Flow

An ologist described the 20 century is the first time ever the Buddhism was discovered as its entirety.

In certain extent I can see the point and agree with this.

All the ancient mantras were written as ” Buddha said “ —— and each sect read the certain selection of

mantras as their holy books without questioning or knowing what is the origin or relation to others.

But now, the scholars and researchers who are studying Buddhism, can see all the Buddhism scriptures

in Pali, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Chinese and modern English, German etc  while reading them

in comparison or chronological order.

I’ve read may be only fraction of total volume still, when I read another translation, I realized the more

likely meaning or understanding —— and I went back to the original idea —— if it is common

to all the sect’s, it must be closer to the original teachings, and if it was far-fetched idea it couldn’t be

the Buddha’s own teachings since Buddha didn’t teach educated people but to the ordinary folks on the

street or in the field, it should be based on the common sense.

—— Buddha wanted to save the suffering people not the well off educated.

Regardless whether rich or poor, still human mind and its mechanism is common to everybody and that is

where Buddha started, and gave the deepest insight. 

And those insight is what we can re–discover today as Buddha taught ” Observe it by yourself “.

And it made us even amateurs able to study by ourself in our own way, based on our own life.

( ” Follow the facts you experienced, not the scriptures ”  is also Buddha’s teaching, since

everybody got their own Karma which is unique to the person, hence one’s Nirvana too )

Hence the explosion of the Buddhism / Zen blogging.     And the creation of  Zen blog sphere.

——-

——— I found in the Blog sphere, somebody try to explain the mind in creative front, using the word Flow.

When our mind freely flow without stuck to an idea or things we can be most creative.

Thanks to comprehensive coverage of the observation of human mind and the phenomena, by  Buddhists

it is not difficult to relate this to the Flow of mind and the changing phenomena / nothing stays the same ——

hence a mind, stuck to a moment couldn’t see the truth, it needs the mind of  Mushin / No-mind / Anatman.

——— And in the other spot, somebody explaining the understanding or true meaning of this  No-mind.

As I wrote somewhere in the earliest post, the Buddhism is a way of the Psycho–engineering.

Not just a belief system or religion who is saying ” it might come as the God is there, if you believe” or

a Philosophy which saying ” look in this way —– so,you might able to see it in this way”

BUT  ” As you can actually change your perception / mind to see this, then you will see this”

Buddhism can change you / your life, since it will change your perception / eyes and the mind.

( This is the reason why the same technique has been used for a brain wash ——- but it wouldn’t be too bad

to wash your brain clean and see the world afresh  😀 ——- it looks nicer and more peaceful. 😀

Brain wash implant yet another crocked idea though,  Buddhism leave the cleaned brain to the person

enabling the person to see the world and himself by his clear eyes and make him to decide the way of life)

No-mind / Mushin is the core of the Buddhism teachings, hence it is the hardest part to understand

——– when you understand its meaning in real life, your perception has already changed.

( Your brain has washed ! ! ! )

It may sound strange though, this is the magic of the Buddha’s teaching.

And you may feel even more strange is, it is not to put or learn anything new or fancy idea

but just remove the occupying idea or view from your mind / brain ( hence no–mind or default

state of mind) and create a free blank space which enable you to see or perceive your own idea,

creation,way of life, what-so-ever  in natural  FLOW.

So that, strangely,  it is the most easiest things to do —– as a small child is doing.  🙂

Try it your self —– safe to try it in your home  😀

___/\___

—–

Time of Reflection

When we came to the END of something, season, road, a task or a project even a relation etc etc,

it is the time of reflection. —— WHY ?  on that moment ?

As the task had just completed, ( or the relation has ended ) there is nothing left to think ahead.

So that (as our mind is not necessary accustomed to have blank moment ) our mind was forced to go back

to somewhere we have passed.

We start to think the each moment which we couldn’t forget, not only we have actually done but also

the alternative —— ” It could have done, or If only ——- etc etc.”

As it is literally a hind sight, we can see better way to do it, and different outcome —— hence a

lots of regrets. ——- sound sad isn’t it ?

Why can’t we have the life with no ( well, nothing is perfect though  😀 ) regret.

So, why not to have a moment to sit back and think ——- in advance  🙂

—

We have only one life and only one chance.

We can not repeat the same moment in different way.

This is THE reason why we have to put the full effort to the very moment / each instant.

So that, leaving no regret. ( Well, ——- in theory  😀  )

Unlike the life itself, if it was a small project, such as designing small mechanism or electronic circuit,

if it was not perfect ( or not good enough ) I remake it often from the start. ( why not, this is a feed-back )

Though, the real life is not such simple.  Surrounded by so many factors and the occurrences affecting

the decision or others action of which we ourself has little control.

So, we Buddhists call it as the Karma / Fate, or even the providence of the Dharma.  And, we

accept it as it is and effectively wave the right to contest it.  Its mean, Buddhists have no regret.

Whether it was good or bad if it was given, there is no point to argue.  If it was bad, it’s because myself

didn’t do good enough work and the Karma to back fire ——- yet no point to have a  regret, but we have

to learn and do better next time. ( because, we can not change the past —— only look forward )

So, in my case, the time of reflection is not to have a  regret, but to face the music and laugh.  😀

( Oh, c’mon Yoshizen, what have you done ! ! ! —— Ha ha ha 😀  —— like this )

So, Don’t make your life even more miserable with regret, just laugh at it.

( So, life is Happy —— Honest, believe me.  Ha ha ha  😀  )

___/\___  😀

Life of ONION

I have used a half of this onion few days ago and kept

the rest wrapped in cling-film, left in the fridge.

Then, when I try to use for cooking, the onion has already

started to shoot.  —— m m m ? ? ?

Should I kill her, boiled alive and eat ?

When an organization of conscientious ” Green Piece ”

appealed the conservation of endangered species,

there were thousand of obviously endangered species

in the world, such as White Rhinoceros or Tasmanian Devil

which was really facing real danger of extinction. —— though,

Tasmanian Devil looks really like a devil, far from photogenic.

——–  So, Seal  was selected for a campaign idle. They looks so cute !

Thus able to sell the posters in millions and created huge profit.  Green Peace’s tactics, just exploit the emotion

was a huge success.  The people mobilized and protested, less than half of them did read the factual figure.

Yet still under the pressure of the campaign,  British and Canadian Government banned  Seal hunting which

cost “Green Peace” nothing.  Only the hunter lost their Job.  But the trouble is, those hunter was not the

sports hunter but the native Inuit,  who has been traditionally hunting and eating, surviving on Seal hunting.

And those native people were forced to abandon their way of life and to buy frozen beef from a super market.

Exactly the same way to convert the barbaric natives into “civilized” people — done by the Conquistador,

but this time not by the Christianity but the another ideology or the pretext of so-called  Animal right.

Still this is the main purpose of the campaign, eye-catching, appearing,  BUT  for quick-money soft target.

———-

Now, only  four  Northern White Rhino were left in the whole world.  Literally one stop before total extinction.

What pushed them to face such situation ? — Its their horn.  Rhino horn is the most prestigious ornament to

make a handle for the Arabic ceremonial dagger, and most sought after Chinese medicine.(after Tiger bone)

As the price of one horn is such high, hence able to make so much profit, now the poacher, dealer,

the gang network is even using their own helicopter to chase the Rhino.

Though, unlike poor Inuit hunter,  Arabic or Chinese dealers, their gang networks are very difficult to

deal, even dangerous —– any obstacle for their lucrative business could be even killed.  Its mean for

the conservationist,  it is a bad business. —– Still, the front line conservationists who is acting almost

their own, with their own money are doing incredibly courageous work.

But, big organization is for money —– the matter is “Money rising potential of the topics” not the seriousness,

or a plight of the last remaining few animals.

—-

So, the value of each life is not the same at all. We are drawing very convenient line between each cases.

And we are changing our own stance / principle case by case.  The same person, happen to be a

farther of a baby boy, pay so much attention to the welfare of the baby, and happen to be an active

member of an animal conservationists group, talking about the preservation of such as Wheal  though

putting blind eyes to the Wheal hunting by the fisherman in the Faroe Island, yet campaigning against

the Japanese hunting.  As he needs to rise the fund in the western society, it is easier to bash Japanese.

People putting blind eyes to such as Korean, Chinese are eating the Dog, other than making a joke.

During the Hindu Diwali Festival, many Awls are sacrificed as the offering to their God, (how many Awl left in

this country ?) though nobody ever talked about it. ( the pitfall of cultural / religious alienation / don’t touch)

Even a human life, before 20 weeks of pregnancy, foetus is not regarded to be a human, hence it will be

lawful to operate an abortion.  Yet still, if the pregnant woman was killed, even if it was only few weeks in

pregnancy, the Court see it as a double murder.

——- So, we are having double, treble, multiple standards.  We are the hypocrite in reality.  Therefore,

Don’t pretend to have a Higher Moral Ground.     Don’t preach others, but just do your best.

And never forget, we are in the system of hideous exploitation of other life, which we never able to justify

or wash off the blood stained hand.

——- After few minutes dithering, I chopped poor onion and made a noodle soup for me to survive.

With thanks to the life of onion, not mention the hundreds of wheat grain who has been ground

alive and made to be the noodle.

___/\___

Lost and Found

In many occasions,  we suddenly realized,  Wait a moment where that Thing has gone ?

In my life style, it wouldn’t happen if it is for the daily use.  The item, the thing goes back to exactly

the same position whether it may not necessary be the most ideal place.

Away from the ordinary tool box, strangely a glue-gun and a hair dryer is hanging next to the kitchen

utensils under my kitchen shelf. ——- When I moved in this unfurnished flat, it was before I moved my

possessions from a warehouse storage, I needed to fix something.  So, I brought some tools from the

tool box in the storage.  Unlike hammer or pliers those glue-gun and hair dryer (by the way, this one is not

for my hair but to heat-up or drying the material, and those ladles are to bend the aluminium with its carve

—– they are the  tools for me  🙂 )  having an electric cable,  hence it is easy to hang —– so, they found

a place to hang, and it became their permanent place.

Since, same hardware / tools or materials are in the same

place, the way to do the things, is more or less identical

—— hence it became a routine. —– Its mean I don’t

need to think about each action and only need to

pay attention to a part which is new or different.

You may see on the photo, the cable of the glue-gun or

hair dryer is twisted round its own body —— and the

way to twist round the cable was though out for its

best way round ( —- in fully minded manner  🙂 ),

therefore it is always the same and the plug will come to the most secure exact position.

This practice, place the item always exactly the same position said to be started in the Zen temple

and kept as a Samurai tradition.    Hence a  Samurai was able to respond to a sudden attack, able to

grubb his sward instantly in the total darkness.—— So, it was the iron rules in my family as well.

I was allowed to use my father’s tool, provided me to put it back exactly  the same place, same condition,

and it trained me to memorize where the original position and the conditions were, down to

the minute detail. ( —– Otherwise the teaching would come with a fist  😀  )

——– My photographic memory might have originated from here.

——————–

You may realized now, what I’m talking about is.  This is the Zen.  And the Buddhism. —– in real life.

Zen is not only for a fancy movement of the sword master or incomprehensible  Mondo —– but

in every minute details of the daily life —– to maximize the efficiency and ease of the life.

Then, — Zen ? —– the trouble is not the item in the same place.

Quite often, I buy something strange or fancy, —– might be useful-one-day kind of, such as cheap

Chinese things, toy etc.  As it is not very important and not necessary having  well-defined place ( that is

why it is strange ) I just stashed away somewhere. —— then year later, something bright idea came up,

” Aha, I got That Chinese Toy —– I can use that part of mechanism for this idea ” —— but, where is it ?

Since it didn’t belong to the defined category, it is not in the likely place of its function —– but it might

be placed in the similarity of the shape —– ? ? ?

When we try to think / seek the answer or to find a strange toy (in this case) —– our mind are caught up

to “Likely” direction,  where so-called logical ( but own logic ) thinking is leading.

But in real life, not everything follow the logic.    And not necessary having in the same guise which

I remembered or so-I believed.

The toy might have just dropped behind the box, from where I left it.

Or it may be in a bag, half disassembled.

When we look for something, our eyes (or mind ) is chasing the pattern as our cognitive function works.

The harder we try, we are even deeper caught up with same pattern. —— this is the moment we need

to have open mind.—– NOT concentrate, stop gazing at but take aback, and just to be passive.

Here the paradox again.  The more you looking into, you can not see —– because what you are

looking is what you want to see / your imagined pattern. —– (But how do you know You know it.)

——- Then what I found was, on the corner of my desk, something poking out of a milk-cartoon  was

that Chinese toy upside-down.  Only I didn’t know,  what it looks like the bottom of it upside-down  😀

We need to open our eyes with open mind.  Detached mind can see the world better.   😀

___/\___

—

What is the POINT ?

Somebody who read  Spiritual Sound gave me a question saying

that I’m desecrating the holy spirituality.

On the surface, it may look true.  But it is the main purpose of this DIY  Zen Blogging.

I’m not Desecrating  Buddhism  or any holy belief.

To decipher the mechanism of our mind and invisible psyche in relation to the Zen is

the task what I’m doing and all about this Yoshizen Blog. —— May be I am demystifying the religion.

( I don’t need to indulge  Mythical Dream,  as I’ve been surrounded by too many spooky phenomena.  😀

My task is not pretend to be a kind of medium but to find out the mechanism how it is operating. )

As I wrote in the earliest posts,  the repeating Buddhist’s practice is, in fact, ware-out the mind

and make the practice routine hence make the person able to do it without thinking / in Mushin.

Mushin is a state of mind,  and it is nothing to do with any mythical, glorious religious belief.

To open the mind and the perception completely away from any thought,  we are able to see

and able to know the truth as it is —— is what all about the teaching of Buddha.

To complete his teachings,  Buddha ordered to his disciples  Not idolize him or worship himself ——its

mean, to follow the Buddhist’s teachings, even a notion of Buddha / Buddhism have to be removed.

Because,  Buddha knew it is the pitfall of the teachings —— even a conscious of  I’m a Buddhist or notion

of Buddha would utterly negate the effects of Mushin.

Remove the conscious to be a Buddhist or the name of the Buddha,  is not desecration of the Buddhism.

Since it is the very core of the Buddha’s teachings.

Simply, this is how our mind works.   And this is what the Buddha’s teachings.

——

Buddha taught to remove the own thinkings to attain Mushin, in his explanation, since the basis of

own thoughts = the self is not existing.

To fully understand what Buddha meant took 500 years.  Hinayana Buddhists took this to negate

the self, especially filthy part of it, smelly guts or uncontrollable genitals shouldn’t be there.

Then Mahayana Buddhists realized,  if they shouldn’t be there, why the Dharma gave us in the first place.

(Not to be obsessed with it / Middle way , is a commonsense)

The function and its mechanism of our mind / psyche (dynamics of our subconscious) was designed

or given by the Dharma, and it has been refined and refined (evolved) in past billions of years.

Exactly in the same context to see the effects of the repeating practice,  I described the effects of

the incomprehensible hi-pitched tone —— it makes our mind puzzle and open the mind.

I didn’t ask anybody to listen Hi-pitched tone or Mozart Miserere.  I’ve just shown what is the effect of

us to open the mind and the perception. —– then you might able to touch spiritual world.

Whether this spiritual world is sacred or holy mythical world, is in your belief / Mind —– but

as the paradox of Buddhism is here, as long as you cling its idea, you can not see it.

___/\___

—

Spiritual Sounds

While ago I talked about the sounds which gave us a spiritual feeling.

In there, I wrote ” Something slowly moving continuous rather hi-pitch tone make us feel spiritual.”

And long time ago, when I talked about J.S.Bach and Baroque music —– not melodic but continuously

changing polyphonic sound makes our brain to stop thinking / abandon the thinking process =

attempt to figure out what this sounds mean ——- is good for the Zenist to empty the mind.  😀

——–

Unlike a visual signal, sound signal is a basic stimulus, goes directly into the subconscious.

If you encountered a scene in a huge Buddhist Temple, hundreds of monks chanting a Mantra in unison,

( I’ve listened it at Eihei-ji and Daitoku-ji.  You may find a recordings of Tendai-shormyo of  Enryaku-ji )

you might have felt its low voice is more of a demonic and gave awesome impact to your perception.

The Gregorian Chant in a monastery gives similar feelings but the sound is less demonic.

Then somebody suggested, how about the Gospel Song ? ——- Those musics are surely Religious but

not necessary sound spiritual as its use of normal voices range and the meanings of words’ limit the mind

to be open. One of rare exception might be the back-ground hi-pitch humming of a Gospel group Take6.

(In  purely sound term, not the connotation of the songs).

————————

When we hear roar or beating drone like low sound, it resemble the sound of earth before an eruption

of volcano or a big predator / lion, tiger etc,  we feel a fear ( instinctively ). ( Huge fearsome body

never chirp, as the resonance of big body cavity is pretty low / earth’s magma chamber is huge  😀 )

So that the lower sound is the sign of larger and more powerful body,  hence used to appeal to the female

who is seeking stronger gene —— from flog to golilla.  (and some human as well  😀  )

Since the lower roaring sound gives the feeling of awe and  hi-pitch slow-moving tone gives

spiritual feeling, the religious organ music utilising those effect very effectively in its three-part

polyphonic composition.

So,  why hi-pitch tone (when its sound slowly moves but not too melodic way) gave us spiritual feelings ?

Try this by yourself now. —– Make high-tone on your mouth, pieeeee —– then, booooo —– you must be

noticed, high-tone resonate in your head / nose cavity,  but low sound resonate in your lung cavity.

Lower base sound shake your body,  but hi-tone hit your head / brain though, if the sound is not

comprehensible —– not a whistle of train or alarm sound, nor soprano song —— something unknown

but as it keep hitting the brain,  we just open the perception and we were nailed down just to listen.

As we couldn’t figure it out, our confidence in our ego melt away, and the mind evaporate into air.

With completely open mind and the naked perception, we started to feel, something is there.

You are standing on the edge of spiritual world.

—

Just open the perception / mind, and become totally passive without attempting to give

any own thought / thinking,  is nothing but the state of Mushin in the Buddhism.

Of cause, Hi-pitched tone itself has no spirituality, it was just happened to be a typical sample

to make us feel the uncertainty which forced to open our mind / key to see the function of our mind.

And this key is showing us, No-thinking/No-mind/Mushin is the pathway toward the spirituality.

Buddha, in his ultimate wisdom, decipher this phenomenon and gave the explanation. 

What beyond there is, the Dharma. —— As everybody can be hit by this spiritual sound,

its indicates the fact, everybody has its perception, and the Dharma is not beyond the sky, but

in front of us.  In fact we ourself is a part of it, that’s why everybody got this perception.

Unlike the Gregorian Chant of Gospel Song which needs to know beforehand and learn what it is,

the perception toward the spirituality is inherent to all the human,  Buddhism is teaching how to open

the perception/mind, and see the Dharma through its practice. ( without listening a hi-pitch tone  😀  )

—— still, one of the Zen sect Fuke-shu use the sound of Shakuhach / Bamboo pipe  to reach  Mushin.

—— ( though, to master this instrument is as hard as to get enlightenment ). ( Still, sound is good  😀 )

In fact, to some people, it is not necessary a hi-pitch tone, but it can be a sound of the running water,

wave sound of the sea, wind through the tree  though, those sound sources are surrounded by too many

visual signals too.  We may not able to just listen the sound of wave —— mind might be destructed

by a passing nice Bikini Bottom.    ( Ha ha ha  😀  —– In fact, Bottom is a part of the Dharma, so, nothing

wrong with it though, if the mind was stuck with it, it break off the  Mushin and stray away.

You can deal with it in Mushin,  but on a bed,  not on the beach.   Ha ha ha   😀 )

—— Still, once got know how, it can be done in any way.

Just open the mind and perceive the Dharma.  ( People describes this as Meditation )

___/\___

—-

Return of Chilean Miner

The return of Chilean Miner is one of the most extraordinary story in resent human history.

It was an exceptional raw human endurance, and the typical technological solution of today.

( I have no idea, how to drill a hole into solid granite and hit the target 2,000 feet away.  What sort of

guiding / detecting system, technology there.  When Doctor insert a probe through blood vessel, he can

see it by X-ray image, even in 3D.  Though, can Radar does the same function towards under ground ? )

That is why the Chileans are so proud of its achievement. ” We can do this “.

In Buddhist’s view it was also the proof of that the Buddha’s insight was bang right.

——- You might say, no, they are the devoted Catholic that’s why God saved them.

I’m talking  not about their God,  but the Universal Dharma / fundamental nature of Human Psyche.

Even though,  their motivation to go down the notorious hell mine is derived by the better money

than the other safer mine,  in other words greed and the ego,  yet still,  if they couldn’t overcome

much more fundamental ego / survival instinct / fear of the death = negation of the self,  they

couldn’t go down to the hell in the first place.

Without this State of Non-self /  Anatman, they couldn’t keep the discipline / diligently follow their

leader / foreman and managed to keep peace in the utterly desperate condition.

If they were just greedy egoist,  there could be easily the fight over the food ( can you imagine, just

one spoonful of tuna fish per day,  under the utterly uncertainty of the fate, for 17 days ).

If , Survival of Fittest was the rule, some of them, much stronger than the leader, could have broken off

and took all the food only for them —— but no such fight occurred.

They had accepted the fate,  there could be the possibility of all of them may die, one by one,  still

without fallen into the madness facing the coming death,  play together and kept Hope

—– waited, and waited, —— 17 days ! ! !

This is nothing but the typical sample of the  Buddhism Paradox / The one

who survived was the one who accepted the death. Non-self is really the key of the survival.

And the Non-self was the foundation of the charity / kindness / compassion —— so, they helped

weakest, and  ALL 33 survived together and came out the hell.

It was not the Dharma helped them.

They followed and kept the rules of the Dharma / they are the Dharma.

( You may say,  why non-Buddhist could know and follow the Dharma —– Dharma is the universal Rule

therefore it rules every body, and all the human being has it in them, whether a person aware of it or not )

Congratulation.

___/\___

—

Poor Nature (2)

Last night, something was creeping up on my leg, inside

of trouser.—- M m m ?

I slapped it over the trouser. —— What came out and

dropped on the floor was a wasp. (By the way,  I didn’t

know, the wasp here is so hairly. —– Click photo to see )

I realized, I’ve just killed a queen wasp who seemed to seek

a place to hide and wait the next spring.

I can guess, inside of my trouser must be warm and good

place to hibernate —— though —— ? , its not very

convenient place for me at all.

——— Still, it could have created a beautiful story

” A  Zen Buddhist kept sitting, in order not to disturb a wasp sleeping inside of his trouser,

and waited the next spring “ —— how heart warming nice story.  😀

Don’t be jokey,  I’m a convicted notorious potato killer and terminating the life potential of 40~50 Kg of

onion etc every year.  I’m not such generous warm-hearted existence.  I’m living on the sacrifices of

millions of another lives,  not mention the billions of germs came into my body and encountered

the T-cell in my white blood.—— I wouldn’t pretend to be any special noble creature with sweet words.

I’m just an another life in the food chain and the minute part of the Dharma in this world.

——————–

Long time ago I read a story ” A Jain holy man offered himself to a tiger and eaten by the tiger”—– ? ? ?

Was he intentionally walked into a forest to meet a tiger on purpose ? —— I quite doubt of it.

And when he was attacked,  was there any another choice, otherwise not be eaten ?

I don’t think so neither.  Even holy man was just a part of the Dharma.  To the eyes of tiger he was just

another play —— yet as a story, we can make up anything sound nice.

——

Anyhow, see the season (as the rest of wasps are dead already) and her body size, it must be a queen.

Its mean, not just a wasp, I’ve terminated her potential whole family. (and her ancestors as well)

But the question is, —— why she choose to sneak into my trouser ?   There must be somewhere

another warm corner in my flat.  She should know, such place was the last place to choose ?

Or am I smelly —— smell of flower ?    I don’t think so.  😀

Unlike blood sucking female mosquito, most insects avoid to encounter animals —— so, was she

thought I’m a kind of furniture ?  Am I  😀

Anyhow, to an unfortunate queen wasp, peaceful Nirvana for her. (I hope, she didn’t leave

a marker to branding me as a public enemy of wasp and make them to attack me next season  🙂  )

—— While I was editing this, on the other side of the world in Chilean desert, last one of 33 miners

came out from the 2000 feet deep mine. —— one small life ended here, yet 33 men were survived.

Congratulation. Viva Chile. 🙂  ( It was an extraordinary story but not just a story.  It was the fact )

___/\___

____

PS :

Following the previous Post, there was some exchange of opinion in Emails.

And this is the extract  in which,  I found,  it is highlighting the point of

” How to make a perfect music piece which will hit the guts of others “

————-

Though, important point is, —- What  are the guts.

Everybody got more or less the same guts, having it

tens of thousands of years.

Its mean, what will hit it, has been tried and sorted out

spending thousands of years of time, by millions of people.

That is how most of the culture in the world came to

have pentatonic —– same conclusion.

The reason is, it was written in the Dharma. ( Ref; Harmony

in Dharma )

And the guts is ruled by the Dharma, not by one’s brain.

Deviate from the Dharma, yet make perfect one is hard,

if not impossible. ——–

—–

Equidistant Tonal system was perfected in the time of  J.S. Bach, though it has been only utilized for

the convenience of key-tone change.   And its use became universal, despite of the existence of some

discord (which has been simply avoided to occur as Taboo, by the composer.)

So that,  Arnold  Schoenberg is the first one to fully explore the musical possibility of its system.

But, big but, do you or anybody on the street, ever listen, let alone remember his music ?

Some (very rare person, may be a student / ex-student in classic music) may say

“How about his organ music [ The Ascension ] it is spiritually very striking isn’t it ?”.

I can agree, its sound very spiritual though,  as I wrote in ” Blank Space ” it is because of slow-moving,

continuous high tone, which is vague and undefinable,  hence our brain abandon to define its

meanings,  then start to feel  ” Something Unknown there”.

This very feeling, “abandon to impose own thinking, and leave the Mind open” is happen to be

the same to Buddhist’s Mushin —— we describe it  Spiritual.——- All of us share more or less

the same perception and the same guts.  Simple  😀

—– So, departing  from the tradition, and explore complete freedom in sound making,  is a good attempt,

though,  better not forget, we and yourself are still within the Dharma’s  rule.

Other’s guts is under this Dharma too, so that better chose the direction accordingly.

( The Expression —– which is also common with others, mean Communicable, has to be

emanated from own guts” Blank Space ” too —— not from the thinking or technical possibility )

Please read the Post ” Freedom in Restriction “. (Under a category [Music] )

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Life to be Artists

I’ve received a question from a keen reader of this blog / Jaganathan, who is

creating / developing  fancy program of creating even fancier sound, out of computer.

————

anyway id like your thoughts or a blog post 🙂 Why do many artists end

up depressed, do drugs, kill themselves.  And how to keep doing good

work irrespective of whether it is a success or failure.  How do

continue doing sincere work even if nobody gives a sit.

—————–

In anyone’s life,  to see what is the success, having many facets —— Financial ?, Social recognition ?,

Historical importance ?, Personal Pride and Confidence ?, Made people happy and became local Hero ?

All those may satisfy the ego.  But in reality, before think about success, most acute needs are to survive.

—-

When I finished hi-school and chose the direction and Uni’, I hated to go to science and technology side

as I didn’t want to be enslaved by the technology —– I’ve applied to Art College.  Though I was told by

the member of  Alpine Club in that College  “Want to become Sculptor ?  Oh no, even studied in here,

its impossible to live on the sculpture.  You may end-up an art teacher in a junior school or a craftsman

making dummy for the shop” —– What a hopeless situation. I gave up and next year I went to a Uni’

where we don’t need to fix the direction / Faculty / Major  for the first year —– then end up to take

Sociology by accident.  Before apply the Art College, an art teacher told me ” The success rate of

top Art College ( Where I wanted to go) is about 50%, and the other would be less than 10% ”  here

success mean, able to live / survive on the skill or the art which was studied in the college.

This was the time, Art was the traditional Art, long before such as Conceptual  Art became main stream.

Art is a very subjective commodity.   Commodity mean, the objects which can be sold and owned.

Though, when the type of art, and the educational direction has changed to the Pure Art and a theory

of Conceptual Art, sellable art became the dirty word as it is Commercial / Crafty, to live on

the Art become even harder. Who want to buy a pile of dung / (said to be) conceptual art installation. 😀

——- So, the question of Jaganathan is a little bit out of time or not a kind of the matter to rise a question.

Depressed, infested by Drug, kill oneself or even kill others —– may not be anything unusual.  😀

Even worse, as the art education is aiming to the concept, not the skill, actually no skilled useless persons

were flooded to the labour market ( it include the Media study as well).

Under such situation, if any artist want to have satisfying life should better take Buddhist’s paradox.

Forget success, forget recognition, forget financial reward and just make own art —– but perfect one.

Perfect Art would hit the guts feeling of the others. It impress the people and make their mouth shut.

——- so-called success will follow. ( But, as long as the one is hoping and expecting the day will come, with

ego and greed there will be no perfect art or success. —— in this aspects, Dharma is very harsh )

So that, so-called  Positive thinking, or Keep your hope live etc etc are all but just the sweet words.

The Buddhist Mushin is the very strict term, if not perfect, it would be all in vain.

If Jaganathan is developing new program, if it is exciting enough, he could be absorbed into its work,

he couldn’t be disturbed by useless thought —— its mean, he needs to make his work interesting,

important enough —– here, crucial inspiration, key idea which he may get it in the Blank Space

may become decisive factor.  So, to see its new idea, in complete open mind / Mushin holding the key.

( Here, chicken and the egg,  Exciting project absorbs person’s mind and make him into Mushin, though

to get exciting idea need to have Mushin —– shut up, just start.    Ha ha ha. 😀 )

——- So, how about, take a walk, —— Do a Walking Zen and get Mushin first  🙂

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