Zen — Supernatural Phenomenon or Asperger Syndrome ?

While having a casual chat with artist friends over a coffee, I noticed that the popular concept towards the Zen seems to be somewhat distorted to that it has a kind of supernatural ability.   Indeed, when somebody wrote about the Zen story, it often describing how extraordinary or phenomenal.  Of course, ordinary people wouldn’t make a good talking piece.  It needs to be something special.  Then, a man dropped the words “Isn’t such person just an Asperger ?”   M m m ?  

Asperger Syndrome could be an interesting description of Zen.  I’m not an expert to talk about this topic still, my knowledge of Asperger seem to be matched to some pattern of the typical Zennist. = rather prefer to be alone and concentrating own interest or a particular subject into even an obsessive level.  And came up with some amazing creation or highly skilled work.   Indeed, such concentration, dedication might be attributed by the Zen ethos.  Yet still, we may not know whether it was the result of Zen or came from the person’s own tendency.

My character and the resulting life and lifestyle has been written on my palm since I was born.   So, even if I do something related to the  Zen, it is rather difficult to tell whether it was due to the Zen idea, otherwise, in reverse, that’s why I was attracted to the Zen.  (Which caused the other?)    In fact, Zen is a mere technic to silence the emotional region of the brain, by which, the one can gain the state of No-self, and in this state, the supernatural phenomenon could be seen or achieved. 

(The emotional region, namely Amigdara emphasize the incoming signal whether it is important to him or belongs to him or not.  They are in fact, the base of Ego and Greed.  Therefore it’s creating the mind which make-up the Self —– if this function was pathologically damaged, cognitive function to distinguish own possession, even to recognize own family member would be lost = everything would be seen detached) —– you may think they are quite a familiar character of good Buddhist though.

So the matter was not in Asperger kind but such No-self state has the key.  (Asperger seemed to lack a social connectivity = not able to see the relevance between the self and the others = simplly the person couldn’t feel who am I = it is almost the state of No-self.)   

Zen Buddhism may not be an invented idea but the recognition of such a hidden function of human nature by which the one could touch with invisible phenomenon.   Provably human history had been noticed such supernatural phenomenon, hence created many spiritual myths, such as God or Vedic philosophy etc.  —– It’s mean, it was not because of the existence of the God but because of the function of the brain which did see the supernatural phenomenon (though others may says it was a delusion).  Which has been interpreted in their own way, and created like a God story or Vedic story etc. (Though, the vision seems to be very vague, in other words any clear image or story was nothing but an interpretation = made-up story —– that’s why “What it is” was never described for “The Panya Paramita”) 

Lord Buddha was the one who noticed that such truth appears behind the state of No-self. (And Mahayana Buddhists try to describe them as the Panya Paramita)  That was why all the Buddhism teachings were aiming to gain the No-self.  (But, once become able to negate the function of Amigdara completly, and achieved the No-self, and able to detach from everything, the demerit become too much, (such as to forsake all the possessions or family) a kind of moderate teachings which says that yet to be is still be a part of Buddha become popular = which was called Mahayana.  (Yet to be perfect — this “yet”was misinterpreted to “need one more life” by the mixed-up of Hinduism.)

Whether it was Zen, Asperger or Autism still, life goes on —– not only sociable friendly person is a person in the society.     Zen exist for personal needs. 

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Ombudsman System — What them for ?

On top of two Ombudsman’s issue, recently I got one more of it — for Telecom Ombudsman.   It started when I received a letter from EE which said that they are going to revise the charge of a mobile phone.   What?    I never heard of such a mobile phone.   Whose phone they are talking about?   When I checked my banking record, I realised that a Direct Debit which said for EE & T-MOBILE  was not for the line rental of my Broadband connection.   It seems I’ve been paying about £12/month for the past four years for the nonexistent phone.

So, I complained to the EE.  They said that I made a contract on 6 of December 2016 though there was no signed contract.   While no such contract, neither the phone itself was existing, they just used my name and the bank account of broadband to another item.    Yet still, EE said that there was a record of the use of the phone twice on the 21st of December 2016. ? ? ? —– Who used such phone in where?  And who said that belongs to me?—– Could it be happened such as a meeting of the techno geeks in the Greenwich, while testing a discarded broken phone? —– For this strange affair, EE offered me 6 months refund though I couldn’t accept it. (I don’t like them make money out of deception)

So, I took the complaint to the Telecom Ombudsman.  (You can Google Ombudsman and go to their site to lodge a complaint —– the site is a very well designed and educative place.  You can learn how to write very very polite, friendly words.  (On the surface.) (I recommend you try to make a mock-up complaint to see how they operate by your eyes.)  😀   —– The beauty of “Do it” (my Zen policy) is able to see its reality by our own eyes and learn from the pain.

While filling each box next by next, when I filled a box to write the phone number, they started to say “enter a valid UK number” = so that, I couldn’t go any further as I don’t have anything else.   It’s mean, I have to give up. —– When I came back next day it was OK and I could go further.   (If I didn’t comeback, in effect, one complaint has been successfully ousted before even opening a case.)

But when, I needed to upload the evidence, yet more trouble came up.   The letter of EE or the bill kind of documents are all in the photo = JPG file.   But my file were rejected.  

Their site was so well designed = their every page having the customer response button which we can click from hate to very satisfied.  So, I commented with the dissatisfy mark, (as above).

Then a new page opened for me to complain.

To this complaint, the next day I received an Email which said that the supported file type was jpg, not JPG.   If you know this area, you may know how awkward this difference is.   Because of the most of photo file (other than png kind) is JPG, and jpg is very rare, therefore very difficult to convert.  This must be the tactic to oust the complaint to save the skin of the company.  (It took a whole afternoon for me to look for a converter program and try this, try that. — such as Clod Converter can convert but very difficult to save as a usable file. — or I might need to pay money)

On the end, at least everything was done while overcoming so many obstacles. (How many people could succeed in this process under such tricks, and how many people had to give-up to recover their lost money !)

Then I received their Email which says that since the other side (EE) lodged their evidence I need to give my answer till 07th of May = looks 4 days time though, those days are Saturday,  Sunday, and a Bank holiday Monday.   And I still don’t know where is EE’s evidence nor their comments.   (I sent the question “Where is their Evidence ?” though until Tuesday 7th they will not see my question, nor they can answer = its mean, Ombudsman will give a decision without having my answer = while allowing the EE to make-up their convenient story, even falsify the evidence. 

In fact, this is a well-known tactic in the Court battle, sending a notice on Friday and demand the other side to respond on Monday, leaving no time to the other side to prepare.  (That is what the Court proceedings is = always dirty = Can you believe fairness, JUSTICE? — Don’t be naive = I learned this in a hard way myself.) —– So, this is the real face of the Ombudsman System = while showing best polite, friendly face, and use the dirty trick behind, for the sake of the industry’s profit.  (So, the system goes on happily hand in hand )    Indeed, this is the way how British Diplomacy works with its coax, with its coercion, even with a deception = remember how they managed their colony.  (There is a say among the photographer —– when visiting the editor of the magazine if they said “Beautiful photo, I’ll give you a call” there would be no assignment to come.  The job would come from the editor who made a sharp question.   The editor wants the visitor to leave the office as quick as possible with a happy smile and keep buying the magazine.   This is THE British Diplomacy in practice. )

Ombudsman system is to prevent the scandalous/fraudulent or silly mistake of the industry’s practice exposed to the public and try by the independent open Court but to suppress and conceal the mater within the cosy comradeship.  That is why This System operated FREE in contrast to the expensive Court proceedings.     So that, if the complaint was blocked by the tricks on the Documentation Maze which cost very little, it is the industry’s heavenly victory. —– Remember anything free, there is a catch behind.

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Evening Stroll

Some days ago I went out for a meeting, with a camera, Nikon Z7 and a homemade plastic Fun lens on it.  (It’s good to have a small pocketable camera !)

As I took Dockland Light Railway I could see the town over the roof and see the sunset from advantage points.

Since the lens was £1 junk, it needs no focus and neither giving any sharp image —– still, if you think they are a kind of sketch drawings it’s no problem.  I don’t think I need sharp details in those images, as they are no different from the distant vague memories.

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Flower of Bamboo 竹の花

I found a report of the bamboo flowering in the many corners of Japan from north to south.   The Bamboo said to open their flowers only once in every 100 years, 120 years.  And after the flower, all the plant dies leaving only their seeds behind.  It seems it is their tactics of the survival as the species when they noticed that they are going to die, so, they made flowers and the seeds.  As a plant, I don’t think they got any thinking let alone any delusion or fantasy, they only follow the Dharma = the rules of the nature.  If the nature is going to have the problem, it’s the problem to us too. —– I don’t know why this news caught my eyes among the mountain of the Youtube viz.   Still in my view, there is no such things like a coincidence = there must be the important to be noticed. —– If it would be a kind of natural disaster, there could be a certain area of Japan, not from all over Japan = if is it like the trouble of climate change ? —– in that case the news should come even from the Philippines or China as well.  There are many spooky stories such as, before the ship sank, all the rat run away (rat knows the fate of the ship, before-hand) or strange behaviour of the animal before the earthquake etc. —– Something very serious might happen soon. 

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The late Cherry (or Ex-Cherry ?)

It’s not nice to say “used to be cherry” —– so, Ex-Cherry ?

A woman said it’s not fair, they got a full bloom every year —– m m m, rather tricky to say any word here. 

(Those photos were taken by a lens from a toy camera on Nikon Z7 —– It was a single plastic lens, equivalent of  28mm, F13,  fixed focus )

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Spiritualism

スピリチュアルショップといった店は意外とあちこちに在るようで、何やらエネルギーとかパワーが宿る石とか透視のできる水晶玉などを売っていたりする。で、しばらく前のこと、そんな店で自分はスピ派だと称する女性に出会った。何故か日本人で古代エジプト系のチャームをためつすがめつしていた。「はァ、そういうのに何かパワーでも有るンですか？」と不躾に声をかけたら「あァ、何か感じますね」とおっしゃる。「へェー、僕は手相に神秘線は在るがオカルトっぽいものは全く見えませんなァ」と返したら僕の手をのぞいて、「アッ、本物はヤバい」とのこと。スピ派というのはファッションアクセサリーのように雰囲気を楽しむものでガチのソーカとかゲンリは避けられるのだそうだ。同様に褝などはそのベジタリアン料理まではいいがその先はオタクより臭いのだとか。

そこから見たら今の日本に、家業の禅寺をつぐ必要のある人以外、何人ぐらいの人が自分の撰択で禅を学んでいるのか？ーーーさらに不思議なのは日本からこのブログへのアクセスが断えない「ダルマ/法と仏教の構造」のポストを読んでくれているのはいったい誰なのか？　そもそも、このポストをどうやって発見できたのか？（書いてある内容は素人受けする物ではないし、逆に本格的に仏教学を学んだ職業僧にとっては奇異過ぎるのではなかろうか？　いかに禅が自由な発想を呼ぶものとしてもあれはどうなのか？）

このブログでは禅仏教を専ら神経生理の自動制御に帰結して論じていますが、そこでは「だから何ンなの」はめったに出て来ない。自動制御の稼動状態（神ワザの正確さで黙々と作業するなど）は誰の目にも明らかであるから解り易い。しかしその背後には不可解なものが多すぎる上に「ホンマ？」がついて回る。無心になり、経験則やDNAに予めプログラムされた自動制御にコントロールを任せる。同様に人生をカルマの生起に任せる＝これで人智を超えたダルマによる完璧な対応処理が行なわれ全てメデタシメデタシとなれば文句ナシ。－－－とはいかない。都合良い神ワザ伝説はいくらでも並ベられるし、それをもってスピリチュアルな調和が得られるなどと強弁しても意味はないーーーつまりそれが真実ではないのだから。＝真実ではない所がダルマゆえの真実か？と、解ったようなシタリ顔してもまた無意味であるし、だからサトリは犬のクソと言ってみても何も始らない。　つまり完璧かつ有効な答はどこにも無い。

（実は禅の奥では片仮名のスピリチュアルとか本人の思い込みなどをはるかに超えた超常現象が起っているのです。（俗に目に付くものは神霊現象とかパラレルワールドとか呼ばれたりしているらしいですが）しかし、残念なことにそうした現象の証明や説明は全くできません。卑近な例で恐縮ですが小生の８１５０の怪なんてのは極めて厄介。(例えばダルマのような全能の神以外に当人の行動を予測してチケットの数字を予め準備する事などが可能か？)ーーーしかしこれが禅やダルマの神秘性と関係があるのか、単に当人の妄念の産物なのかは解らない。（なぜかそう思って行動しているとそのようになってしまう。）＝俗に因果応報と称される現象は単なる遇然ではなく、それなりのつながりを持っているようですし、現にそれが起っているのは間違いない事実です。ちょうど特定のDNAを持った人が特定の運命に従って生きているのと同様ですが、これに対する　何故か？　は永久に不可知でしょう。）（しかし、もしそうした超常現象の操作法が解ったなら、多数のグルが居るインドが核兵器や病院を持つ必要は無かったでしょう）

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釈尊のためらい―ーー梵天の勧請

仏伝によると釈尊は菩提樹の下で悟りを開かれた後も、その叡智を他の人に伝える事をため らわれたとか。何故ならその真実はあまりにも深遠すぎて伝え難く、かつ人にとって理解し難いものであったからと伝えられています。で、伝説によればそれを知った梵天（バラモン教の最高神ブラーマン）は、これは人類にとっての大損失と憂い、釈尊の元に参じるや是非とも教えを説いて欲しいと懇願したとか云々。

釈尊の初期の教えは先ず四聖諦、次に縁起の考えであったとされているのですが、それでは、と改めて考察してみると、明析な真実を指摘した四聖諦や極めて論理的な縁起思想の中に伝え難い複雑な真理が隠されていたとは考えられない。むしろここには、かの自我無我の問題が在ったと考える方が妥当ではないかと見えますが。

そもそもバラモン教、べーダ思想の根幹である霊魂の不滅に対して発想された無我の思想が

釈尊の悟りにおいて、その核心として確立されていなかったとは考え難い。（見ている当人＝主体が無いなら、無い主体が見た対象が存在するのも確かでは無いと、後の空観の根底を成す）（般若心経に書かれているような、はるか後年になってから弟子に加わった舎利子に対って、たかが菩薩如きが無我を大発見したなどと説教する話は全くの荒唐無稽）しかし、自我の問題ばかりは説明しようの無い難問が付いて回るのです。自我あるいは、霊魂は無いと言えるのは、その概念が在るからこそ成り立つので、それが初めから存在しなかったら発想すら出来ない。ちょうど色盲の人には色について説明しようが無いのと同じです。ーーーで、真に自我が無いならそれについて説明できる筈も無いし、そのふりをしながら言葉で説明するなどひどい欺瞞でしかない。伝え難く、理解し難い重要問題とは将にこの自我無我の難問であったに違い有ません。（だからこそ、それが憶測を呼び後の空観へと拡大発展していく事になった）

ーーーしかし、この壁をのり越えるのには別に梵天の登場を待つ必要は無かった、と言うよりそもそも言葉で説明する必要は無かったのです。要するに何かをやらせて見れば良い。人が何かをやる時、別に自我は必要ない。歩く目的やその損得を考えるなどと言うのはわざわざ考えた時に思い付く事であって、歩いている最中には何も考えていない。つまりそれをやっている本人がそれに気がつきさえすれば良いのです。（とは言うものの仲々気付けないもので、言葉の上で自我は存在しないなどと理解しても自分が無意識で歩いている事は自覚できない。(たった今、この文章を読んでいるのがあなた自身であることは自覚していなかったでしょう？）なにしろそれを自覚する自我が無い事が要点なのだからややこしい。いまわの際の

釈尊が「人の言葉を信じるな。自分で学ベ」と言い残したのはきわめて象徴的だったと言えますーーーーーあるいは何かのたとえ話しで解らせる事もできる。ここから仏教独特の行とか方便と呼ばれる教法が出てきた訳です。それらは皆、

釈尊の機知、その場の情況に即した発想から出て来たものだったのですが、言葉を介さずに無我、無私を教えるコツを掴むには梵天ではなく多少の時間が必要だった訳でしょう。しかし、臨機応変、言葉を介在させずに教えられた無我の教え(註参照)は、言葉として伝えられて書残される事もなく、当然のことながら教典にも登場して来なかった。＝だからこそ以心伝心や禅の伝統が起らざるを得なかった訳です。（梵天の話を書いた仏伝の作者は、この無私無我の構造を知らなかった＝つまり、仏教徒ではなく単に文章力にたけたバラモン僧であったと言う事です）

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（註）このリンクにある極めて珍らしい例外的記述はアーガマ経からの話ですが、実はここで全く自我を出す事無く無条件に追従して歩く事が教えられています。しかし、それについての説明は従弟のアナンダにすら告げられていません。（無意識に歩く事が肝心で、その理由とか説明は全く必要ない雑念である＝無意識で歩ける＝それはダルマが歩かせているのだから）

つまり仏教が目射すのは無私になってダルマと合―することで得られる完璧な調和です。

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Self again (2) — Buddha’s hesitation

In the Lord Buddha’s story, it was said that the after reached his enlightenment he was very reluctant to tell others what he found, since

Lord Buddha was very much aware that what he found was too difficult to make others to understand.     It seems, the earliest teachings started with the teachings of the Four Noble Truth and other stories showed that the idea of the Karma, Cause and the Effect has followed it. —– though, behind those story, there seemed to be a many misunderstandings or a twisted truth.

Give a thought or two, is the teachings of the Four Noble Truth or teachings of the Cause and Effect contain any difficult logic or the theory which gave a headache to comprehend.

Considering the situation, that the time when the oral tradition of the teachings were written down by the Vedic Brahman ( = only the people who could read and write then, even if he was converted to the Buddhism, like Shari Putra.), the teachings of the No-self may not to be written down faithfully.  Because to the Vedic Brahman who has been taught to believe that the existence of the Atoman (perpetual soul) it was too irrational to write down the teachings of Anatoman (= No-self).    And as I wrote it in the previous post, it is almost impossible to explain it without using the notion and the word of “self”. = (If you use the word Self, it is effectively recognised the existence of the Self.)

So that, it is much more natural to believe that what Lord Buddha found in his enlightenment was the idea of the No-Self (which was the rational answer from our existence as a cause) = Anatoman.   Yet this was really a problematic, revolutionary idea then.  = naturally very difficult to teach against the others popular belief.  Therefore, it naturally made him to become very reluctant to talk about —– until, he found the way to teach it without the words = in action (and the Upaya.)

(Without having this under line  tradition — (or the hidden fact) behind, it is hard to explain how and why the idea of No-Self or Void came up and became very popular in the time of Mahayana.)  

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Self again

To a Buddhist, self is the most problematic subject for ever.  Though, surprisingly very little was   written in the scripture.  Do you know why ?   Because, it was the first problem of all.   As you might know, that, in the Buddhism, there is no self. (How to write about which is not exist)

Yes — NO-SELF but in here there are already two problem was loaded.   When we say “Self” there are two meanings or the Aspects of it.   One of them is a part of our mind, somewhat related to the Ego.   And the other is the notion created by its observation.

= If you ARE true ( = Rationally coherent) Zen Buddhist, you can not say No-self. —– ?   Why ?    If there is really no Self, even a word “Self” can not exist.  (If you say “No-Self” there is one more self in your mind who is observing your mind = you are not yet in a state of Ichi-jo = oneness)

If there is a land where no crime neither criminal act exists, there couldn’t be a word / notion of crime there.   Exactly same to this, when there is no self, the word “Self” is not exists. (Unless it was a fraud)  On the time of

Lord Buddha, the followers could receive his teachings in an up to the occasion metaphor or so-called upaya often using the action, there was not much difficulty to understand it.    With, the notion of No-Self, therefore No Perpetual Soul, therefore No Reincarnation, therefore No cast was demonstrated in the Sanggha as a deed (not the verbal explanation) = Everybody was accepted and treated as an equal followers.

Though, hundreds of years later, on the time of Mahayana, the scripture writer had to invent a kind of printable expression to explain the “Selflessness” to the mass without using the word SELF, such as in the Vimalakirti sutra “To give without having the mind of giving is The true giving” or otherwise “See as not to see”, “Do while not to do” kind —– they are trying to express the act without having the conscious of action (not such as a gray zone between two.) —– yet now, quite a lot of people still thinking that to sacrifice own self is the selflessness. (it’s just a devotion —– while riding a bicycle, your body moves without your self-conscious, so, you don’t need a devotion for bicycle = just ride) = It’s the same, Buddhists doesn’t need to be a vegetarian.

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God and Heaven

The most fundamental difference of the western God and the eastern Heaven is, the one imagined in a brain (modeled from such as the Gilgamesh Myth) or the one observed as the natural phenomenon.   So that there could be a complaint to someone who created the idea of western God, why the Evil was also created ?  And there, the matter is whether you believe its story or not.  Unless you believe it, it doesn’t exists.  

In contrast, as everybody in the east can see, the Heaven or the Nature is existing even before the human being or the universe was created.  Whether it was believed or not, it is a real existance to anybody.    Therefore, they knew the utterly evil earthquake, tsunami, volcano etc are a part of the nature.   (If the people has  ever encountered those utmost power of the nature, they become aware, they have to live with this without making useless complaint. )   So, that is how those evil were accepted as their part of the destiny.   The system or the existence of those phenomena all together IS the existence of which the Buddhists calles the Dharma, or the Taoist calles Heaven.   The strange phenomenon is, some profound Zennists are able to communicate with this Heaven or Dharma.   (save, other than a nuts)   😀

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