Mind in the Syber Space (and Under the Hormone)

There was a rather sad news on the radio that a girl committed a suicide after bullied on SNS.

In reality, it was only a line of letters on a screen, still we take it as a message from somebody

and interpret it in a certain context —– some time too seriously.

(And in this case it even caused a girl to hang herself.) 

[]

With Twitter accounts in my name  (though, whether they are “mine” or not is arguable since

they are created by somebody else. :-))  I used to receive a lots of direct massages to my Email,

of which most of them were saying  “Somebody spreading dreadful rumour about you ~> See

this”  or  “lol, I laughed so much of this picture of you ~> See this”   and lure to get virus or 

see AD —– (Though, I only guess, since I never ever clicked and open. I don’t know what’s there.

Then I set a filter “Twitter, Direct massage” automatically go to the bin.)

= The reason is that there is absolutely no possibility, somebody I don’t know can make any

serious rumour about me, or post a photo with my name on it (since, all of my ID is fake.)

Other reason is, if it was true, it must be a fun to other people = enjoy it yourself.

Make the world smiley place is a good things, why not ?

If anybody doing it on behalf of me, I’m very much thankful. 😀  

[]

To deal with Syber Space, I prepared to the worst scenario, hence I don’t give real ID as

much as I can.   As I got friends who are (were?) Anarchist, Hacker, (ex?) Terrorist, etc etc. and

know a bit of computer, I’ve seen a program which can generate all the combination of possible

Password and hack-in etc etc. = I don’t trust so-called Security at all.

So, if I got to do Net-shopping I use a bank account which got only just-enough balance left.

False ID to each registration prevents two information joint together.

(You know, First name + Post code can find “Who you are and the full address”. To add DOB can

access NHS data. From here, to hack-in to Banking data is just a matter of keyboard. etc etc.

—– And on top of those, such as Google is keeping all of our Net history in their side.

A hidden file of Picasa is keeping extract sample photos of naughty site you’ve visited.(not me) 🙂

—– search your HDD, [Photograph, Picasa, Information] or check ALL the files in your Picasa!

—- and those information has been given to the National Security.  You remember?  ! ! !)

We are completely naked in the Net.  = So, remember to use snail-mail if you are dealing with

something dubious.   Utilize a convenience of Internet, free of cost, having certain trade-off.

 

We human being is a social animal, and rather vulnerable existence, hence very susceptible to

the environment and the social-environmental condition.   Therefore, we were genetically

programmed to pay attention to others, though, to take other’s words too serious is a trouble of

the person who read it. = It is a juggling work.   To listen what other’s say might be important, but

in the same time, to detached from it, is also important.  Other’s words could be crucial though,

just put a distance and think “Who the person bother to send such a message is ? And what’s the

intention ? Hasn’t this person got anything else to do ?” = such observation will shed a light to

the situation. —– And much more importantly this detached mind-set prevent us

to be deflected by the emotion.

[]

Still, to take an other’s message in certain context is depend on the mind of who read it.

In a philosophical view, the things in the world is not really existing but only in the mind,

let alone such as a message in the Net. = It is an indirect-indirect flimsy existence.

And physically they have no danger. Just delete it.

And the Buddhists may not believe the Self is even a real existence = if the Self is not there,

why afraid to be harmed or lost in a Syber bulling.

[]

 Yet still, if you take matter in a mind too seriously, this article may show you the reality,

Mind is not a kind of Holy existence in a mysterious sanctuary.    There may not even be a

so-called spirituality.    They might be all in a delusion.

[]

The two faces of the “love hormone”

By Brian Dodson

August 6, 2013

Often called the love hormone, oxytocin has shown the ability to enhance social bonding,

decrease anxiety and encourage an overall feeling of satisfaction with life. A new study out of

Northwestern University, however, finds that this ancient hormone has a dark side, and is capable

ofstrengthening unpleasant memories, fear, and anxiety. This Jeckyll and Hyde behavior results

from the fact that oxytocin has a general strengthening effect on social memories, without regard

to their polarity.

Although discovered in 1906, study of the emotion-altering effects of oxytocin are still in their infancy.

Experiments on humans as well as animal models strongly suggest that oxytocin is associated with

pair bonding, social recognition, ethnocentricity (the “in group” effect), increasing trust, decreasing fear,

and even improved wound healing. An interesting example of this class of effects can be found in a

2012 study which showed that oxytocin caused men in a monogamous relationship to maintain

four to six inches more space between themselves and an attractive woman in a crowd, while

having no effect on single men.

Other, less positive properties of oxytocin dosage have also begun to be reported.

For example, a study from the University of Haifa found that the emotions of envy and

Schadenfreude (pleasure in another’s misfortune) were increased by internasal administration of

oxytocin. Further research suggests people with borderline personality disorder, whose major

symptom is a tendency to withdraw from social interactions, exhibit less trust when treated with

oxytocin. This was particularly true in those who were sensitive to rejection. Clearly, oxytocin’s

effects on people’s emotions are not as simple as originally suggested.

This new study from Northwestern University demonstrates that oxytocin is associated with

emotional pain. In increasing the strength of social memories, it may be the reason that stressful

social situations (bullying, abuse, ridicule, rejection) can easily be brought to mind long after the event.

The intensity of such memories can be such that the memory feels almost like living through the

original event every time you think of it.

The Northwestern study, carried out by Dunbar Professor Jelena Radulovic’s group, found that

during a stressful social experience, oxytocin is released and activates a part of the brain that

intensifies the memory. Oxytocin also increases the susceptibility to feeling fearful and anxious during

stressful events going forward. It seems likely that oxytocin also intensifies positive social memories,

but this has not explicitly been examined as yet.

Professor Radulovic’s study is the first to link oxytocin to social stress and its ability to increase

anxiety and fear in response to future stress. The researchers also discovered the brain region

responsible for these effects – the lateral septum – and the pathway or route oxytocin uses in this

area to amplify fear and anxiety.

The findings surprised the researchers, who were expecting oxytocin to intensify positive emotions

in memory, based on its long association with love and social bonding.

“Oxytocin is usually considered a stress-reducing agent based on decades of research,” said

Yomayra Guzman, a doctoral student in Radulovic’s lab. “With this novel animal model, we showed

how it enhances fear rather than reducing it and where the molecular changes are occurring in our

central nervous system.”

Far from a simple “cuddle hormone,” oxytocin appears to have the same complex interaction with

human health and behavior as most other hormones. While a good deal of progress has been made,

there is still work to do when it comes to to unknotting the tangled ball of yarn that is oxytocin’s effects.

Source: Northwestern University  —– The link to the Original article 

[]

PS:  If you are a hard-core Spiritualist, you may not happy with this kind of materialistic

view though, this view doesn’t conflict with Lord Buddha’s teachings at all. Far from it, 

Lord Buddha’s fundamental teaching of the Karma = Cause and Result is nothing but a

Scientific Rationalism.   Hence, when one dies, its mind, spirit goes with.  No Atman exists.

Nutrition of the soil and the water with plenty sun, the plants grows.

This is nothing but the science.  Hence, the Testosterone in a body drive a man to do the sex.  

So, here the Physiologists talked about how Oxitocin causes in our body and gives the effects

to the mind. ——  This is the Very mechanism of the Karma.

[]

Buddha’s Silence

After I wrote [Moksa / Moksha] I had some talk with a man who is a staunching believer of

“to gain higher conscious to attain enlightenment, to escape from the cycle of re-birth”. 

—– naturally he didn’t like my view of that the current Buddhism is a mixed-up.

[]

While wondering  why the people couldn’t understand such obvious historical fact and rational

conclusion.   I try to see the Wiki kind in the net, to see what others are writing about what

Lord Buddha’s silence toward the question.   (I normally refer to the collection of Buddhism

scriptures in modern Japanese translation) — then I found those writers in Wiki kind, often use the

term “Samsara” etc. which is a Hindu term, and the use of the word such as [SELF] was rather in

casual way.   I realized, this must be yet another case of   “writer is not necessary understand

what the  [Selflessness]  in the original teachings”.

[]

Lord Buddha’s silence said to be occurred in two kind of questions.

One was about the world or space, whether it is infinite and eternal or not.

And the other was such as what would happen to the Spirit or the Self after the death.  

—– a funny connection to those questions, I remember an episode in the Agama Sutra, which I

wrote in a post [Three times Buddha] there could be a fixed attitude in

Lord Buddha’s responce.

After try to teach in tree different approaches, if they didn’t work, he just stop to talk.

[]

Lord Buddha’s teachings about the SELF was nothing like other Guru or Philosophers’, such as

theoretical argument of “if the self exists —- blah blah” “if not blah blah—” but

a definite phenomenon exists in our mind (brain) such as I wrote in a post

[ Selflessness demonstrated]. —– This is the very Selflessness what

Lord Buddha had based on in his teachings.   This was the reason why the another episode

[Test of Selflessness]  existed. — (Of cause, on the assumption, those episodes are true historical

event ) as I explained, this Selflessness (in fact virtually all of his teachings) was not a subject of

logical argument but just to be sublimated to the depth of unconsciousness and just to be.

Like “Honesty” it’s not a matter of understanding the meaning of  word.  Just Don’t lie.

The only rule was Just do it, Just be it.   No question.  No thinking.

= If the one was really in Selfless state, no question of such as “After death” could arise.

( Being oneself without having even a conscious to be oneself,  no separate objective view toward

the self, let alone to the future after the death. —– no such mind could exists)

Honest man never think, nor need to think about the eyes of other people.

—– therefore, when he was asked the very question, he must be very

annoyed, hence ignored it and kept silence.

Even a conscious of self  is not in the living body, how it could remain after the death.

(Self is a product of intentional thinking = delusion.  Hence, when the producer dies, its product too) 

And as all the existences are inter-dependent and keep changing, how could we know

how far it extend and what happenes next moment = as nothing would last for ever.

(—- Don’t you remember what I’ve taught ?    Don’t ask obvious question again ! )

Lord Buddha didn’t even explain why he smiled, nor he would why he didn’t answer.

___/\___

[]

(The trouble of those Wiki authors are, that they are thinking the SELF is yet another

existence.  But, in the original Buddhism teachings, the matter was its NON existence.

= talk about what not there is pointless. —– in fact, it indicates, that they are not

Buddhism scholar but probably Hindu writer who is familiar with the idea of “Atoman”

Lord Buddha’s  Selflessness is the VOID of it, unlike an idea of Box contains “Kind Mind”

or “Self-Sacrificing Mind”  “Supreme Holy Mind” etc. —— but  Box itself is NOT there. ) 

[]

Moksa / Moksha

Time to time I encounter the people who use a word Moksa or Moksha.

Most of the case they are not a Buddhist but somewhat around of it, such as Herbalist,

Acupuncturist, Psychoanalyst, or so-called New-age type of people who knew or read

something about “Higher state of Consciousness” kind.  (Buzz word “Higher” would

satisfy the Ego = I’m better than others. 😀  —– thus,  able to sell more books)

Yet still, a sect of Buddhism, Theravada who supposed to maintain the older form of

Buddhism, is using this word Moksha instead of Nirvana.

[]

Even among the Mahayana Buddhists, their understanding of the Buddhism is to deal with

this endless cycle of re-birth / Samsara, and to close this cycle is the Nirvana.

And most of the Buddhists believe, this is the fundamentals of the Buddhism.

This must be the biggest blunder and a fraud in the human history.

[]

This matter has been the most grievous headache to decipher Buddhism to me.

Lord Buddha’s teaching has broken the tradition and the popular belief of the

perpetual soul.   As everything is in the Karma, relating and depending each

other, non can remain for ever.   Naturally, when the body has died, the mind,

the soul resided in there, ceased to exist = So, this is the end of the suffering of

the person, hence it is the Nirvana.

So that, how come, why after one’s death, the person

has to suffer rebirth, to keep having the trouble of so-called Samsara   ? ? ?

[]

Utterly contrary to popular belief, the idea of Samsara was not what

Lord Buddha taught. —– I haven’t traced all of his words in the scriptures still,

just give a rational thought,  it is obviously THE self-contradiction of which NO

Lord Buddha would have made.

Lord Buddha might have used the word “Samsara” for a sake of convenience,

when he talked to mass audience who was not educated but

at least know it mean the trouble of the life.  —– Assuming, if

Lord Buddha said, “My teaching will save you from the trouble of Smsara”

—– What he meant was   “Trouble of the  IDEA  of Samsara”   since,

such IDEA itself is nothing but a false DELUSION which fooled the people.

Lord Buddha needed to teach and save the people who has been suffering

from a fear of such deluded IDEA,  saying  ” Don’t worry no such re-birth

would ever happen,  since the soul wouldn’t remain after the death”  (But

people’s fear is a cash-cow of  Guru and Monks, they changed the story)

[]

It seemed, this “Story-Change” had happened in the earliest stage of the Buddhism history,

long before even the Agama Sutra was written.   Considering that Theravada sect is using

a word Moksha which was originated from a popular Cult then who taught the idea of

Samsara and the Moksa, this mixed-up must be happened long before the birth of

Mahayana Buddhism.

[]

The IDEA of said ancient Cult was that all the life-form born as its own stage of progression

from the lowest to highest,  hence this idea became the Cast System in the Hinduism.

And according to the one’s deed, if the one did good enough, the one will reborn in the higher

cast but did bad goes back to the lower, even down to be a beast.  This cycle of Rebirth is

the Samsara,  and only the highest will get ultimate  Moksa to end this cycle.

Lord Buddha totally against this IDEA,  hence in his Sangha, all the followers were

treated as equal  (NO cast),  and he taught, ultimate goal can be reached in one  life

as Nirvana  (NOT the Hindu idea of Moksa which may takes several lives to reach ).

[][]

Lord Buddha’s teachings were “How to acquire the mind-set [Detachment

= Mushin, Selflessness] to deal with harsh reality in life, and to see the TRUTH”.

= The Truth, “No such things like SELF exists, hence nothing to be Reincarnated”

and to live in this truthful life, the one can reach peaceful Nirvana.

He did not teach a product of  imagination, far from it, he fought against it.

—– If you believe otherwise, please show me a FACT of Rebirth.

Lord Buddha was not such idiot to teach dubious imaginary story.

___/\___

[]

ヨシ禅縁起

（これは友人に送った手紙の拔粋で，まァ日本霊異記，仏教説話の現代版ですな）

———————————————————–

昔母親が僕の手相を読みながら　｢お前は下らない事ばかりやっているが，曲った事だけはやらない。それに使命を負って生れていますからそれを果すまでは絶対に犬死にする事はないし，そもそも不動様が付いているので全く心配していません」と言い放ってくれた事があった。　   しかし，なんで俺ごときに，わざわざ不動様の番が付かねばならぬのか？　

この意味が把めたのは実に厄年も過ぎてからで　ーーー　ハタ！そう言えばえらくヤバい所を歩き回っていた割にマムシ、ハブはおろかサソリ、毒グモの類に出合った事も無い。　考えてみるとそもそも病気にかからない。　岩場で二度も転落しながら全くの無傷。　大転倒してスキーを二本も折りながら何の怪我も無し。　一方、背後から刺してくれた者、裏切ってくれた者が突然癌にかかってコロッと死んだり、もっとひどいのは死ぬ事もならず苦しみ続けている。　山で嫌がらせのしごきをやってくれた男は即、雪盲で動きもとれなくなって痛みでひいひい泣いていた。(因みにこの男、しばらく前に山に登ったものの徹底して暴風雨にたたられたとか＝神サマ後々までかなりしつこいらしい。笑）　　偉そうに命令はするが自分では薪切りも荷上げもやらなかった小屋番の五人は還暦を迎える事もなく他界して当時のメンバーはあとー人しか生残っていない。（ずっと後になって知った訳だが全く異った状況と死因ながら五人が次々に、というのには流石に目をむいた）　ーーー　小生が常連になると店や団体は大繫盛，逆に行くのを止めるとそこは倒産する。—–（ディスコ四軒，カフェ二軒，三団体, 山小屋二軒） 遇然にしてはちょっとタイミングが重なり過ぎている。（全て知らないうちにそうなっていたので，小生が呪いをかけた訳ではない－－－念の為）（例外的にBrixtonのクラブスタッフには予め警告を与え次の仕事捜しを勧めておいたのだが、六ヶ月後現実につぶれるまでは誰も本気にしなかったようだ。）

［］で，もっと奇妙なのが［８１５０の怪］といふ奴で，こちらの関係先，立回り先，それこそ電話番号から

銀行口座，

ブログの統計ページ，

ユーチューブの整理番号に至るまで，

将に「張番中］とばかりにこの数字が現れる。　－－－数字学の人によるとこれは語呂合せ通りに［ハイゴレイ，背後霊］の告知なんだそうな。－－－思い込みにしては，本人が選んでいる番号ではないし，それが勝手に現れて来るのは止めようもなく，現に個人向けの物に出て来る事実は動かし難い。－－－しかし、どんなメカニズムで現れて来るのかね？

［］と言うのを逆から考えてみて，ハタと思い当ったのは，実は小生は元々坊主になる為の修業をさせられていたのではと。　虫や花の自然観察から始まって科学一般，一方では詩人逹の人間学，次に社会学で視野を広げる一方，山登りの有無を言わせぬ荒行と，小屋番の只働き ＝ そりゃ無私無心の達人にもなるさ。 （永平寺の香月師はそれを一目で見拔いた訳だ）

で，幸か不幸か裁判沙汰で仕事を離れ，改めて禅なるものを考えるうちに無私無心と神経生理との関係に気が付き，禅と仏教の謎が一気に解けた。

［　　　　で，これも何故か遇然，ブログを始める事になり，書始めてから気付いたのは，どうやらこれは

釈尊以来，２５００年間で初めての解釈，ひょっとしてこれはえらい大役で，これが母親の言っていた使命なるものではなかろうか？　もしそうであるなら，そりゃ不動明王の加護，背後霊の加護が付くと言うのも納得が行く。－－－逆に見れば，これが必要であったからこそ，全てがここに集束すべく物事が生起して来た，生起すべく配置されていたという事だろう。　

遇然のように見えているが実は全て起るべく定まっていた訳です。（これを運命と呼ぶ）

［］唯一困るのは，小生のブログでは元々の仏教に怪し気なナンジャモンジャは（あれはヒンズーや土俗タントラの混交）存在しないし

釈尊もそれに対する質問は無視して黙っていたとされている（無記）－－－それではこの不動明王と言うのは何者で，そもそも小生の運命を規定するダルマに意志や意図が有るのかと言う難問が出てしまう。

ダルマは単に縁起が網のように連鎖した［空］で意図を持たない無私である筈。（まァそれは不可知と逃げるのですが）　（しかし，これも逆説で，もし小生のやっている事，書いている事がダルマや

釈尊の意図に反しているならそれこそ大逆罪で，とっくの昔にコロッと死んでいた筈だし，嫌がらせやハッカー攻撃を受けてブログもつぶれていた筈。）ーーー結果として何故か小生が禅仏教の基になった脳生理について語る事になった。　小生自身は悟りを得ようとも教祖になる気もさらさら無く単に迷信に侵された仏教者，研究者に［これが本来の教えというもの］を証したいだけで，２５００年の間に一人ぐらいは，これをやる奴が居ても良かろうと言う事です。

［］　これを整理，組識化し，宗教化するも哲学化するもそれは誰かの仕事で，それも因果の生起として起るものなら起り，仏教も元々の形に戻るでしょう。あるいは，鼻クソとして消えるものなら消えて行く。　 それがダルマの意志,と言うものでありそれが己れに付いたカルマです。　

合掌　良禅拝

［］

Reverse Engineering of ZEN

As I often wrote before, my approach to Zen Buddhism is a

way of reverse-engineering = disassembling a product to

analyse the structure and components etc. to find the reason

why it was designed in such a way, for what purpose and for

what advantage.

Then able to see even a philosophy behind of it.

[]

In a case of Zen, to see what sort of practice in such as

Tea-making or Martial-art etc. which were well known to be

a part of Zen culture, and see what is the common factor and

common philosophy, how they are related to Zen teachings.

—– from those observation, it was

easy to see that the key-word was the [Mushin], and

to attain, it was achieved by the years of repeated practice.

—– But, what repeated practice to do with [Mushin] ?

[]

For me, it took many years of search until I connected it to

the neurological phenomenon, which is the threshold of the

perception rose against the same repeated signal, and

become immune to it.

It was almost an Eureka moment to me. —– With this,

how the emotional tension decay after while, or how we get

used and overcome a fear, even become apathetic, all became

clear and able to make straight connection to the Zen.

Then, I realized that this is the reason why all the Buddhism

sects are using the endless repeating practice as a part of their

teachings.  (whether chanting the same or banging the drum,

walking round and round etc etc —–

Lord Buddha said to have used the way of breathing as a practice)

—– All for getting the state of [Mushin]. —– And I realized

that the continuous action such as cutting the log in a mountain

shelter, or even Disco-dancing which automatically reflect to each

element of music I did, had in deed having had the same effects.

[]

Mushin is not only to abandon the thinking process

but more importantly, it disconnects perception 

(coming signal) to the emotion. = This is exactly what

Buddhism says [Detachment] which is behind the

[8 Right path]. (I wouldn’t presume that, it included a

Disco-dancing though. 😀 )

And as a neurological fact, detached emotion cause a

detachment even from a conscious of Self and the own belongings.

= Detachment from primordial Instincts, Ego and

Greed, is exactly the State of [Selflessness] and not 

attached to any fixed tendency is the [Middle-way] = 

Hence, all the peculiar phenomena in the Buddhism became clear.

(In fact, all those [Mushin], [Selflessness], [Middle-way] even

[Mindfulness] are all created by the [Detachment] of the nerve

signal from the Emotion = actually they are the same one

phenomenon, but named it seeing from different angles.)

[]

As all those phenomena was the core of

the Buddhism teachings, it’s mean,

Lord Buddha did know all those mechanism in our mind

though, to trace back all those to his teachings in the scripture

is not straight forward, such as metaphor and his real wording

may not been correctly recorded and translated.

—– A description in the Vimalakirti Sutra “If you have a mind

that you are giving, it is not true giving” or in a typical

Mahayana expression “Giving as not-giving is the giving” are

in fact all meant “Giving in Mushin or in Selflessness”

(without conscious of action).

—– All the religion require the active mind-set, “Complete

attachment to the Belief which was written” but only the

Buddhism teaches [Detachment] = this is the very

distinctive point though, to describe something

which is not there = [Empty mind] is very difficult.

[]

The trouble of the Buddhism is, virtually no reliable written

record exists.   It’s a pile of hearsay after 10^th, 100^th of Chinese

whisper.  🙂   And seemingly, the person, good in writing may

not be the person who actually reached Mushin or Selflessness

— otherwise such as Abidharma-kosa was never been written.

And on top of this, even though the matter is all in the depth

of murky subconsciousness, there was no understanding of

psychology neither a notion or word to describe was existed then.

[]

In such an environment, to pretend to be a Master and boast,

creating yet another Mantras was very easy, but to disprove

it was difficult. = all came down to the political power game of

the sects. Winner takes all and justify their righteousness,

regardless of its authenticity —– hence, created utter

mixed-up-Buddhism (in fact, it was a Tantra mixed Hinduism

with some idea from the Buddhism)

for a sake of populism and a commercial success. =

(It’s easier to sell, “This God would save you” than “Need to

know, Suffering is not exists” —– after a death nobody ever

came back to complain “God wasn’t there”= So, its sale’s point

has never been disproved and able to keep assume that the

dead are in Heaven. 😀 )

[]

Obviously, it is necessary to re-examine and to see what was

the original teachings, even though it might be yet another

guess work. —– Still, my approach, which is based on the

neurological mechanism, can explain all the Buddhism

phenomena. —– If not what else could explain it ?

(Leaving the matter to mythical unknown power and

its blessing ? —– Joking !  We are in the 21^st century ! )

[]

This neurological, psychological response is common to

all human being (hence it was described that everybody

born with it) it is applicable to anybody and many area of

human activities. (In fact it has been used a lot.)

And it will prove that the Buddhism has a tangible substance.

(unlike any other religion, which is based on a fantasy which

is only exists if it was believed) —– As the Buddhism is based

on the tangible substance, not on the imagination or belief,

it was often classified as a philosophy not a religion.

___/\___

[]

Hacking Business

There was an interesting incident targeted to this Yoshizen Blog.

Soon after I’ve put my last post [Three times BUDDHA] somebody

hacked into my account and try to tamper my text.

As always  🙂 when I found a miss-spelling and try to edit my text,

WordPress’ Auto-save told me that there was an auto-saved

another version exists.

Looking into the script, I noticed that somebody had attempted

to delete a part of my text as you can see on the screen shot.

The target was a paragraph “to fabricate so many so-called Buddha

in Mahayana Buddhism”

Lord Buddha has used the words such as [Land Deity] [Moon Deity]

kind of name (may be for a convenience in the conversation) though,

never used such as a Sanskrit Deity, Brahman, because of the only

who, who rules whole universe is the Dharma, nothing else.

And the Dharma was not personified. = It is invisible yet spread

whole universe, down to the inside of ourselves.

That was what he believed and taught. — So, he got angry when a

Disciple couldn’t get correct understanding of the Dharma, saying

“It’s a disgrace to the Dharma” = he was quite serious.

Therefore, under the name of Buddhism, to creates another object

of worship other than the Dharma, especially importing its

figure from Hinduism is nothing but a contempt of

Lord Buddha and the Dharma.

[]

Hacking into well protected WordPress Blog is a serious business.

I wouldn’t assume it was done by a whim of silly individual = got

to be a professional, hired by the organization.

So, who was the one came through a gap of floor board like a

cockroach, instead to put a counter opinion through the front door ?

Is this a mind-set of the organisation or the sect ? — Blime !

[]

My blog is open for anybody to put a comment or two (though, any

spam which is other than a genuine comment has been completely

rejected —– except few exception, who got an interesting family

business to advertise. 🙂 ) hence, if anybody got different view,

to express its view as a comment is welcome, but don’t use

dirty hacking. —– It doesn’t work as the original was

composed on Word, re-load the same can be done in 10 min’.  🙂

And it’s counter productive to the hacker, because it would only create

another funny post like this, and that’s why my blog got 127,000 hits.

—– though, I know, quite few of hits were mislead by a search term

“xxx nude figure” kind, and end-up to see wire sculpture here. 😀

___/\___

[] 

Tatami-Kuyou — Japanese Buddhism ? ? ?

日本初、畳供養＝京都市〔地域〕

　約１０００年にわたって日本人の生活を支える畳に感謝する

「畳供養」が、京都市上京区の浄土宗大本山「清浄華院

（しょうじょうけいん）」で行われた。お 経が唱えられる中、

全国から届けられた１５９１通の「供養したい畳の思い出」や、

畳職人らの願いが込められた１７３枚の「畳の護摩ゴザ」が、

用意された １３０畳分の畳表とともに燃やされた。

主催した全国畳産業振興会などによると、————————————畳の思い出や護摩ゴザを燃やし、畳に感謝する畳供養

畳供養は全国で初めての試み。 ————————————————  ４月２５日、京都市上京区の清浄華院（松本一明撮影）

[]
最近の畳の年間需要量は、１９９４ 年の４６００万畳をピークに減少を続け、２０１３年には１４９０万畳に落ち込んだ。

夏は涼しく、冬は温かいという畳の良さと、長く続く畳文化を次世代に継 承する目的で、畳供養を考えたという。

清浄華院の執事で法務部長の畦昌彦さんは「当たり前のように使っている畳に感謝する気持ちが大切で、毎年開催したい。

畳供養が日本古来の伝統文化を見直すきっかけになってほしい」と話した。

清浄華院は平安時代、清和天皇の勅願で慈覚大師円仁が創建し、８６３年に落成。

法然上人２５霊場の一つとしても知られている。

大殿には２０７畳の畳が敷き 詰められており、畦さんは「畳寺としてより一層、親しみを持ってもらえれば」としている。

（2013/05/07-10:10）  (From Jiji.com = Click the photo for Link)

[]

I’m not expecting most of you can read Japanese text, but don’t worry

the matter is in the photo. = The photo shows a religious ritual of first ever

Buddhism Service for Japanese Tatami mat, sending its soul to the heaven !

(You know, Tatami mat has its soul too ! = Don’t fart while sitting on it.  :-))

(Yet another PR stunt for Tatami producers and the Temple = any news is a good PR ! )

[]

The Temple who performed its ritual was a Pure-land Buddhist Temple, —- though,

to look into the photo, a monk conducting it was wearing Singon or Shugen-do

(修験道) style costume. 　 Even more weird was a rope with paper hanging was a

Shime-Nawa (締縄) of Shinto (神道) which indicates sacred area, not mention the rope

on the back, which display off-limit area, Kekkai (結界) = All of them are noting to do

with Pure-land Buddhism. 　

This Situation typified the reality of the Japanese Buddhism.

(So, supposedly a Buddhist goes Shinto Shrine on new-year’s day. :-))

[]

Most of the people think, the Buddhism is the religion taught by

Lord Buddha, 2500 years ago. —– But in reality, most of the Buddhist’s

scriptures were written after mixed-up with popular cult of Tantrism

(though, being as the local popular belief, Tantrism itself was not a unified solid

region = thousands of Guru had been teaching their own Dogma, while making up his

convenient story) hence, deviated widely, often end-up utterly contrary to original

Lord Buddha’s teachings.

[]

—– The trouble was, even the old Chinese masters who translated Pali, Sanskrit,

Tibetan scriptures into Chinese, were not aware the situation and real imprecations.  

Even worse to Japanese Masters who founded the Japanese sects by studying those

Chinese scriptures. = This was the reason why the sect, who was not relying on the

literal study but the practice, was able to maintain the original teachings of

Lord Buddha, the most.

[]

(There was a funny story I’ve read in a Buddhist’s column = a Pure-land sect’s monk

was asked by a follower “Our father has been told to chant the name of Amitaba Buddha

(阿弥陀仏) and he did,  hence he was said to have gone to the Pure-land heaven, if so, why

us, the remaining family needed to have the annual ritual to send his soul to the heaven ?”

—– those annual rituals are the cash-cow of the temples and the monks).

—– still, for a layman, it doesn’t matter, they all looks same.

[]

何やら畳供養があったとの事ですが，それにしても護摩ｺﾞｻﾞを焚いているのは真言密教，あるいは

修験道の行者，しかも神道の締縄や周囲には結界の縄までが張ってある。

ハテ，このお寺は浄土宗でこのテの事はやらないものでは？

－－－それとも畳にナムアミダは通じないので，もちはもち屋とばかり，

特別に高野山から阿闍利の出張サービスを頼んだとか？ 😀

___/\___

[]

Machine in MUSHIN — Where KAIZEN came from ?

The people who read the previous Post [Zen is DO —- ] feed me back

“It explained the Zen mechanism extremely clear, — then the question is,

you wrote Zen also liberate the mind and the creativity — How a

Machine like mind can have a creative idea in the same time ?”

—– I knew this question would come soon or later. 🙂

[]

A Japanese working practice called [Kaizen] (改善) is now even in the English dictionary

(but not in this spell-check yet. :-)) = It was translated “continuous improvement”which is

widely practiced in the Japanese work-front.

Japanese worker’s almost machine like accuracy, consistency and the

dedication toward their work is notorious to the west. = Their work ethics

is nothing but the traditional  Zen  which forms the basis of the Japanese

psyche.  = Hence, they work like a machine = in Mushin.

[]

But, to have [Kaizen] is yet another feature on their work-front.   [Kaizen] is, to have

better adjustment of the way of production to a modification of the machine, even a

production line’s configuration —– in fact anything, for the sake of better quality,

productivity, or for the safety of the working environment, which was conceived or found

by the workers who has been doing particular job. (Hence knows it best.)

If its adjustment is not too big, it could be done by themselves. Otherwise the modification

may be carried out by the expert engineer, who follows the proposal. (of cause, proposal

should be studied by the senior engineers first, or even management level discussion.

I’ve seen this process in the Honda factory in Suzuka by myself.)

—– So, machine-like worker is still capable to analyse the situation and

able to find the better adjustment or alternative approach.

This is a proof of “Machine-like Mushin” and “Open-minded free thinking”

can exists side by side, in the same time.

[]

As a matter of fact, to create the Samurai Sword, and to push its quality to

a level of the technical limit has been achieved by the endless efforts to work

better, hence make the Sword stronger. —– It’s mean a man-machine with

a hammer, work in Mushin still has the eyes and an active brain to analyse

and find the better approach.

[]

Being in Mushin, hence having no useless thought or a thought anything else

of the work-on-front, mean the mind is completely filled with the subject

—– say, the Sword-Making. = Zen described this

“the Sword Master is in Ichijo (Oneness) with Iron and a Fire”

—– (a western (a bit wrong) translation in “Mindfulness”)

Still, the hands are working exactly like a machine, perfect accuracy and the consistency

thanks to the perfectly programmed Motor-region of the brain.

Superficially, we calls it Mushin because of no conscious thinking is there,

instead we do it without conscious, so, the brain is not blanc or idle, far

from it, unconsciously the brain is working with full conviction.

[]

While walking on a street, we never consciously think how to move each foot.

Because the whole movements and to keep the balance of whole body has been perfectly

controlled by the Motor-region of the brain, like the most advanced self contained machine.

While leaving its walking business to the autonomous machine, we can have a freedom for

watching nice bottom etc or pay attention to traffic, even find a philosophical answer.

Likewise, while Sword-Maser hitting the iron, even if the hands moves

automatic, his eyes can see the minute details of the work-piece. = any

short-coming should be noticed.    As, all the process were handled

subconsciously, this minute detail were observed in the at-most silence of the

perception.  Any noise, useless brain activities would mask this minute sign.

= The matter is, to open this subconscious perception by eliminates the noise.

Lord Buddha called this Clear eyes.

[]

If you take the meaning of Mushin as just [empty the THINKING]  you miss

the part, concentration of your subconsciousness = Mindfulness.

(In fact, Mushin and Mindfulness are not separate notion or psychological phenomenon =

those are just different words.)   Because of subconsciousness is invisible, it is impossible to

objectively manipulate, or discuss in words, let alone to teach others.

(remember, how to learn to ride a Bicycle.  🙂 )

This is the reason why Buddhism, Zen teaches the people by the repeating practice.  Unless

you learn and become able to follow this subconscious mechanism, you can’t learn Zen.

And that is why, talking or reading about Zen is utterly useless. 

Only the way to experience and to learn is by Doing.

[]

Crucial point in Doing is, unlike imagining or having fantasy, to find a way of

improvement, it got to be rational and technically feasible = even an intuitive

idea, it never be mambo-jumbo, but quite scientific.  No body imagining that to

sprinkle a holy water from a church could solve a malfunction of the machine.

Even in the darkness of subconscious, our mind is very rational and sane.

(Well, in most of the case, among most of the people.   😀 )

[]

So, let this subconscious to see, listen and perceive = as this perception is

completely open, therefore, able to see almost invisible, inaudible = we

can see the better solution.    Or conceive the idea, which has been blocked

by the idiosyncratic thinking.   This is the liberation of the Mind, in Zen.

= And this is the mechanism behind the creativity or  [Kaizen].

___/\___

[]

Window Work

As the main cause of my recent junk-mountain trouble, the tough-guys appeared to

fit the new windows.

There is an obvious reason to be a big hulky guy —– first, to remove old window and

its frames —– with sheer brutal force.  😀    (Less than an hour, 4 windows had ripped out. )

And new double-grazed, framed windows were fitted in machine like efficiency.

(Of cause, they’ve been doing the same for hundreds of the windows.  🙂 )

So, this is it —– yet, the Door fitting,  Asbestos panel removal,  new Electric cabling

etc.  still to come.    So, I’m still in a chaos to shift the mountain right to left again.  😀

While windows were removed,  strong wind has blown through the flat which made me

feel standing chilly outside.    Though, next day,  may be thanks to double grazing,  room

temperature is two degrees  higher than before. = visible benefit is here. 

[]

Yet still, with funny practice, people keep higher heating while keep the window half open

= not much Energy saving.  (Because of  an Area heating system,  residents having boiling hot

water and regardless how much use of central heating,  bill is fixed = not cheap though.)

It was a legacy of the left-wing council = same ideology of Communism = expecting the people

to have rational mind and keen to work together for the common benefit. 

Unfortunately, man doesn’t behave like that.  Disintegrated society doesn’t have one Ethos.

—– Still, to make up so called positive friendly text saying that “We were born with good

nature hence we can live friendly happy world”  is easy, and may attract more reader to a Blog

though it is just an empty sweet words.    Real solution and the Enlightenment has to come

from  facing the situation straight with clear eyes —– or to know how  greedy and silly we are. 

—– Sorry, I’m a pessimist.  (I don’t see rosy world. —– that’s why Buddhists call it Samsara.) 

I need a blind or to get new curtain at least.  😀

[]

Is Science, Belief System ? / Is Zen, Belief System ?

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples, [Don’t believe, think Yourself].

It’s mean if anyone thinks, the answer will be found by themselves.

And it’s mean, it doesn’t need to be any special person or special brain = Answer is within

a reach of anyone’s common-sense and comprehension.

[]

There is no fancy mambo-jumbo in the

Lord Buddha’s teachings.  Everything is obvious fact.  Like The Four Noble Truth, who

can deny it is not true.   Life’s sufferings, illness, get old and die, are the hard facts.

And his observation, there are cause of those troubles, is nothing strange view at all.

If anything happened there must be a cause.    Then, there is the way to overcome those

sufferings —– could be true, because that is exactly what

Lord Buddha found and taught which is applicable and effective to to anyone.

The most crucial matter is, that the way to overcome sufferings is not by a

fancy belief and its placebo effect, but an actual change of the mind-set

through practice, which is not a trick but an extension of existing mechanism

of the brain activity, such as to extend our unconscious action of the body.

[]

Like a physical phenomenon, such as Gravity, whether you know the theory, or understand

its mechanism or not, at least you know the effect which you can easily observe.

Whether you imagining (and believe) small green man pulling invisible string, or resorting

with hypothetical particle Graviton causing Gravity, the phenomenon itself exists as a fact,

hence, the science has been accepted as the truth and it is not in a belief system.

[]

In the same context, Zen is a system to utilize a mechanism of the brain

carrying out the action without having a thinking process, and such action

is ubiquitous observable fact.   (Zen calls this [Mushin] )

Whether you are aware or not, we are walking without noticing which muscle is contracting,

or reading this blog without aware of your eyes are capturing the pattern of the letters,

even without having a conscious of that you are reading this = Until you start to think and

become conscious, consciousness of the self is not exists. = (Self is our invention by thinking)

Those function of neurological mechanism is the fact and far beyond the belief system.

And a mechanism of our brain, which tend to ignore the repeating signal,

hence we can be apathetic to the signal, is an existing phenomenon,

therefore it is not in our imagination.  Fact exists long before the belief.

And the practice which enhancing those mechanism to deal with a cause of

the problem was what uniquely proposed and taught by

Lord Buddha.

[]

Lord Buddha’s view that we could live on those unconscious mechanism

in the brain, and as those unconsciousness has no self-conscious, we could

live selflessly, was his theory.

As the water is running down because of the Gravity is an observed fact. Hence, this

running water can be used as a power source is a theory. As everybody knows, this theory

has been successfully implemented in a water mill or electric power generator. Likewise,

Lord Buddha’s theory has been implemented as the Buddhist’s practice and

actually it works. This practice and its effect is not relying on the placebo effects or belief.

It actually trains and changes the way of the person processing the signal,

hence changes the perception towards such as a cause of fear, even a death.

[]

Therefore, the effect of Zen practice is a real fact.

Not in a belief or in an imagination.

This is the reason how Zen practice has been used even in the sports training.

Zen is not imaginary fancy story but a practice which brings a tangible effects.

Key is Just try, Just DO, and see What happens in your Mind and on your Life.

___/\___

[]