Emotion / Meditation

On the surface, you may think Emotion and Meditation are rather antagonizing idea hence

they wouldn’t come together though, it is because you are trying to keep your pretense.

In reality, our Mind is always in the mess, otherwise we didn’t need to talk

about the Mind and its trouble 2500 years, and the Buddhism could have

become redundant long ago.

[]

Meditation is a funny practice. In principle, it supposed to sit while you vacate

your mind.    Yet, in reality, all sorts of your bothering ideas, thoughts, images

are coming up  = The more disturbing,  the more keep coming back. 

[]

Long time ago, in the mountain shelter, I talked with a man said to be a Japanese classics

teacher —– while talking about a poet, Saigyo, who became a monk in his later life, it

touched Buddhism idea, then the teacher reviled, in fact he is a trained, ordained Zen monk.

( Mind you, on that time my knowledge of the Buddhism was rather poor = a son of priest

didn’t mean know the Buddhism well.  😀 )

So, I’m not sure whether I made right question to him and how serious the answer he gave me.

He could have just kidding a young man. 😀 —– Any how, he said

“ It is a lie to Meditate in Mushin.   I sit while visualizing the image of a

woman taking her cloths off, one by one and become naked.    Ha ha ha  :-D”

“ Didn’t you get aroused ?”

“ Oh no. If you do everyday every time, it just became a simple routine and

the same old image.  Nothing exciting”

“ How about to change character to top film star and imagine her naked ?”

“ Yah, I did though, it’s all same”

—– Looking back this conversation half century later, I think he was telling me his truth

and the truth in what the function of Meditation is.

Meditation wear-out your thoughts = To see disturbing thought  straight,

and analyzing again and again,  soon or later you will fed-up, and the idea

will loose its fresh impact to induce an Emotion. 

Without having an involvement of the Emotion, it become just another

opinion and a remote episode in the life ==> Detachment (Emotion put a tug

to the signal / information “this is Mine / My concern” = Turf of the Self )

When you get used with this process, again and again, you will become

rather not to have any useless thought = this is Mushin !

And start to see the things Objective = in the Detached Mind !

[]

Emotion is developed in our old part of the brain / Hippocampus.  This old part is common

with any animal and it is directly dealing with one’s survival.

Hence, not only one’s survival instincts or sexual desire, but also one’s welfare = comfort

for oneself and for the species general, are all part of this Emotion.

Desire, Greed, Envy, Fear, Like-Dislike, Want or Avoid, even a judgement

of Right or Wrong —– are all related to the own survival (and better survival

condition) of oneself  = (hence,  it is the Ego / Greed)

Those feelings are the basis of the conscious of the Self (and its turf).

More importantly, Emotion is always causing a seclusion of particular hormone.

(Such as a fear to a danger needs whole body to prepare for prolonged battle by

seclusion of Adrenalin.  Or whole process of sexual activity needs continuing higher

level of Testosterone.)

—– In comparison, higher logical thinking is done by the later addition of the larger

brain and its process is not necessary induce a seclusion of hormone or Emotion.

[]

So that, when you hear the call of the Wolf = its signal rises your Adrenaline and become

Emotionally alert.   But if it is the same “Wolf-call” again, you just get used and

start to ignore = your perception would no longer trigger the Emotion.

—– Logically, Wolf is still somewhere in the woods yet its logical possibility wouldn’t

trigger your Emotion, because you are not in imminent danger, still, a kind of strong belief

or persistent thought / obsession would trigger an Emotion.

( But they are a subject of mental, neurological disorder)

[]

Seeing those function of the brain,

you might be realized that what the Meditation is doing.

= When your brain keep receiving the same signal, threshold of the reception

rise higher = the same signal loose impact.  You become immune to the signal.

Those external incoming signal or internal thought would work alike.

When the brain (or a Mind set) starts to ignore the signal or thought, it no

longer trigger an emotional reaction = therefore loose the tag  of ” Mine” =

and it become detached from the Ego = your mind would be in PEACE.

And when you do the things without involving your Emotion =

“ Effectively you are in the SELFLESS state” as all of your Emotion which is

defining  “ This is mine / my interest” is no longer there.

—– Buddhism teachings are using those brain function and its tendency =

Mushin and the Selflessness to control our MIND.

( Without Emotion, Selfless, and in Mushin = Just get on the task / Life ! )

Hence we can have PEACE of MIND and the  SMOOTH  LIFE.

———

( Though, there was an interesting question ” How and why,  some people

who is seeing a lots of sexual images, the person become immune to a

sexual stimulant  (like a Gynecologist),  but in the other hand it would lead

some others become rapist ?”

—– Well, this is the matter of the Mind-set on the starting point,  which I’m

going to write about in later post.)

___/\___

[]

PS : Please do remember, there is yet another purpose in the Buddhism training, other

than [Eliminates Thinking = Mushin] and [Cut off the Emotion = Selfless] . Also

to sublimates the teaching = Imprint the Teachings into Subconscious by

repeated practice and repeated reading or reciting, is the crucial process. —– here

again invisible Mind.

When the Teachings were imprinted into subconscious (sublimated), it

controls the person unconsciously

= no need to consciously remember it = Mushin again !

[]

Perfection

It is an interesting situation.

When we see a flower or intricate small insect we saw it is perfect.

Even though we human being is the one the most evolved and the most sophisticated creature

in this planet, still, the only one who feel “ I’m not perfect” (may be I should exclude you

in Political Correctness 😀 ) —– in general, if anyone say I’m perfect, others would boo you

and if you are believing yourself is perfect, you are likely a loner and known to be a nut. 😀

—– How come.   What went wrong ?

[]

In Buddhist’s term, especially from the words of Master Dogen, we should know that we

were here as a part of Dharma hence we were perfected as we are, and have to learn

[ As-it-is-ness]= to become perfect as who you are.

This is exactly what Master Kogetsu told me in the Eihei-ji temple. “ You are just a failure to

be a photographer. Couldn’t settle and became as a perfect photographer” then I replied him,

“ What’s wrong with a photographer become a seeker ? Have look,

Lord Buddha forsaken to be a Prince and joined seeker bikku, didn’t he ?” —–

Master Kogetsu was incensed with this “ How outrageous, to use a comparison to

Lord Buddha”

( Incidentally, Master Dogen was not born to be a priest. He was a sun of noble, chief minister

serving to the Emperor = wealthy enough go abroad to study 😀 )

[]

But, before being as a photographer, I’m a human = Even perfect Samurai is, yet a human in the

same time —– is it a contradiction ?  I don’t think so.   This is, what a man’s situation is.

On the time of Master Dogen, it was a feudal society = born to be a farmer, the person IS a

farmer, nobody else = it was not a job or profession but a fixed cast.

Today though, to be a photographer is a mere chosen job. It can be changed just like a jacket.

And a job wouldn’t define who you are. To take Master Dogen’s words in the context of the

moment, it would make sense. = On the moment when a photographer is shooting with his

camera in his hand = he got to be perfect as a photographer. (yet in the night, he could be a

boring husband) —– still, [this is a man living as him, perfect “ as-he-is-ness” ]

[]

When we grow up, kids are seeing  Heros, Superman or Super Robot (Gandum ?) etc, and as

we got huge brain and memory bank, we build up a kind of ideal figure and become aware

of should be standard. —- and always there is a person who can do it better — we realize

how we are not perfect.   Whether an awareness of this imperfection drives us to make it

perfect or by something another urge = it is an interesting argument, still strangely, we give

an effort to make it better or perfect. === isn’t this an obsession ?

Or, the image of Superman or who ever the ideal perfection —– isn’t it a delusion ?

[]

—– blessing to your ears is, it’s good to give an effort to make it perfect though, we never

achieve perfection as we are never be perfect.

I’ve met quite few Masters who can produce phenomenal perfection in his crafts etc.

—– something remarkable is, non of them said it is perfect, hence he is still trying

to achieve its perfection = it is an on-going project.

Being as an imperfect existence as it is, is what Buddhist calls [as-it-is-ness] —– and this is

the Enlightenment and that is why all the Masters found it [It’s a dog shit].

So, be relax, you may not too far from the enlightenment. 😀

( It’s mean, believing and cherishing something, such as spiritual perfection

might be in vain = it might be an illusion or delusion, even worse, could be a

fraud in your text book) 😀

___/\___

[]

禅の源流 ／ How Zen was started

勤行や禅における日常の勤め，実践について具体的に説明した言葉は古代の経典の中には登場して来ません。  単に善き仏教者である為の身だしなみ，心構えが書かれているだけでそれが実際上,

本人の心理生理に いかなる変化をもたらしているのか，そのメカニズムに対する考察が行われた事は仏教２５００年の 歴史の中で，かつてー度たりとも無かったと言えるでしょう。

唯ーの例外でそれに近い考察はアーラヤ識という概念（潜在意識に近い）の登場でしたが実際にそれが構造的に,いかに仏教と関っているかが考察された訳ではなく単に存在論，認識論＝存るのか無いのか＝単に存ると思うだけなのか＝＞「アーラヤが捕えたものこそが真実」という考えであったにすぎず，

仏教における 空，無，無心，在＝不在，不立文字，以心伝心 といった概念の全てが実は［不可視の潜在意識］故に出て来ていたという事には思い至らなかった訳です。

そもそも２５００年前には［潜在意識］という概念は無く，その透徹した眼で己れの深奥に在るそれを見すえながらも，それを説明するのにはさすがの釈尊も手甲ずったようで，色々な喩えにたよらざるを得なかった。

例えばダルマ／法とともに在る喜びを「ー切矛盾の無い理想境，極楽に暮すようなもの」と描写すればそれが潜在意識中の満足感，ドーパミンホルモンの横溢による気分のことと理解できなかった者，後世の読者は字づらから「釈尊は極楽が存在すると言われた」と誤解する。

眼前に無くても，潜在意識はその存在を知っている場合。逆にそこに在りながらも，その確証が無い。理屈で解っても，どうしても受入れられないとか。そうした意識はどこに在るのか？

大乗仏典独特の｢在るのではなくして在る」といった苦しまぎれの表現は全てこの不可視の潜在意識が存在する故に出て来たものです。（しかしこの不確定性は物理学上のものではなく人間の知覚，認知の　ニ重性から生じるもので，先ず潜在意識で直観した情報を選択的に処理してから思考領域で概念化，言語化する為に起る=つまり無心というのは潜在意識での直観，判断に従い，追加処理の思考を排除する事。  ー方，無私というのは受覚した情報を情動域との連鎖無しに処理する事に外なりません。＝情動抜きであるから心は平穏）

[]ほとんど所有物もなく比丘としての生活を続けていれば毎日の生活は単純なパターンになり殊更「自分がこれをやっている」という意識を抱くまでもなく，無意識のうちに作業を完遂できるようになるものです。　　これが［無心］というものの出発点ですが

釈尊につき従っていた弟子達は同じ作業，同じ所作を無条件に模倣し毎日それを繰返していたので［無心］で作業するという事はわざわざ言われるまでもなく自然に身についていた訳です。 つまり，わざわざ書く必要も教える必要もなかったが，はるか後，孫，孫孫弟子の時代に，それ程の人徳もカリスマも無い老師の元に何十人もの弟子，しかも中には懐疑的反抗児も居ると言った情況になると，何か特別な教育法を考え出す必要が出て来た訳です。

[仏伝に登場するシュリバントクの庭掃除十年の話も，芥子の実（英訳ではマスタードの種子となっていますが）を捜して走り回ったキサーゴータミの話も，いかに

釈尊の教え方が臨機応変，方便に満ちたものであったかを言うのみで，そこに在った延々と繰返される反復動作というものの側面は忘れ去られていた。（反復動作＝同ー信号の入力は脳の情動域が無視するようになる為，｢自己の｣というタグ無しに処理されるようになる。－方，運動域には動作全体がパターンとして刷り込まれ自動的に処理されるようになる＝結果として自己意識／自覚／自我を抜きにして行動できるようになる＝これが無我無心です）

はたして中国に禅を伝えた菩提達磨師がこうした情況をどこまで把握していたのかは全く不明ですが　（達磨大師にまつわる伝説は荒唐無稽なものばかりで，その最たるものに師は青眼であったというのがあるが絶対有得ないハナシ）　間違いないのは，師自身は古代ヨガ　（含む，古代の舞踏ヨガ＝南印度のバラットナットヤムダンスの源流）　の達人であったという事でしょう。このヨガの動きがブラジルのカポエラ様の，複数の人間による瞬間的対応のゲームといった過渡期を経て云わゆる小林寺拳法に進化したというのは疑いない事です。－－－瞬間的な対応は無意識だからこそ可能なので，モタモタ考えていたら即ー発喰う。

菩提達磨師の着目したものはここに在る［無心］とその效果で，これこそが［無我，無心］に達し［ダルマ／法に身を委ねる］最上の道と喝破した訳です。

己れの生に対する執着，｢これは殺されるかも」などといった恐怖が有ると体が萎縮して元々持って生れたダルマの自然（じねん）すら働かない。思考も感情も抜きに，｢己れを捨ててこそ浮ぶ瀬もあれ」と言われる由縁です。

[菩提達磨師が空観，無我無心に立った仏教を説いた中国には既に［無為］を説く老荘哲学が流布していた。「意図的には何もやるな。全てを天命に委ねよ」と説く老子の教えは｢己れを無にして法に身を委ねよ」という大乗の教えと共通のものがあり，概念の翻訳設定や用語の選択をする上できわめて都合が良かった訳です。　しかしながら既製の用語を使う為に，どうしても元々のニュアンスが出て常人の日常生活に主眼を置いた大乗印度仏教も中国化し，むしろ通念に縛られない事を旨とした独特な禅仏教が生れたと言えます。　

（同様な意味で，日本の禅には神道の純粋主義，武士道が影響して，仏教の中でも特異な硬派となっているのでは？ —– 同じ禅でも中国人は［無為］は言うが［無私］はやらない。最も悲観的，厭世的で［捨身］（しゃしん）と言うのは日本人だけで，お寺が喪式専門になるのも日本独特と，うなづける　）

[]人間も含め，万物＝ダルマ／法が元々［無我］であると言うのは，バラモン教／ベーダの言うアートマンに 対立して示された

釈尊独特かつ当時としては革命的な発想ですが，この本源的［無我］ゆえに自己意識，我欲などは全て己れの想念の作り出した妄想に過ぎないという教えを納得するには既に［無心］を体感し実践している中国人にとってもいささか時間がかかる。それが納得でき潜在意識の深奥まで 染みつき，無意識に［無我，無心］の行動が取れるようになるまでの修業が［禅］と名付けられたプロセスです。

－－－で，本人無我無心の内に作業を続けそれが完成したとする。

＝それでは，これを作ったのはいったい誰なのか？　

＝それが外ならぬ持って生れた，内なるダルマ／法であるというのが

釈尊の教えです。

つまり，禅に限らず仏教は現に作業してみない事には体感もできなければ，その体感の経験に立って考えてみる事も納得もできない。座って考えていても何も把めない訳で，仏教の全ての宗派が延々と続く反復作業を修業として課しているのはこの理由からです。

当然ながらー二回禅寺に行って座禅をしても足が痺れるだけで何の足しにもならないし，釈尊にすら説明できなかった事は解説書を読んでも把めない。つまり禅には学んで理解すベき事は何ーつとして無いし，禅を理解するというのは有得ない。　実際にやってみて，出来るか出来ないかしかない訳です。だからこそ，自転車に乗れるか乗れないかの喩えが使われる。

しかし［無心］の作業というものは日常生活の中にいくらでも在り（当ブログの中で「レモン禅」のカテゴリーに分類されている例），＝それこそ単に歩くだけでも体験できるものです。その体感を出発点に禅の世界に入っていくというのは誰にでも出来る事。道元禅師の僧食九拝の教えは将にこの事です。作法として細かく様式化されたそれぞれの作業に集中しそれを緻密にやり遂げていく、この作業を修業としそれを雑念無く無心に行える事をめざすのが禅に外なりません。(無念無想、一切のこだわりを捨てよと教える一方で徹底してこだわった細部までを習得させる矛盾はともかくーーーまァその作業を五年十年、百万回も繰返せば無意識でも完璧にやり遂げられるようにはなるでしょうが）

逆に言えば禅，及びその心理作用は必ずしも宗教に直結したものではなく，むしろ心理工学と呼べる ようなもので，

無我無心である事で心理的拘束から解放される自由度にむしろ利点があります。（情動領域での　好嫌，損得，エゴといった自我意識を誘発する事なく判断行動できるという事） ＝当ブログに奇抜な試みや変った造形物が色々登場して来るのはその自由発想の見本です。 （しかもそれを黙々と作る手作業は，禅以外の何物でもない－－－で，結果として出来上ったものも満更悪くないと，本人マンゾクしておりますが如何？）

－－－つまる所，人生楽しく生きる事が肝心！＝それが本来の禅というものです。（強もての達磨師が弟子達と，踊るように体をひる返している様を思い浮ベてみられよ－－－渋っ面の老師のやる事ではないでしょう。　笑）

___/\___

［］

What Photography to do with Buddhism

Someone asked me “ Why Photography in a Zen blog ?”

[]

The understanding of Zen is so wildly varied, let alone the understanding of the Buddhism.

It spreads from vague spiritualism to an endless peculiar practice.

A reason is that it lays in the person’s subconsciousness. Hence, the person oneself couldn’t

see it clearly, let alone the others, even the teacher.

Since, it was not clearly written down like as a Dogma, and to memorize it doesn’t mean

understood the Buddhism. (Though, some sect says, they got 100 of the rules written down

and follow them is the completion of the Buddhism.)

[]

My discovery of the Zen came from a peculiar practice = Disco Dancing  😀

With a peculiar mental tendencies habituated in my subconscious, I realized, this is

what people called the Zen —– Like a Pathological diagnosis, I found the symptoms all

matches to the description of the Zen of the past masters =

hence I understood, what I’m living is the Zen.

[]

So that, in Zen, the matter is a mental state or so-called mind-set, while the one is DOING

something. = Doing it unconsciously with the mind-set of what

Lord Buddha stated = IS the Buddhism. = Hence, able to receive all the benefit to live with

the Dharma. —– Here, it is crucial to be unconscious (=in Mushin). 

We can do a thing without thinking but not able to do thinking without thinking  😀

Try to do Mushin or talking it consciously is just a pretense or mimicry  😀

[]

Photography is a secondly art (it doesn’t mean second class art 🙂 ) = unlike an abstract

drawing or sculpture, unless the subject is there, its photograph couldn’t be created.

In other words, photography has to follow the existence and its moment.

That moment is the only moment. Photography is to capture and deals with this MOMENT.

As Lord Buddha stated, “Nothing stays the same and they change moment to moment”.

= Photography has to face this situation straight.

[]

Why and how you encounter its situation or subject was not necessary what you expected or

designed.  = To encounter it was what the Karma has worked.   You may think that

the idea to come to the garden to take picture was what you conceived and planed by yourself

alone though, without Karma has had pulled a string, you didn’t get the idea in the first place.

Whether you are aware or not this is how the system works.

And this system = the mechanism of the Dharma is what

Lord Buddha elucidated. = This is the Buddhism which is applicable even to a non-Buddhist.

[]

And we have to follow the subject = we didn’t create it, hence this is a secondly art =

we have to accept a humble position to be a secondly creator. Therefore, we have to see

the world with humble open eyes but at most diligent way, down to the minute details.

Once we start to see the subjects, what we are seeing is the environment or most likely

the nature. —– In fact, we are seeing the Dharma.

[]

When we try to capture and focus the subject, are we thinking what to eat for lunch ? =

Not only the lens, we are focusing what we need to do without any thinking but with full

attention to the subject on front of the camera whole heartedly.

This is the moment of Mushin and the Mindfulness.

[]

Then “Got it” = but what we got ? —– Even though we might think “I’ve got iconic image”

it is a mere reflection of the subject in the memory card, which could just disappear with a

glitch in a computer. —– And in most of the case, it wouldn’t do anything with the person’s

finance = it is nothing but a selfless, greed less act = expect no reward, still needs to put

so much effort for taking.

[]

—– Isn’t this Zen Buddhism ? —– If not,  What else   🙂

___/\___

[]

Is Charity Self-sacrifice ?

There was a search term = [is Charity self-sacrifice ?] came to my blog.

I think I’ve talked about those matters many times yet, it might be better to clarify them again.

[]

In Zen, there is no notion of [Charity] or [Self], let alone [self-sacrifice].

They are the notions exist only in the Mind, away from the situation. (It was deduced

from the memories = stacked mind with accumulated knowledges from the past 🙂 )

Charity is not a separate notion from one’s deep mind (in fact, whether Mind itself is exists or

just an intellectual hypothesis = artificially abstracted idea —– is an interesting argument)

or in the subconscious.

[]

Lord Buddha explained “ Nothing stays = only appear to be there in a moment”

in the context of the entwined mechanism of the Dharma as

the Karma = relation of Cause and the Result resulted.

The reaction, which is away from the thinking and we call as a Charity = it is in fact “it is nothing

but a prevailing Dharma” was explained in the post [Compassion and Charity in Dharma] (link)

By reading it, you must be convinced that the Charity is not the act of the SELF, far from it,

it exists because of NO-SELF in the first place.

NO-SELF, still the one was acted in such a manner — Who acted it = Dharma.

This is the Core of the Buddhism. = Acting moment to moment in its best, as

the Dharma IS, hence create the life as total is, What the Buddhism IS.

[]

Not only the situation, (situation is a mare face or appearance of the Dharma driven by the

Karma concerned) but also ourself is dependent to the Dharma (or we are the Dharma itself),

in moment to moment = hence there is no fixed notion of the Self could exists.

As Self isn’t there, but the Dharma = There can not be the sacrifice of the Self.

The person was just acted according to the Dharma or as the Dharma IS. =

To help others is not a sacrifice of the ONE, but simply it was needed

by the Dharma. (hence, the Dharma acted using the hand of someone)  🙂

[]

Therefore, it must be clear, there couldn’t be Charity or Self-sacrifice. If any of

those kind of notion exist there, it is a pretense derived from the knowledges

and a Self-conscious vanity.

[]

So-called charitable act to donate money to the Sect is just a system of sucking.

In most of the case, so-called founder of the Sect is not a holy man but an entrepreneur.

= that how those Sects became so rich and the leader became a millionaire, driving Mercedes

while leaving the followers in poverty.

Yet still, if you need to donate a money, it is in deed self-sacrifice and the

waste of the money :-D.

Since, the fact shows, = how many years the Sect there ? === has they changed the world ?

Where the money donated by the peoples has gone 😀

—– to see and hear what the Dharma says or requested you, IS the matter,

not what the sect tells you.

And to see the Dharma, you need the eyes of Mushin = Mind of No-Mind )

[]

Do a charitable act in Mushin is easy, just do it = it’s your spontaneous reaction.

(If it’s needed to have second-thought = it is not the matter of charity but the business project

= you have to asses the return in comparison to the investment = this is not Buddhism  😀 )

___/\___

[]

ZEN in Making

Well, the title Zen in Making is the double

meaning.   🙂

Zen is not coming but you need to make it.

So, I’m making it or doing it by Making, literally.

[]

The people who was attracted to the Buddhism with its

mythical, hence intellectual connotations, it might be a

phenomenon, utterly out of expectation though, this is

what Lord Buddha taught as to gain the state of

the Mushin (Mind of No-Mind, since No-Self,

= since No Atman = Perpetual Soul kind what Brahmanism taught,never exists)

—– it’s mean the widely believed myth of Reincarnation is the later invention of the

professional monk who needed to enslave the followers to keep donating the money to them

(otherwise you will go to the hell and reincarnates into a beasts) —– though, what

Lord Buddha taught was “The death is THE Nirvana = No more suffering there”

(Since, it was called Nirvana = fire just goes off = no glorious departure to the heaven kind 🙂

—– But, if everybody can get Nirvana naturally, no need to pay money and ask the monk 😀 )

That was why, the Buddhism was the revolution ! (Rich and poor alike, all can get Nirvana).

[]

Some people has misinterpretation of the Buddhism, as Teachings is the Teachings of how to die. 

This is a misconception.  If you see the structure of the Teachings = The observation of

the Dharma lead to the understanding of its mechanism = the relation of each element, its

Cause and the effect = Definition of the Karma.  As the mechanism is in constant flow of the

Cause = Occurrence, which never stop = hence it led to the understanding of No Perpetual

Existence = Everything keep changing = hence the Life of Man too = Death is only the End.

As everything keep changing and  Time never stops = Life has to deal with

what the one is immediately facing. = Anything is NOT there mean, it is only in the MIND.

Death fallen into the same category = Unless a Man is there in the moment of Death, Death is

not an existence = What the Man has to deal is The Current issue = TO LIVE the LIFE.

Likewise, when Fish-tin is on front —> Just deal with it.  Even think NO ELSE. = ZEN.

[]

Other than the practice how to keep up dairy life such as the way to walk, beg a food and talk

with people, only few sample of the [special] teachings of the

Lord Buddha was scripted. One of the most well-known episode was, how Kisa Gotami was let

running the house to house looking for the seeds.

Another story was how Chuli Pantak (Shuri Bantoku in Japanese) was ordered to sweep the

grounds of the Deer Garden.

Both stories are highlighting the repeated continuous practice lead the person’s

mind to the state of Mushin hence enable to get Enlightenment.

[]

This tradition was kept by the Buddhists, thousands of the years.

As a good sample, I wrote about the artistic practice of an artist Pok (link here) some time ago.

Please read how and why his work is the Buddhism (as he is aware and says too).

And my practice here is a part of the work to make a housing to a LED Ring Light.

To make an inner casing of the Ring Light, I found a fish tin which got the matching

size for the purpose.

To make a fish tin to be used as the inner pipe, the bottom part has to be removed = I did it

by drilling a lots of holes (about 70 holes by 1.5mm drill), then after the bottom was removed,

the jagged edge was filed and made to a smooth circle which is matching the 77mm filter ring

(by which, the Ring Light can be fixed on front of the lens).

—– technical detail would be explained in the later post.

—– Here, I’m showing how laborious the repeating work is 😀

Technically, there are many ways to cut the metal in such case = laser cutting, high-pressure

water cutting etc though, it spoil the game and unless the machine is in my hand and ask

somebody specialist to do the work, it would be very expensive = this is a poor man’s DIY.

(it may seem laborious though, soon or later it will be finished, and still have a fun. 😀 )

[]

What I’m saying is, this is what the Zen Practice is. = Zen or Buddhism is not a magic

or imaginary fantasy (hence, not thinking), but an effort to DO the job bit by bit.  Because of

Lord Buddha did teach it.  He was not a successful austere Yogi (otherwise, he could have

become a miracle Superman) but ordinary human being.  And he taught ordinary people.

Because he was not a Superman, he felt the Life is in suffering. —– He didn’t find the life is

an opportunity to perform and show-off supernatural miracles. (Hence, he was not a Divine).

To make a Life, a person has to make a Life to do something, not sitting and thinking but to DO.

To ordinary people, to DO mean, by their own mean, not in miraculous spectacular way but DO

the job next by next, bit by bit. = This is the Life.  Hence, the Teachings of

Lord Buddha was accordingly. = No miracle answer or super natural phenomena.

(That’s why a story of the Rain drop curves a rock, was in Zen story ! )

( —– I’m not implying you should drill a fish-tin. 😀 = I only showing a sample, there are

many this kind of concentration or so-called mindfulness behind the craft work or art pieces.

They are in fact, the ZEN.

___/\___

[]

Self Healing ? ! ! !

As I wrote on the previous post, I got injury and

the wounds were stitched and patched up.

This is the heaviest injury on my life.   As I used to climb the

mountain, also worked as a voluntary keeper of a mountain

shelter while cutting 10 tons of fallen tree for fire wood every

summer, and a kind of man likes to make everything, using all

sorts of sometime very sharp tools, yet I didn’t get injured.

(Though, in such environment, small cut etc is not rare at all.

In fact I cut my finger first time when I was 4 years old = first

time ever I touched a sharp knife and the finger is still carrying that scar.

= It’s mean, I’m a regular user of a plaster tape.  In fact, Plaster tape , Antiseptic cream and

Tiger balm are the all medicine I got here = nothing else.  🙂 )

(Photo of the Zombie might be up-loaded above, later  😀  😀 )

[]

For a small cut or pierced skin, just clean the area and cover-up = may be 3~4 days, it will be healed.

(You believe, or want to believe or not, I discovered, Super Glue can close the cut and good

to cover the wounds too. —– You may try  😀  —– As a matter of fact, one type of 

Cyanoacrylate = Super Glue which will be dissolved by the water in the body, has been used for

surgical operation = doesn’t need to remove like surgical thread ) —– After all, healing is what our

body is doing, not the treatment itself.  Treatment is to remove the destructive cause, such as lodged

objects or dirt or already dead part of the body, then leave the healing business to the body’s

own mechanism = with small encouragement of stimulant to increase blood circulation or prevent

further infection by using Antiseptic or Antibiotics, wound would be healed by itself.

—– (I’m talking about physical light injury on the skin.  To inject additional metabolic substance

for the body to regain its balance etc, kind of the internal matters are out of the scope here).

[]

If we don’t cover the wound, it will be covered by the dried up blood or bodily fluid to become

so-called Scab and under this natural cover, healing process is taking place. = In other

words we may not need to put plaster tape though, during the work, the same injured part may be

rubbed against other object etc and start bleeding again = it is better to cover up.

Still, this Scab seems to be the best protection than a plaster tape. Plaster tape keeps

the wound moist and the scared skin cell were exposed inside, hence bacteria can get in and

the infection would takes place = then the pus would be oozing out. = this infection would prolong

the healing process though, it is a necessary evil 🙂

If you observe the scar covered by scab, it pulling the skin around, hence when it was cured the

scar is more visible. Wet cure show less scar. —– any how, it’s a small patch on the skin. 🙂

[]

It seems the scab made by the bodily-fluid which got anti-septic property, and it can keep the

wound in just right condition = germ-free and able to keep injured, exposed skin tissue in

exact right humidity. = Hard enough to be a protective shield and able to keep inside germ free,

yet able to evaporate excess moisture. —– I don’t know, is there any artificial material can do this.

Scab on the injured skin is not a kind of welcomed guest though, they are so well designed (or well

refined during the history of the evolution of the life), we should pay respect to the Nature =

or Buddhists should say the Dharma. (=Whole system of the Nature and its Rules)

Without having this badly perceived, badly named Scab any animal include us

even the plants (their bleeding sap = bodily fluid such as Rubber plant’s is not for

us to make Car-tire but to seal the wound) couldn’t survive till today. Otherwise

all the animal and the plants had been infected and eradicated by the bacteria.

[]

Having more than inch of stitched dark scar on the forehead, I didn’t like to have dark scab on

my nose and the cheek bone hence, I’m under the patched up state. 

= Not very pretty sight in deed 😀   So, I’ve been inside all day (in fact this is the second day)

—– only the trouble is the egg and the onion has run-out — M m m ?

Should I go out shopping pretending “Frankenstein here” or walk like “Zombie” to scare local kids,

and giving them an opportunity to enjoy a nightmare or two ?   Ha ha ha 😀

It isn’t like a “Good Peaceful Buddhist” is it ? —– Otherwise settle with humble meal ?

Good question 😀

___/\___

[]

Smashed Camera and the Face !

Only yesterday, I managed to stumble on a curb stone and smashed myself on a concrete

car-park.—– Unfortunately, my camera was on my shoulder hence,

the camera was smashed too.

 

I was landed on the concrete, over my specks apparently fallen before me, hence one of the lens

cut into my forehead.  I was amburanced to a hospital and my face was stitched and patched up. 🙂

The hospital’s handling of my case was what we know well = I was left waited more than two hours

still bleeding yet just sitting on a bench. (While waiting, blood pressure etc were taken by nurses)

Then I noticed, despite of my camera being smashed and the view screen was shuttered, yet

amazingly it was still functioning, even more of my amazement, a Zoom lens fitted on the camera

= Canon’s 8~15 mm F4 Fish-eye lens was still working perfect ! ! !

(with its fragile movable structure, Zoom lens couldn’t survive this kind of shock = this is the

exceptional case !  = May be Canon designed it for the photographers with rough

and tumble in mind 😀  = Anyhow it was a good news in a bad situation 🙂

ERA[]

On my life, I don’t have accident or should I say only seldom = On the Ski, I’ve

broken 3 Skies but never broken any bone or heavily cut myself.

On the climbing, I’ve fallen 10m and about 5m —– still always landed on my rucksack hence never

injured. (other small falls were the nature in the climb 😀 ) Therefore, I had no experience of the

hospital, except the one when I was attacked and hospitalized in 24 hours coma and woke-up there.

So that this occasion was a rare chance to observe all the people involved = local people who saw me

fall was very kind and as he saw the gushed blood, called the ambulance at once.

The ambulance people were very professional (got to be) and I was taken to the hospital in 5 min

drive. —– (then long long waiting started while seeing another patient such as a lady mugged and

injured and so on) —– on the end, the Nurse and the Doctor did very good job to find out the

broken glasses in the cut (down to the skull !) and stitched it up.

—– And, I walked back 15 min to my place in the middle of night = 7 hours after the accident.

[]

As far as I know, the Zen mind should have an Hyper Vision in such case = when I fell

on the rock, I saw the slow moving details of the rock and the surrounding view.

When my ski caught the tree under the snow and my body was flying forward in the air,

I saw my body in a slow-motion. —– though, in this occasion, I only found myself laying on

the ground = there was a kind of lapse of the time = it seemed to have a jump of memory.

—– Why I couldn’t have seen my falling body nor able to take Ukemi (受身 / Safer

bodily movement to reduce the impact when falling to the ground).

(Bruise on both of my back hands indicates that the hands instinctively moved to protect myself

though, why didn’t hit the ground palm first, as an Ukemi.  ? ) = May be, the Hyper Vision could

have happened only the moment when the Mind was in a fully alerted state, not in an

absent minded casual situation = after 30 years, I still have a moment of absent-minded or lapse

of my mindfulness. —– Or, I must be getting old and getting rotten. 😀

It’s mean, should I look for the protective gear of mountain biker or even a walking frame ?

(May be not a coffin yet)    Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

[]

Yet again, Higgs Boson and the Buddhism

———————————————————————————————————————- (Image from  CEAN)

Behind the any Physical Phenomenon there is always Physics

(that’s why it’s was called so :-)) and LED is one of literally very visible sample.

= When particular material was stimulated by electric current, it start to vibrate (in Atomic level)

and start to emit the Photon.  As its frequency of the vibration (which depends on which material

and resonating structure) is happen to be the frequency of a visible light, we see the colored light.

= Voilà this is a Light Emitting Diode !

(Another material gives off different frequency, such as invisible infra-red = We call them not LED

but Infra-red Emitter. — One of them called Gan Diode gives much lower frequency, in a

Microwave range which can stimulates the water molecules hence heat up them = so, they were

used in a Microwave Cooker to heat up our meal. :-))

[]

LED will work only one Polarity hence it called Semiconductor.   Yet another material

which conductivity is not high like Silver or Copper = having high resistance (like Nickel-Chrome

Iron alloy), it convert the electric energy to an heat (and emits / radiates red to infra-red lay)

which ever the polarity = they are not Semiconductor hence “good old red-hot room heater” can

be connected to AC main (Alternative Current) = Polarities change 50~60 times in a second

(so that, heater can work on DC as well, such as the one in a car. :-))

[]

In the Buddhist’s term, the existences of those materials and its structures, and how

they are functioning and interact each other = the system and its governing law of

physics are called Dharma.

When a stimulant such as Electric energy causes the material to vibrates and start to emit the

photon = those relation, cause and the result are called Karma and a part of the Dharma.

—– So, to say the Dharma is the fundamental existences and its system default, and

the Karma is a variable given, which causes and starts the chain of reactions.

(So that, unless you switch on a LED, it wouldn’t light up, even if the system = the materials and

the structure, such as thin layer of Gallium Nitrate on a Ruby crystal is there).

[]

We human being often misunderstood that those technological inventions are solely “created” by the

human ingenuity though, it is utterly wrong, they are still within the Dharma and precisely following

the rules. = we are only utilizing its inherent character and maximizing the effect.

= We might have seen a back of a gang-star Al Capone in a bar, down town of Chicago for few seconds

= few second does not mean he exist only few seconds = he is still there out of our view.

[]

The scientists in CERN had glimpse of the Boson by paying so much high price for a ticket

= 1.4Tv (1.4Tela Volt given to the coil = the higher the voltage, magnetic field created has

stronger push to the Proton Particle) acceleration and smashed them together

= resulted to see the artifact of Boson.  (yes, only the Artifact = If you believe, it’s there 🙂 )

= Does the Boson exists only in such condition ? —– A virus might have seen under an expensive

electron microscope, it isn’t necessary they only exists in a chamber of microscope = without

microscope’s image,  they still exists. 😀

If the Boson isn’t exists, all the Particle couldn’t have their Mass = No gravity to

bound them together = World would be just disintegrated and disappear 😀

Trouble is, we = who could be a witness, are also made-up by those particles = we disappear too.

= The effect to have the same Dharma inside of us.

[]

I wouldn’t pretend to understand this level of Nuclear Physics, neither able to guess how

Peter Higgs could predict it on the paper, the existence of Higgs’ Boson which gives the mass to all

the particles should be there yet to be discovered !

—– So, we said to have all the elements of the Standard Model completed. —– ? ? ?

= Does it makes any difference over my life ? —– I don’t think so.

Even if the Standard Model is the ultimate truth, which is governing our existences, it wouldn’t make

any differences for me from a fantasy, useless delusion (sorry, scientists = you were payed to do the

research but I wasn’t = I have no reason to jump and dance with it’s discovery. 😀 )

Even Lord Buddha did ignored such details of the Dharma and left it unknowable.

= Even without having such knowledges, we know, we were still entwined with the Dharma.

= Still the matter for us is how to live the life in the every days front.

= I wouldn’t expect to see Boson in a super market and cook it for tonight’s soup.

Do you aware, the inside of an Apple, it has Boson = without it, it hadn’t fall to the ground hence

Newton couldn’t find the Gravity —– it must be true.  Believe me.

Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

[]

No Sake, neither Garlic ! —– Why not ?

My friend in Japan showed this photo in his blog while describing

scorching hot day over there.

What photographed was a stone-post = regular feature of a Buddhist

temple gate, which says “Kun-shu San-mon ni iru wo yurusazu”

(不許葷酒入山門 = Sake / Alcoholic drink and Garlic kind are forbidden

to be brought in) = It is the notice of the Rules from the Pali Canon,

that the Buddhists have to keep away from the evil acts.

—– Drink Alcohol and eating smelly food typically the Garlic, are

forbidden in the temple —– It is a formal pretense 😀

[]

Despite the Garlic has been long eaten and even used as an herbal medicine (use it

as a poultice to an inflammation = very potent stimulant for blood circulation)

only its pungent smell is its unfortunate nature 😀

—– The hard-core austere in the Tantra Buddhist sect, Gyo-ja (行者) regards Garlic as a potent

medicine (hence, wild Garlic was called Gyo-ja Nin-niku ) to enable him to achieve hard practice in

the mountain. (— so I heard = I haven’t established it with [with and without] kind of objective

repeated research. 🙂 ) — What-so-ever, everybody knows, Garlic is pretty good for our health.

—– So that, may be a smell of the Garlic is a mere pretext, real intention was to

prevent a monk gains his potency and become sexually active. 😀

[]

But funny facts are, even the time of strict Shogun era, the Sake was drunk in a temple only with

the name of Han-nya-tou /般若湯 (Drink of highest wisdom 😀 ) and the wife of the Priest was

called Dai-koku sama / 大黒様 (the name of a divine figure — but in Taoism). = a lots of excuse.

[]

There are interesting parallel between Hinayana Buddhism and Confucianism,

Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism (Laoze).

Both Hinayana and Confucianism set an ideal personality of a man and apply it

with the Rules of Do and Do not.  (= So, Garlic smelled Monk is not very ideal.  😀 )

In comparison, both Mahayana and Laoze says “ Be Natural” = keep away

intentional thinking or imaginary Rules, but live natural and never over do.

(So that, garlic is naturally smelly = What’s wrong with it.   Unless you eat tons of it.  😀 )

Counting Lord Buddha’s teachings in its surface, it could make hundreds of Do and Do not, such

as him in deed forsaken his family and the wife and became a Bhikku. = hence the follower could

copy it = live with no family, no woman etc though, —– think the context of the teachings,

Lord Buddha never accused, or forced anyone to forsake the wife and the child, but simply

pointed out, the Life IS in Samsara = accepted the difficulties to live with family as the default.

Hence, Mahayana accepted the inherent nature of the Life as Karma.  (Try to

impose “ideal type” is just an useless delusion.  Better live in Mushin, as it is.)

(We are born to suffer with the trouble of woman. = It’s a part of joy.    Ha ha ha  😀 )

[]

So, don’t hesitate to eat Garlic. As long as everybody in the family or anybody

near you eat it in the same time, the smell wouldn’t cause any trouble.

And be healthy, fulfilling your potential = make your wife satisfied. Ha ha ha 😀

( Don’t worry this is the Mahayana Buddhism = believe me  🙂 )

___/\___

[]