Zen Sound of Fuke Shakuhach

There was a funny chain of connections.  It was started a word “Kuwa-no-mi” 

(桑の実 / Mulberry) in a post by a prolific blogger Tokyobling, in which he talked about it

with the photo of tree in Tokyo. —– I’ve put a comment  “80% of Japanese may not 

know what the Mulberry tree is, still 99% of them knows the Word

 “Kuwa-no-mi” because of a song “Aka-tombo” ( 赤とんぼ/ Red-Dragonfly) which

was dubbed as the Second National Anthem of Japan.

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May be with my emotional attachment to this song which strikes Japanese psyche and

my associated memory, (—– Aka-tombo only appears on the end of summer which

meant us the end chapter of all the sweet and bitter memory in that summer

(and our youth) —– (you must remember, when you were young and small, how one

summer was long and eventful which was engraved deep into your subconsciousness =

You know, we only had 10 or so summers in the whole life to grow into an adulthood !)

And I’m very conscious about this Mulberry tree and the distinct taste of its berry.

So that, since when I accidentally found this tree in a town called Hitchin, I made my

annual ritual to visit there every year and eat the berry, until I found the another tree

in south London.       (I talked about this tree in one of my post.)

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As an answer to my comment, Tokyobling sent me a link for a song-video of

“Aka-tombo” in Youtube.

—–> while listening a song, I found another Japanese old folk-song as well, which was

accompanied by a traditional Japanese bamboo wind-instrument called Shakuhach (尺八).

—–> as usual in Youtube, many related or similar kind are listed next by next.

—–> and I stumbled this viz, which plays “Fuke Shakuhachi” (普化尺八)

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Fuke-shu (普化宗) is in fact, one of the Zen sect unique to Japan, and

there is a temple called “Fuke-dera” (普化寺) in south of Kyoto.

(I hope it still exist though, many years ago, it was said only 9 monks left

but in this viz the monk was from Mukai-ji temple, there might be more monks in

another temple —– incidentally, why he is hiding his face is a symbol of  No-Self )

(Composer Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps” is the most famous adaptation of

this sound to Contemporary music.  It’s worthwhile to listen ! )

—– This sect is using the sound of Shakuhach to teach what the

Dharma, and the Enlightenment is.

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But in practice, just to make a sound out of this instrument is hard enough because,

there is not much structure to make sound = one end of bamboo was just cut in angle

and having small notch to blow (that all 🙂 )= it is the matter of the way to blow in

certain angle.  —– ( for me it wasn’t too difficult as I had an experience to blow sound

out of Peruvian Quena Flute which got somewhat similar structure)    Still to play

good sound, let alone to master Kaza-iki etc. must takes 10,20 years of practice.

And THE result is —– just as it is = the sound you can hear but just the sounds,

nothing more than the sound neither Bamboo changed to the Gold.  😀

= still, if it is good, it’s good and in deed, it shows (or sounds) the Dharma, 

—– or you may hear it, as a sound of the nature or its reflections.

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This is in deed, touches the hardest part of the Zen teachings and the deepest

human psyche which could interact or communicate with the Dharma.

(I wouldn’t imply, Dharma would talk to you though —– we might only feel, passively. 🙂 )

For this, please read those posts;   [Harmony in Dharma] / [Aaaaaa~~~~~]

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Still some of you might say, So what ? —–

Nice tone which sound no apparent pattern or rhythm, hence it refuses

our mediocre comprehension, and its high tone makes our perception

sunk deep into the spiritual state (or totally open minded blank state).

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I met quite few professional Shakuhach players as most of Japanese traditional music

regularly needs to have them.  Of cause, a player, able to play and able to make

beautiful sound doesn’t needed to be an enlightened Zen Buddhist, let alone Fuke monk.

And not necessary beautiful sound makes the people to get enlightenment.

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Yet still, to a person who actively seek an enlightenment, start from making

Shakuhach out of raw bamboo by himself, and try to achieve the best sound,

is the typical (endless, repeated) Zen practice.

—–> on the end, no wonder, the one could achieve and reaches to the state

of Ichijo = player, bamboo pipe, the air, the sound, all become one = as what

the Dharma is.    Still, this is nothing but the state of blankness, Mushin

= the mind was sublimated into infinite Void.

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—– Because it is blank or Void, there isn’t much of use, hence it is a Dog shit.

And only there is a blank, what left in your life is, Just carry on, be who you are.

(expecting anything else is nothing but one’s Greed and Pretentious Ego and it is nothing but

a Delusion.   Since, Void will not hold anything in it —– though, Mahayana

understanding is, because of it is Void, everything is in, since it would make no difference

at all = So, your life is your only life.)

Never mind, as long as the sound is good, it’s good.   

___/\___

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Three times BUDDHA

There is an interesting story in the Agama Sutra

(of Buddhism ! = there are many.) —– one day,

Lord Buddha met a horse trainer (other versin said Village Chief).  

Then asked to the horse-trainer  “How to teach a horse ?”

Horse-trainer replied that there are three ways to teach horse.

Gentle way, Hard way and Gentle / Hard mixed.

Lord Buddha asked him further “If all three ways failed,

what do you do with that horse ?”  

The trainer answered “Kill the horse” and he asked back

“How you teach your follower ?”.

Lord Buddha answered him, “There are three ways to teach,

Gentle way, Hard way and Gentle / Hard mixed, but if all

those teachings failed, kill him”.

Hose-trainer was horrified and shouted “You been telling us Don’t kill,

how dear you kill the follower ?”

Lord Buddha smiled back “Well, I just stop talk to him.

Completely stop talk, is the same to deny his existence,

same as to kill him, isn’t it ?”

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This episode sound like just a casual funny story though,

this was the episode which gave the most important clue to the

so-called “Unanswered Questions”  You must be realized that

Lord Buddha’s No-answer was not just a rack of word but it

was the massage as strong as to kill the person !

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There is an often used phrase in Japanese “Even Buddha tolerates till

three times” (Hotoke no kao mo sando made. 仏の顏も三度まで)

—– I didn’t know, this phrase was in deed, originated from the Scripture.

—– And this story showed rather realistic attitude of

Lord Buddha, contrary to the popular belief, he was not a

bottomlessly gentle and kind teacher.   As once a hard-core

austere, he was not an optimistic person, as he defined what

the life is, such as in the Four Noble Truth.

From here, in a process to idealize and idolize him, even worse,

to fabricate many so-called Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism,

( in fact, it was the mix-up with Tantrism and Hinduism )

crux of the original teachings was lost.

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What Lord Buddha himself taught was, to have the Detached Eyes.

Detached Eyes mean, detached from the Mind / Emotion, hence there

was neither attachment to the subject or person.   In other words,  

there was no attachment even to his followers.   Hence, as long as

Lord Buddha committed to give guidance to the person, he was in deed

committed it to 100% (and try to teach in three different ways) though

if it was failed, he literally ex-communicated the person.

Once excommunicated, the person became invisible.

Even visually saw the person, it wouldn’t connected to any

emotional memories, hence there were no anger or feeling of

disappointment etc. —– Because of there are nothing to cling

past Mind / Emotion, only the matter is what on front of eyes,

on its very Moment. (This IS the very Zen mind-set)

(After you practised long enough, and gained this condition / Mind-set 

then you know what Detached Eyes and Detached Mind can help you.)

(And how to practice to gain Detachment, please read the post under a

category of [Lemon Zen] in the right column.

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You may feel, it’s sound very cruel and not-Buddhist like,

it’s because So-called monk or teacher is not really understood, or only

making diplomatic smile and pretending to be friendly, in order to

sell to the mass.

Because of this confusion, one of the greatest novelist, Soseki Natsume

described it in his book, [Mon (門) / Gate], when a priest of Zen temple

has told to him, “Mind of Zen is Hijo (非情) / No Emotion” he felt even

alienated. —– (To describe Mushin (無心) / Mind of No-Mind, this

priest used more realistic word Hijo in stead, because he knew the

Zen Buddhism deeper, and didn’t mind to sell it to the mass.)

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Load Buddha didn’t give his teachings to give false optimism,

or fancy dream but the Truth.

In this aspect, he was quite harsh.   Telling the followers to get rid of

their possessions even their family (little consideration to an agony of

the family left behind, not mention to his own Royal lineage).

(This was the reason why

Lord Buddha bared the women to join his follower’s sanga.  

Since, to a woman, to abandon the child is out of question in the

first place = woman may have conflict to follow his teachings.)

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—– Still, with detached eyes and the mind, there wouldn’t be

any matter left to worry about, because the psychological

source of worry = emotion itself had been already detached.

The mechanism to feel any suffering has no longer exists.

= Peace of mind !   😀 

—– though, I’m not an enlightened man, hence mixed with

failed person and teasing them or teased by them are fun.

This is what the Life is.      Ha ha ha   😀

___/\___

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Spoooooky !

Last night I was invited to see huge art event somewhere in the south London

though, I can’t give any detail or location.

I only know this installation was created by an artist called Tea.  

—— may be  I can show a bit more photos and the details some time in future.  🙂

As a big event, many familiar faces are there.    And an added surprise, I bumped a man

and a woman after 20 years rasp !    He was yet another disco-king in a local night club

where I was dubbed as ” Dancer  in residents”  😀

And I knew the woman, also in there.   They are married and now they are the mum and

dad of three boys —– It’s 20 years !    (So, they are the people who knows my dancing and

with an admiration to the Japanese spirit, they have chosen the name of their kids  after

Japanese words ! )   —– I like this kind of sheer coincidence, with a smell of spookiness,

which can be described as an intervention of the Karma.  🙂

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Orange Blossom

This is a common garden plant / shrub, [ Choisya ternata].  

Commonly known as Mexican Orange Blossom or just Orange blossom.

I don’t think I saw this in Japan when I was a kids —– seemed to came

there in the 70s and I have no idea when this plant came to England.

When I saw this flower first time, I wondered why this one got a name  “Orange”  ? ? ?  

—– Flower looks similar to other Citrus plants though, I haven’t seen its “Orange” like fruits,

not only that, the leaf is completely different. ( Citrus has single leaf, not compound leaf).

Then, I remembered what Professor said = “To distinguish Citrus family is, whether the leaf

has oil-spot or not”,  when I needed to take picture of Japanese [Sanshou] and not mistake it 

with looks very similar plant [Inu-sanshou] (only genuine [Sanshou] has oil-spot on its leaf)  

= like the yellowish small dots on the leaf = on the photo right. 

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The oil-spot in Citrus family ( Rutaceae, in exact )  contain typically smelled chemical,

hence they has been used as a seasoning or flavouring  in many countries.   (On this occasion

I looked into Wiki and found that amazing spread of this “Spice” in many many region in the

world but very little in the west ! )

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Even in the same [Rutaceae] family, [Sanshou] or more commonly known [Szechuan pepper]

is completely different looks plant ( I never seen it in this country hence, no photo.  — Wiki

got only a photo of the seeds ) — any how, in Japan, [Sanshou] is strangely exclusively used to

serve with eel ( Wu-nagi no Kabayaki  🙂 )  and such as in Thai cooking,  I think their

“Tom-yam” and its distinctive flavour were given by this spice.

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The insects, especially the butterflies, their larvae eat exclusively one plant.  

In Japan, Yellow Swallow-tailed Butterfly only eats this [Sanshou] leaves.  

(And when those larvae of Butterfly was disterbed, they push-out a kind of tentacles out of

their body to spread the concentrated chemical they accumulated from eating the leaves

(and its oil-spot) to repel the attacker.  (The smell is diabolical. It’s a chemical weapon.  😀 )

So that, when I saw Yellow Swallow-tailed Butterfly in this country  (though, only once),

I astonished  ” What a hell,  where the [Sanshou] plant grow in this country ? ? ?”  

—– I wonder is there any Butterfly who eat this  Orange Blossom leaves in this country ? ? ?

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Tatami-Kuyou — Japanese Buddhism ? ? ?

日本初、畳供養＝京都市〔地域〕

　約１０００年にわたって日本人の生活を支える畳に感謝する

「畳供養」が、京都市上京区の浄土宗大本山「清浄華院

（しょうじょうけいん）」で行われた。お 経が唱えられる中、

全国から届けられた１５９１通の「供養したい畳の思い出」や、

畳職人らの願いが込められた１７３枚の「畳の護摩ゴザ」が、

用意された １３０畳分の畳表とともに燃やされた。

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

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

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

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

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

畳供養が日本古来の伝統文化を見直すきっかけになってほしい」と話した。

清浄華院は平安時代、清和天皇の勅願で慈覚大師円仁が創建し、８６３年に落成。

法然上人２５霊場の一つとしても知られている。

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

with Pure-land Buddhism. 　

This Situation typified the reality of the Japanese Buddhism.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lord Buddha’s teachings.

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

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

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

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

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

Lord Buddha, the most.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

修験道の行者，しかも神道の締縄や周囲には結界の縄までが張ってある。

ハテ，このお寺は浄土宗でこのテの事はやらないものでは？

－－－それとも畳にナムアミダは通じないので，もちはもち屋とばかり，

特別に高野山から阿闍利の出張サービスを頼んだとか？ 😀

___/\___

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Japanese Multi-function Knife / 十徳ナイフ

This is one of my longest serving mountain tool, multi-Function Knife.

Japanese name, Jyuttoku Knife (十徳ナイフ) literally mean 10 function Knife

though, most of this kind were having 4~6 functions.    (Otherwise it become too big to use comfortably.

= While using one function, rest of 9 tools of bulk and dead weight are still in the hand. 🙂 )

So that, I never seen the one which got 10 or more functions ever.

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You must be familiar with well known Swiss Army Knife though, they only started to come

to Japan after 60s.    Before it, Multi-Function Knife in Japan meant this type, and as far as

I know it was designed soon after great war and said to be one of the clever export item to

American in 50~60s. —– Before electronic goods or car, this kind of cheap cottage industry

products were the export items from Japan.   (And must have item for mountain life though,

I’m not sure they are still sold in Japan now.)

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I bought this knife when I joined my Hi-school Alpine Club.

Since then, this knife has been always with me in the field or in the mountain.

Not only that, this knife is in daily use as well in my kitchen as a small-knife and a can-opener.

In fact this is the only can-opener I ever had in my life. 🙂    As this one works perfect and

I’m quite contented, I didn’t need to buy anything more.

—– So, I would say, I’m a humble minimalist.  😀

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When western friend saw this, all of them said

“Why knife and fork are in the same hand ?  :-)”

“It’s a western view. Sir” “We don’t eat a steak on a plate in the mountain” 😀

—– Some of the people may chose a life in an ideal settings while possessing ideal goods

though, it’s their life.  I don’t care others, neither I would brandish Buddhist’s Dogma kind,

and never say use the same can-opener 50 years is anything to do with Zen,

but to say this is my life.

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Some of you might think, the one’s confidence is proportional to the amount

what the one can spend.    It’s utterly wrong.  

Spend nothing is also from one’s confidence.

Life is not what you can buy and possess but what you are doing and have done.

___/\___

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Battle of Human Brain -vs- Computer Soft / 将棋電王戦

Japanese got their own board game, equivalent of the

western Chess, which called Shougi (将棋).

Like Chess which was originated from Persia, Japanese

Shougi came from China (but now Chinese and Japanese

one got quite different).

Like a Computer Soft ［Deep Purple］ which defeated the

Champion Garry Kasparov, Japanese has been developing

the computer soft for Shougi many years and having its

international competition.  With the growing confidence

they challenged the top Shougi player Yonenaga and won.

So, the Shougi Soft developers and the top professional Shougi players fought second year

round.  It was called Shougi Denoh-sen（将棋電王戦） a group match between 5 top players and

the computer soft which were the top 5 of the 22nd International Shougi Soft Competition.

The results was, the Computer Soft won over the Human Brain in 3 won, 1 lost and 1 draw.

The Computer Soft called [GPS Shougi] which said to be able to read 280,000,000 moves per

second defeated Hiroyuki Miura 8th Dan (regarded to be the top of tops) in 102 moves.

—— (this is the most concise Japanese article from Jiji-press.com, I found)

Ａ級棋士も屈し３敗目＝ソフトにプロ負け越す－

将棋電王戦第５局

第２回将棋電王戦第５局で、コンピューターソフト「ＧＰＳ将棋」に敗れた三浦弘行八段（左）＝２０日午後、東京都渋谷区の将棋会館

　将棋のプロ棋士５人と５種類のコンピューターソフトによる団体戦「第２回将棋電王戦」の第５局が２０日、東京都渋谷区の将棋会館で指され、先手の三浦弘 行八段（３９）が１０２手で、将棋ソフト「ＧＰＳ将棋」に敗れた。プロ棋士が公の場でソフトに敗北したのは３回目となり、団体戦は１勝３敗１分けで負け越 した。
　三浦八段は１９９６年、当時将棋タイトル全７冠を保持していた羽生善治３冠から棋聖位を奪取し、７冠を崩したことで知られる。現在も順位戦Ａ級にランクされるトッププロの１人。
　ＧＰＳ将棋は、１秒間に２億８千万手を読むとされ、第２２回世界コンピュータ将棋選手権で１位になった最強ソフトだった。（2013/04/20-18:42）

対局後の記者会見で三浦八段は「団体戦の負け越しを決定させてしまい、申し訳ない。ＧＰＳ将棋がこれほど強いと知っていれば、もっと危機感を持って臨めたと思う」と悔しさをにじませた。
ＧＰＳ将棋は最大で１秒間に２億８千万手を読むとされ、第２２回世界コンピュータ将棋選手権で１位になった最強ソフト。現役Ａ級棋士を破ったことについ て、開発メンバーの１人で東京大総合文化研究科の金子知適准教授は「勝敗の実感はありません。ただ貴重な対局の時間を過ごせたことを感謝します」と話し た。（2013/04/20-20:55）

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The question is, as Computer Soft evolves, in any future, can Computer replace the Human Brain.

My view is not.  In Chess or Shougi, the move is strictly follows the Rules, in other words, all the

move is within the pattern.  Only the combination of following move is immense though, that

is what the computer is extremely good at by checking all of them in the lightning speed.

(Computer Soft may work in the Medical field and in the Legal field where the strict rules rules,

still only as an assistant to the Human Judgment. —– Computer can not guess, out of pattern.)

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In comparison, Human Life has to encounter many many irrational occurrences, and its move

wouldn’t be in clean sequence.  Chess’ move is strictly one after another, never able to make two

moves in the same time, but in real life ten troubles may come at once which could be in utterly

out of context.  And even worse, we can’t read the future move but only vaguely speculate.

If computer can give right answer, this financial mess of the world could never happened.  😀

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In the same time, often it is a waste of time try to think = it might be right, but might be wrong.

Try thinking may create yet another enemy, “Your own Brain” = “What silly me” and make you

even more disappointed and depressed.  = better take it light-hearted, and follow the hunch.

It’s mean, to take the decision, first conceived in its instance, and not to worry too many facts.

If it turned out be right = congratulation.  🙂      If it was wrong = scratch your head or cry loud.

This is the reason, better to take it Detached.   You may not get the moon, but never go to hell.

Human brain is not seeking the answer but the way to contemplate “NO answer”.

(This is the reason why no computer soft can replace the Human brain.  😀 )

Still, Life continues.   Definitely tomorrow will come.    Don’t worry.

This is what “Peace of Mind” mean.  😀  

___/\___

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Machine in MUSHIN — Where KAIZEN came from ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

widely practiced in the Japanese work-front.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

able to find the better adjustment or alternative approach.

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

can exists side by side, in the same time.

[]

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

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

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

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

and find the better approach.

[]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lord Buddha called this Clear eyes.

[]

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

the part, concentration of your subconsciousness = Mindfulness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[]

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

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

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

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

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

___/\___

[]

Spy-Chips in a Net-Device

Past ten years or so, for my connection to the Internet, I’ve used most of the provider next

by next. = In another words, those provider gave me more trouble than a satisfying service.

The one gave me hidden charge, the another gave me double charge from their internal two

accounting system.   And another’s connection was so unreliable, or another’s setting has been

kept changing again and again which seemingly pressurised me to call their engineer to

sort out the problem with extortionately high charge. (= It’s their way to make money)

[]

And there seems a tendency, if the provider’s program is in the computer, it try to

connect even their device is not there, then if new device and its program try to connect,

a message appeared “Another device is using the connection, please set us as a default”

—– so that, I accustomed to remove the program of the old device.

So far it has been worked well except [Three G] = When I dis-installed / removed

their driver program, one file was stubbornly refused to go.

I thought it was a kind of their Ego to keep showing their foot print with their logo.

—– Though, few months later when I try to remove it again   (photo above)

When I clicked “Remove” a small window appeared which is in fact list of my selected documents.

=  It seems, if I remove this last remaining [Three G] file, all those files of my document could be

deleted as the elements of [Three G] file.

—– So, to avoid the risk, I had to abandon the attempt to remove [Three G] file.

= Then I realized that this must be the conspiracy which American Government,

Defense Authorities has warned, “As a risk of espionage had been

pre-programmed in the Chinese communication-chips —– Don’t use them”.

And they are quite serious = to an application of Japanese communication giant Soft Bank to

buy American communication company, American government gave a condition

“Provided, not to use Chinese equipment for the Mob-Phone Business”.

—– (If I connect my old computer to Internet, my files could be automatically

sent-out to Espionage Head quarter where tens of the thousands of their staffs

filtering millions of files from all over the world, to seek gold-dust. It is an

opportunist’s blanket theft.  To stumble good file, it would make a good sale.

Otherwise, why list of my documents needed to appear as the files of [Three G] =

I shouldn’t connect my old computer to the Net, unless I copy and remove

all of my files before-hand. —– Even though, there is no valuable file.  😀 )

[]

Pre-programmed spy-chip seems really existing, and it could be in your

net-device as well.

(My [Three G] Internet USB dongle was made by Huawei and the another

company the American has named was ZTE = both Chinese companies said to

be working with Chinese Army Intelligence Unit)

—– it’s another seriously rotten world.   😦

(Among the readers, any body knows about this matter, please put a comment here)

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What is Natural or Not-Natural

The photo here was the Pears sold in a supermarket in Beijing, China.

In a Chinese myth, there said to be a fruits shaped in a human baby which

takes ten thousands years to ripe, and anybody lucky enough to eat it

acquire 50 thousands years of life.

(This story appear in that well known “Monkey story” (西遊記) as well 🙂 )

—– So, a clever Chinese farmer created this to sell them with premium price. 🙂

[]

Of cause it is not natural at all.

In fact pear fruits were made to grow in a baby-shaped cast.

In an old days, Chinese had a custom to restrict the growth of the girl’s foot with tiny

shoes to make her foot small —– so, it was not a new idea in their culture.

In comparison to recover the oil from the sewerage, an idea to make money

out of cast pear is not too outrageous nor dangerous to human health.

(if we don’t question the mentality itself)

[]

In fact, there are many strange unnatural agricultural products exists in the world.

—– You might have seen a Pear in a bottle of alcoholic drink. = You must be

wondered how the pear was inserted in the bottle.

It was produced by a way, inserting a fruiting branch of pear-tree to

a bottle, and made a fruit to grow inside.   At least those fancy products

having novelty value. = it must be nice and a fun for a Birthday party. 😀

———- ( Banana with Seeds / Photo from Wikipedia )

Human has been created many new products in the history.

Seedless banana is the one name but few. Banana used to have a lots of seeds inside.

I’ve seen them only once in my life though, the species itself is still existing.

Seedless banana, huge Maze seeds (in comparison to such as rice, corn, Maze is huge) 

and Wild-rice which doesn’t drop to the water when harvesting, were said to

be the top three great leap in the human agricultural history which had been

achieved thousands of years ago.

[]

Most of those products, the creation of new variety was done by natural mutation and

the human has been selectively breeding them and they become common.

Hence, the fruits and the vegetables were becoming larger and sweeter etc.etc.

Though, with the advancement of the science,  we human is resorting many new

technique to produce a mutation of the species in artificial ways.

= many seedless varieties were created by multiplying the number of the chromosome

by use of a chemical called Colchcine from a Liliaceae Colchcum plant. = because of the

abnormality of the chromosome they become infertile = seed couldn’t be produced, so,

we no longer need to bother the seeds in the grape kind.

In fact, Broccoli, Cauliflower are a kind of cancer in the vegetable body.

[]

—– So, how natural you want to eat ?   As the campaigner is shouting, you might

be conscious about the manipulation of the gene = GM foods.

Yet, we have been eating many products of which gene or chromosome has been altered.

With loud campaign or obvious strangeness, we may react with emotion though, the most

unnatural phenomena is that the over-grown human population keep exploiting this planet.

This must be the trickiest and the hardest question we have to face.

(Soon or later)

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