Mindfulness – Western Misinterpretation

People talked about the BBC News, featured about the Meditation (which I didn’t know).

And it seemed, BBC used a word [Mindfulness] to explain [Meditation]. —– What ?

Meditation is to sitting in [Mushin = 無心] = not having even a notion of Mindfulness.

—– Why such kind of mix-up is taking place in the west ?

So that, I first ever saw Wikipedia [Mindfulness] 😀 and discovered the situation. (it explained me why

a talking about Zen with western Zen Practitioners are often end up in confusion. 😀 )

I’ve been long suspected that the understanding of [Mindfulness] and [Meditation]

in the west was wrong.

Simply because of the academics or the scholars of the Buddhism scriptures are arguing about the

meaning of the WORD in its semantics. (Word is mere indicater of a notion = not the notion itself. And

even the notion couldn’t necessary able to describe the meaning.

Such as “Ride” a bicycle = to find the use of this [Ride] in the time of Donkey and a Cart wouldn’t make

any sense about an application against a modern bicycle. And the understanding of the word “Ride” is

nothing to do with how to ride a bicycle. You only know it actuarially master to RIDE it. 😀 )

So, it became clear. To know the meaning of a term in Zen, you got to do the Zen.  And to know

the meaning of the word wouldn’t make you able to to know the Zen. This is the very reason why

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples “Don’t take the words of mine or others, but think yourself.”

[]

Zen had spread from China, and to Japan. (then from there to the west)

Lord Buddha’s teachings were re-discovered in there through the practice which

Lord Buddha taught direct to his followers.

By following those practices, Chinese monk who translated Scriptures and Mantras, managed to find the

meaning of the word in Sanskrit, Pali or Tibetan and assigned the word to a Chinese character

[念(nien in Chinese, nen in Japanese)] to the word now (miss) used in the west, as [Mindfulness].

The Chinese character [念] has the meaning of deep thought or even a kind of feeling stacked in the depth of

mind which is distinctively different from the temporally conscious thinking [考].

One of the most observant people in the human history = Chinese, created the character to each different

level of mind-activities in the brain.   Such as [考], [思],[慮],[念] and [懐].

[懐] is a word to describe a feeling, “I feel it is there though, hard to describe, and I can’t get lid of it” kind =

such as latent fear or one’s positive, negative mood. ( They are the matters of the hormone level in the body)

Above this, a bit more clear level of Mind is [念] = which indicates “whether you intentionally

think or not, it is always there and you aware of  it” kind of  focused tendency in the mind.

This  [念]  is the Mind what ancient Chinese monk who translated the scriptures, found to

be the best suited to describe [sati (Pali)] or  [smrti (Sanskrit)]. —– As this is the mind

reside,  deeper beyond the person’s intentional manipulation, try to think something to

concentrate, is nothing but the misunderstanding.  = Mindfulness will bore out from the

situation and the attitude of the person. —– It is the result,  not other way round.

Think, you are a journalist, walking through the ground near Melt-down Fukushima Nuclear site.

As you were allowed to walk there, it was regarded to be safe though, the mud could have invisible

radiation hot spot. Which makes you very cautious, hence choosing dry clean point to step-on.

Every steps —–. This detailed attention you are unconsciously and constantly paying to

everything, every moment, —– this is what [Mindfulness] really meant.

You were programmed to walk the most careful manner while watching all the signs and the left over

rubble of the Tsunami.   In the same time you have to observe what and how workers who removing the

contaminated soil are doing, or the situations how the strayed pet animals are surviving and so on, which

was the purpose of you to be there.  Mindfulness is not an intentional mind-set but when

you faced the serious situation, (or you take it serious) its naturally set in, as Dharma works.

(This is the reason why Tea Master says “Make a tea as if it is the only an occasion in your whole life” )

[]

If you are riding a bicycle everyday, you just ride it.

You don’t need to think “I’m riding a bicycle”,  you ride it as to ride a bicycle, not a motor-bike.

Because, your body, your brain knows “You are riding bicycle, unconsciously = you have been

programmed through the practice to ride a bicycle.

To program your subconscious and your motor-region of the brain, how to ride, where to pay attention etc

has been done through the practice. = so, as the result, you can do it almost routine = automatic. =

automatic mean, you can do it without thinking, hence efficient and smooth.

To apply same principle to all the aspects of the life is what

Lord Buddha had found and taught = Life without useless thinking (delusion etc), hence

able to live in peace.     This is What Buddhism all about.

[]

At the Wikipedia [Mindfulness] you may read (Zen criticism) the quote of  Muho Noelke of Antai-ji saying

“Don’t be mindful, plase !  When you walk, just walk. — Let the walk, walk. — let the sitting sit”

it seems, his words are the most closest to the Zen among the many Zen sites.

—– Even though, he was stop short of noticing that it was in fact, the matters in one’s subconsciousness,

at least, he knows and doing the Zen —— Able to do the Zen, he doesn’t need to give a damn whether it is in

the subconsciousness or else = When you DO, just do.  (But my role is to analyze and see the structure of

the Zen = This is the reason why I didn’t became a monk, even though I’m a son of  Zen priest)

—– Forget the word, Mindfulness , Mushin, Jizai = they are just different naming of the same

mind.  As they are in fact just one, hence having Oneness = Ichijo, and this is what Dharma is.

___/\___

—

First Sun-Rise over quake-stricken Miyagi, Japan

————————————————————- (Photo from Mainich News Paper )

This is a photograph, I found less than an hour ago, which has been taken only few hours ago in Japan.

The first Sun-rise seen from the hill-top (Hiyori-yama) in Natori City, Miyagi Prf’ which

is over looking a mountain of rubble, left by the earthquake and the tsunami.

[]

To see the First Sun-rise of  New Year is the tradition in Japan.

First day of January, many part of Japan has been covered with snow though, lots of people

goes out cold, some are even climb the high mountain only to see this Sun-rise. (I did it before too).

Of cause, to reach high advantage point before Sun-rise needs to start the journey in the

middle of the night, the temperature could be well bellow Zero.

—– Don’t ask  “what for”,  because the answer is just  ” To see the first Sun-rise”  (初日の出)

 If you see it yourself, you can’t stop to feel owe. —- Why ?   This is what Spirituality mean.

Western people asked ” Why Japanese brought a cash found in the mud to the Police” (and 90% of the

money — £23M all together — has been returned to the rightful owner by the Police) or  ” Why Japanese

didn’t loot” —– the answer is all same.  Such kind of morality is in their fundamental ethos = Spirituality.

(It is nothing strange, when people talk or behave according to what they have read in a book or Bible, as

it was simply in their memory.    But when people behave without such knowledge, against their instincts

such as greed or selfish gain,  and even without the other’s watchful eyes = This is the Spirituality.)

[]

People saw the Sun-rise there, might have played (don’t ask “to whom ?”.  Spirituality doesn’t

need a figure or name of the God )  for the Soul of who lost the life in  Tsunami or

wished the well recovery of the surviver.

To share the same play, I put this photo here.

Peace to the people who has been suffering.

___/\___

—

Japanese New Year’s Cooking = Ozoni

In Japanese New Year, eating Ozoni (rice-cake in soup) has almost ceremonial importance.

Though, the meaning of its name Ozoni (お雑煮） is unceremoniously humble = Jumble soup.

As Japanese staple diet is rice, anything else is accompanying dishes and a soup, since the rice got its own

taste, it has to be individually appreciated = it’s mean, put the rice together with something else is looked

down as jumble, such as Zousui (rice in the soup. —– Put a rice into Miso-soup was called Ojiya and this word

was used to describe a things in a mess = even a design which got few contradictory concept together would

be mocked as  “ It’s an Ojiya”   😀 )

So, to put a (or two) rice cake into a soup is Zoni. (put O to Zoni is a bit more polite expression).

To be a Japanese, it is [the must have cooking] though, there is no fixed style, and the

ingredients of the soup vary a lot, region to region and a family to family. —– nobody knows

the reason why, but in the western Japan (Kansai)  Zouni is based on a Miso-soup and the east of Sekiga-hara,

Zoni is the Kanto style, on a Soy-source based clear soup = Smashi-jiru.  (It’s a fun to know, in the

western Japan,  people makes Ozoni with  round shaped Rice Cake (made like a dumplings)   🙂

As I grown up in Tokyo, my style is Kanto-fu, and this is Yoshizen’s adaptation to make it in England  🙂

The ingredients, photo above are, (from the left) ;

*   Dried Shitake Mushroom, from a Chinese food shop. (from Taiwan seems to be the best )

— (Don’t buy so-called fresh Shiitake grown in this country under artificial light = they are tasteless.

— Shiitake got to be grown and dried under the strong sun light = Hence they are very rich in Vitamin D)

*   Dried Kombu (Kelp sea-weed) from a Chinese food shop.

*   Lime fruits. ( Yes, Lime —– substitute of Japanese Yuzu Lemon)

*   Glutinous Rice Powder from a Chinese food shop (Must be Glutinous ! )

*   Mangetout Beans (or can be a bunch of Spinach —– to add a green color  🙂 )

*   Onion (one medium size for 4~5 people)

*   Japanese Soy-sauce (Can not be a Chinese Soy-sauce.  It never be the taste same )

*   Chicken (I’m buying Chicken thigh to cut it into small pieces)

Preparation and cooking for 4~5 people ; ( see the photo above)

*   Make Rice-Cake according to the post [Make Rice Cake in 15 minutes] (Please click here)

— (Hardest part is to take cooked cake out of a plastic container — cover them with potato starch)

*   Quick flush 5 Dried Shitake Mushrooms under running water, then soak them in the 2 cups of water in a small

— pan and heat them ( but not boil —– to soften them.  Keep this water as Dashi !)

*   After well washed, put two of 4 inch square Kombu (Kelp) into 7 inches pan with just enough water to

— boil them once.  Drain the water, then put 2 cups of fresh water into the pan and boil.

*   Take softened Shiitake out and cut each of them to 4~6 strips, then put the warm water which the Shitake has

— been soaked, into the pan where Kombu has been boiled (now the pan got 4 cups of water).

— Boil the Shiitake and Kombu, then put sliced onion too, for another 30 minutes.

*   While Kombu, Shiitake, Onion are boiling, cut the Chicken (2 pieces of thighs) to small pieces and add to the

— boiling pan. If you like thick rich taste, use the skin of chicken as well, otherwise remove the skin.

— (Of cause, it can be done without Chicken or alternatively, use Fried tofu is an idea for a vegetarian.)

— Then boil yet another 10 minutes.

—– As those ingredients acted to make the Soup Dashi as well, the soup is now very tasty.

*   Then put the Soy-sauce according to your taste (in fact a lots,

— may be 100 ml ? = 1/10th ~ 1/15th of the amount of the soup)

*    Put prepared Rice Cake (3×2 inches size)  one for each person

—-and Mange tout Bean, then boil further 3 minutes.

*     Make small cut pieces of Lime skin (see the photo left) and

— sprinkle them into the soup. (10 pieces like photo is enough)

— Then the Ozoni is ready to serve.  🙂

(Everybody must be amazed the tiny amount of the lime skin

Changed the taste so good  !  = this is the Japanese Art of cooking)

********************************************************

 ( A sort of Health warning )

Never eat Rice Cake in one big chunk —– as they are very chewy and sticky, never attempt to swallow in

big chunk.  It will stuck in your throat (every year tens of the Japanese people died with suffocation)

Otherwise, enjoy an Ozoni  and  have a Happy New Year  🙂

—-

Cooking MISO-SOUP

A kind of complaint I received time to time was that despite I’m keep saying “Just do it” and

“Our dairy life itself is Zen Practice” though, there was not so much practical instructions.

It’s true. Just talking about an idea of the Zen and make you guessing is a contradiction.

To show How I’m  Just doing must be more convincing than a nice story.  After all, Zen is not for talking.

It was already a year ago, I’ve shown how to make Rice cake,  I’m going to write how to cook

Japanese New Year’s cooking = [O-zouni] (お雑煮) (Rice-cake in Soup) and [O-shiruko]  😀

But to start with much common Miso-soup (味噌汁) (as a warming-up practice 🙂 ).

—– Like Minestrone in Italy, Miso-soup in Japan vary region to region and the Miso (Soya-bean paste) having

hundreds of  varieties, —– same as the Cheese made out of the same cow-milk having so many varieties.

So that, this is a Miso-soup in yoshizen style. (at least, this design has been tested and tasted by hundreds of the

people in the art events, Dorkbot-camp, Space-Hijackers party etc many times with good appreciation.

Hence, when ever like a House party, I’ve been always in charge with cooking this Miso-soup 🙂 )

The ingredients above, from the left ;

• Fried Tofu = bought in a Chinese food shop, always comes in a plastic bag ( = 10 pieces about £1)
• Tofu = also from Chinese food shop. (about £1.50 = would serve up to 10 people)
• Miso (Soybean-paste) = from Japanese or Chinese food shop (about £2.50 for 500g packet)
• Mangetout bean
• Onion
• Potato (option or alternative)

Then prepare the materials (to serve 4 to 5 people) = just cut as seen on the photo,

—– cut 5~6 pieces of Fried Tofu into four strips, half of the Tofu into 1/2 inch cube, slice the Mange tout bean

to narrow strip and slice an Onion (one medium size onion would be good for 5 people)

—– optional Potato (if it was Baked-potato size = cut each of two potatoes into 4 to 5 pieces)

———————-[Chinese Kelp] ————————— [Dried Fish flakes] ——– [Dashi-no-moto] — [Soup packet]

The taste of the soup is depend on the soup-base [Dashi] —– traditionally Japanese uses dried fish

or its powdered products [Dashi-no-moto], but if you are a vegetarian use the sea-weed [Kombu / Kelp]

(I’ll explain it later) —– If you can’t get [Dashi-no-moto] from a Japanese food shop, a cheating can be made

out of a soup packet of [Seafood-flavour Instant-noodle] (about 40P — use the noodle for another cooking)

*  Boil 4 cups of water in a 7 inches (medium size) pan on a strong fire, and boil Onion until they became well

— cooked. (this onion is more for the soup base / taste)

*  Then put Fried Tofu (and Potato as an option) and keep boiling.

*  Put soup-base (not Kombu case, and if you have put potato, it got to be near ready to eat)

*  And put Tofu (as the temperature drop, soup may stop boiling)

*  When the soup start to boil again, put the Miso = squeeze out from a cut corner (like a  1/3 inch thick

— spiral spewing out of the packet) and stir the soup for Miso to completely dissolve.

— (from a 500g Miso packet you may need to squeeze out about 1/3 of the Miso for 4 cups of boiling water,

— though it depend on one’s taste — if you put too much and feel salty, put more water to dilute the soup 😀 )

*  This is my secret, I put few drops of the West Indian Hot-Pepper-Souce into this soup.  (This would give a

— hidden punch 😀 —– some Japanese may put [Shichimi-Togarashi] = Seven flavored Hot-pepper)

*  When the Miso-soup started to boil again, stop the fire ( if it was on an electric hot plate, move the pan to

— another plate = never keep boiling the Miso-soup = it creates bitter taste)

*  Then serve into a bowl while sprinkling the top with sliced Mangetout bean (just give a green color) or

— some likes it with chopped Spring onion.

—– The beauty of this design is, well boiled onion’s sweet taste and nutty flavor from the fried Tofu making the

taste very rich = more like a western soup.  And with potato, it’s also filling as well.  Good for cold winter ! 

[]

 * * * How to use the Sea-weed [Kombu / Kelp] as a Dashi;

Japanese food shop sells [Kombu 昆布or Dashi-Kombu] —– it might be from northern Japan of Hokkaido

but most likely from Korea.   Though, Kombu or Kelp grow all seven seas hence Chinese food shop sells it

as 海帯 (Kelp sea-weed) —– it would be cheaper there though, it might come with a lots of sand 😀

and the taste bitter, may be because of the residue of sea water.

(Japanese Kombu was washed in the pure-water before dry, but Chinese one seemed to be just dried on the beach.

—– So that, when you use Chinese Kelp, it needs to be soaked in the water and wash well, then boil it once and

change all the water, then make a soup base with fresh water (otherwise its taste would be quite bitter).

To use Kelp as a Dashi for this Miso-soup, use 2 of 4 inches square of Kelp pieces, prepare as above

and boiled over half an hour,  then take Kelp out of the pan (if it was a good soft Kelp, you can pinch

and eat) then use this soup base for cooking.   (for Miso-soup, Sumashi-jiru, Ozouni, etc —-)

—– Bonappetit or say  “ Itadakimasu” !   Enjoy a meal.

___/\___

PS :  Even after opened, Miso can last long time though, Tofu and Fried Tofu will go bad very quick.

—– Use them ASAP (use next day of purchase, even kept in a fridge,  is the limit) —– How to keep the half

—– of the unused Tofu left = never freeze (it would become sponge like texture = may be interesting for

—– other kind of cooking ) —– instead, put a Tofu in a small pan of water, and boil short time = keep without

—– open the lid = Tofu can survive till next day — (You may repeat for yet another day  😀 )

—

Japanese New Year’s Card 2012 – (3)

As the New Year is coming only ten days  time,  Nippon Yubin (Japan Post) and many

Sites started to show free New Year’s Card design  🙂

(Though, some are too keen to use it as a tool for their business promotion, it is not necessary straight forward,

such as Japan Post’s images are now in [png] not easy jpeg  (you can tinker in Photoshop) as they expecting

the user to compose the image in their format — still, you may go to their site direct and download the image,

from their 3,000 image collection ! —— (but,  it’s in Japanese !)

Japan Post’s site ; —– 　http://www.yubin-nenga.jp/index.html

http://www.yubin-nenga.jp/search/search_parts.php

 —

And, following are from the Canon’s site = Yes, Canon of  camera and the printer !

With the clout of the global company, they are generous and the design quality is pretty high.

Their site is ;  —-  http://cp.c-ij.com/ja/event/nenga/index.html  —– (there are hundreds of samples !)

 

———————————————————————————————————————————

Powerful Calligraphy above is the character [龍／Dragon], —- ( never mind the rest = all saying ” Happy New Year “)

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Here,  he is saying ” Glad, we got happy new spring  🙂 ” ————–(right) [Kyoga-shin-nen] = Happy New Year.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmMMMMMMMMMM

In the old Moon calender, New Year was about February = beginning of the spring, hence the right one

is saying  ” Congratulate the Early New Spring”.

————————————————————————————————————————

Above left says ” Akemashite Omedetou-Gozaimasu” —————- (right) ” Shinshun” = New Spring.

= Congratulate for having New Year.

Three plants images are  Pine, Bamboo and Plum (松，竹，梅) as they are regarded to be auspicious.

M

Another Japanese site is Epson, though, to download the sample image, it seems necessary to register.

  http://my.epson.jp/myepson/alluser/printown/nenga/index.jsp

So, have a fun to look around and create nice Card.

(My Greeting Card may come soon or later   🙂  )

___/\___

—

Japanese New Year’s Card 2012 (1)

Observing the search terms which the readers has expected to find here and typed,  indicates, quite a lot of

people are expecting to see the Japanese New Years Card design. —– in effects, it is

the customer’s feed-back, data for a market research for a blogger.  😀

Well well, a humble Zennist Yoshizen is here to serve,  as the charity is in our duty.    Ha ha ha  😀

[]

Though, I couldn’t find the same in the Japan Post’s site this year, or it might be too early.

Instead, I found those free sample image by Googling  in Japanese writing.  The images came from ;

http://www.nenga-juunisi.net/frame-menu.html

( ### Free though, use the image other than personal  New Year’s Card was prohibited by their  Copyright)

—– If anybody is searching in the Net, my advice is NEVER go to so-called Free design site such as

[Mywebsearch] which is offering free card design = if you click their [Downlord], what comes to your PC is

not the design sample but a blatant Trojan-horse which spy and send out all of your Web-log.

How blatant is, it shows you [Terms and Condition] which says “You agree with us to send the data to the third

party” though, there is no click button for you to say [Yes] or [Not Agree] = they start their spy activity at once.

Even if this is nothing but a Trojan-horse = Malware, still,  a person clicked [Down lord] and clicked [Yes] to

agree the program goes into the Hard Drive (believing it is a design sample)  Security Program can’t work.

—– and to remove this Malware, lots of works was needed.  ( their hidden program changes the setting of

such as [Favorite] of starting task, their front page was kept coming back = needed to reset the start

menu —– what a hell. )   In comparison, the Japanese is only fraction of the English speaking population

and the spied data in Japanese is hard to utilize = very few Malware is infesting their site.

Those card designs (in JPEG)  are supposedly [Click and Save] then email as an attachment or for print out

for snail-mail though, I haven’t tested it myself —– I hope, should no instruction in Japanese comes with.  😀

By the way,  why the title  got  – – -2012 (1) is,  – – -2012 (2) will coming soon = watch the space.

___/\___

—

Dead Leaves ?

By seeing this, what you perceive about it ?

Is this a representation of the Fall and the indication of the end of era or even a shadow of death ?

Or you think, this is their loudest final fanfare, show-off the completion of their duty = their

most glorious moment,  hence it got brighter golden color ?

If you are a type of the person to feel the former, you may need to chin-up —– or are you indulging a

self-consoling emotional memories or rather sentimental [soul-searching] !

If you are the type to see it like the later, you are a person most likely to reach to the Nirvana.

[]

In the medieval time, Japanese are pretty sombre Buddhists.

Like the plague ravaged European medieval time, japan was in the constant battle between warlords.

People thought this is the end of the world, hence Pureland Buddhism with their longing to reborn in

the Heaven became very popular.

As peaceful life was out of question, people’s mind was focused to how to die.

So that they appreciated even a cherry blossom in its moment of the end of flower, when their

flower petals are fallen like a snow is the best.   (It got a dedicated word Hana-fubuki / 花吹雪)

(Hence, cherry blossoms are connoted as the symbol of the Samurai and the Kamikaze fighters, because of

their beauty in its moment of the death — I mean their mind, not a bloody scene.   😀 )

—– since then, in Japan, Buddhism was assigned to deal with the death. —– With this misconception,

Buddhism became a formality to take care of the funeral, and not a guiding light to live positive life.

Yet still at least, it made them the most docile, decent people in the world.   😀

(But, with their suppressed psych, some time it erupt to utterly crazy creation of Manga or Cos-play kind

of culture — and it became another tradition called Kabuki / 傾き then 歌舞伎)

[]

In reality, the tree has no such mind = when the sun light dropped below the productive level and the air

temperature become too low, the green color = Chlorophyle became redundant = then another chemical such

as Carotene which happen to have red or orange color which has been masked by the green color become

visible = hence the leaf looks changed its color, and then they fall.

It is nothing to do with the life or death to them as they got the buds of yet another leaves

prepared for the next spring = it is just their cycle of the life.

[]

—– still, we give plenty thought when we see the  Autumn leaves in its red color.

Lots of thoughts, memories, regrets etc etc —– all just in the mind.

To the clear eyes, they are just the Fallen Leaves.   (Zen often spoil the fun.   Sorry guys.   :-D)

___/\___

 —

Can Monk get MUSHIN ?

Can Monks get Mushin, let alone Ichijo and Jizai ? —– I don’t think so. Or it may takes 50 years.

Even worse is, so-called Buddhism Academics.

How many Japanese Zen Monks can speak English, and how many of them wrote Zen book in English ?

—– This is the situation, what western people reading the Zen. = No wonder it is hard to understand

let alone able to learn Mushin,  not mention ever get Enlightenment.

What monks learning is, their trade = the business how to run their Temple.

[]

Most of Japanese monks become monk, just happen to born as a son of priest = had to take over

temple business.    Naturally some of them might be good in English though, it is not necessary useful skill

in running the temple as virtually all of their customers are the Japanese, and most of the case they are

the old people.  So, what the trade skill to run temple ?

It is, to carry out the ceremonies which required immaculate posture, performing, chanting some mantras,

above all friendly but solemn facial expressions !

( No customer ever ask about the meaning of what they are doing   😀 )

[]

To be qualified as a monk, —– as a formality, they have to learn Buddhism theory and its history in their

sect’s university.   Though it is in most of the case, yet another boring study.

And yet another formality, spend few months in their main temple as a novice —– except exceptionally few

exception, most of them are then ordained as an “enlightened monk”.

So, where they can learn Mushin ? (few months in the temple, cleaning the floor ? —– joking)

[]

Buddhism Scalars are likely came from Philosophy back ground or Religious History. Naturally, they are

good in logics and semantics and may able to read ancient Pali, Tibetan and Sanskrit etc,

and must have read millions of the words.   On top of this, may have met many priest, monks while visiting

or even staying the temples —– though,

has they got time to lean what the Mushin is,  let alone to master it ?

Now, the medical science can observe the activities of the Schizophrenia’s brain by PET scan and able to

analyze what chemical effecting it and so on. Yet still, non of them able to know what is going on in the mind

of a Schizophrenia.  To treat it, doctor doesn’t need to learn to be a Schizophrenia.

But to talk about Mushin,  it is necessary to get Mushin  by him/herself first.

Able to read the ancient description about the Mushin and able to compare this script and others, doesn’t

mean they know what the Mushin is, therefore,  they are not necessary able to know what would it be if looked

by the eyes of Mushin. —– They know the words but not the meaning and its effect of changed perception.

[]

So, this is the situation what has been written about the Zen Buddhism.

Even worse, the Buddhism is having too many conflicting notions in the same instance,

such as how detouched emotionless eyes can be compassionate eyes in the same time.

—– it is hard to complehend on the words or in thinking,  but only able to experience it

in Mushin in the situation.

To experience mean, you got actualy do it,  not by trying to understand it while sitting in a cauch.

Utterly contrary to the popular belief, Buddhism is not a religion of understanding / Meditation

but the practice of the practice. —– It wouldn’t take you to the heaven (as no such things exists)

but help you to live everyday’s life,  as you have to practically do the

endless continuous practice as your life.

( After all, life is not what you think, but what you do.   🙂 )

___/\___

—

Conflicted view to Steve Jobs

Some people pointed out that my view toward Steve Jobs in two previous posts are conflicting.

Appreciate him in respect of his Zen influenced attitude but in the same time showing an

almost a hatred toward him. —– this is true in certain extent.

There is a very clear reason. From the beginning I didn’t like Apple at all as I’ve described before.

Then, I learned a life history of him and his background —– born as a child of Syrian father

and an American mother, but as their marriage was not accepted by their parents, Steve was grown up

in the adopted family, Jobs. —– those conflict embedded in his psyche lead him to seek the Zen

which gave him an ultimate confidence to be HIM and the mental strength.

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People having a stereotype towards the Buddhism that it is a teaching of peace and harmony.

Though, as I wrote long ago in a Post [ Third aspect in Zen ] there is yet another aspect =

Zen as a technique of Mind Engineering.   How to reprogram one’s mind and give a confidence.

The most famous Sword Master Musashi Miyamoto who wrote [ Book of the Five Rings ] was an accomplished

Zen Master too. —– Still, he was a killer of 30 odd people — (said to be, as I wasn’t there 🙂 ).

And lots of opponents who fought with him were also Zenist.    Being a Zen Buddhist doesn’t mean they

avoid the fight and settle peaceful draw.   One has to die.    The matter in there was only how to kill

in the most efficient way.  Live as a Samurai, death is a part of their Karma and the contemplation.

This is nothing but the Zen Buddhism.

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Zen can give completely open eyes of Mushin,  hence the reaction or decision-making is

the reflection of the Dharma, thus the result would be the most appropriate and the best.

In this aspect, Steve Jobs has accomplished the task what he needed to Do.  Which

he conceived the idea with his open-minded way ( having no dithering to the conventional

thinking or hesitation to others ).

I appreciate this, in relation to the Zen. —– though, I hate the way how Apple exploited the others.

Dharma did give him the best idea of the product design, though I quite doubt of the

well thought-out (second thought driven by the greed) business model to enslave the

consumer = too much tactical thinking and the greed subjecting others was excessive. 

Zen will make a person to perfects the task,  but to harm others

would lead to the repercussion of the Karma to him.

I give certain appreciation to the products, though I wouldn’t make myself to become

a slave or their colony.

My freedom is more precious than few hundreds pound gadget   😀

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I hate Apple.

Since I’ve put quotations from Steve Jobs on my previous post, some of the people got a

misconception of that I am a fan of Apple products.  Far from it, I am a proud Apple hater.

Never attracted to buy any of their product, therefore I don’t have any, except some discarded junk for spare-

parts. ( A power adapter with broken connector for Mac’ laptop, I bought for £1 from an Odds and Ends box

of a shop, wasn’t too bad for a  24 V power supply to use with stepping motor, as it is smaller

and having a built-in  fold-away main plug  )

The reason why I hated them since very beginning was, I hate their sales tactics.

Only designed and schemed for the way of money sucking system, was utterly repulsive to me.

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Storing digitized music signal in a solid-state memory was a natural evolution, as I was seeing the last moment

struggle of Sony trying to cling the market by their Mini-disc, I really pitied them with a question Why ?

Though, I didn’t buy Apple’s iPod, as I saw their greed to monopolize the Music distribution system by their

monopolized  iTunes.  ( Before, I’ve been annoyed by their Mac’ design. Everything is incompatible with PC.

All the connectors are exclusive, not only the style of it, but the signal protocol, format etc, hence it needs to

have all sorts of converter. — On top of this, they are much more expensive, selling to the snobs who want to

show off. —– I despise those kind of snob most. ( Just watching heavily compressed signal of downloaded

porno, what  is the point to have so-called “ good in graphics Apple Mac “ —– don’t make me laugh.)

( Me to use bloody expensive full-frame Canon was not for fancy pretence, simply because no other camera

allow me free to use another manufacturer’s lens, even hand-made lens, while keeping auto-exposure function.

You can’t do this with any another camera —– I had no choice. )

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The reason why I did put a post quoting Steve Jobs’ word ;

>>> you are not going to usea piece of plywood on the back,  even though it faces the wall and

nobody will ever see it. You will know it’s there,  so you are going to

use a beautiful piece of wood on the back.

—– is to say, in real life, he didn’t cut even a single piece of wood to make his product.  He was

not a programmer nor electronic engineer. — He only know the design spec’ which can sell.

He just pressurized others to make it —– in notorious draconian way.

Apple didn’t make any of their products, from single component (nearly 80% came from Japan )

to final assembly (in China).

But got most of the profit for themselves thanks to their inflated price.

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I can imagine the pressure who supplied the component, had to face —– such as to make it 1mm even thinner

out of already minuscule 3mm high, and even with reduced price.

Everybody had to work for Apple while dripping their blood and under a fear of instant dismissal.

He was a man lived in grudge and the revenge against the people who has kicked him out of Apple before.

No wonder such obsessed hi-tensioned psyche shortened his life. I don’t think he had a happy life, neither he

gave any happiness to other people —– he only sold an empty vanity, a Myth to the mass.

When Steve Jobs realized,  that their brain couldn’t keep hold the Myth for ever, they opened the design of

APP to the outside designer ( in fact it was an ingenious solution ! ) and started to sell the APPs designed by

somebody else.  Yet another exploitation of others while running their money-making  machine for them.

And this must be the reason, why his Hero was real Ninja —– who got a deadly efficiency, able to carry out

a duty [to kill] in a most ruthless dirty manner —– contrast to useless fantasy in Superman or Spider-man.

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Seeing his death, and seeing the wane of Apple, flood-gate was opened for the people to speak out.

So, I’m very curious to hear, how Steve Jobs could able to force his concept in their product design system.

( Steve Jobs invented nothing. He just used the existing technology and the components only in smaller, pretty

package = putting a lot more together, in order to give an illusion to the users that they can do a lot more.

—– To do this, the supplier of the component, such as camera, touch-pad etc had to work bloody hard to

make it even smaller with higher spec’ to fill the requirement of the Apple)

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And interesting to see, how such as the Korean industry who got used to just copy, is going to do their future

business without having a sample to copy 😀

(—– It’s mean, the inspiration of Steve Jobs was at least unique to him and impossible to copy.

—– in this aspect, he WAS a unique man —– all the technology in the iPhone has been known

to the electronic industry though,  nobody else,  other than Steve Jobs

actually made it to iPhone )

It’s a funny paradox here. — (It’s easy to do, still nobody else but him did do.  He Just Did It.

It was a good sample, how to keep an Open-Mind.  And if it needs to be done, Do it.  😀 )

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