far better, because Limbic system

is directing and controlling all the data flow in the Brain.  The Cerebrum is only

converting some of those data into the words and to the visible conscious.

(This is why the argument, what is the SELF and whether it is exists or not was started.

And the typical Mahayana Expression [It exists as not exists] was invented).

Consciously conscioused SELF is clearly be seen, but subconscious is invisible. 

You can hear my word to a cat “Oide, oide”, but you can’t hear the signal

in [Z-band] channel hidden there.   (Unless you too a cats person  😀 ).

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PHILOSOPHER (Cat’s story – 2)

This is an old story though,  when I got a water flood from a burst pipe of the flat above,

I had to shelter myself to a friend architect’s house in the south London.

Strangely, the garden of this house was a gathering place of the cats around.

Every day more than 10 cats came and go or staying there all day.  The wife of my friend

complained as the cats stomped the flower shoots etc etc, not mention their droppings.

She tried all sorts of tactics to chase-off the cats, but nothing deter them keep coming.

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I gave a solution to prevent the cats damage young shoot of the flowers by putting many

sticks standing on the seed bed. (as the sticks sticking out every 4 inches or so, cat can’t walk,

let alone to jump down there from the fencing wall) —– yet still the cats were keep coming

by climbing the tree.

While watching them, I invented the nick name for each of them.

Such as [Wu-he] after a character in a Japanese comics as this cat got a fanny slimly face.

(If you pronounce this, on front of a mirror, you will see your face looks smiling with a bit of

embarrassment = the character in the comics was this kind  🙂 )

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The another cat named [Philosopher] was after his habit and he seemed to be a loner,

not playing with others so much, but stay in the garden looking up the bird on the tree.

When he saw a bird, he was making strange noise, like cracking his teeth “ Ka ka ka ka”.

Then one day, I saw this cat actually caught a sparrow and eating it with cracking noise

“Crack, crick, munch, munch” —– M m m ?

There was a sort of say in Japan “Never feed a chicken with bone in it, since broken bone is very

sharp to damage cat’s stomach, causing the cat’s death” — though, if he could eat whole sparrow,

the bone may not be dangerous for him to eat.   So, I tested it by giving him chicken wing.

He eat whole of it while cracking the bones and appreciated very much.  Since then, I kept giving

him a chicken wing every day.  He was waiting me on the garden door every day. (The wife of

my friend hated this and she kicked [Philosopher] out when he walked into the kitchen.)

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Then I found a ground floor flat with big garden in the north London and moved to there taking

this [Philosopher] with me though, it was a first experience to him. He seemed to be panicked.

While having second journey to bring other boxes, he escaped through a ventilation hole in the

bathroom. —– what a blunder = I made a lost cat.

Few days later, when I met the friend again, he mentioned that [Philosopher] is

still coming to the door waiting my chicken wing. —– What ? ? ?

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My friend didn’t know, I took him to north London, but if the cat is still coming to his house, it’s

mean, the cat managed to go back to the south London within 3 days, while finding

the direction and having 8 miles (13 km) journey !    What an incredible story though,

in the same time, it showed that the cat couldn’t comprehend, I was the one moved out, and took

him to the new flat (while giving him a big trouble) = therefore, no more chicken wing there.

There is another say in Japan that cat never cross a water or river. From the north

to south London, of cause, there is the Themes river. Still it wasn’t a problem for him.

One of the most enduring story of this kind was, a cat in Japan who was

accidentally left behind, did follow the owner who has moved from a

north-western city of Itoigawa to Yokohama, and found the owner, after 2 years

of journey while traveling 600 miles (1000 km).

Nobody know how he could find the direction but simply the cat did.

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There are many myth around the cat though, many of them are not true.

It was said that the cat belong to the house not to the owner.   But this is not true.

One of the cat I used to live with, remembered me even after 10 years kept by

others.  (When the cat saw me, he jumped up to my shoulder,  and rubbing

his nose to my cheek.  This is the greeting the animal does each other.

Because my cats thinking me as their same kin, they treat me like another cat).

Something certain is, they got unknown, hence mythical sensory power.

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When I talked about this [Philosopher] story to a secretary of a Bank who was one of

my client, she mentioned, one of their staff is asking if anyone can adopt a kitten.

—– So, it was a beginning of my life, living with the cats.

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The old part of our Brain, like Limbic System is common with another animal.

In fact we only got add-on of large brain on top.  In other words, the process, the control of

the sensory grands and the basic perception in the Limbic system having the same language.

( Similar to the computer, what ever the operational system and the higher language, still

down to the bottom, they are programmed and operating in the hexadecimal binary cord.)

= by using this channel, we human could communicate with the other animal.

To do this, we human needs to silence the noise coming from the Cerebrum and its thinking.

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The stories of the Zen Buddhist communicating with other animal may have

the basis in this phenomenon = silencing the noise of thinking in the Brain

mean, it is to be in a state of  Mushin.

Not in thinking but having a deepest perception of  friendliness in the primeval

Limbic feeling = This feeling is the common language with any living form.

The most peculiar things about this, the cats can sens this remotely.

Often suddenly a cat came out of dark, and asking me to scratch, or tangling

with my foot. —– How they knew me a cat’s person before-hand ?

(But it seems there is a drawback, the dogs often hates me.  😀

—-– So, I’ve been asking many people if I smell fishy ? )

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