Foreign Notion

 —————-          — Tsurugi-dake 剱岳（富山県) (2999 m high)in Winter.

Among the old members of our Alpine Club, since one of member lost 4 of her friends in

avalanche in the Tsurugi mountain —– some Email conversation has been taking place.

In there, famous words of George Mallory = “Why you go to mountain ?”

“ Because it’s there” quoted again.

Though, the nuance in Japanese is slightly different. = It has been treated somewhat

special philosophical words   🙂

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—– If there is a field near house, kids or whoever walk into the field. If a river running,

kids or adults alike may jump into and have a fun, swim or even fishing.

—– Is it anything special ? = Mallory meant exactly the same. He meant,

it is nothing special even goes to mountain is just another activity of the

daily life = why not   🙂

But, when it was translated into Japanese “何故なら,山がそこに在るからだ/ Naze-nara,

Yama ga soko-ni arukara da” it started to have (or misunderstood) something special.

(One of the reason was, as the translator configured the words in formal “Translation style”

and no Japanese says like it in a casual conversation = more likely they say

“Datte, soko-ni aru ja nai ?” or “Soko-ni arukara sa”

—– from its style and a heavy connotation (because, Mallory was a famous man = not

a man on the street) the people took “It should have something heavy extra meaning” 😀

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When I read the English translation of [Heart Mantra] in the first time, it

literally astonished me how it was simple and plain.

No ghost, no mambo-jumbo left there at all. —– In certain extent,

Buddhism seemed to have lost its mythical connotation to me.

Japanese read Buddhist’s mantras in Chinese written form (with a lots of unfamiliar

complicated characters :-)) therefore the word itself sound literally foreign, not

mention the vagueness of its meanings => giving very mythical connotation.

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The situation is the same in most of the foreign cultures, even in a cooking.

= Western people complains, when Japanese boils pasta, it was over boiled to too soft.

In the same time, eastern people complains “Why westerner cook noodle so soft and

make it soggy” —– as they didn’t know what it should be in the original form, they

tend to think “If it was still raw, it must be awful, so that it is safer to cook longer”

and end-up eating quite unlikely food   😀 

Mimic the action is easy though, to know where to stop the action needs

to be grown-up in its culture. 

(I’ve learned this while clapping the hand in the Flamenco-dance Music  😀 )

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On the time of Lord Buddha, I don’t think the most of his followers were literate. And

Lord Buddha didn’t teach them in sophisticated Sanskrit but in colloquial Pari.

And, I don’t think it was a complicated philosophical or mythical thought but more likely

plain wisdom in the daily life. —– it’s mean, when the teachings were written down

after 200 years lapse, it is easy to guess, the teachings were much more formalized and

glorified by the person who were well educated (hence familiar with Sanskrit = Vedic

notions) while following the Sanskrit literature and its notions as a model.

This must be the reason why even in the earliest scriptures still having many

contradictory descriptions especially in the point,

Lord Buddha has denied the existence of the perpetual soul (Atman in Vedic belief) why

the past or future life exists = Mix-up with Brahmanism (Hindu) occurred in very early stage.

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It happens even within the same culture, it would be inevitable between foreign culture.

To drink a tea with different mix of formula, such as in India, garlic in a tea believed to be

good to cure the cold.   Chinese treat the tea as a herbal drink, though to make it as a level

of Ceremony seems to be an over-boiled pasta 😀

So, I wouldn’t go to the idea if Mallory believed that the mountain has

a holy spirit.—– “It’s just there” 

(The reason why the Buddhists treat the Dharma mythical is because

the most of it is unknowable and invisible to our humble eyes.)

___/\___

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Capricorns Ball

Last night, there was a party [Capricorns Ball] held in a Pub in Brixton.  In fact this party

started as a birthday party of the Capricorn people among the staffs or ex-staffs of the

Fridge Night Club,  and as a regular I was invited every year —– in the past 15 years or so !

May be an excuse to get together and get drank or annual reunion of the people who had

their youth in the Club  (I mean, while working —– I was only dancing though)   😀

And all the photos here were intended for the guest to download and copy,  if they want.

It’s nice to see the old faces, even though everybody is getting a bit older and having

different kind of life. (It’s really amazing, I acquainted many of them 20 years ago ! ! ! )

As a party in a pub,  Pub-quiz is in a menu—– this time, about the Capricorns  🙂

( I didn’t know our Emperor, I mean Japanese, is also Capricorns.)

And a birthday cake  🙂

The top two Quiz winner received Trophy = they are ecstatic with a joy  😀 

The each candle on the cake was blown by each Capricorns one by one.

Then, live gig. (Not necessary my kind of music —– still it’s OK )

I think it’s a nice photo !  (or, at least they think I’m a nice man. —– mind you, the camera

was only 10″  away from their faces)

The Capricorn Short cake was made by a young lady and the piece here said to be an

art installation created by another young lady = happen to be a Japanese though, too

young to know what the Fridge Club was  😀

This is not intended for a self portrait but a demonstration of how the lighting of those

photos were done. (Hand aimed bounce lighting).  By the way, something hang  from my

neck is one of my Disco Pendant = Sound-activated Flashing Pendant, I made 20 years ago

and been used in the Club almost every week. (I’ll talk about this design, in here soon)

Then, let’s dance  🙂

Despite the London having quite a snow and pretty cold though, number of people turned up. 

And it was a fabulous joyful night. 

Thanks to the Ex-Fridge Capricorns, work hard to organize this.

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Ikkyu story (2)

Ikkyu Sojun (一休宗純) was the most famous Zen monk in Japanese history,

especially with his hundreds of quick witty stories to deal with the situations or gave an

answer though, as so many books has been written much later, we don’t know which story

was true and which one was a fanciful invention.

—– I read this story in a cartoon comics when I was a child, so that it could be a nice

invention of comic writer, still, this story had such a drastic twist of rhetoric

therefore showing quite Zen like jump of wit, this one could be a real story,

if not, it might be written by another accomplished Zen monk.

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The Abbot of the temple where Ikkyu was staying, had a secret pleasure to lick a honey

kept in a jar.   When young novice asked him what is it, the Abbot told him that it is a

medicine of wisdom though, as it is so potent, only a learned elderly person can take.

Otherwise, it is deadly poisonous to a young brain. But novices, Ikkyu and others did know,

it was a lie and what in the jar was a honey.

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One day, when Abbot was out for a day, Ikkyu gave his drastic answer.

He took an old ceramic vase, which the Abbot was most treasured, and smashed it to the floor.

Then took the honey jar, and started licking honey with other novices.

Soon, the honey was emptied.

When Abbot came back in the evening, he found all the novices were in the crying state.

When he asked what has happened, Ikkyu replied that while cleaning the room,

they accidentally drop the vase and it was completely smashed.   As the vase

has such irreplaceable value, there was no way else to repay but with own life.

“So that, in order to commit suicide, all of us took that poison in your jar.

But, even after swallowed all the poison, we still couldn’t die and this is why

we are so ashamed and feel dreadful. ~ ~ ~ cry cry cry !”

—– Abbot had no word to return.

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😀 😀 this was the revolution. Face to face, asking the truth what is in the jar —– is

a democratic approach of dialogue   (provided if the Abbot treats them as equal and tell the

truth) though the Abbot was just a tyrant = there couldn’t be any fair negotiation => only

insurgence is the remedy = revolution, hence some casualties were unavoidable.

The ceramic vase could be worth million though, Ikkyu didn’t gave even a hint of hesitation.

= He just smashed it.   On the end, his revel exposed the fraud in the temple =

Abbot lost his credibility and the priceless ceramic vase —– even honey too 😀

But, what Ikkyu and the novices got — not much, just a taste of honey and a good laugh.

—– most of Ikkyu stories are for good laugh, not much else.

(Anyhow, they were aimed to the children )

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Still, real Ikkyu was a serious Zen monk.

As one of his Short-Poem (Kyoka 狂歌) for New-year said ;

門松は，冥土の旅の一里塚 (Kado-matsu wa, Meido no Tabi no Ichiri-zuka)　

馬，かごも無し,宿も無し(Uma, Kago mo nashi, Yado mo nashi)

New-year’s (Ever green) Pine branch is a mile-stone to the Nether world.

No Horse or Palanquin (for the journey), even no inn (to stay for a night).

= there is no celebratory mood at all.      Ha ha ha 😀

That was quite Ikkyu-san.   (He had no illusion to the life, neither to New-year,

though in reality unlike any other meek monk, he had very active eventful life,

all because of his completely liberated mind and the eyes. 

No illusion mean no emotional blockage neither  = This is the Zen )

___/\___

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Nattou (納豆) = Japanese food, others dread !

 

(Photo left ;  Nattou I found in a Japanese food shop = £1.5 for 3~4 packages. 

It comes with light colored soy-source and mustard. 

Photo right ; Mixed all together with added spring onion = just in a minute, it’s ready to eat  )

You know, Nattou is the most popular food in Japan —– still, so far, I never seen

any westerner ever eat,  let alone liked it.  😀

Nattou is a fermented soy-bean.  To make it, soy-bean was just boiled and placed between a

straw-mat and kept overnight, that’s all, nothing else.   No trick, no additive, even no need to put

yeast kind of bacteria = in fact, the bacteria  [Bactillus Subtilis var. natto] naturally comes from the

straw or any kind of dried grass hence fermentation will be naturally taking place.

( —– though, today the production was automatized in the factory where no straw

in sight = using cultivated pure bacteria instead, still some enthusiast making it

in traditional way   )

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In nature, bacteria are everywhere, include inside of our body and some are doing pretty good

job helping digestion etc, but others are not necessary so, and cause illness.

Some are working to decompose the milk to make it a cheese, or to make a wine etc etc =

as long as it works useful to us, it is called fermentation otherwise called rotten.

So, fermented soy-bean is = to Japanese, it is a great fermentation but to rest of

the world, it is nothing but rotten. 😀

Rotten, because it smells like rotten and the bean became covered with sticky slime.

(In the same context, many of cheese here smells nothing but awfully rotten to the Japanese)

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To eat Nattou, Japanese are mixing it with soy-source, generally with mustard

and finely chopped spring onion — some people even prefer to add raw egg-yolk

to make it more slimy. (how delicious !  😀 )

As the protein of soy-bean has been decomposed by the bacteria, it is much more digestible and

nutritional value is much higher than just boiled soy-bean. = Hence, Nattou is an indispensable

part of healthier Japanese food life.

And an interesting point is, as Japanese are familiar with slimy Nattou, they also

eat many slimy food such as Okra, name but few.

—– You may not think,  Okra is slimy food because you eat them boiled.

But, Japanese eat it raw by cutting it into thin slices and mixed with dried fish flaks and drip of

soy-source = if you cut, you will notice, it got slimy mucilage =this texture is what

Japanese are after.   ( I’ll write about this kind of cooking more on a coming post 🙂

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Incidentally, Okra is a sister of Hollyhock or Marshmallow, and a cousin of

Hibiscus = all in the same Malvaceae family hence if you clash those plant between your

fingers you will feel it has slimy texture inside = using this slimy mucilage property,

a soft sweets  [Marshmallow] was originally created, as its name suggests.

(But today’s Marshmallow is an almost artificial sponge made by substitute) 

And using its slimy substance as a fiber-bonding glue, Malveceae plants has been used for the

paper making —– you believe or not 🙂 )   As a matter of fact, lots of food such as cheap

Ice-cream couldn’t keep its soft creamy texture without having those slimy additives.  

So, you may read a name of  Zantan-gum on a food packages, it’s a slime created

by the rotten Cabbage ! —– horrified ?  — Or you accept your unavoidable fate,

and start eating Nattou ? 😀

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—– thanks to its pure vegetarian contents, Nattou is very popular in the

Buddhist’s temple menu hence if any westerner had a chance to stay in a temple

= it would be a real dread as well, to face Nattou.  😀

But, I know, to get know to eat Nattou would be rewarded by really healthy life.

To open your mind (and the Mouth), it is the Zen —– ? —– really ?

Yah, —– may be. —- Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

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Funny Practice

A man who I met recently, and read this blog, gave me a response saying that

he was pretty impressed by Zappa photo and the camera I made though, he

couldn’t make any connection of them to the Zen.

And he wondered,

“You are not serious to the Zen don’t you, as you are making a fun of it

or even cynical”

—– Well said. So, I replied to him.

Yes, I can see you got certain idea of Zen though, I’m afraid to say it is mere

pretense or crèche.

I’m doing the Zen Buddhism not Parroting what the books say.

Lord Buddha taught how to alleviate the suffering in the life. He didn’t give a

false hope to escape from it by living in a fantasy world, but taught a practice

to gain the clear eyes and the mind how to see and deal with the matter.

Instead to tell a sweet story of heaven to such as a woman who just lost her

child, but her to running about the village.

Zen is the teachings of how to run 🙂

While running, the person will acquire the Mind and the eyes to see the suffering

in detached eyes, hence able to get rid of blinding emotion and the stacked mind.

—– Do you think, could the woman alleviate the sorrow by sitting all day

next to the dead body ?

It is the exactly the same situation.

You are stacked with an idea or crèche of so-called Zen.

So-called “Serious concentration of the Mind etc etc” so that you may see I’m

doing something useless to the Zen and not serious enough.

But Zen is also free the person from those stereotypical fixed idea

include the Zen itself.

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In any eye point, in any scope, the life is a troublesome matter.

If this is the nature of the matter, complaining it would be useless because

it is inescapable anyway.  

But, in the same time while billions of the people struggling, it is an awesome view and may

have quite funny moment, especially if we can see it in bird’s eye view.

I’m serious enough to the life and I’m dealing with it, as nothing else is on the board.

It’s mean, I have no false dream believing another world such as a heaven etc rubbish.

And as I have nothing else to see, I could see even the minute detail of the subject of which

most of the people wouldn’t bother.  —– So, I could see lots more funny side of the situation

as my eyes are above the water, as I, at least know how I can avoid drowning in the water.

—– So, I’m not drowned in the Zen.

(Anyhow, Zen is an extremely funny practice.   😀 )

Convinced ?

___/\___

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PARADOX in seeking the ZEN

 

I wrote in previous post, to reach Zen, how it is crucial to block the Emotion.

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Though, Zen or Buddhism in general, it is a strange maze of the Paradox =

the more you try to see it, you can’t see.   The harder you put the effort,

you can’t achieve. (—– I think, I wrote the same subject before, while using a metaphor

“You can’t run, as long as you got legs” 😀 )

This trouble is, all comes down to the existence of the Emotion or Emotional thinking.

Because of the strong intention or will is always accompanied by the strong

Emotion. The more you are serious, the more your mind is stack to the subject

though, ironically, the art of Zen is how to make you detached from the subject.

—– You can’t detach yourself from the subject when you are studying it —–

you may say.

(If you ever read the book of Zen Mondo / Koan, then if you read it again while this paradox

in mind, you will see the point, or it will make sense in each answer.

= They are in the matter of this paradox.)

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So that, there is a trouble to understand such as “what the Mindfulness is” =

the harder you try to be Mindful = you are falling into a Clu-de-sak or strays away to nowhere

because of your mind = Emotion is just stack to the subject. Emotion blinding You !

—– There is nothing else but the subject, and you can see it clear detached eyes.

= This IS Mindfulness. = because of your eyes are detached from your Emotion, there

couldn’t be any wishful thinking or a greed to succeed etc kind of destructive rubbish = you can

see the true nature of the subject. = therefore you can do the perfect job, hence you will succeed.

This state of mind, detached from the subject, = as there is no Emotional

attachment, hence the mind is blank but only eyes are gazing at =

This is Mushin and in Selflessness = This IS Mindfulness.

Why Selfless here ?  Because, only eyes and the subject are here.  Not your Mind.

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Sound easy ? —– or you may utterly bemused, how to do ? How far to be detached 😀

Because of this confusion, ancient Buddhists invented [Middle Way] 2,000 years ago.

While saying “Not too close, still not too far” — Because, they themselves haven’t experienced

real Mushin 😀

= It seems, the vast number of Mantra Authors are not necessary understood the Buddhism.

= That was why so many fancy stories of it was added to the original teachings to cover-up  😀

(Good in writing is not necessary knowing the subject 😀 = The Monks are familiar with sitting

in the temple, but they may not be any expert of DOING something — this is a reason why the

Zen was invented = Zen put an emphasis to DO something and prohibit Thinking)

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When you DO something, subject is very front of your eyes.

If it was cutting a lemon, lemon and a knife are there. —– So, just cut it. You don’t need to think

anything else.  After cutting 10 lemons, 100 lemons, (what to do those mountain of lemon slices =

may be better make Marmalade and use one or two for a cup of tea 😀   Or if you are short of

money, cut potatoes instead and make crisps ? —– though, I don’t like to use oil )  you will

run-out anything to think about (NO Thinking) = you will cut it almost like an

automatic machine (NO Emotion),  hence your eyes sees nothing else of Lemon

and the Knife = this is the Mindfulness.   And the brain is in the state of Mushin.

Then, applying this eyes and the Mind-set to see other things in the Life.

By actually DO something, there is NO PARADOX (Paradox is created in the

Emotional Thinking = such as Intention, Will, Gain / Loss Calculation, etc etc =

not exists in Doing )  —– This is the ZEN.

( So, it is a great mystery, what the people is doing while sitting and doing

so-called meditation ?  😀  😀 ) 

___/\___

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Clear the Deck for 2013 / Detach the EMOTION

Blogging, or writing in general, it is the process to convert the idea or notion into a separate object,

thus, enables it to be examined as an independent entity. ( on top of much more common purpose

to express it to others ) = like a Jig-saw Puzzle, we have to find, not only matching the shape of

pieces but also its picture printed on, which we can see the rationality in bird’s eye view.

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Thanks to given task of this Blog (yes, I regard this, not my choice but a given task I was assigned

— simply because it has occurred on my life — has anybody else assigned as well ? = if nobody

else there, I have to take care, haven’t I ? 😀 ) at least I managed to record the process what and

how I figured out Zen Buddhism in the past 3 years and 9 months, with over 400 posts.

(since, this is the DIY Zen study)

As it is still an ongoing process, I wouldn’t pretend it had consistent unity = far from it, it deviated

a lots, therefore it often contradicting each other.   And not necessary having even consistent

definition of the term, not because of mistake but change of my approach.

So, thanks goodness, I’ve managed to come to much clear picture of which those confusion has

been sorted out (well, more or less 😀 )

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My basic approach to the Buddhism is the same from the start, long before even I

started this Blog. —– It was to retrace the way and the process how

Lord Buddha found and came to his conclusion as a normal human being, not a

superman or divine figure.

Human brain is more or less having the same function and the same tendency.

As there couldn’t be any super natural phenomena such as Extra Sensory Power (though, I

reserve the judgement about this point, because there seemed to be something still there ) and

the human common-sense is more or less the same, therefore when we see the same subject, we

are able to deduce to the same conclusion.

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While I was blogging, there were two important view point came to my consideration.

The one was a phenomenon in the Neurophysiology, that the threshold of our perception

become higher against the repeating signals = I realized the connection to the repeating

action of the Buddhist’s practice which lead the person to acquire the immunities to the

repeating coming signal or same internal thought, hence higher threshold blocks the signal

reaching to emotional cortex and trigger the hormonal reaction. ( Such as if you see

the same porno photo on the wall every day, the perception was desensitized and soon it loose an

impact to arose you with a seclusion of Testosterone = photo become just another landscape. 😀 )

—– (On the beginning, I’ve been putting more emphasis to an effect of imprinting

by the repeated practice, but [imprinting into subconscious] alone couldn’t explain

the origin of Selflessness).

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And the other was a neurological symptom that the blocked connection to the emotional cortex in

the brain of Alzheimer’s case, it cause the loss of cognition to see the SELF and the

own possession = hence, loose the EGO, and the Self-preserving GREED.

Some of you may feel rather disturbing with this, because of the connection to Alzheimer’s though,

despite of it this is the very key to understand the MUSHIN and the SELFLESSNESS as

one phenomenon = the matter is to block the Emotion which is causing all the trouble

in the LIFE such as Obsessive Thoughts, sticky Attachment, EGO and the GREED.

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So, thanks to Alzheimer research, the mechanism of our Mind has been exposed.

But, to have this detached mind, you don’t need to wait another 40, 60 years =

while doing Buddhist’s practice, you might realized that you are doing it without

conscious (unconsciously hand was moving or automatically chanting) —– once

you see this phenomenon, practice the same while watching this blank-space in

your brain. —– Then, while having this blank-space in the brain (Being in Mushin)

turn the eyes beyond, and see the world in Mushin. = Soon or later, you will acquire

the skill to have this eyes in any moment and in any situation. = YOU ARE IN ZEN.

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In this context, so called Buddhist’s teachings = [eliminate THINKINGS] this Thinkings has to

be understood as [Emotional Judgment] not a logical clear thinkings. =

This is one of the most confusing part in the Buddhist’s teachings.

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples in his death bed

“Don’t believe what you were taught and what others say, but think it yourself ” =

Think logical in clear objective way, and use common-sense, was what he meant.

After all, cool dispassionate eyes = non-emotional, logical thinkings is the key to the Buddhist’s

Mind-set. —– (Without having Emotional conscious, we feel the Brain is blank ! 

= When we see something in total dispassionate way, we only feel the vision but

not a thought = This is MUSHIN —– still, the brain is working subconsciously )

There is no mythical secret technique which is not achievable to the ordinal mankind.

What Lord Buddha taught was not a kind of Mythical belief but the clear practical solution

—– such as the case of Kisa-Gortami, he didn’t tell her any Mumbo-jumbo such as she could see

her dead child in the Heaven or child would reborn and see her again, but simply made her just

running around and made her to reach logical understandings, that a death is the common

and inescapable truth. = This is the very Key teaching of

[Life IS, to suffer, getting ill and old, and to die].

[And the way to deal with this harsh Life is to learn Buddhism through its repeating practice] which

would eliminate the bad effect of the Emotion, hence able to live in peace of Mushin and Selflessness.

(As I rote above, without connecting to Emotion, the action can be done in

dispassionate way almost automatic = even without the conscious, and without the

obstruction of Ego, Greed and the Delusion)

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—– If you give a thought and review all the Phenomena in the Buddhist’s psyche, such as

Detachment, Detached to the Changing world hence Live in its Moment, Has no Fear of the Death,

no Ego, no Greed etc etc you will realize, all those were the manifestation of NO Emotion (and

Emotional Judgement). —–The man who could forsake the pleasure of life in luxury and the feast

of flesh, and able to bluntly define the [Life is Suffering],

Lord Buddha had no illusion, neither gave any sweet illusion to the followers,

especially his teachings were the one, revolutionary idea which against the popular

Vedic idea of Atman = (Perpetual soul, which has no logical, scientific proof) he would have had

no way to fabricate any another fancy stories. = Hence, the Buddhism in its original form is blunt

and straight, because of it was not considered to be popular but stand on the Truth, as it teaches

Own Enlightenment, not dependent on a Salvation which proved to be never come.

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Widely misconceived so-called Buddhist’s [Compassion] is not emanated from the tender

Emotion but it comes from the same Mind-set of Mushin and the Selflessness = see

the situation without Emotion and the Ego, hence able to see the needs of others as if it was one’s

own = then able to see what is the best to DO here = effectively helping others as a result.

= If the one still having own Emotion, the own self-preservation comes first.

Selfless act has no Emotion.   And this is why it has no notion of [giving to others]

= NO distinction of ME and OTHER. = in this Mind-set, there is even no conscious of Me and even

Animal or Plant. = This is the True Compassion in the Buddhism.

True Buddhist is not compassionate sweet person but he (she) is the person just Doing what he

ought to Do, without having even a conscious of doing or being as a Buddhist.

When the one has NO conscious of SELF, how the same person can have a conscious

of [I’m a Buddhist] —– And this is the true meaning of [There is NO SELF]

___/\___

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Stollen ( German Fruits Cake for Xmas )

On my daily life, there are quite few things missing —– on the shopping front, it is far easier

to count what I buy rather than listing up what I don’t buy = such as other than fresh vegetables and

the fruits, a sort of sweets or confectionery is completely missing = simply because I’m buying

essentials which I desperately need ! = if I don’t eat I may die = So that, I have to eat = hence, I buy

the food staffs, but in the cheapest way = fresh raw material = never buy processed food, let

alone junk-food or that kind, bottled drink, any alcohol, which we don’t need for our survival 😀

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Don’t get me wrong, I’m not following ANY idea of “Healthy diet” or Religious restriction what so ever

but simply I’m living the life of poor-man. Cooking out of fresh materials is the cheapest way to eat.

This mind-set, “poor-man” (in Buddhist’s term, Bhikku = Beggar)  seemed to have originated from

my family = Zen priest’s and the life in the mountain = NO waste of food, food is to survive.

—– And in the same context, no waste of anything (since, I’m not printing a money or ever

produced even a single grain of rice) so to repair and recycle what so ever it was possible, is the norm.

In the same way, wear the clothes is for its essential function, not for fashion or vanity = hence,

as long as it is wearable (with stitching repair etc), no need to buy another one.

—– So, I’m still using my heavy-duty jacket I bought in Japan 40 years ago 🙂 — though, it seems,

it has gone too far hence, some body told me “If you like to come, buy decent clothes and wear a tie”

= so, I needed to buy a trouser and jacket last week (last time I did shopping for clothe (other than

underwear and socks) was two years ago 😀 )

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Therefore, in my shopping, I’m going through a forests of foods and goods like a remote land-scape.

Still, it is not a kind of fixed mind or prohibition, the mind recognizes those item which I don’t need is

not there —– sweets, confectionery or the fashion display doesn’t take any attention = or they are

almost NOT exists. (I might be an enemy of the super-market —– or for them, £10 par week

kind of person has no statistical significance :-D) —– THOUGH, once in a year, I’m making

an exception for a German cake Stollen which is only sold in the Xmas time.

Stollen is a German equivalent of Xmas pudding but not as heavy as Xmas pudding with Rum or

Brandy, still it is a kind of festive fruits cake.

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—– I’m not an expert of cake making, let alone Stollen. I only know this, in the past 7~8 years since

I saw a woman buying this from the Lidl saying “This Stollen is our traditional Xmas cake”

As the woman pronounced “Sh-tollen” I noticed she is a German. (And Lidl shop was originated

from Germany)

—– So, as a cultural interest, I bought one and realized this must be the symbol of their winter life.

= In the Autumn, people, kids goes woods and gather edible small fruits, Blue-berry

kind and Walnuts, Pine-nuts etc. And use those harvested and dried fruits to make a

cake for winter festive season. (Though, today’s Stollen was made with imported Raison, Almond

/ Marzipan etc —– still showing and maintaining their traditional folk culture 🙂 )

I like the life rooted on the Earth and live accordingly to the season = life of

the moment to moment.

Pick the Berry in a late Summer, preparing for the coming Winter — and eat the gift of the Nature

in the Festive time remembering the Sun in the Past Summer = To repeat this, ten or so times,

the kids become good grown-ups and start to have their own family.

—– or, to repeat 60~80 times is what our LIFE is = smell of sun drenched bush, or cool air

of forest’s floor —– the memory of brother or sister, friends etc etc = and the cycle of the LIFE

= therefore, as I bought the same Stollen again, it’s mean yet another year has past.

I wouldn’t say, either congratulation or sorry = it’s just another year  😀

(And, I wouldn’t imply the life has an equivalent value of 80 Stollen  😀 😀 )

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Is Yoga Religion ?

Is Yoga Religion ?

Is Acupuncture Religion ?

Is Shaolin Kung-fu or Tai-chi Religion ?

– – – how about the Exercise for Rehabilitation to whom got Brain damaged ?

And is Zen Religion ?

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If you ever practiced Yoga, you might have heard the theory or story behind of Yoga = how

to get harmony with Nature or even with the Universe = Spiritual aspects of  Yoga.

And you might heard the Acupuncture is based on the ancient Taoism = balance of Yin-Yang

and each points are on the line called Meridian etc etc.

Shaolin Kung-fu came from the same temple where the Zen Buddhism started

= Part of the Buddhism teachings.

And the Tai-chi was based on the teachings of the Taoism = Yin-Yang theory etc etc.

In other words, it has theory though, in practice it doesn’t matter.   It’s nice to

have elaborated theoretical decoration though, the matter is in practice.

Because, it got visible effects and clear physical, mental or even medical function whether

you believe its theory or Myth or not. = They don’t need to be believed. = Just do it.

– – – So, why the Zen was regarded to be a Religion ? ? ?

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The difference between Science and the Religion is,

Science stands whether you believe it or not.

So, a paper will burn if you put a fire on it = paper rapidly combines with oxygen, which will

happen regardless whether you know the Science behind or not, or you can see oxygen or not.

But in the Religion, if you believe its theory or blah blah, you will see it exists.

– – – – –

But in the case in Zen practice, most of the people couldn’t understand what the point of doing

it, let alone to see or feel its effect or result.

Twist the leg and meditate AND THINK NOTHING = it is the hardest practice for most of the

people to comprehend.   Added trouble here is, most of the people think the meaning of the

word [Meditation] is somewhat think deep 😀 – – – how to teach [Think nothing, while

thinking deep] 😀  Or to think an answer to a strange question “ without THINKING” 😀

– – – – –

Still, most of the people know, [ Do something simple, can be done without having

any thought = Auto-pilot] – – – Zen should be taught in this approach.

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The key in the Zen is, [ To do something “the same”, many many times which

lead the Brain to start ignoring the repeated signal, and process “the same”

WITHOUT THINKING] ! = Done by Subconscious = Mushin.

= with an inherent tendency of the brain = [ BRAIN start the process without

linking the signal to the EMOTION]  = Done in Selflessly.

The EMOTION is the source or generator of the [Mind of Self ] = without linking to the

Emotion, the Brain will process the signal / information / stimulant, almost automatically =

without the Self-interest or EGO = objectively and in the most efficient logical way =

and once the person mastered this Mind-set, the person can use same process to other

subject in general = therefore, able to see the reality and to respond the Life

in the best way without distorted Ego, fear or dithering.

This is the ZEN (the mind  without lingering and having no hindrance, hence

in its at most calmness = in another word [dispassionate] ) – – – in fact,

this is the Enlightenment.

This brain activity / Mind-set  is a clear FACT hence, it is a subject of 

neurological science = you believe or not, Brain is doing it in this way.

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Still, so called teacher of Zen is teaching it as a Religion, simply because they don’t know

this Fact and the Brain activity, let alone they have ever experienced it by themselves.

Without effectively able to teach the way to develop the Brain, teacher has to rely on the

mythical story of blah blah to pull a wool on your eyes = if you believe its story, this is

another kind of Zen (“expecting to have enlightened several lives after” kind of fantasy,

while living this life in vegetated states ).

– – – – –

Like Yoga or even the Exercise for a Rehabilitation which works as a physiological function,

regardless any elaborated theory or a mythical story, Zen has to be learned as a

training to the Brain and its Neurological function.

After all, even the invisible mystical activities of the mind are the reflection of

the Brain function = not a mythical Religion.

– – – – –

Zen is a type of the process in the Brain, not a religious belief. And this is what

Lord Buddha has discovered.  This was the reason why he was called Buddha =

Enlightened one, not a divine figure nor prophet = NOT as a religious figure but a great

teacher to the mankind who share the same type of the Brain and the same

tendency of the trouble in the Life.

As you are going to have this kind of the Life, you better have this Mind-set = this was what

Lord Buddha has taught. = His teachings was not for believing but an advice

which will actually works. = because, the Brain IS working in this way.

What Buddhists need is not a Bodhisattva or Maitreya but bit more brighter

teacher who can see how the mind and the brain works.  🙂

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INTUITION / Face reading in the Szondi Test

In the previous post I gave rather vague and not

necessary positive impression about the Intuition.

It’s because of the invisible nature of the

subconscious brain activities.

Yet still, (strangely, or as a family tradition ?) I got

pretty good accurate intuition.

I can assess the person in one glance, even in a

distance or from a photograph.

Trouble is, even if visible phenomenon is there, still

I have to give a guess-work to analyze its mechanism = how it’s works.

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It’s strange though, every body can see the personality from a portrait photograph

—– or at least able to judge like or dislike at once.

No body knows how it was done, but this is an obvious fact.

Even with its vagueness of the Intuition, still, some way of the practical use

has been exploited with significantly high reliability.

—– One area is to read the air reconnaissance photograph in the military front. (This is a fact,

not a joke 🙂 ) Instead to scan the details of whole area which is utterly time consuming

laborious work, but just see all the aria with open-eyed detachment —– then

suddenly somewhere catch the attention. The photograph was not necessary showing

typical military installation but giving somewhat odd impression. Then give a detailed

inspection = Boila, enemy’s activities ! This intuitive method is actually employed in

the Military ground image analysis, because of its quick process with

amazing accuracy.

—– And somewhere in this blog, I wrote about a Rail-way Ticket-inspector who

can intuitively distinguish ticket-cheats among hundreds of passengers

passing through in every minutes, with almost 100% accuracy.

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In Psycho-analysis , there is a test called [Szondi Test] invented by a

Hungarian Dr Leopold Szondi. = It is a very simple test = Just chose which person

you like and dislike among 48 photos of the faces.

(You can read this in the Wikipedia, please see yourself its detail.)

—– In fact, when I was in my secondary school, we had this test which gave the result

such as “You are an aggressive sadist” or “Depressive, passive person” and so on, rather

not nice to tell to the 13,14 year old kids though, we were very surprised as its

assessment was amazingly spot-on.

Originally, those 48 photos were in fact, Mental Hospital Patients whose Character or

Pathological symptom was clearly known, such as a person who was a sadistic murderer or

suffering depression etc etc and the person under the test feel like to chose a face who

got the same character, which the person can Intuitively see from a photo

= hence, if you are a maniac, you chose the photo of a maniac as your favourite.

(— sound awful though, this is what we do unconsciously / Intuitively !

= Hence feather gathers :-))

(The test I had, was an American version which was using 4 or 5 sets of 48 photos of

the Prisoners —– that’s what the teacher told us, after the test)

—– As an intelligent decent boy I was (might not true now. 😀 :-D), I’ve chosen looked like

decent-faced, intelligent man’s photos (= hence, I got the assessment, saying “You are an

intelligent decent man with good common-sense, etc = Yes, that’s who I was. Honest. :-D)

Seeing the photos, I couldn’t imagine if anybody dare to chose another gloomy looking faces

—– then we realized, somebody had actually chosen those gloomy faces, hence received the

assessment “You are a sadist” ! = In fact this boy was a notorious bully, so, all of us burst

into laughing. —– (Before 60s, there wasn’t a kind of Human Right notion to protect

sensitive personal nature and anyhow, we all knew the character of every body, we took it

more like yet another mocking = Nobody complained that its assessment was wrong, nor

complained that his secret has been exposed. = It was a fun for the kids. :-D)

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Though, it may not a fun, this psychological test strip you naked = as you intuitively, feel

like particular face and put a mark without knowing why, you can’t hide who really you are.

And, because of this test is blatantly accurate and ruthlessly explicit, yet as no scientific

explanation (= as in a nature of the invisible psychological phenomenon ), and especially in

the today’s “Human Right, Sensitive Privacy, Political-Correctness etc etc” kind of awkward

social climate, it became out of fashion, so that, not many psychologist is using it now.

Yet, this is the most visible demonstration of how our subconscious mind /

intuition actually works, by showing the character with known pathological symptom,

and observe direct coloration between the viewed person (photo) and the viewer.

= Because of no information, other than the facial photos, viewer has to use

solely intuitive perception.

Other than this test, it is difficult to visibly test and demonstrate accuracy of our intuition.

( remaining question is how a person’s character or symptom shows up on the face or

even on the photograph —– I wonder, am I looks like Zen Buddhist ?

—– Or was that what Master Kogetsu found on my face ? ? ? :-D)

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It is impossible to teach Intuition, same as a creativity in the art or invention.

And same as a vision of Medicine-man = apprentice may not have the same mental ability,

so-that a second class Medicine-man needed to resort with hallucinogenic drag.

We can not swap the eyes with other person , let alone the mind = without the apprentice

having had a real experience, it is no point to teach the meaning of the vision or even

humble Intuition.   Explanation in the words is utterly pointless = because the

part of the brain which perceive Intuition and processing Language are

completely different. = Somebody can do better but not others.

—– Such as a Ticket inspector aforesaid = he was the best in the station, still it was

impossible to teach others because he, himself didn’t know how and why, where to look for.

Neither me can explain why I can see the personality at once = I only feel —– even if

I try to say such as a shape of the mouth brah, brah though, it’s not necessary make an

explanation since, there are too many variations and exceptions.

And all the faces are different.

—– One face contains thousands of the informations, and as in total, it gives off the

impression of who the person is = hence, few parameter of the biometrics wouldn’t and

couldn’t give an answer.

If you imagine, the very same face can express thousands of different

expressions by minute movement of the muscles —– Only Intuitive

perception can grub those informations in total, at once.

But its mechanism is still beyond the our understanding. Funny paradox is, they are all

in the same Brain, yet we don’t know what other part of the Brain is doing.

We know everything else, but not our own brain, let alone its contents = mind.

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