Active / Passive MUSHIN
You may feel this is a strange advice, though, as there are many contradictions in the Buddhism,
such as the basic attitude to be a Buddhist is, never interfere somebody else’s life, since everybody has
one’s own Karma. You have to respect this.
Though this notion may seemed to contradict the Buddhist’s duty to help others ———— What duty ?
——-Who said so ? There is no such duty in the Buddhism as you heard or thinking about.
When you encounter the troubled situation, if you think ” Shall I help ? ” it is not for you to mess up.
But, if you start to help ( the person(s) or even a cat ) spontaneously without any thought, this is
the situation you have to act. (To encounter such situation is the cross-point of the two Karma)
Without your thinking ( = MUSHIN ), somebody’s cry touched your subconscious direct and
trigger your action. ——– This is the Buddhist compassion. And the Direct Transmission.
Not because of so-called DUTY, but Compassion is naturally there as a manifestation of Dharma.
( Duty, Compassion, Selfless, Mushin, Enlightenment ETC ECT are all just the words and the human invention.
Dharma and its compassion is here from the beginning, long long before human existence. Otherwise
a single cell life-form in the primeval sea could NOT survived and kept evolved to us here today )
——————–
Mushin is not only for the time when you Do. Mushin is also for when you see or feel the world
( include to see deep inside of yourself ). So that in Mushin, you can see, you can hear the Dharma.
Therefore active Mushin and in the same time Passive Mushin is there.
——————–
If you having a conscious of ” I’m helping ” ——- in fact, you are only filling your ego and arrogant show-off,
which void all of your ” Good intention “.
” Good intention ” may praised in other religions but it is not in the Buddhism.
Because the Dharma is not in the one’s intention.
Dharma tells you or even without notice, make you, drive you to help others.
That’s why the Duty is there as not there. (Hence, it was not such contradiction described above )
And ” Was that you who helped the others “——– or may not you, as you even didn’t have a conscious
of helping ——– so, you were there as you were not there.
———- This is the magic of the Buddhism.
This phenomenon couldn’t be explained with the Vedic ( Brahmanism / Hindu ) idea of the Atman, and
this is the very discovery of Buddha, ——- hence this is uniquely the Buddhism.
—— /\—— 🙂
WOMAN womam !
I’ve encountered a woman at somebodies’ birthday party who questioned me, why the Buddhism
discriminate the women and keep them in the lower lank in the hierarchies.
It’s an awkward question.
My explanations ” There was no such thing in the time of Buddha, as there was no organized system of
ranking his followers, and the seniority who has learned longer and knows deeper was obvious,
regardless the gender ” —— Though, this woman who said to be practicing ” – – – something, never
heard of kind of meditation” was so tenacious, saying “Even a woman who achieved the high enough
level of enlightenment, still been recognized lower than the male and couldn’t be ordained to the same
rank as the male counter part etc etc. ”
As the matter of fact, I rather liked to just shut my mouth and ignored the question though, this woman
just keep repeating the question and push and push, and unlike the Great Buddha, my silence didn’t
hit the world like a thunder. ( Ha Ha Ha 😀 )
——————–
The matter was too obvious, It is not my business. And I don’t think it is her business neither.
Somewhere some sect administrate the way of their organization in their own rules,
it is their problem. (if any at all ) If anyone doesn’t like it, just go to another sect.
Obviously this woman is arguing the matter which is not what she is facing herself, in other words,
she is arguing the matter which is only in her knowledges, the thinkings. And talking an injustice of
discrimination in social recognition of the one’s achievement in her assumption. Not in her reality.
———- Unfortunately, the starting point of this woman was hopelessly wrong.
Buddhism is not a cooperate system to organize the people in bureaucratic hierarchies, therefore
expecting to receive high-ranking etc is not the Buddhism, but the one’s ego and the greed.
Invested the money to the speculation of the land, but as the bubble collapsed and couldn’t get the profit.
Though, before complain the lost profit, think own greed expected to grub the money with dubious scheme.
———- I really wonder, what sort of Buddhism this woman was imagined of. Instead to find the peace,
she created a discord in her mind, which is not even her business and only exist in her knowledge.
The one’s enlightenment is not given by the organization of sect, but gained by the person oneself.
Attending the sect’s talking shop, which chair to sit is not the matter at all. The person, just sit on
the floor comfortably, without any dithering, is in fact sitting closest to the enlightenment.
And I’m sure, when the founder of THAT sect had encountered a woman of this kind, who was just filled
with ego, still insisting ” I’ve achieved and gained the understanding of Buddhism”
the founder must be amazed and fed up to argue with her.
After so many years of study and the practice and achieved to gain so much so ” Knowledges” still able to
maintain so much so ego and the greed,
the founder must come to the conclusion ” They are the hopeless” ( I guess )
So, after ” The historical woman’s right fighter ” the sect changed their rules, it was the unfortunate history
in a corner of the Buddhism sphere.
In the Buddhism Paradox, the Dharma prevails to the one who achieved the perfection without
asking the return. ( in other word, in Mushin —– or so-called Selflessness )
CYBER SPACE — (and Z80 mini-computer)
It is 25 years since Dot Com was first created, and 20 years since WWW was invented.
One of my old colleague, Camera Critics, Kazuo Taira was one of the pioneer of the PC networking, using
acoustic telephone modem and he organized the Photographer’s Computer Network in Japan.
It’s shame Mr.Taira is no longer with us. Unfortunately we in the creative field tend to lose the friends who
tend to be a heavy drinker. ( Do you know, the average life-span of Rock musicians are 38 something,
of cause it may not caused by the alcohol alone )
And since then, our lives are more and more entwined with the Computer and the Internet.
Nearly 20 years ago, I made a small computer using Z80 CPU,
designed from the scratch. ( Left Photo)
( I would say, it’s a half sculpture, half computer )
Its operates on only 10 MHz clock speed and having 512 Kb memory,
which needs to be programmed by Machine Code.
—– In electronics, to design and to build is one thing and
to make it works is the another.
Eliminate all the glitches and instability etc etc are the hard part.
—– As the definition, computer operates on the data in the
memory, once the memory was corrupted, it needs to re-program from the start.
( It was the time of UV erasable memory, before easy to re-program Flash-memory )
After this experience, I became a computer skeptic ” Computer can make mistakes ” hence, even now
I don’t use Credit Card and I rather like to use hard-wired design, not soft control.
In this reason, I honestly admire the person who can design and manufacture a 10 GHz device which works
in any environment reliably.
——————–
In another side of the revolution, the Internet is becoming almost a monster, and the Necessary Evil.
Since I started to use Email, I wrote very few letters which needed to be a signed evidence.
—– The trouble of Net is their intrusive activities. As everybody knows, Google / Gmail is
watching our use of web and the contents of communications word by word. ( Cookies, hidden files etc)
When I heard about Facebook, I instantly felt their dubious nature ” Why do they need to have so much
detailed personal information ? “—– obviously they are the salable commodities.
Without having such profitable return, what is the point to provide free service.
Personal info’ used to be sold to the marketing / direct mail company before. Now the Internet provider,
social networking site are the Marketing/ Advertising/ Direct-mailing/ Delivery Service All-in-one.
(When I got an Email from one of our Old-boy telling, he has reached to the grand age, the Ads on right hand
column are all cheap Funeral service and the international flower delivery — Great, thank you very much :-D)
So that from the beginnings I didn’t use my real name to open Email account, and never sign up the
Website which asks Date of Birth. ( Still, now Yahoo knows my DOB, obviously from the content of
the mail between me and my friend. )
With full name and the DOB, the one can hack-in and get the information of National Health, and
together with the Address, it is possible to access the Banking information.
——————–
To live in peace, we have to be aware ” We are in the battle field ” which the Buddhists call Samsara.
With technology and the Internet, we opened the Pandora’s Box. It’s a funny situation, as in the Informations
we are becoming almost naked, in the same time our contact itself becoming even more indirect.
Just by the chain of characters on the screen, a 30 years guy pretending as a 15 years old boy, chatting
with a 40 years woman who pretending 13 years old girl. —– Yuck, how beautiful, 😀
——————
Zen rely on the Direct Transmission, still what I’ve been trying here, is the triple, quadruple indirect
communications. In order to type, I converted my feeling to the lingual form, and express it in the
bloody English, which typed chain of ASCII code traveled through unknown node here and there and
end up —– how do I know where.
As I thought, I never met Buddha himself, or I have any idea , how many times the Mantra was translated
or re-written, and 2500 years apart, someone try to reach the same conclusion as Buddha,
( in the point of indirectness, this is the far-most remote situation )
still, if its works, a talk to others through Internet may works too.
Thats what I’m thinking.
[]
Starting Point of BUDDHISM / Enlightenment
Well well well, this blog is coming to exactly the one year since its started.
So, I should write something very fundamental. This is the final piece of the jig-saw.
——————–
Unlike any another religion, the Buddhism doesn’t have a myth or the story of the creation.
Since, long before the existence of the human being, long long before the arrival of Buddha,
the Dharma exist from the beginning. Nobody know why. ( Ask scientists. They don’t know neither. 😀 )
As Buddha had absolute faith and the respect to the Dharma, he refused to give even his
interpretation of it, since it is unknowable to the human being and made up a story is
nothing but a disrespect and a treachery to the Creator / Dharma.
Therefore the Buddhism has to start from here “to unconditionally accept the one’s existence ( as he
or she ) as it is, and to see own existence as a part of the Dharma”.
Therefore, to give a person’s own interpretation as a thought of the self, is nothing but an arrogant trespass.
Since, the self is not definable by the person but only by the Dharma.
——————–
If anybody having an understanding, that the Buddhism deny the self, it is utterly wrong.
A person here is the Noble creation of the Dharma, hence, try to give own interpretation or definition of it, is
a transgression, therefore such thought has to be denied. ——– (Denying the thought of self, not
the awareness of the self itself) ——- In metaphor, ” Appear in person, not by a photograph ”
(a Copy or Made up Description is not Yourself / its your wishful or distorted imagination)
The person’s Imaginary Self is a delusion, its got to be in flesh as it was created and it is keep changing.
So that, to live as the True Yourself, not as an imaginary fixed self, is the key.
And this is the meaning of ” To live in MUSHIN ” and Just Do It, Just Live.
So, this is the starting point of the Buddhism, and its goal. ( Very simple and easy isn’t it 😀 )
———- This is the reason, why it is so simple and ubiquitous like as a dog sit, but as difficult as
making the people puzzling 2500 years. ( People has been expecting to see glorious secret, Holy Grail 😀 )
As long as a person is puzzling, while expecting to find something over there, it is not the Buddhism and
far away from the Enlightenment. Enlightenment is within yourself——- as where the Dharma is.
And when the person abandoned such attempt and start to just live ——- is the Enlightenment.
——————–
But, to learn the way to accept and just do it, the person may need to practice repeating practice.
( I’ve fully explained its effect and the psychological mechanism in the past blog posts —–Please refer them )
KILLING
According to the news on a asian radio, in a corner of India, there was a serial killing of the children, and
a couple who is desperate to conceive a baby was suspected for its killings, as the (religious ?) belief says,
” To conceive a baby, it needs to kill 11 children “.
? ? ? —— this is 21st century. If this kind of belief is still held among the people even now, it is
no wonder, why Buddha needed to utter ” There is no such things of the dead person’s soul. Once
the person died, it is the final, hence it is the Nirvana ” Dead children can’t contribute anything
to the conception, since they are dead.
In the Buddhist’s eyes, it is obvious if anybody committed such killings, it will boomerang back,
——— completely opposite of happy conception.
This is what the Karma mean. And this is a simple human commonsense.
“
ANGER
I saw some Blogs about the control of Anger or lack of it.
Thinking about the anger, I don’t remember when I had the opportunity to have one myself last time.
Once I learned how the life is having so many facets or multiple layers, I became aware how it is
useless to react on the surface situation and get angry. ( It seems, in my deep psyche I have
reprogrammed to see the cause of anger “As a repulsive object” and not want it to occupy my mind
even a fraction of a second——- it disappear instantly. So, NO anger bothered my mind ! )
In this rotten world, the expected angry reaction was often exploited to make up a pretext.
It is the usual tactics of the provocation often used by the Police, even by the Court.
——————
When I proceeded an utterly fraudulent case in the High Court, the Judgment made by the so-called
Lord Justice ( in fact it was a circuit Judge ) was utterly a fraud. Though it was not surprise to me as I had
smelled it beforehand, so, when I heard it I grinned and made ” I beg your pardon ” with funny voice.
———- I knew, if anybody exploded with anger, the Court can use it as a pretext to make an Order
to ban the person to appear the Court in further proceedings. ( I took the proceedings as a Litigant
in Person / without the Lawyer —– while studying the English Law over night )
So that to get angry was not an option at all, even though I was utterly disgusted.
During the proceedings the Statutory Right was blatantly violated and the Judgment was completely
against the Expert Evidence. It was ” the case never heard of before in 250 years English Legal History ”
kind, so that, when I proceeded to the Court of Appeal, the President of the High Court ( as one of the
three Lord Justice ) needed to come out to suppress and white wash the scandal. ( Very very Funny 😀 )
In order to block the Appeal, High Court issued an Order ” Order of no Order” first ever in the history
which arrived on the day of the dead-line to lodge the Bundle of Document for the Appeal Court.
Even though it was just a piece of paper, as one Order was not incorporated in the chronologically paginated
Documents, the Bundles became defective, and the Appeal could be out of time. Though as it was too
obvious tactics, I applied the extension of the time. ( Of cause they can’t refuse it, as it is the Law )
( BBC Joshua Rosenberg knew this case, Chanel-4, all the broad sheet News Paper, the Liberty,
Amnesty Int’, Lord Chancellor’s Dept’ even the then PM John Major did know this case, but did nothing )
The Court must be expected me to leave the country together with all the indicting documents. But, since
it was the first ever the case in 250 years history, it is the imperative to let the world to know. Its my duty.
——————-
I could have been perfectly entitled to explode with anger hundreds of times, though it was a part of
the game which the other side and the Court were waiting to see ——- it’s mean, it was exactly the
last thing of me to do and anyhow, no time left me to indulge with unproductive emotion..
( So, the President of the ” Honourable Ancient Court of Justice” needed to say “It is not necessary for me
to go into the details of the Evidence” ——— of cause he never able to go into the Evidence as it was
completely opposite. Ha Ha Ha 😀 ) (When Appeal was lodged and the fact was known to the Judiciary,
High Court Judge Dobry was retired at once, and I haven’t heard the name of the President Stephen Brown
again—— gone to obscurity ? Seemingly, it was the measure to sweep the scandal under carpet ).
——————–
Zen never follow Emotion, so, no anger, but just follow the duty. The matter here was not the passing
Emotion but the continuous Fight which require tenacious effort and resilient mentality. (It’s wrong to presume
the Buddhist got to be soft touch, easy Let Go people. Look, Dalai Lama, he kept vigorously fighting even now )
——————–
If anybody having the trouble to control own anger——- try, just separate the eye point and watch
yourself as an objective object from the distance ( visualize an image or caricature of yourself )
From the distance, you may able to see the situation much wider——- the cause, how it’s happened
and the consequence, the effect of the anger in its issue —— and learn ” It wouldn’t change anything
but make the situation even worse “.
Soon or later, you will get tired to see own caricature, and loose the passion to get angry.
Anger is in fact the assertion of the Ego, when the person encountered the gap between the own
expectation or self-imposed rule or standard ——- in other words, the person’s authority.
Then the person should make the question, ” Do I have such authority ? Am I such Big and Powerful ? ”
Though, if the person has strong confidence, he ( she ) doesn’t need to have the assertion, ie; it is the
sign of insecurity. Here the Paradox of the Buddhism again. The one who detached from the Ego
has the strongest confidence, therefore doesn’t need to get angry. Feel strange ?
( If there is no Ego, there will be nothing to lose. ——– Most courageous action could be taken )
Right Hand ZEN
Because of I can detach my Mind from anything instantly, and as it is my daily norm, I’ve been using the word
Detachment too often and too casually. ( In my extreme sample, I managed to detach even from toothache,
so, in consequence I lost almost all of my teeth, since I don’t take any artificial treatment or medication
( no pain killer ) ——– though, it was a part of my experiment to see the Life / how it was originally designed,
such as how the built-in internal clock is working.
—– I wouldn’t recommend this to anybody. ——( its painful you know 😀 )
——————–
So, anyone to start the DIY Zen, I recommend an easy trial of practice to learn the Detachment.
*** For a man, when you walk on the street, put your eyes to only the right hand of the coming woman,
never look on her chest.
*** For a woman, put your eyes only on the right hand of the man, never look on his body part between
the legs. Keep the same rule, when you sit in the train or where ever you are.
*** When you broke this rule, shake your head and think ” What a lewd person I am “.
Do this until this practice became your custom. Your determination / take this as the imperative is clucial.
( But, DO NOT mistake this, you don’t need to give up your sexual life, this practice is about your
eye movement, when you are out. ———–Please refer to * Funny Story (1) )
After this, you may amazed yourself, even a supposed to be uncontrollable sexual interest can be tamed.
Once you are convinced, you can make another rule and Do It, such as a thing which may upset you,
don’t look or take notice. Even if it came into your eyes, shake head and think ” I didn’t see ” and never
let its image or memory remain in your head. (so, you can keep yourself peaceful )
——- When you master this, you may understand why in Buddhism an expression such as ” Exist as
it is not exist ” was used. —— You know it is exist there (definitely ) but it is no longer exist as before and
no longer bother you.
——- Its mean you have crossed the river and once you reached there, even huge F size wouldn’t
excite you any longer ( it became mare one of land scape ) hence it is harmless, you may watch 1000 of them
without having any trouble. This is the State of JIZAI.
But, you can’t jump to JIZAI. You have to start from scratch. ——- Walk your eyes down.
Really ? ? ?
The previous post NATURE and NURTURE may seem convincing in theory, though it has fundamental flaw.
It was a typical sample of a theory made by thinking for the Sake of Theory.
It is true in principle but not necessary applicable in lots of the cases, because the genetic trait which
makes the person’s feature, especially like in the male’s case, not everything is on the Y- Chromosome.
And the work of Fox Gene, which ” activate this one but not that one ” is unpredictable.
( In the identical twin’s case, even Fox Gene works identical )
——————–
I have two brothers, so, three of us should have the identical Y- Chromosome, still all three are quite different,
except the voice.
Funny story here is, when each boy was born, my parents did know Who this boy is and Would become.
And each of us were given each name according to each Karma.
The eldest brother was born to be a literal academic type of person, so that he was given his name after
an ancient Chinese Kingdom. Second brother was born to be a man of skill and got the name after the
12 century Sculptor who carved many Buddhism Devine Figures.
And I got my name, one of letter after a famous Samurai Lord and another letter from the great Shogun,
but in Chinese pronunciation it sound like a name of a monk.
——————
Our Paternal grandfather was a well known Calligrapher as well, but Maternal side grandfather was a
highly skilled Cabinet Maker. So that it seemed, eldest brother inherited Paternal gene trait and second
brother received maternal side of trait. And I seemed to have half and half of both trait.
Eldest brother became to an expert in foreign languages and he was a Professor in a University.
Second brother didn’t like the school, but became a mastery of many skills and even built his three story
house everything by himself. ———– And here I am. ( as a strange mix 😀 )
It is true, three of us became more like father when we got older, still each other is a different type.
Yet the life or Karma is really expressed in each name. ——- how my parents could know it, is really amazing.
In the theory of Chinese Ichin ( part of the Tao-ism ), a person’s name is the defining factor of the fate.
So that each name creates the person’s life —— its idea is just other way round of the Buddhist Karma.
As the Chinese spent thousand of years observation to establish the theory of Ichin, my mare 60 years
knowledge is too little to argue with it. ——– So, mystery remain.
(You may feel it is a mystery though, ” Who the person is and his (her) Karma ” is appeared in the line
on the palm which is already on the new born baby’s hand . My Mother might have found from there.)
Foot Note for LIFE’s DOMAIN
In the script of LIFE’s DOMAIN, the words of the Monk who gave me a small cloth was not clear.
Translation I’ve put there was not exact. The actual words “Isshyo ga, koko ni aru no wo O-wasure naku ”
Koko = Here may even mean Here = Eihei-Ji Temple, not on the cloth.
I’ve translated Isshyo = whole-life to ” the time span to remember this ” by its implication.
” Remember, whole life is here ” or ” Remember, the life is in here, for whole of your life” ——- ?
What ever the truth, it was the typical sample of ” Think it by Yourself “
——————-
To take the significance of such somewhat patronizing words, which might have told just for a formality,
is the matter to be a Buddhist. Anyone can just sway and ignore such words.
But some others may takes its full blunt of weight whole-heartedly, and think about its deep meanings.
———- See the hidden meaning of the phenomenon or the words, and take it beyond its
superficial meanings, or take its implication to own existence or humankind in general, is the matter of
the person’s Spirituality. ( or being nuts or paranoia 🙂 )
Spirituality is not a pretense and hung a Crystal on the neck, but able to see the significance and its
deep meaning behind whole-heartedly.
——— Of cause, there can not be any practical implication of the life on the foot square space, but
Spiritualy it carries heavy meanings, which remind us to aware who we are, and who we
should be. —– It is the matter to know how we are humble and small ——– in reality.
——————–
To be a Buddhist is not a matter to chant few words for a day, but the attitude and the mind-set to see
the life ( and its details ) in full intensity, whole-heartedly.
On the beginning, at least, it is not peaceful easy life at all. ( If you tried Skate Board, how long you had
miserable bruising days before you can leisurely cruise it in peace )—— Buddhism is no different from it.
This is how the study of Buddhism progress, in step by step process.—— With intense approach,
once YOU found your answer and when it sunk deep into your Subconsciousness, you can do it,
feel it automatic, even without noticing it ( it called MUSHIN ), as it became your nature.
Then you can enjoy your peaceful life. (In fact, it’s a pretty advanced stage to be a Buddhist )
And you may find yourself contented and peaceful on the foot square space. (Strange isn’t it 😀 )
Even more strange is, you can enjoy more freedom in its foot square space
as you feel the JIZAI ( being full in your nature ).
In the foot square space, still able to spread your wing 1000 km wide.
To be in the MUSHIN, its needs to be completely detached from Ego and any intentional Idea,
even from the Notion of very Subject. ( So that the Subject was seen as just one of ordinary
objects). Since the Subject was seen as emotionally detached Object, with objective /
value-free / bird’s eyes view, it is possible to have much clear view and really free response
——– This is the JIZAI.
___/\___
—
LIFE’s DOMAIN
This is my Life and its Domain.
This piece of cloth was given by a monk registering the visitors in the Eihei-Ji Temple, when I notified as
I was leaving the Temple.
While handing this, he told me, “ Think, your life is in here, and keep remember it all of your life ”
This foot square ( 33 x 36 cm ) space is the space, a man occupy all through the life until the moment
when he needs a bit more to lie down to die (hopefully for a Nirvana )
——— And this cloth was meant to be used to eat on it. (Though, when I needed to washed it some time later,
I found the color was fading —- originally it was dark brown —- I realized even this one is not permanent and
only for a spiritual teaching, not for actual use.) Since then, I just placed it in the kitchen where ever I moved.
So, technically this cloth has been shadowing and watching my life for the past 36 years, and
kept reminding me, who I am and the place where I can be. ( in its one foot square )
——————–
The Spoon on the cloth is shadowing me even longer than that.
I made this fork-spoon, out of ordinary table-spoon by cutting the teeth in it when I was in the first year of my
High-School. In a tradition among the Japanese mountain climbers, the eating utensils / spoon, fork kind
were called ” Buki ” ( weapon )—– the essential tool to fight through the battle field of survival.
The larger the Buki, we can eat quicker and more. Without energy in the stomach we can’t climb or walk.
So that I made the most versatile and efficient one for myself. ( It took whole one night to make)
And I’m eating all the meal nearly 50 years with this. If I was invited someone’s dinner party, I go with this.
This spoon signify my life, my living existence.——- Literally I’m living on it.
——————–
Pretending not eat a lot is laughable. How anyone can survive with empty stomach.
And once the food staffs were cooked, while sacrificing the life of rice and vegetables etc, not
waste even a single grain of rice, is imperative. ( It was the Zen family’s constitution )
So, this is the foundation of my Life.
___/\___
—
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