Unanswered Questions 無記
Without doubt, the biggest problem in Buddhism is that against some questions why
Lord Buddha didn’t give an answer.
This is an issue known as “10 (or 14) Unanswered questions” which was known in Japan and China [無記] = Muki or Wu-ji. —– With seeing all those questions, it is obvious, no answer was given to the matter of [Infinite] [Eternal] kind, the time and the space of the Universe, and the matter related to [I] or [Self].
—- obviously, like us, a small mortals fussing about the infinite eternal Universe kind of imaginary matter IS utterly waste of the time. (Especially when Einstein was not born yet. 😀 )
And the matter of I or Self is not existing = Who can give an answer for “Non-existent phantom” = this was the very fundamental stance of what
Lord Buddha taught, strangely you may think, it was not elucidated in the scripture. —– Why ? Because, such matter was not existing = how to elucidate the Self which is not exists. —– After all, there was no teachings of abstract nor imaginary idea = its mean there was no “Spiritual kind of concept” in the Buddhism.
[]In fact, this is the question even bigger than the “Unanswered Question”.
Lord Buddha denying the existence of the Self / Atman was his fundamental stance therefore, the “matter of the existence of the Self” itself was not existed = because,his own Self was not there. = When he couldn’t see his own Self, in his own mind, how he could guess other’s mind and analyze “so-called Self”.
(It may sound complicated though, IT’S simple — for instance, you may suffer from Alien fever symptom from the space though, actually no such illness ever existed = it was your imagination. In such situation, what is the point to discuss the matter — only the remedy is you to open the eyes and become aware that no such fever exist and symptom was own delusion !)
Lord Buddha’s teaching of No-Self couldn’t have even an explanation because the word to deny the Self is, “in effect” recognize the existence of the Self. It sound strange though, this teachings of Selflessness was not necessary understood even by his closest attendance, Ananda (he was a cousin of Lord Buddha) as he kept asking why not answer.)
When ever a kind of explanation of No-Self appeared in the scripture, it was a kind of metaphor, such as to explain what is Real Giving = “Giving without having a conscious of “I’m giving” is the Real Giving”. Or even worse, “Giving as not Giving” — You can not understand this by reading or by thinking —- but only by DOING.
(I’m sure, if you DO the giving million times, you will become an expert of giving to hand-out the money to a needy, food for a hungry, a rope for a man to hung without need to think ! ) Like the teachings through Tea-making — after 10, 20 years of practice, when the person fully mastered and able to make a perfect Tea, even with the eyes closed, it’s mean all the procedure has been completely programmed into own subconscious and the motor-region of the brain, therefore all the process of Tea-making could be done without the Self or any thinking (= it has all been done in Mushin) — still, it doesn’t necessary the person did (intellectually) understood the Selflessness. ( —– Ideally, the person can make a Tea without having any notion of Zen or Buddhism even Tea-making is the best, and it IS closest to be an Ichijo.)
It would be much clearer to see it in the case how to ride a Bicycle = there is no theory or explanation or understanding is necessary, but by actually master it by the body you can ride it. —– Then, when you ride it, you can do it without a conscious of that you ARE riding the bicycle = “You ARE riding it without your SELF” and more importantly, this selfless condition / situation IS NOT an imaginary / spiritual matter. = IT IS A HARD EXISTENCE. = And to become aware or grasp this condition as it IS (without the literal interpretation = without thinking) IS what all about the the teachings of Lord Buddha. = Just to be riding, as to be Ichijo in riding, even without having the awareness of riding, of course, without the conscious of “Me riding this” = IS the situation becoming a part of the Dharma, or the Dharma itself. (= when you became able to glasp this Dharma, it is your Clear Eyes = So as the Dharma IS not an abstract idea neither imaginary existence = this HARD FACT is the Enlightenment though, in reality, what you ARE seeing IS the same existence and the same fact = this world (nothing new neither special) = hence, it’s a Dog Shit.
And this tradition = learn from the practice, only kept Zen Buddhism as Buddhism of No-Self —– not by the scripture which doesn’t contain the explanation of [Selflessness] anyway. —– Think, Selflessness IS NOT a spiritual matter at all. It IS a fact “you can do it without your own conscious” and its physical, neuro-phisiological mechanism IS the Selflessness.
___/\___
[]
Ghost — Buddha’s Psychological Profile
Can you describe the details of a Ghost ? — how it looks etc, etc. — CAN YOU ?
Imagine, it was a kind of public gathering and somebody started to talk about seeing
a ghost and some others responded and told their own experience or hear-say but
most of the others didn’t say anything, other than murmuring their doubt.
—– I think this is the general situation and it wasn’t so different in 2,500 years ago
in India, even if more superstitious people was there, still, only very few could say
actually seen it.
[]
Lord Buddha’s time, when out of Sanskrit / Vedic belief, a new religion, later known
to be the Hinduism was emerging. Over the Sanskrit belief of perpetually remaining
soul, Hinduism put an emphasis on the reincarnation of each soul which reflect the
previous life = hence, the life in this world is the result of previous life, in other words,
every life was fixed which makes a person’s Cast.
—– This idea horrified the people then = the endless cycle of reincarnation traps the
person, if not make the worst to reborn to be a beast.
To against this idea of endless suffering of reincarnation, (called Samsara)
Lord Buddha was the one offering the rescue, saying “Don’t worry, no such things
like endless reincarnation, because the one supposed to be reincarnated = the Self or
so-called Atman is not existing, therefore when your body dies, it is the total end =
Nirvana” and offering the refuge where there is no notion of Cast or previous life.
[]
Lord Buddha’s this understanding came from the observation of the Karma and
the Dharma. Everything depend and rely on others in every moment.
Without this inter-dependency, nothing could exists, so as our body and the mind.
It’s mean, when the body goes, the mind which has been imagining the self, also goes.
The self is mere illusion and the cause of all the troubles. As it was clearly stated
in the Four Noble Truth, the Life IS nothing but the suffering. —– In this respect,
Lord Buddha gave no illusion. Very realistic and blunt. To observe and give an
insight to the relation between the phenomena of the Karma, eyes and the brain has
to be as clear as a crystal or like a critical scientist.
No illusion, not mention a delusion was in the mind of
Lord Buddha, it’s mean, there was no notion of Ghost existed. = As such notion
was not exists in the first place, no such image, let alone the word exist there.
No ghost exist, and its source, the Self itself neither exist. Therefore, not only the notion
of Self, but the attitude to recognize or mind it shouldn’t be there. Hence, in this respect,
Lord Buddha was very strict, even harsh. When somebody who couldn’t understand
the imprecation of No Self, made a question “What happens after the person’s death ?”
its question was completely ignored. —– (There was a description in the Agama Sutra
“Completely stop speaking is same as to kill the person” )
[]
To understand this post, please read “Test of Selflessness” as well.
___/\___
[]
Self-sacrifice — is it same to Selfless ? ? ?
Time to time, a search-term “Self-sacrifice” came to here. = It seems, the Self
is the main issue of Buddhism, Self-sacrifice and Self-denial is always taking
quite an attention. And in deed I myself talked about this in the past.
= I wrote that to reach Zen or Buddhism understanding, it is necessary to
have a self-denial or a self-sacrifice in a certain stage of
the pathway to see who the own Self is.
Though, the Aim of Buddhism is not “Wrestling with the SELF”= try to
eliminate and struggle. But Being Buddhist is simply being selfless,
since the Self is not exists in the first place.
[]
—– You might be confused. This is the same situation like a “Disease”
= say XYZ syndrome. People may talk about what that syndrome is,
how to treat or eradicate it. Though the teaching of
Lord Buddha didn’t mention the existence of such disease. Such disease exists
only in one’s mind = NOT exist mean no point to know about alleged symptom,
let alone how to deny or eradicate it. = In other words, to think Self-denial or
Self-sacrifice as if it was the essence of Buddhism is, utterly a misunderstanding
= Here is a man trying to find and use a fire-extinguisher —– shame, there
wasn’t a fire, he only thought it was.
Don’t mix-up “to know, Fire is not exists” with extinguish a Fire.
Deny the Self is not close or same to the Selfless. Deny mean, the Self has been
defined and confirmed of its existence ! = Wrong direction to start.
[]
In our daily life, fundamentally there isn’t a conscious of Self,
hence things were done Selflessly.
So that, while reading this blog, have you been aware that your eyes are tracing
the line, not mention that YOU ARE reading this. YOU are in deed, doing all those
unconsciously. = Since you were alerted, now you became conscious of YOU.
Otherwise you didn’t need to become conscious of yourself to read this — in fact to
do anything or to live. Ironically, human got over-sized brain and so-called Mind,
even worse got Selfish Ego and Greed kind. When ever you were alerted and
became conscious about your “right” or “gain or loss” this kind of “Mind” often gave
us the interruption — “Hey, it’s a chance” or “Don’t loose” kind. 🙂
Lord Buddha found that this “Imaginary products” is the cause of all the troubles
even though, we can have a life without it. And found that the idea of SELF, the
generator of all those Mind is the root cause, despite it is nothing but an illusion.
So, he taught to have “Clear eyes and the Mind” to distinguish the illusion or delusion
and the Truth. —– Yet still, we poor human tend to cling own Self and accompanying
sense of Self-loving Emotion, so that, when we do something for ourselves, we can not
handle it in the detached clear eyes and the mind. The emotion which bound
the integration of Self is always there.
[]
In contrast, when we needed to do something for somebody else, not all of us are
very keen = We just do it as an extra task = often with quite detached mind, no
pleasure, even no Self conviction there.
(Let the hands do the work. The mind is somewhere else. 🙂 )
You can see that to do something for others, we do it detached, Selfless manner.
When you do, you do it dispassionate as it was seen objectively in quite rational
manner. = Because, it belong to the others, there is no attachment, still has to do
the job, job would be handled dispassionately as a given task. —– this situation
can be seen as the Self-sacrifice. And the dispassionate detached mind was
mixed-up with the selflessness.
= This was how and why the misinterpretation has occurred.
—– Self-denial or Self-sacrifice is not an idea of Buddhism. Still, if there was a
situation to DO, real Buddhist would just DO without any question, since
there was no Self, therefore no wrangling Mind but the Karma put him to DO.
Though, by the eyes of others, it could be seen as if it was a self-sacrifice because
of it was not his own needs, and it was interpreted that he was forced to obey the
situation while denying his own will, himself.
[]
But, to see “Do something to others” only in the view of Self-denial or Self-sacrifice
is in deed the most Un-Buddhist like view.
It is nothing but an Egotistic, stingy, small “mind”. —– Do something could be
a good exercise, do somebody’s work could be new experience — etc etc.
Don’t waste the time clinging with useless mind. Just DO.
___/\___
[]
釈尊の教え－－－Buddha’s Original Teachings
Note : This post is parallel with this and this post in English.
釈尊の教えが元々如何なるものであったかを知るには，教えの与えられたその時代，
その時の思考，その瞬間の心理の機微を知る必要があります。
人々の問い掛けに，その瞬間の機知で応えていたとされる
釈尊の教えに抽象的な想念は無く，全ては対話に立った明解な英知であったのです。
人々の問いかけもごく日常的な問題，その世相のトピックスであった訳ですが，
釈尊の時代は将にヒンズー教の勃興期で，当然の事として新しい流行思想が話題の中心に
なっていた訳です。 古典的べーダに根ざした道徳論的，儀式的バラモン教から派生した
ヒンズー教は当時の新興宗敎で「霊魂が生れ代り次の生を規定し，
それがカーストになる」とした画期的な流行理念であったのですが，この流行とそれの
もたらした恐怖は，かつての「天中殺｣の流行を想い浮ベるとピンと来るでしょう。
根拠も，何の証拠も無いでっち上げであるにも拘らず，世の人というのは
コロっとだまされパニックに陥る。この「輪廻の輪」という妄念に囚われた人々に
明解な答を与え，無要な心配やカーストのクビキから解放するというのが
釈尊の直面した火急の任務であったのです。 何の根拠も無いそのような妄念に対して
釈尊は極めて論理的，合理的な解答として「心配するには及ばない。万物は（我々も）
因果，縁の上にのみ存在しているのだから，当然の事として肉体が死ねば，
そこに根ざしていた意識も自覚も，苦悩も消滅する。これが涅槃で，それは誰もが
自然に得られるもの。我やカーストなど単に頭で作り出した妄念である」と説かれたのです。
［］
ヒンズー教で言う「無限に続く死と再生の繰返し＝苦界／娑婆／サムサラ」に対して，
釈尊は「輪廻，再生すベき「我」などと言うものはそもそも存在しない」と説かれた訳
ですが，存在しない物を説明するというのは至難の業です。（概念，言葉も無い！）
例えば，全てが共有され私有物の無い社会で「盗み」とかその罪について議論する事はできない。
重力の在る地球上でなら「もしこの重力が無かったら－－」と考える事ができますが，元々
重力の無い世界に暮していたら，重力とはいったいどんなものなのか想像もできないでしょう。
無私，無我である事はできる（一如として）が，それを客観的に自覚した瞬間に一如は消滅する。
（眼の存在の自覚なしにこれを読んでいても，言われて気がついた途端に一如が崩壊する）。
つまり無私を説明するとは外ならぬ「私，我」の存在の認知になってしまう訳です。当然の事として
釈尊が「我」を話題にする事は無く，「魂は死後どこへ行くのか？」といった質問は存在し得ない
物で，それに対する答が与えられる筈も無かったのです。つまり
釈尊は本人が「無我」に一如であった故に｢我」の存在に関しては完璧に「無記」だったのです！
［］
従って，仏教の中で最も重要な無私，無我（アナトマン）の教えは，実は体得する以外にない。
不立文字，教外別伝，以心伝心となる由縁です。（無心に，黙々とやるのみ）
しかし逆に言えば，言葉の上で定義し得ないために，誤解曲解が生じる原因にもなったのです。
－－－で，この曲解はごく初期のうちに起っていて，輪廻やサムサラを説く仏典は
実はヒンズーやタントラの混交でしかありません。
無私無我を教理の根底に置く時に，いったい何が誰が，死後も留って生れ代るのか？
釈尊がそんな矛盾した馬鹿な事を言うはずが無いでしょう。（笑）
しかしケダモノに生れ代るかも知れないと心配する人々の恐怖感は職業僧の飯のタネ，
彼らが話を書変えてしまったのです。
在りもしないあの世から戻って来て「話が違う」と文句をつける人は絶対居ないのですから
どんなホラを吹いてもバレません！ 実に困った“虚偽表示”です。（大笑）
___/\___
—————-
PS: The image on top was created by [Mouhitsu] of Japan-Post.
Though, the work has to be saved and its “png” has to be converted
by this process —– Bring the Downloaded image to desktop. and
Double-click this => “Open with” =>[Paint] —– then click and open
left top icon and go to “Save as”=>”jpeg” (Yes, to asking small window)
—–> The saved image is on the Desktop ! 🙂
-［］
Buddha’s Hesitation
Regardless, whether it showed real historical facts or not, still a kind of life history of
Lord Buddha has been well established and well known. = So, everybody knows his young
name, Siddhartha Gautama and a story, after he got his enlightenment, he became Buddha.
—– But, how about a story, that after he found the truth and reached to his enlightenment,
yet he said to have hesitated whether should he tell what he found to the others or just
remain quiet and wait to see own Nirvana, because the truth what he found was
too difficult to make others to understand.
[]
But the supreme God of the Universe, Brahman was frightened of this, if
Lord Buddha keeps the secret of Truth in him and takes it to his grave, the man kind will
loose only the chance to learn it to save whole man kind from their sufferings, for ever.
(—– Don’t ask me how Brahman did become aware of this —– If Brahman had such
Super natural power to know everything happening in the world, why he didn’t teach
such wisdom to the man, instead to bother the idea of yet another mortals.)
—– Anyhow, Brahman said to have come and begged to
Lord Buddha to teach the truth. —– So, what was that very Truth ? ? ?
(which would save the man, though too difficult to be understood by the man.)
[]
Many hundreds years after
Lord Buddha’s death, the new trend of Mahayana Buddhism created thousands of
enlightened Buddha and Bodhisattva —- during 2000 years history, they must be hundreds
of the thousands altogether. If there are such number of the enlightened Buddha and
Bodhisattva, among them, at least some of them must had a very bright brain and clearly
aware what made him to get enlightened —– So, has any of them ever elucidated what the
supreme truth was —– Yet still, there was NON at all.
Only something related to this was, that the Zen Masters found it was the Dog Shit.
[]
Mahayana Scriptures says, the supreme wisdom is
“Panya-Paramita” “Anutra Samyak-SamBodhi” —– So, What ?
= WAS this “Supreme wisdom” the one which gave a headache to
Lord Buddha for how to explain and make others to understand ? If so, did any
one of those mass-produced Buddha ever got eternal life thanks to this secret Truth ?
Or this wisdom ever made any country free from the war ? Nothing !
No such wisdom, called Panya-Paramita had substance.
(Don’t make an excuse, by yet another Heaven’s story such as “Maitreya will tell it in future” )
[]
Looking through all the teachings in the Buddhism, there is No super-natural mambo-jumbo.
= Everything is easily comprehendable to normal brain, if not some of them are a bit harsh
or not very easy to keep-up, still, it is hard to imagine if there was any
“Hard to comprehend enigmatic issue” was ever existed on top of those,
especially considering that No abstracts or Metaphysical illusion was in the
Lord Buddha’s teachings —– BUT if it was the notion of Selflessness, it was not only against
the common belief then, but also it would be very tricky matter to explain therefore, this
trickiness would best match the trouble as a possibility, in his starting point.
Assuming, —– if it was not a kind of fancy idea with magical power,
but simply the notion of Selflessness.
—– The idea of Selflessness would make a perfect answer to the problem which the people
had been facing then. = Their fear to be trapped in the endless cycle of death and rebirth.
(= It was a belief of New religion in the Brahmanism then = Hinduism now.)
Against this, the answer of “There couldn’t be such rebirth, because there is
NO soul or the Self remain after the death, which
could reincarnate to the next life” was a perfect explanation. ——– But the trouble to
Lord Buddha was, as the Self isn’t existing, there couldn’t be its notion, nor the word “Self”
= He couldn’t explain the phenomenon of the Selflessness without using the word “Self”.
(If he use the word “Self”, in effect it was the recognition of the existence of the “Self”).
Even worse, the phenomenon of the Selflessness is, not only in the depth of
Subconsciousness, but such notion or the word Subconsciousness itself wasn’t existing then.
—– until he found the way “Just let the people DO the things where Selflessness naturally
occur, which makes them to learn it by themselves, without needs of verbal explanation”
= So, with this solution,
Lord Buddha started to teach. = (Therefore, this was the origin of all the Buddhist’s
tradition such as “Selflessness” “Without thinking = Mushin”
“Without Word = but Direct Transmission” “Learn through the Practice”)
Lord Buddha didn’t need to have a push from Brahman to start his teachings in deed !
(Still, making-up of such fancy story highlights the fact, that the original teachings has
been completely mixed-up with Hinduism then.)
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Exists or Not-exists ? —– Where is the SELF ?
Probably the most fundamental matter in the Buddhism is the Selflessness / Mushin.
—– though, this matter questions the credibility of the one who observes its existence, it is
nothing like a scientific objective proof of existence, it’s far more complicated or confused.
[]
Therefore, here, the most funniest paradox in the human culture comes in.
If you deny the existence of the Self, you can not argue or even put the matter on the table.
= because, its notion itself isn’t exists, there is no word to describe it.
= how to starts arguments ?
—– If the society has no system of personal possession, everything belongs to everybody, so,
there couldn’t be a notion of “theft” let alone the very word “theft”.
If the Self is not exists, no word of SELF, let alone SELFLESS could ever exists.
So, without the notion of Self, how to argue about whether it exists or not. 😀
[]
Lord Buddha’s teachings were described as “Explain unexplainable” “Describe indescribable”.
In definition, Selflessness couldn’t be taught. Selflessness itself is exists though, you can’t
detect or noticed, let alone capture it in objective observation nor describe it in the words.
Because, to notice “it is there”, it’s mean the observer, who was separated from the subject
= independent self is already THERE ! = You are the established EGO.
[]
So, Lord Buddha just gave an instruction what to do, but never explained why or what was
the intention. (Like, just let Kisa Gotami to run about, or Churi Pantac to sweep the garden.)
—– While doing it, they will get used with its work or practice, hence became able to do it
without conscious = Selfless —– this was what the teachings were intended though,
it shouldn’t be objectively noticed or talked about. = the matter is, JUST DO IT.
[]
Once it was talked about, it became a NOTION and a WORD, it became independent
existence called knowledge. Once the notion and the words “I’m cutting Lemon” was
established, “I” who cut the Lemon became THE Existence. —– but, you supposed to cut
a Lemon in Mushin, without the Self. Without such conscious, Just Cut a Lemon, slice
by slice —– your knife, the lemon, your action were all fused in one, with the Dharma
= this is the state of Ichijo / Oneness. —– BUT, once the observant eyes started to see the
situation objectively and started to give a thought or two, the Observer and Be-observed
alienated = the harmony to be in the Ichijo has broken.
[]
In the Vimalakirti Sutra, when he was asked about what is this Oneness, he answered with
NO word (= and the silence hit the people like roaring thunder !) In fact this was exactly what
Lord Buddha did when he was asked about “after life”.
Oneness (Ichijo / Fuji) could exists if no Self was there. And as NO self exists, of cause, there
couldn’t be any possibility of After-life or Reincarnation, and no such notion or word to
describe it could exist. Hence, just a silence = Strongest denial !
(If he was to explain, “There is no Reincarnation because No-Self” it’s effectively recognize
the existence of the Self by the use of the Notion and the word “Self”.
—– It is the same situation, if the one says “I’m sitting in silence” 😀 )
[]
It seems that the author of Vimalakirti Sutra did know what the mind of Selfless, as the
descriptions were spot on though, I’m not sure about the other Mahayana Sutra, and the
author (compiler ?) such as Nagarjuna —– he seemed to have written them from the
knowledge just heard from others. They were the scripture for the sake of the arguments
and those arguments, theoretical explanation seemed nothing to do with
actual Selflessness and the Void.
—– Selflessness is everywhere, as you are reading this blog without noticing that your eyes
have been following the lines. = as everybody has born with Dharma, everybody has
Selflessness yet, masking it with the useless thinking and the Ego which has been kept you
away from getting enlightened.
May be just forget those words, Selflessness, Void kind of thinkings, and just take a walk
may open your eyes much clearer.
___/\___
[]
Lost in a Process ? — or Tampered ?
A man was walking on a trail in the middle of nowhere and met
Lord Buddha. He asked, is this the right way to go ?
Lord Buddha answered, Yes I came from there. You just GO.
Anyhow it was only a single trail, nothing else. —– Does it mean
Lord Buddha “Taught him the right way ?” or taught nothing new ?
—–
The man was born to go this way anyway. So that there may
not be any needs to ask. —– still having the words, it gave him
a confidence and a peace of mind.
He just kept walk, thence reached to the destination.
(But, if the man didn’t actually walk all the way up, or stray-away,
he got nowhere and remained in the middle of nowhere,
still wandering in a barren desert.)
—– Everybody was born to have Dharma. Therefore, unless
stray-away from the trail, but kept walking, everybody can
reach the destination —– where it was called Nirvana.
So, Lord Buddha told a man ” Just Go” — since it was a way to
gain Selflessness and to reach Nirvana.
(Remember ? Kisa Gotami’s story ?)
[]
Though, in reality very few did, since even fewer ever met
Lord Buddha, so that most of the people got the direction from
others who said walked it before. And the another trouble was that
so many had took wrong turn, hence wrong trail had been
marked on the ground which was misleading the people to stray-away.
[]
Lord Buddha’s aim was to save the people from
“A delusion of Samsara” = The idea of Samsara WAS the very delusion”
though, later, the Teachings were mistaken to “Save from Samsara” on
the assumption of “endless cycle of rebirth = Samsara exists” because
the Hindu idea of Samsara was almost a common-sense THEN.
(During 400 years of oral tradition, gradually
the original contents of the Teachings has been changed to
“Buddhism IS based on a belief of Reincarnation”—– because of
this, the later attempt to revive the origin such as “Selflessness”
became a contradiction = “If Selfless / Anatman was true, who is going
to be reincarnated ? = and it was misinterpreted as a self-sacrifice.
—– There was absolutely no concept of “After life” in the
Lord Buddha’s teachings. = He didn’t even bother to give an answer to it.
(Able to answer mean, such idea was exists in the mind. But because
there was absolutely no such notion, even no word exist in his mind.)
Or the Words to clarify “No after Life” was intentionally removed from
the oral recitation, because it contradicts a popular Hindu belief =
People must have thought “Such Enlightened wise-man wouldn’t have
had said such silly things against a common knowledge of Reincarnation” !
[]
But if Lord Buddha’s teachings were the same to Hinduism, why people
specially come and seek a liberation in his teachings ? = Because,
Lord Buddha denied the reincarnation, it’s mean no previous life which
would impose a Cast to next life exists. Hence there was no Cast system in
the Original Buddhism.
Cast is a part of Hindu Samsara idea ! —– Denial to such idea was the
Lord Buddha’s very distinctive and revolutionary new teachings.
(The idea of “Re-born while carrying the Karma of previous life IS the CAST”.
Denial of Perpetual Soul (Self) = No Self to be Re-born, hence NO CAST.)
—– You have to see the truth in the historical fact.
Think yourself. Don’t believe the scripture blindly. —– Remember,
Lord Buddha reached to his Enlightenment without reading any scripture !
___/\___
[]
Test of Selflessness
While looking for a hint to see what was the mind-set of
Lord Buddha, here and there such as in
the Agama Sutra, I stumbled that
Lord Buddha had intentionally not revealing
his intention preventing the followers become
“head big brah brah person”.
[]
An episode in the Argama, which was — In a rainy night
Lord Buddha told a disciple, Ananda that he is going for
a walk. (without telling where or what for.)
To follow him, Ananda came out carrying umbrella and
torch-fire. Everybody in the sangha followed as well,
each carrying umbrella and a torch, as they have been
accustomed to follow their teacher. —– After a while
walking up a hill, and saw all of his followers were there,
Lord Buddha smiled. Then Ananda asked him,
“Great Teacher never smiled without a reason. So,why
this time ?” but he received no answer why.
[]
Lord Buddha has, in fact, tested
the followers reaction and their progress.
Even under a condition, not nice for a walk, still all
the followers actually followed him. Which was an
indication of that, everybody had sublimated his
teachings and able to do it in practice.
—– What was the crux of teaching ?
= Without asking why or what for, despite in a rainy
night, just follow unconditionally, was a proof of that
everybody has reached to the Selfless state of the mind,
hence able to respond the situation as it’s happened.
(As he saw the sign, that the teachings has
worked perfect, so, smiled.)
[]
Lord Buddha had such a good insight of human mind.
That was why he never explained the intention why,
or the logic behind of it. —– Once he explained and gave
a verbal key, the followers remember it as a buzz-word
and become head-big, then the thinking start to
control their behaviour which is nothing but a
sham or superficial pretence.
Buddhism is not a religion of Dogma of which followers
have to read and remember and recite the words, but the
Buddhism changes one’s psyche down to the subconscious
level through the practice. (= not behave what was told by
the Dogma or Rules, but naturally do it unconsciously)
If followers knew that it is a test to check whether the one
can respond at once without questioning and to follow
in the state of Selflessness. —– it can be mimicked and
easily pretended while competing with others.
(Look at me, I can do this. I’m better than you —–
this arrogance is the most remote from the Buddhist’s mind.)
[]
This episode clearly showed the essence of the Buddhism,
hence it become clear, how unfortunate the followers
of especially Zen Buddhism today. = Knowing that
the Zen is to get Mushin etc. brah brah, it is
completely opposite to get Mushin, let alone Zen.
If the one has a conscious of “I’m in Mushin”, it is not
Mushin at all. It is the same to tell “I’m doing the sitting
in silence” (—– If so, shut up. Just sit ! :-D)
[]
To master the Zen, you may need to be thrown into a
situation, where you were forced to do something utterly
boring repeating work (as a volunteer ?)
—– after you became able to do the work almost like an
automatic machine (while knowing, it’s useless to complain)
—– then need to realize “Aha, this the Selfless state
of Mushin” ! = So, it is even better if it looks most unlikely
set-up to do Zen, which would prevent to hold any pretence.
(In my case, it has happened while I was working in a
mountain shelter, cutting log, and in Disco dancing. 😀
= I was lucky, similar to Huineng who was placed to work
in the kitchen of the Monastery.)
[]
—– In fact, sitting in a temple to learn Zen is the worst
setting to learn, since such conscious of
“I‘m doing Zen” prevent the person to get rid of
such notion and the thinking.
It’s exactly the same irony = try to get cured in a hospital
where all sorts of infectious germs, viruses has been
brought in and more concentrated than anywhere else. 😀
[]
—– And in the same context, what I’m writing here
could be quite harmful to a novice, as I’m revealing the
trade secret, while analysing mechanism of
the psyche in the Zen, utterly contrary to
Lord Buddha’s silent smile, aforesaid —– still, this
may be help the people who is studying psychology.
= So, it may need to put a health warning.
“Experienced Adult only” 😀 )
But this is what this Blog is, using my own mind as
a guinea-pig to figure-out what the Zen is. !
(Try to see Zen, objectively is not in Ichijo in Zen,
therefore the most remote from own Enlightenment.)
[]
(And that was why master Kogetsu damned me, that I
can get no Enlightenment ! — but, What’s wrong ? 😀
Get an enlightenment may help mere one person,
but to those millions of the people, who has been
mislead by a mixed-up-Buddhism, to open their eyes
could be a crucial matter.
and that must be the will of
Lord Buddha and the Dharma.)
___/\___
[]
PS : Friend asked me at once “So, is it useless and
hopeless to attempt to learn ZEN at all now ?”
“Not at all. Don’t try ZEN but just clean your
room or kitchen. 🙂
Make it perfectly clean and do it everyday”
[]
Buddhism = Science
—————————————————————- ( Buddha 2009 )
While giving a thought to the well known established notions in the Buddhism, after
Lord Buddha’s teachings, such as “See the things in Clear eyes” “Detachment”
even “Selfless mind” then “Don’t believe, but Think yourself” and the fact that
Lord Buddha did ignore the question which was beyond our scope (unknowable),
such as what about the after-life or what is the structure of the universe.
(Stark contrast to other so-called Guru who pretend to know by telling the made-up stories.
—– Who does ever know about the next life or heaven or hell, not mention perpetual soul.)
= I realized, isn’t this, What the Science is ? Or the attitude to be a Scientist.
When Enlightened man told the truth, he dare to tell groundless story.
[]
“Right thinking” meant to be nothing other than a Rational thinking.
See the things with Clear Eyes meant to be “See the FACT”, and “Think
YOURSELF” meant, it shouldn’t be any enigmatic special belief but the
Truth which can be comprehensible in anyone’s rational thinking.
As all the factual phenomenon follows the rationalism, anybody knows,
Nothing appeared from nothing. Nothing happens without cause.
—– Based on the facts, and with the way to observe and analyse it in
strictly objective and rational way, then deduce the truth, is THE Science.
In this process, there shouldn’t be ANY bias of personal thinking, judgement,
preference or special belief = it got to be absolutely Detached from the SELF.
[]
Truth is independent from any person, let alone anyone’s Fantasy. =
Whether you believe or not, it’s there. —– This is the Science and what
Lord Buddha taught. (Yet still he was aware of notoriously unreliable our
perception, he spent great deal of his teachings to deal with this matter and
found a technique to eliminates the cause by way of the practice which lead
a person’s mind to a state of Mushin.) =(This is the core of the Buddhism)
Therefore, if there is so-called Buddhist’s teaching which say anything other than a fact
and beyond the rational comprehension, it is not his original teaching. (Only a problem was,
in this world (in the Dharma) there still be the Unknowable exists. There is a sect called
Tantra has been trying to deal with it without any tangible answer —– If they could give
any reliable result, they could have been employed by the Pentagon or Russian KGB though,
on the history, deeply spiritual noble “Third eye” which said to be in contact with the Dharma,
still not able to predict such as Earthquake even a single occasion. = If science can’t handle nor
Buddhism can.) So that, any fancy stories were later invention only to glorify Buddhism.
Buddhism is to Enlighten a person, beyond the personal Life and one’s Mind is out of scope.
What Lord Buddha taught was, how to get clear eyes to see the truth in the life
by get rid of the dubious belief and the delusion, by emptying the mind
(get Mushin), not to trap into yet another dogma. Dogma is not a Science.
Truth is like a dry skeleton, it has no decoration. —– and needn’t to be. 😀
(This is why my Buddha 2009 is bare minimal skeleton and the head is a clear
void which reflects the Wheel of the Life. And the heat keep moves its pattern
continuously = never stay the same = This shows what the Dharma is.)
___/\___
[]
Folded Bag
I got notoriously bad (or very good = depend on how you see it) habit to picking-up something
interesting on the street or from a rubbish-dump. It could be a discarded electric device or a
part of machine of which I’ve been looking for years, or something useful in my future projects.
(Sculpture featured in this blog, [Buddha 2009] was made by the discarded aluminum pipes,
kinetic piece [Cupidon] in my Youtube (kinetorori) is powered by a motor from a cooling-fan
I found road side and the motors rotating [Virtual Woman] came from Micro-wave Cooker, not
to mention a nude figure [Suppon-pon] 😀 😀
Virtually everything, but few exceptions were such as Chinese Toys I bought for £1 :-))
In order to carry it back, I always have some spare bag stashed in my pocket or
in my back-pack. —– may be three bags in the back-pack, one or two in my jacket’s pocket.
It’s the same idea to a motto of the Boy Scout “ Be Prepared” 😀
[]
To stash a plastic bag, they got to be neatly folded like the one in the photo.
In one occasion, when we Japanese friends went to a park and try sitting there, we noticed that
the ground was a bit wet. So I handed my bags to those friends to sit on it.
Among those friends there were young women and one of them screamed
“Oh dear, it’s folded”.
[]
—– Now-a-day, statistics showed that about 20% of male population in Japan chooses not to
marry. —– Everything become very easy to carry-out the daily life without having a wife.
Just heat-up a pack of pre-cooked meal using a microwave-cooker in a Convenient-store.
—– Even a convenient Sex is available everywhere whether it was paid or not.
Those kind of conveniences may be more expensive though, on the end, the total cost would
be less than to have a wife, not mention able to avoid the troubles comes with marriage, hence
in average, the number of kids is less than two = reducing the population further. (Of cause,
the life is not just a matter of cost. —– but this is the situation there. Which caused the
other is a point of argument though, I don’t think Packed food was the cause of single man :-D)
= in obvious consequence, the counter-part, women had to face this situation.
—– So that, there are lots of Magazine articles, Net advices, how to find a man to get marry
and what point to look at. = Good sign and the sign of the man, better avoid.
—– A kind of Psychological profile said, better not to chose a man who fuss about principles,
tidiness, cleanness etc. = “He would make your life in Hell while complaining your laziness”.
—– So that, a young woman cried (implying, I can’t take care of this sort) 😀
(So does, some can fold an umbrella neatly but others not, saying “Anyway it has to be open on
the next rain, why bother” = If this is the rhetoric, we don’t need to bother the life
or happiness because anyhow we will die soon or later. = it’s a choice)
[]
To folding a bag may not takes more than a minute and not much skill is needed
though, it need to have a certain mind-set.
It’s a mind-set aiming it better or ultimately a perfection.
[]
A bag photographed here came from a Chinese Food-shop when I bought a bag of rice, may
be 6 months ago. It’s mean this bag has been used to carry a shopping repeatedly 6 months
(and folded again.) And it is an essential item needed to do a shopping such as in the Lidl who
doesn’t give a free bag. —– Financially, I may not be much rewarded to have own bag
though, the matter is not to save a couple of pounds in total but, I don’t like to carry their bag
which is showing too conspicuous logo 😀 Anyhow, we are getting too many bags on shopping
such as when we buy loose vegetables etc. Too much already, and the situation is bad enough.
[]
To fold a bag is a way of Zen. Whether it has any merit or not, leave a bag in a
messy state is messy. Why not to make it a bit tidy.
Why spend a minutes ? —– if not, could we ever utilize that minute for
anything more productive in the life ? —– I quite doubt it.
A person, even wouldn’t bother to fold a bag couldn’t pay enough attention to the life.
(But, don’t ask me, “By folding the bag, why I didn’t become a millionaire or Prim-minister ?”
= it’s a matter of another mind-set. Aiming to become millionaire need to take care of million
more factors, not just for one bag. Folding a bag is only a start. 😀 )
[]
Zen only deals with its moment. = When see an empty bag => Do something = the best
is to fold and put it in a pocket. — When a moment which need to use a bag comes, just use it.
But not to walk on a street expecting to find something to pick-up. When it comes, it has come.
—– though, no fixed obligation to pick it up.
(But if you interested in, pick up at once = When you go back next day, it’s gone already 🙂 )
= Zen decision has to be made on its each moment. (On its moment, the existence of
spare-bag was known to subconscious, hence to conceive [pick it up] was a viable choice.
And why you were interested in was, because your subconscious knew that you need it.
= no need to dither like “I want to pick it up, but how to carry this back or not to pick up ?”
= ( having a bag increased the flexibility of this decision making 😀 )
[]
After awhile, the accumulated “Folded bags” became bag-full, and got to go for recycle =
recycling people might think “What a waste of the time. Why this guy didn’t just put them
straight to the bag ? Otherwise, he could have used the time more productively” 😀
—– It comes down to a mind-set of the Life. = To live tidy life is a life, still
live in a mess is also a life. = We can chose as we like. The matter is,
to know, which ever we chose, the consequence do comes accordingly.
(The troubled consequence of my habit is, the junk I’ve picked-up became a mountain =
“one day I’ll create something out of this junk” might be a wish-full thinking or
delusion = a curse to live as a kinetic sculptor. Ha ha ha 😀 )
___/\___
[]
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