Quote of Guess Who ?

[ When you are a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers,  you are not going to use

a 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.

For you to sleep well at night,  the aesthetic,  the quality,  has to be carried all through.]

n

[ Your time is limited,  so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma —– which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions down out your own inner voice. 

And most important, have the courage to follow heart and intuition. 

They somehow already what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary. ]

—– If you are familiar with Zenist’s word,  it may sound one of them.

Or if you are an artist,  it sounds somebody,  accomplished Japanese craftsman’s words.

n

They are the words of  Steve Jobs’ who just left this world.

On the first glance,  I couldn’t  imagine that this is the words of  Steve Jobs’ but somebody a Japanese Zenist.

Then I learned that when he was young, he was a fanatic of the Japanese culture, especially Zen.  (He married to his wife through the Bhddist ceremony)

From those words,  I guess,  it might have formed his base of the psyche to be a creator, as his

words are typical expression of mindfulness and showed the confidence to be a free minded person.

Steve Jobs learned his Zen from Soto-Zen Master Kobun Otokawa through Walking Zen Practice —– he was

made to walk round a rock,  endlessly round and round and round —– and he mastered the Mushin.

non

When he conceived his first gadget business ( iPod ), he knew what makes the product as a desired object,

learned from the Japanese products, especially such as Sony’s Walkman and their CD player = down to the

minute detail of craftsmanship ( [ use beautiful wood, where no one would see ] kind 🙂 ) not only the sound

quality = hence it can sell with a premium price.  Yet still, if the gadget is a electromechanical product

he knew, he may not able to compete with Sony,  though the time was his side = end of  the mechanical era.

Digital sound technology has been established long since.  So that the matter was only the size of  memory.

Luckily for him, the size of memory was increasing every day, the price was dropping day by day.

So, he was able to produce beautifully made iPod, with new recording format of  MP3.

non

Unlike mechanical system ( if you remember, think the battle of U-Matic and VHS video system ), digital

electronic system is very easy to design a distinctive own format just using a  key-board, which can still be

copy-righted = hence Apple could easily establish the monopoly of  MP3 and easily organize monopolized

Music distribution / download system using Internet.  Everything was there for him to utilize.

n

—– One episode of him to enforce this view was, when he visited Japan last year in summer, stayed at

Kyoto,  he bought Ninja throwing knife, and on return journey,  it caused a trouble with Kansai Airport

security who confiscated it.  Mr. Jobs who was going to fly by his private jet argued with the officials saying

” Who is going to hijack my own aircraft ? ”  😀

Peace for his departed soul.

___/\___

n

Chrysanthemum and Sword

While ago I came across two peculiar quotations both from the same book

“ The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” written by an American Anthropologist Ruth Benedict.

One was made by the ousted Japanese PM Kan saying  [Culture of Shame] out of the book.

Other was,  in reference to my description somewhere [keep one’s place and to do the job which was given]

—- one of my friend asked me “Is that the same, what Ruth Benedict said in her book ?”

non

—– What made me surprise was that this book is not yet dead and still read by the people 🙂

It seems this book is still a distinctive reference when people try to learn the Japanese culture though, shame,

it was hastily written on her misunderstanding of the culture and people’s psychology.

non

As Ruth Benedict’s coined notion of  [Japanese Culture of Shame] against [Western Culture of Sin]

are both based on her miss-observations of both cultures —–

*  If  her observations had even a shred of truth, the fact such as [ 90% of the lost money totalling

£23 millions, found in the disaster zone of Japan, has returned to the rightful owner ] ! ! !

could ever happened.  While nobody was watching, why they bothered to take the money to the police  ?

And why no police man put the money into his pocket,  even in the time of utter chaos  ?

*  And, there were so many excuse or justification of the Riot and the Looting happened in

this country,  expressed even in the comments to my Blog.    Why ? ??

non

The notion of the [Shame] in the Japanese culture is not against other’s eyes but to

the Eyes of the Heaven —– therefore, no escape or excuse.

And this feeling has been so deeply sublimated, even Japanese themselves doesn’t know Why = it is almost

a chemical effect,  like a feeling of  loathe a filth. —– (This is the Ethos originated from the ancient Shinto )

non

In the western culture, the Right or Wrong = Morality is based on the Commandment written and

given by their Judea Christian God —– therefore, how to read it (and how to interpret ) is

depend on the case.

As the God was designed like as a person,  he use the same language and may answer you and

the matter may be negotiable with a sacrificed offering.

So that, with an excuse there is no absolute Morality.   Wrong may be easily changed to Right.

Worse still,  when the influence of the religion evaporated,  there is no basis of  Morality left.

—– yet still, Ruth Benedict thought that the western Morality is absolute and Japanese one is relative   😀

( In the same shoddy eyes,  she couldn’t see the fundamental pattern of the Japanese Ethos is the Zen —– but

she mistook it as the Confucianism)

—

Detailed attention to the LIFE

I came across a kind of Japanese book review —– about a book talking about a small knack,

which would make your life more fulfilling. What a gospel. 🙂

non

Contents itself is nothing new or anything eye-opening.

Such as the way how you staple the papers = the best way to do it, is in angle, so that it would not tear the

paper when a page was flipped —– in every small knack to do each dairy practices, in total, it would

smoothing your dairy life, hence the end of a day, you can achieve the life in happier satisfaction.

—– m m m ? Sound familiar ! ?

Familiar yes, thousand of religious, lecturing the life’s wisdom books are saying the same kind, but this

author has nothing to do with religion. Purely talking about how to do each dairy chore.

In fact, everybody knows something this kind, and even I may able to put some more this and that too.

Such as after cut anything, wash the cooking knife in order not to transfer the smell —– think, if your apple

smell onion you’ve cut a moment ago, or you may not like to use the same knife for salad vegetable which

has been used for cutting a meat.   There might be a possible contamination of germ ?

non

—– A man (and a woman) said, “ I don’t care because I’m using different knife”

In fact, I’m not going to talk about each knack here.   Here, I noticed the mind-set —– how people react to

those small advise in general. —– Something I found very peculiar among the western people is,

—– regardless, if it is good and useful or not, many people just don’t like to be told.

May be the reason is, it is too simple common-sense = no need to be told by others. And another reason is,

“ I know but may be I don’t do it because I don’t care. So, don’t repeat it to me again”

—– laziness is the fundamental Evil here 😀

Though, those kind of small practice is the foundation of the Buddhism. — you believe or not.

(For instance, the Japanese Tea Making which was originated from Zen Temple as a

way of the Buddhism study, is a continuous process of small practice )

Non

Whether it is good or bad, the way which is making most stark contrast in the children’s up-bringing

in the west and east is, —– in the west, the children are grown up hearing the words “ Superb !

You are marvellous. You are doing very good ! “ (regardless whether the child is doing utter crap

and hopeless, as the parents think, they need to have an encouragement )

In the east, the children are nurtured and taught “ No good, you are idiot. Study more “. 😀

This would make fundamentally different mind-set —– in the west, it would give pretty strong

ego and the arrogance “ I’m a lord of my life “ (—– though, it is not the case in the most of the person, later

they may depressed and couldn’t figure out the direction —– but it’s too late to do it again)

In the east, as the children were forced to learn the curriculum regardless he or she is good in it or not —–

but, at least they learn their place and learn to pay attention to what they are facing,

therefore they become good to do what they have learned but not much creativity, still they know how to

follow others (provided, somebody lead them).

Non

Buddhism is based on the eastern psyche = hence accepting and follow the Dharma and

its Teachings, is the starting point.

Dharma is not a human invention therefore it has no human-like attitude or speak in human language.

—– because of this, to accept and follow mean, we have to observe first and learn from it.   Then do,

what we found necessary to do.   There is no [ I want to do ] or [ This is what I want ] —–

we are not the dominant Force in the Life.

Do, what was allowed for us to do, in its best. —– down to the minute detail.

non

When you are cutting an onion, you ARE the man cutting an onion = It is your whole life of

the man cutting onion, on the moment. (this is what Buddhism calls [ Mindfulness] and [ Ichijo] )

When you got used to observe the life in your open-eyes (not the eyes to project your idea / Ego)

you start to see what is a better way to do.   And keep doing it, it would become your routine, soon

you are able to do it without thinking = in Mushin = You are right path to the Enlightenment.

( It is simple, when you do every thing in better way down to the detail, of cause the result would be

far better = naturally you succeed in your life / fulfilment of the life)

—– So, to start, wash your knife every time after use. 🙂

( If you can’t keep even your knife in the best condition, how you can expect

to achieve anything better in your life)

___/\___

—

RIOT ! RIOT !

In south London, just next area of affluent Dulwich Village, there is [notorious] Peckham.

—– anyhow, I’m going there to find some kind of cheap fancy products, as there are 4 of the pounds

shops competing.  With short hop down there, suddenly my journey was halted by a Police cordon.

What ?   A, Ha ~~~~  so this is the aftermath of the Riot !

Non

I don’t have a taste of excitement to be an onlooker of violence or fire what so ever.

( In fact, in the 70^th, I’ve seen the battle between Up-rise student and the Riot police or the battle between

the student sects, and took picture of it, so, I know how bloody and agly it is)

So, here, I settle with a rather [peaceful] afternoon landscape.

A shop right on the photo was said to have ransacked and a lingerie shop in the centre of photo was burnt down.

—– ?   Why lingerie shop ?   (May be a connection of gang group or lack of it ?  Who knows )

non

In this country, the culprits and his (her) right has been perfectly protected, if not by the law, by the

so-called civil right organization who can invent any pretext to justify the acts —– in other words,

completely shielded from the consequences.  Which effectively make the culprit untouchable

and the authority and the police became transparent or make them mere chaser in a Game.

Even if it was convicted, few weeks community works ?

Anyhow, rioter wouldn’t know the full brunt of the victim’s pain.    If the person,  culprit

wouldn’t feel the consequence,  how the person knows the  meaning of Karma.

Situation has been made even worse by the false environment of the Computer Game kind.

Not because of its violent contents, but

by the Player’s subconscious has been conditioned to live in the Virtual world.

Or,  they got used to live in an imaginary = Virtual world.

Once the person lost the firm connection to the community or real society,  this real world became

no different to the space in the Game.   Find the target, avoid the enemies. [ACTION  REQUIRED]

RIOT GAME in the real set-up must be much more exciting than in a small screen.

—– Trouble is,  once they tasted the excitement,  this Game may become even more popular.

Urban Warfare in the London town may become most played young kid’s game soon.

One of the SMS in the Black Berry Massage said to be ” Pure havoc.  Free staff ” — how exiting !  (for them)

Unless the person was connected and feel the same pain,  to see somebody else’s havoc must be exciting.

This is a trouble of a disintegrated / fragmented society which no longer hold the same Ethos.

non

Very funny irony is,  as the Riot spread,  even Rioter and their close friends became to the victims,

then working together to clean up the aftermath,  sharing the pain —– even Rioters are discovering the

sense of the community which is similar to the situation, under the German Bomb, it’s created

close tie of the people.  ( This tie is not virtual)

My only hope is,  the Police doesn’t become THE ENEMY of the People,  nor different ethnic groups armed

themselves as the Vigilante Force.  ( —– England is in a tricky situation)

___/\___

non

Aaaaaa~~~~~ !

It’s just a simple experiment.   Try, say Aaaaaaa~~~~~ !

Starting low voice. Aaaaaaa~~~~~~ !

And somewhere in the middle. Aaaaaaa~~~~~~ !

Then in highest pitch. Aaaaaaa~~~~~~ !

Non

It’s a same Aaaa  though, in its low tone it’s sound like you are shouting fed-up or expressing disgust.

In the middle, it is somewhat responding to others or communicating that you agree or you got it.

But when it sound in very high tone, it became your cry, not necessary to others, but

to yourself.

When it sound very low-frequency you must be noticed, your bottom of lung, stomach resonates.

And in high tone, it resonates to your base of the skull where your Limbic system of the

brain is situated, and the Hypo-campus, Old cortex immediately above.

Non

Whether, because when we cry we cry in hi-pitch tone (tension in the body squeeze even the throat and

the voice box, then the voice become hi-tone —-> then we were conditioned to the situation,

or more inherent program in the primitive brain system ? (genetically programmed) —-> we cry hi-tone,

—– we may not know which came first.

Still, when those primitive part of the brain resonates, we feel the chill in our spine too. —-> we feel Awe.

(I’ve wrote about this, in a post [Spiritual Sound] too)

non

When we saw a danger, we feel Fear. Feel the same but not know why or which is the cause, we feel Awe.

Hence the sound which resonates the old part of brain / limbic system, Hypo-campus

where the emotion were created, —– yet don’t know where or why it’s coming, we feel Awe.

And this induced Awe is the basis of our spirituality.

With highly trained ( highly conditioned with many on-the-spot experiences / raw experience exposes

one’s perception, hence directly connected to the emotion.

Study deals with intelligence but Conditioning involves the emotion / emotion mean, it’s induces

physiological chemical effect / hormone, brain transmitter etc ) highly studied brain can associate

intellectual information to the experience which carry emotion —-> hence pure intellectual notion can

also be associated with Awe / Spirituality.

non

It’s a bad tendency, when people talk about spirituality, they pretend to be higher than others and noble

though, everybody having the spirituality —– the resonance to receive unknown message.

To interpret it to a known category or what so ever kind is related to what the person already know.

Non

So, this is the most unlikely sample of the spiritual sound 😀

I’ve listened a live performance of this, once at the Saint Martin in the Field church and at many

churches in Germany, still this one is  [impressive enough for me to shed a tear] .

Unlike acoustic sound, synthesized sound having exactly the same frequency in each tone, often even

the same wave form, hence it creates unnatural resonance, even worse, resonating with

the speaker-system in a lap-top —– some time it’s irritating to the ears. ( Don’t ask too much)

A German guy commented to this “as a German, we never attempt to do, though I like this”

it’s showed how great the original music of the Bach.

( Its abstractic sound structure can withstand any instrument or the style of play.)

( In comparison, a sound like in the Beethoven’s Pastoral, birds songs has to be played by a Piccolo

—— Romantic School Music are sound effect in a Cartoon comics, hence  likely sound is the matter.)

—– while walking on the street, once I was stricken by a distant sound of this music.

Despite  there was a lot of street noise or rather distorted faint sound ——  quality or settings were not

the matter at all —— what there beyond the sound, was enough for me to feel a chill on my back.

The firm faith,  Awe to unknown is what Spirituality mean.

___/\___

—

Shit JOKE

While talking about jokes, my friend suggested me to see the site,

[ If shit happens ] —– Aha !   Its here.   ( You may Google them 🙂 )

I’ve heard some of them before, but didn’t know such comprehensive collection ( a lot of it )

has been circulating among the people. 😀

Basically the say is more or less the same between here and there though, one of the listings are

having pretty comprehensive collection, therefore the one which may noteworthy was :

 [ Close-to-complete Ideology and Religion Shit List ] —–  thejaywalker.co

To quote some from there ; —

• Taoism: Shit happens.
• Confucianism: Confucius say, “Shit happens.”
• Buddhism: If shit happens, it isn’t really shit.
• Zen Buddhism: Shit is, and is not.
• Zen Buddhism #2: What is the sound of shit happening?
• Hinduism: This shit has happened before.
• Islam: If shit happens, it is the will of Allah.
• Islam #2: If shit happens, kill the person responsible.
• Islam #3: If shit happens, blame Israel.
• Catholicism: If shit happens, you deserve it.
• Protestantism: Let shit happen to someone else.
• Presbyterian: This shit was bound to happen.
• Seventh Day Adventism: No shit shall happen on Saturday.
• Creationism: God made all shit.
• Secular Humanism: Shit evolves.
• Quakers: Let us not fight over this shit.
• Utopianism: This shit does not stink.
• Darwinism: This shit was once food.
• Capitalism: That’s MY shit.
• Communism: It’s everybody’s shit.
• Feminism: Men are shit.
• Commercialism: Let’s package this shit.
• Impressionism: From a distance, shit looks like a garden.
• Idolism: Let’s bronze this shit.
• Existentialism: Shit doesn’t happen; shit IS.
• Existentialism #2: What is shit, anyway?
• Stoicism: This shit is good for me.
• Hedonism: There is nothing like a good shit happening!
• Atheism: What shit?
• Atheism #2: I can’t believe this shit!

**********

I don’t know how many people contributed to each Joke and when its became a crèche.

Obviously they were said by the westerner as the list has more of the Christian sect, in comparison

to such as Buddhism, Moslem or even Judaism. ( Buddhism might have more than 50 sects and

Sunni and Shiite Moslem seemed to be quite different, and from moderate to ultra-orthodox, the

Judaism sects might not having the same view —– When it came to the Matter of Shit 😀

non

They are the caricature based on the stereotype —– though, don’t be serious its a joke.

Yet still, to make a caricature funny, it need to have certain resemblance —– That’s why its Joke

makes people realize “ M, m, m, its true 😀 “ —– so, I would say, “ Well said !”

non

Something related to this blog is, there are two entry of the Buddhism.

Buddhism general and the Zen Buddhism. —– m, m, m, interesting.

But, the one quoted  What is the sound of shit happening?  seemed to be a caricature of KOAN,

it’s mean Rinzai Zen sect. ( Soto-Zen doesn’t use the words )

—– If I were there to answer this Koan, I would say

“ It deafening the nose “ 😀

—

Sheer JOKE

Some years ago, I was asked by a friend, stage designer Francesco to produce some stage set and props.

In fact, I also took a part acting as a Mad Doctor ? !  (If I were asked, I just join —– because its

occurrence was in the Karma.   Hence I don’t think too much or no use to think.  It’s a reaction in Mushin )

It was titled [O-project] which the story was based on the Hoffman’s Tale, but in the ultra modern settings 😀

—– instead to create a doll to whom a guy fallen in love, a Mad Doctor created a life in a vitro and so on.

( So, I created Oparlin’s Life Bottle of which lightning spark to the primeval sea water said to have

created first element of the life on the earth.

And the Laser Harp, on top of the Virtual Woman / rotating Wire torso )

non

While working it,  on a desk of a Sent Martin’s art student, I found a photo of Dalai Lama. —– I made

a joke  “Hey, don’t you know, He is my first cousin” and Francesco took picture of me

holding Dalai Lama’s photo.

When Francesco compiled the O-project DVD,  he put the photo-images to show the episode in the production

process —— ? ? ? What ! —– In the DVD, a photo-image of me holding

Dalai Lama’s photo has been  Photoshoped to  [Me holding Star-war’s Yodo]

So, the story has changed to  “ Hey, I’m a cousin of Yodo” —– ! —– Very very funny  😀

( Francesco expected me to get angry —– later he said though, for me it was more of an amazement

than a kind of matter to get angry.   What a fun ! ! !    I like this kind of  fearless,  blatant  idea.)

When it came to a joke, a western wit is far more naked (often quite bad tasted) which makes a big

difference to the Japanese.   Some said, it because of the carnivorous nature of the European against

the vegetarian Buddhist though, it seems it’s a too simplified view.   ( Simplly Itariano is noughty  😀  )

Non

I always fascinated by the artistic creativity of the Latin psyche. Yet, unlike other Italian or Spanish artists,

this designer’s thinking remains always within the feasibility —– never impossible fantasy —- and amazingly

able to find the best suitable material or structure which is good to convert for the purpose etc, in another

words quite technically minded —– that why he is a designer not a pure fine artist —– still

his novel ideas are always there and fascinated me.

non

After all, any creative perception, unless it was materialised, it couldn’t be displayed, unless it

was displayed, it couldn’t be noticed by others —– this is what the communication meant.

Otherwise, its perception remained inside of an autistic mind.

Stage design must be one of the hardest task which is facing this dilemma —–it  has to be materialised.

(while complying all the safety regulation etc, and reliably working in one-piece   😀 )

non

Artistic creativity live in the same terrain where the good joke came from.

non

Hydrangea Otaksa

Mag

Early summer or before a summer starts,  Japan has a rainy season

(middle of June to middle of July) somewhat akin to the monsoon.

Every day is a rainy day.  And under the rain, it is the time to appreciate

pale blue Hydrangea flowers = 紫陽花 アジサイ.

There are many famous Hydrangea　Garden arround Tokyo, especially

in Kamakura city (one hour from Tokyo),　Meigetsu-in Temple, Hase-dera

Temple, Jyoju-in Temple are only name　but few.   

Why Hydrangea in the Temple  is because of its meditative blue color.

Buddhist monks are the sombre  people.  😀  — I’m just kidding.  😀

non

You might have heard that the Hydrangea flower originated from

Japan.  It was brought back to the Netherlands and spread to the

Europe in late 19^th century and since then many horticultural

varieties were created especially in England.

The person who introduced it to the west was a German Doctor working

in the Dutch mercantile, in Nagasaki, Philip Franz von Siebold.

( In fact, he came  Japan twice, and for the second time he acted as a

foreign affair adviser for the Shogun )

While he was in Japan, along side working as a doctor and teaching

western medicine, he studied Japanese Flora and Fauna, and collected

vast amount of botanical specimen as well.  From this study and the

research, worked together with a Botanist J.G. Zuccarini, a book

[Japanese Flora] was published.   In this book, one of the native plant

was named as Hydrangea Otaksa.  ( though, it has been renamed to

Hydrangea macropylla (Thunb) seringe f. macropylla )

Shy Siebold himself made an excuse that the name Otakusa came  

from local name though, a Japanese Botanist, Tomitaro Makino

later traced back its origin to his Japanese wife Otaki-san.

 

The name he put, Otaksa came from non other than his Japanese wife

Otaki-san in deed. (Incidentally, a daughter he made to Otaki-san,

the Oine = 楠本イネ, became the first female doctor, gynecologist in the

Japanese Medical history.)

He must loved her so much, as he even taught his Parrot to repeat her

name “Otaki-san” —– and a funny story was that since then it became

a custom to teach a Parrot to call the name ”Otake-san” in Japan.

( Similar to a custom in Japan, a lots of dog has their name “Pochi”

—– originally it was copied from the call for a dog “Pooch” in

English or American.)   😀

 

nonBotanical research institutes in the world exchanges their collection

each other.  When I was in my Uni’, my part-time work was taking

botanical photos and making the specimen in the Makino Herbarium＝

牧野植物標本館 (a part of the Science Dept’ )

One day, the Herbarium received a parcel from the Science Dept’ of

the Leiden University, Netherlands.

It was the very botanical specimen which  Siebold had taken to 

the Netherlands.    And 110 years later, they were returned to Japan.

As I happened to have best dexterity, I was asked to stick those old

fragile specimen onto the card paper, then labelling them.

It was an extremely delicate work.   Not only the specimen were

completely dry old plants, but the paper base is not solid board.

Any bending force to the base paper would crumble the specimen.

Hence the binding tape need to have some margin of gap to allow

the specimen to move, while securely holding it.

The specimen itself were nothing special —– they are quite

common (to Japanese eyes)  plants, such as cherry blossoms etc.

(though, Hydrangea wasn’t included)  but the matter was its

association with historical figure Siebold who taught the Japanese

herbalists to sort the plants in real scientific way first time.

Non

While making those specimen I’ve put a plank — I wrote my name

under the label with thin pencil. It is not visible though, if anybody

see through the label against the light, the name may be seen.

( This is the first time I revealed such mischief to the others.)  😀

Few years ago, I heard from a retired Professor of Makino Herbarium,

the portable specimen dryers powered by mobile electric generator

which I designed and made for the Ogasawara expedition ( I made its

metal work  in the Technology Dept’s work shop) were still there and

nearly 40 years later they are still working !

— its funny to think the staff of the herbarium might be wondering

to see the name on the dryer’s label “Who the hell, this guy ?”

(A facility in a big institute show no personal name as a manufacturer)

And in the Japanese practice, the photos taken by the staff doesn’t

show the photographer’s name. So, my name only remains on member

list of the expedition and behind the labels of Siebold collection.

—– it’s a hidden joke.    😀

 

PS: The Hydrangea in the Photo above is rather primitive type

( I couldn’t find the exact name of it though) unlike the common

types, this flower showed the real flower in the centre of sepal.

The common horticultural variety has atrophied flower  (in fact, 

it is not a flower but just the sepals)

I rather like to see the flowers in its natural form than in

an artificially created “gorgeous” style.

*****

Hydrangea Otakusa / Makino / Ogasawara Expedition

Pok’s ZEN

Ten days ago I received an invitation to a private view of an art exhibition from a man whom I don’t know at all.

I was quite puzzled, how come ? ? ?    (since my Email address is not public)

Exhibition was a contemporary art in context of dairy practice in Zen Buddhist’s culture —- What ?

Before go down to the puzzle of Zen art, I guessed that somebody my friend who knows of my Zen blog

might have suggested him to send an Email to me.

Any how, it’s best to see a man and ask.

Non

So, I took a journey to the exhibition and met a young artist, Chong-Boon Pok.

Obviously he is a Chinese but turned out to be from Malaysia and living in here about 10 years.

And he is a kind of [native] Zen Buddhist, who doesn’t need to know what the Zen is or its

history etc,  but as he was grown up in its environment he is naturally doing it.

(even unaware of why —– it’s in his subconscious)

—– As he was saying in his Press release;

“ My studio practice operates within subjects, time and space using the everyday and engages

aspects of mindfulness,self, memories, social, cultural and symbolic form. My cultural upbringing and

life experiences are often revisited, examined and evidenced in my work.

The work embraces ideas of as-it-is-ness, nothingness, the impermanent nature of things, and the

interconnectedness of objects and people, all of which are relevant to Zen Buddhist discourses of everyday.”

non

And what he is showing are — in his words;

“ Devoting attentiveness to and contemplating the everyday is central to my art practice.

The everyday that I refer to is the trivial, ordinary and inconsequential objects and activities that

people tend to take for granted such as the cutlery we use for eating, something we are so familiar

with that we are less likely to give a second thought when we encountered them. Besides

assembling everyday objects into sculptural forms and installations, part of my work involves

using food and cooking to perform and interact with people visiting my exhibition.”

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Like a round piece in the photo above ( can be enlarged with click on the photo) it was made out of

drink-can’s pull-ring —– thousand of them. So as the other pieces, they are made out of really

ordinary objects —– but with the thousands of repeated works.

Some may think, it might have done by dreadful swet-shop like endless work or even it might have done by

the hired worker —– wrong.   It was all done by the artist himself.

And some may think, it is a kind of play devoting to the God —– wrong again.

Except the first few line of the work where the artist needed to find the best adjustment, following work

all through up to the finishing line, it was done almost automatic = just the repeating movement of the fingers.

There was nothing else in his mind = so-called Mindfulness, though, in fact, there was nothing.

Hence Mind of No-Mind = the true reflection of the Nothingness of the existence.

—– in deed, those repeating work is the Buddhist’s practice = by which the one can reach to

the state of Mushin (Mind of No-Mind ).

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But we shouldn’t forget, that the Practice is just the practice to get the state of the mind, Mushin.

Mushin itself is not a goal. It is just a state of the mind.   What is the goal ? —– Life, that’s all.

But the Life without unnecessary worries or useless delusions hence without pitfall.

What else anyone needs to have ?

More than handful of gold ? Or surrounded by 100 of virgins ? —— ? ? ? What to do with those virgins ?

Do you want to be a rapist or dirty old man ? —– in fact, all those dirty idea negates the goodness or virtue of

the Mushine, since it against the Rules of the Dharma.

One’s life is to make other life happier.   This is what all about the meaning of the Life.

( Running big company employing thousands of staffs and selling the products all over the world

—– in effects, supporting those who working for him, and appreciated by the people who bought the products,

in the same time, making money and able to supports his own family —– this is the Life.

(well, billions of variations there)

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So, unmistakably,  the artist,  Pok succeeded in this task —– by his work in Mushin, made

the people smile and made their eyes open “ A, Ha ~ ~ ~”  and making people feel Happy.

He should be rewarded by the Dharma.

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His exhibition [ Contemplating the Everyday ] continues until 8^th July, 11am~5pm

@ Central House Building / Metropolitan University —– Near Oldgate East Station , London

(it is opposite of the Whitechapel Gallery / Habib Bank on the corner / entrance is over the Bank office)

—– < www.thegroundweshare.co.uk.blogspot.com >

It’s worthwhile to pay a visit  🙂

—–

Bodhi-Tree / Bodai-ju

You believe or not, this is the tree what Japanese believes as the Boddhi-Tree.

My parents believed and explained to me, “This is the tree which Buddha said to have enlightened while sitting under this tree.  Therefore it got the name BODAI-Ju.   Since, a flower blooms as if it is standing in a palm.”

Yes, it looks uniquely strange flower.   So, I believed its story.  Anyhow, I was a small boy —– no argument 🙂

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Not only a boy, everybody in Japan believed that this is the Boddhi Tree,  hence a  German song composed by Franz Schubert  about this particular tree and its title  [Der Lindenbaum]  was translated into Japanese as [ BODAI-Ju ] — of cause, in this case, the tree was a tree known as a Lime tree in the west.

—– (Strangely, this [Bodai-ju] has another name which has Ainu tribe origin [Shina-no-ki] and from its shape of the false leaf under a flower, the another name was [Hera-no-ki] —– so, the name [Bodai-ju] was only after the time when Japanese got Buddhism)

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When the Buddhism was brought to Japan,  the India [Tenjiku] was in the another planet, even to the Chinese monks who travelled over there and studied Buddhism, it was a distance needed to take years of journey.

Hence, to read the scriptures was just a guess work,  let alone to distinguish what was the historical truth or even chronological order among the jumbled scriptures.

Therefore, to have mistaken Lime tree as to the Boddhi tree was not a big crime   🙂

(I haven’t found what Chinese people were understanding about Boddhi Tree, yet.    So, any Chinese reader who knows about it,  please leave a comment herein after)

In comparison,  we now can have amazing amount of informations and even a photo of a real Boddhi Tree ( Ficus religiosa )  while sitting in a room thousands of miles away from India —– still, we are not sure, 

whether we are any wiser than a monk thousand years ago. —– yet still, the reason why we can get the same understanding of the teachings is, Buddhism is not based on the knowledges but on its practice.    Like riding a bicycle —– no one can explain how to ride it, but by the practice you can get to know how by yourself.

( So,  there is no problem whether it was [Boddhi tree] or [Bodai-ju] to get enlightenment  😀 )

___/\___

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