Ikkyu-san

One of the most famous  Zen monk,  Ikkyu  Sojun  is the literally most talked about Buddhist in Japan.

I don’t know how many books tribute to him and even cartoon comics featuring him for the children has been kept coming  to the book shelf, not mention  TV anime. Though, as he got so many legendary stories,  it is hard to tell which story has historical fact behind or it was an invention of novelist.  Yet still, I especially like this story which is so typical in Zen mind.

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When Ikkyu was exiled to a remote corner of northern Japan by the Shogun,  as he was an out-spoken critics and a pain on the neck,  the local  War-Load who was made responsible to keep him, put a woman to cook and take care of his daily life,  expecting  Ikkyu to have a relation with this woman,  which would give a convenient pretext to kill him.   Which was a hidden intention to isolate and exile him away from the Buddhist’s center of Kyoto.  Though, even a year past, no such relation had ever taken place.

The woman wondered if she is sexy enough to attract him or not.  So that, woman took a drastic action one night,  waited him in his bed  (well, it was a Futon)  naked. When Ikkyu saw her in his bed,  he didn’t show any surprise and get into the bed saying  ” I knew this would happen soon or later.  It’s nice to have human hot water bottle.  Oh good, its warm”  and within few minutes he started snoring. ——– Woman was utterly devastated.

——– Most of  women are having strange belief almost like a religion.

A man will do the business when he saw a woman laying naked.  But it doesn’t apply to a Zenist. 😀     (It exclude sham Zenist ! )

Unless its business is his task,  a naked body is just a naked body,  nothing to do with him and his body doesn’t react with so-called instinct.   Naked body is there just as it is.  Its sexual connotation is in one’s mind.  Without sexual connotation, it’s still beautiful, soft and warm to touch.   No problem to be there.

Unlike popular belief,  being as a monk Ikkyu had a mistress and he was more than capable to do the business until his old age, though unless the woman was the one he committed,  anybody else was the no existence.

In Mushin, if it is the task to take,  commit to it 100 % down to the level of subconscious.  If not, it is 0 % to the level of subconscious,  in deed to the instinct level.

(As the Emotion was detached,  sexual object wouldn’t cause the seclusion of adrenalin or testosterone,  hence so-called instinctive reflection doesn’t occur.)       (There said to be an extreme training to become a Tantra High Priest (Adjari) = While attending an all night sitting, the monk has to keep his penis elected continuously. = keep his mind totally concentrated to sexual arose. —– it’s a hard act for an amateur to try. )

Zen has only 100 % all, or nothing 0 %. ( Incidentally, this would explain Why Japanese tend to go to extreme. As there is nothing between, when it came to the situation of fight such as in war,  it would be either kill or be killed.   Somewhere between,  beaten yet still alive and become Prisoner of War was not acceptable.   It was regarded to be in half minded / coward.

All those psyche were originated from the Zen ethos. ——-  To reconcile with this extremity with Middle Way needs to have a real understanding of the Middle Way. = not a kind of “Somewhere between”. )

___/\___

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SELF and PHOTO II

There was rather interesting story behind of previous post “Find the SELF by your Camera”.

Many years ago,  I gave the photographic training to a young photographer to become professional.

After staying this country while taking my tuition he went back Japan  and  came back with 6 months worth

of photos which he piled up for various subjects.

While reviewing those photos,  I made them into 4 groups according to his mental state then, to show

without conscious how our eyes and the way to photograph change. He was horrified with its accuracy.

How do I know and how the photo shows such differences.

———————

As we have a sense to sniff out the atmosphere, we can see it even in a photograph in one grance.

It is the matter of how we can open the mind and able to expose the sensory of subconscious,

which is  what people calls sixth sense.

Atmosphere of the place change moment to moment, and at what moment the photographer click,

makes the difference. The professionals can, not only able to capture its moment, but also know the

way to enhance or exaggerate it.  This is how they can stay in  business while derivering a requirement.

Yet still the result may be influenced by the mental state of him as well.

When photographer hunting around something interesting image,  his interest, knowledge or taste would

be exactly appeared in the photos. ———– One occasion, I and a female editor of a Japanese magazine

went to a famous antique market  (after the assignment had completed).

While seeing and photographing mountain of curious objects and people I noticed, this middle-aged

editor got strange taste, not only photographing old or looks somewhat miserable person, but always

stop the eyes onto peculiar metal object such as tools or surgical instruments or funny shaped Victorian

ceramic toilet utensils.—— ? ? ? —– I asked her   “You got quite peculiar taste,  is it related to SM (Sado-

Masochistic) practice or fantasy ?”  She blushed red and said “How did you know”  “Its bloody obvious”.

———- When aforesaid young photographer faced this analysis he said  “Oh, no, I became too

conscious, I can’t take picture any more”  ” What ?  Waite a moment,  Photography was your

self-expression, wasn’t  it ?   So, whats wrong to show your  SELF ?”

To express a part of  SELF which he want to show off is OK, but without his conscious, something

leaking out is not well come ———– Human being is a very  self-conscious egoistic animal. 😀

Even if the person is well aware, ” I’m doing shady” yet still captured by CCTV and face the evidential

photo ” This is you in a shade”  is hard to swallow.

So, to be a good Buddhist, first of all, either clean the act or accept “I’m not clean person” and make up

the mind to accept the consequence.

———– Though, live in the dirt is not necessary too bad,  you know.  😀

ANGER

I saw some Blogs about the control of Anger or lack of it.

Thinking about the anger,  I don’t remember when I had the opportunity to have one myself last time.

Once I learned how the life is having so many facets or multiple layers,  I became aware how it is

useless to react on the surface situation and get angry.  ( It seems, in my deep psyche I have

reprogrammed to see the cause of anger “As a repulsive object” and not want it to occupy my mind

even a fraction of a second——- it disappear instantly.     So, NO anger bothered my mind ! )

In this rotten world, the expected angry reaction was often exploited to make up a pretext.

It is the usual tactics of the provocation often used by the Police,  even by the Court.

——————

When I proceeded an utterly fraudulent case in the High Court,  the Judgment made by the so-called

Lord Justice ( in fact it was a circuit Judge ) was utterly a fraud.  Though it was not surprise to me as I had

smelled it beforehand, so, when I heard it I grinned and made  ” I beg your pardon ”  with funny voice.

———- I knew,  if anybody exploded  with anger,  the Court can use it as a pretext to make an Order

to ban the person to appear the Court in further proceedings.  ( I took the proceedings as a Litigant

in Person / without the Lawyer —– while studying the English Law over night )

So that to get angry was not an option at all, even though I was utterly disgusted.

During the proceedings the Statutory Right was blatantly violated and the Judgment was completely

against the Expert Evidence.  It was  ” the case never heard of before in 250 years English Legal History ”

kind, so that,  when I proceeded to the Court of Appeal,  the President of the High Court ( as one of the

three Lord Justice ) needed to come out to suppress and  white wash the scandal. ( Very very Funny  😀  )

In order to block the Appeal,  High Court issued an  Order ” Order of no Order”  first ever in the history

which arrived on the day of the dead-line to lodge the Bundle of Document for the Appeal Court.

Even though it was just a piece of paper, as one Order was not incorporated in the chronologically paginated

Documents, the Bundles  became defective, and the Appeal could  be out of time.  Though as it was too

obvious tactics, I applied the extension of the time.  ( Of cause they can’t refuse it, as it is the Law )

( BBC  Joshua Rosenberg  knew this case,  Chanel-4,  all the broad sheet News Paper,  the Liberty,

Amnesty Int’,  Lord Chancellor’s  Dept’  even the then  PM  John Major did know this case, but did nothing )

The Court must be expected me to leave the country together with all the indicting documents.  But, since

it was the first ever the case in 250 years history, it is the imperative to let the world to know.  Its my duty.

——————-

I could have been perfectly entitled to explode with anger hundreds of times,  though it was a part of

the game which the other side and the Court were waiting to see ——- it’s  mean,  it was exactly the

last thing of me to do and anyhow, no time left me to indulge with unproductive emotion..

( So,  the President of the ” Honourable  Ancient  Court of  Justice”  needed to say  “It is not necessary for me

to go into the details of the Evidence” ——— of cause  he never able to go into the Evidence as it was

completely opposite.    Ha Ha Ha    😀  ) (When Appeal was lodged and the fact was known to the Judiciary,

High Court Judge Dobry was retired at once, and I haven’t heard the name of the President Stephen Brown

again—— gone to obscurity ?   Seemingly, it was the measure to sweep the scandal under carpet ).

——————–

Zen never follow Emotion,  so, no anger, but just follow the duty.   The matter here was not the passing

Emotion  but the continuous Fight which require tenacious effort and  resilient mentality. (It’s wrong to presume

the Buddhist got to be soft touch, easy Let Go people. Look, Dalai Lama, he kept vigorously fighting even now )

——————–

If anybody having the trouble to control own anger——- try,  just separate the eye point and watch

yourself as an objective object from the distance ( visualize an image or caricature of yourself )

From the distance, you may able to see the situation much wider——- the cause,  how it’s happened

and the consequence,  the effect of the anger in its issue —— and learn ” It wouldn’t change anything

but make the situation even worse “.

Soon or later,  you will get tired to see own caricature,  and loose the passion to get angry.

Anger is in fact the assertion of the Ego,  when the person encountered the gap between  the own

expectation or self-imposed rule or standard ——- in other words, the person’s authority.

Then  the person should make the question, ” Do I have such authority ?   Am I such Big and Powerful ? ”

Though, if the person has strong confidence, he ( she ) doesn’t need to have the assertion,  ie; it is the

sign of insecurity.  Here the Paradox of the Buddhism again.   The one who detached from the Ego

has the strongest confidence, therefore doesn’t need to get angry.   Feel strange ?

( If there is no Ego,  there will be nothing to lose. ——– Most courageous action could be taken )

PRECONCEPTION

This is the another Wire Figure,  Damsel in Distress.

I don’t know the detail of her story though,  she is in deep trouble and in agony.

——————–

Beauty of wire sculpture is,  it is the 3D equivalent of line drawing,  with added surprise of changing

shape by the view from different angle.  So that the same piece could give different impression to

person to person,  and the impression which people received from such piece could be very deceptive,

since the people can adjust the view according to their preconception, and reconstruct the

image in the brain. ———-( All the 3D images  were the Re-Construction in the brain, anyway )

The figure here is very narrative, so you might be well convinced,  this is a lady in deep grief,

thrown her body on the ground and scratching the mud ——— is she ? ? ?

———- A matter of fact,  you saw the photo in wrong angle.    Look the photo again in vertical angle.

The truth is,  she is a Kung-Fu Killer.  She is the Emperor’s special body-guard,  and it is the moment,

she is launching a lethal flying kick.——–m m m ? ! ! !   ( Now your brain is re-configuring the visual

signal and re-construct the image of the fighter jumped in mid-air —— She looks fearsome isn’t she ! ! !)

( Imagining her setting in horizontal or vertical, will create completely different impression of dynamism)

( Movement / feeling of dynamism was induced by the anticipation—– if you believe it’s move, it’s looks move)

——————–

Seeing is believing.   Yet our eyes are not necessary seeing the truth.  They could be easily fooled by

a suggestion,  planted preconception and its bias.

Buddhism calls this preconception as  Delusion by which people see the same object in

utterly wrong context.  Negative view often create monster and create vicious circle.

—– See the things in detached eyes is better than to have a wishful thinking. 

So, what’s the truth ? —– Oh, it’s a  twisted wire Sir.   😀

[]

J. S. Bach — Helmut Walcha

One morning,  when I was drifting, I heard a pipe organ music of  J.S. Bach, in the back of a TV drama.

Then,  I decided to go west to listen the sound of original instrument in the original acoustic environment.

Before, I was an enthusiast of  Baroque music, especially Bach’s organ Music.  So, I made a long list of the church and the name of the town where the recording was made for the German Gramophone Archive Record.

Then I took a ship to Siberia, Russia.  When the ship left Yokohama Port, I saw off  Japan  with my eyes getting fuzzier as it may be the last time to see her ever again.

——————–

After long journey through frozen land scape of Russia, I reached to  Helsinki, Finland.  The Helsinki Cathedral was my starting point of 100 of the church organ pilgrimage, covering many famous Alp Schnitger, Silbermann organs etc.    (The beauty of this plan was, if we go to the Church on  Sunday, there is the organ music played on, could be 300 years old original instrument, in the unique acoustic of the church. Free of charge.—- On top of this, many organ concerts, festivals held there)

——————–

Then I came across a charity concert of  Bach’s organ music to help restoration of old organ in Frankfurt.  The Organist was the most famous organist Prof; Helmut Walcha,  whose recording captured me into Bach’s organ music. (Prof; Walcha is a blind man, thus he played hundreds of organ music just from his memory)

Before concert start I was talking with a man sat next of me, about the different sound of each organ all over the Europe, since it was nearly the end of my journey,  I had covered most of the famous organs already.

The man was rather surprised of my journey, and he took me up  to organ booth and introduced me to the organist, Prof; Walcha  himself. ——- the man was the Manager of  Prof; Walcha.  ( Can you believe such a lucky coincidence.  ! )

Prof; Walcha talked about a tour of Japan and his friend, Musicologist Keisei Sakka.   And I had happened to attend a special  lecture by Prof; Sakka about the evolution of  Music Tonal System as a part of my Sociological study.  ( Tonal System evolved under the Christian monastic life and their Protestant Ethos of the devotion of the own life to perfect it — unlike a superficial glorification in the Catholic church, where how much gold was used to decorate the organ was the matter, but in the Protestant church, how three sounds of Trinity harmonize perfect was the matter. ) —– (I wrote about how Natural Tonal System was created.)

———-It was the incredibly lucky coincidence to fulfill my pilgrimage.

And it made one of the best moment of my whole life. What I could ask more.

——————–

Some ignorant criticize Bach’s music, saying that they are too abstract, even mechanical.   In fact it was the self confession of how he is ignorant and having no ear to appreciate the music.  Under the most strict rules of such as the Fugue, still able to create such soul-shaking striking music is the work of nothing but the genius. ——– Achieve  total freedom under the strict rules, is the Zen.

Unlike Romantic School’s sticky emotional melody,  Polyphonic Baroque Music, especially Bach’s music can eliminate the thought.  (Rather constant rhythm / no syncopation, and three-part polyphonic keeps waving complex tonal pictures,  which  refuses our own imagination —– makes us just listen the sound, not a story or any notion—– yet it gave us very comfortable relaxed feeling)

It’s suite to the Zenist.

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Emotion

We tend to simplify the Notion, such as the Emotion, like thinking it as if it is only the feelings,  Sadness,

Joy, Anger etc—– just see as an indicator of the mind, thus totally missing the point of  its function behind.

The part of the brain which is dealing with Emotion is known as Limbic System,  which situated under

side of the Cerebrum, and just above the Thalamus where body functions were kept controlled.

——————–

Structurally, this part of the brain is the older or original part in the evolutionary scale ( sometime its called

Old Cortex ) therefore common  with other simpler animal.

(less number of Neural layers indicates this too ——primitive hence it is fundamental to the Life)

So, what is this Limbic System is doing as the main function.

Its function is to Assess the incoming signal (Information / Data ) according to the Self-interests.

Self interest is largely, the instinct of survival and own comfort. —— its mean, Ego.

( Though, highly developed human’s case, this ” Own comfort” include the feeling of  Achievement ——

of which target may not necessary immediately link to his or her own gain, and it can be very spiritual )

——————–

And the action which was triggered by a stimulus such as a visual signal of the danger,

the evading action has to be continued for a certain length of the time, (just out of vision  wouldn’t be enough)

it has to be kept by the chemical effects.———- (So, Adrenalin is high, tension is kept high )

Since the Limbic System is directly linked to Tharamus,  effects are mostly Physiological,and the

secondary Psychological effects must be a later development,  or even a cultural development and

the result of the Conditioning.  (When to laugh or get angry etc are depend on the Culture, so that

small children don’t have same Emotion.  They need to lean the manner,  how to react and should  feel !!!).

Programing of ” How One has to Feel”— is the basis of the development of  HUMAN like  human.

This is what we call ” ETHOS” —– since, it is in Emotion / Uncontrollable—– hence Imperative.

( Carl Jung called this ” Collective Unconsciousness”  though it is only the end result. He didn’t know why )

( Most of the people know only their own culture and  own emotion—– so, not aware of this)

——————–

To see a news “A boy was rescued after 8 days” may trigger an Emotion ” How lucky this Boy is” and

feel a joy,  or dreaded with a thought ” What a poor boy to spend 8 days next to the Death” —– is

depend on each personality,  still this news gave significant impression to both person —– as it

triggered their Emotion,  but if it didn’t trigger the Emotion,  this news couldn’t

even be noticed / insignificant Data to the person.

Even an exciting signal source such as a sexy object (person) may become boring subject after a while.

( Hence, ” Seven  Years  Itch” —— 🙂   )

———- Emotional perception is very subjective, hence changeable.  So the importance of the Data as well.

Selfless (so-called) is to handle the signal while  being Apathic to the Emotional Bias, which

bore out of the Ego or deluded idea.

And giving no significant weight to any signal, and treat all the incoming signal impartial is

The Open Mind. ( Sociologist’s Value Free )

Emotion is the part of Self-conscious feeling,  noticeable side-effects of the Limbic activity.

Before the Large Brain / Cerebrum evolved and took over the Decision making process,  this part of the

Brain handled the thinking function / assess the Data and decision making. —– Important fact is, its still

doing  this subconsciously —– Hence it makes  Double Layer System .

( Emotional feeling  may started like an  Allergic Symptom to alert the individual.)

——————–

In metaphor, the incoming signals were assessed and directed to each door. (One is a Trash bin)

And this signal leaving each foot print.—– Some of them might make very muddy big foot print,

even splashing sticky muddy water all around.  ( Emotionally drenched. It’s a mess.    😦   )

Buddhism is making this signal to tread quietly, leaving minimum foot print and the noise.

When the foot step become  silent,  the Buddhist can hear the minute sound behind.

And some experienced Buddhists can even re-direct the signal and prevent it goes into the

door of House of Horror.   —— (Shame, screaming Horror House may be quite exciting and fun   😀 )

Most Bizarre Story in Zen — Disco Dancing in ZEN

” Dancing can be a practice for Zen “

This must be the most ( yet I got many ) bizarre story.  You believe or not I was a Disco King.

(This must be the most rare photo of me dancing — taken far later date / Sept 2015 

and it shows Rotating LED and LED flushing pants !)

As I used to take photo of many musicians, one occasion at a rehearsal session, a drummer

complained me, even though they work hard to make their tune unique and new, when it was

played at a gig, everybody dance exactly same to the other.

So, I promised him,  ” I’ll dance as the exact reflection of your tune and show it to you.”

(Here I’m not talking about a kind of common body-shaking in one-two-one-two, regardless

whether the music is 8 beat or 16 beat.  Its got to be much more athletic, expressive movements )

——————–

First I get rid of all the patterned crèche such as typical John Travolta’s or Micheal Jackson style kind.

and resorted to the natural dynamics of the body.  Since its heavy inertia, we can’t shake the bottom in

16 beats (still I met 3 person who can do) so the rhythm of the percussions should be assigned to the steps,

bass drum to the bottom and the melody to the hands.

On the end 3 parts of the body started to move independently in different speed in the same time   🙂

And as the use of natural dynamics of the body,  with its maximum speed, lots of people miss took

my dancing as a kind of Martial Art, and asked me which school is it ?

Funnily enough, one person even asked me, Is it related to a religious practice ?

( This is the back ground of previous post ” Shaolin Martial Art “)

——In my knowledge the Indian Barathnatyam Dance which follows some tradition of the ancient

Dancing Yoga,  exactly synchronizing with the music (in its Tara / drumming pattern and the melody)

So,  I applied this to my dancing.  (My favourite is the German Bass. It is the limit the body can follow)

——————–

Even dancing every weekend,  it took 3 years to achieve this movement.

And during this period,  I noticed, this is the process to learn unconscious body coordination,

same as to learn skiing or riding a bicycle,  and this must be the matter what the Zen said about

the ” Ichijo ” as a sword become a part of the body ( or the sword and the body become one )

and then the Dharma would be prevailed.  (How exiting ! ! ! )

When your body follows the incoming music signal automatically, we don’t need to think what

is the music or how to move.    So, I thought, if I can leave the business to the unconsciousness,

I would be connected to the Dharma. ——– though there was not such simple paradise and

nothing changed in my life. ——– Then, Waite a moment,  I realized,  all the baby has

to learn to walk, and all of them become able to walk unconsciously. 

It is nothing special.

———————–

Still, at least, I got an insight = unconscious or subconsciousness has the Key to decipher the Zen.

——– (And since then many clubs’ owner, manager offered me free entry for my strange dancing.

It was unexpected bonus——but they too, need a prominent dancer who become a talking piece )

(Some of the readers might have seen me dancing in a club called Flex in Hitchin,

Enigma in Maswell Hill, Limelight in Shaftesbury Avenue, Fridge in Brixton

(Escape from Samsara) = in every weekend, continuously up to 5.5 years (for

Fridge) often having with flashing light pendant or trousers.  🙂 ) 

So, I had my 60th Birthday Party at a D & B club (organizer called Movement with DJ Fabio etc) and

invited teens to septuagenarian who never seen my “legendary” dancing.  Ha Ha Ha,

It was a good  laugh.  😀

[]

—

Koan ? ? ?

Quite awhile, I was haunted by the Ontology and the Epistemology in the Buddhism.

On the surface, its definition is different in a Mantra to Mantra, and even worse in the

Mahayana Mantra, the description such as “Exist as not exist” kind appeared so often.

——–? ? ? Then oneday, I suddenly realized, the matter is not on the superficial words,

BUT in the intention behind of such expression.

At the teaching, Buddha wanted to show how uncertain the existences are, let alone

unreliability of our own perception, which supposed to observe and sense the objects.

Especially in the bottom line of the idea “Karma”, everything, include our 5 senses

are the relative phenomenon. Both observer and the observed.

Nothing can be certain.

——- In order to make Disciples to contemplate this, by themselves,

the Buddha must have used quite mind boggling, puzzling analogy.

YET, the understanding of the uncertainty itself, even the Self is exist or not was

not the main issue.

(Then I realized, this is the very situation which 1000 years old cliche has mocked

about while describing  ” See the finger, but not the moon “.

And, mocking the novice who is trapped into arguing the shape of the finger

such as ” Who is watching ” or ” Where they are ” kind, as ” Trying to catch Namazu

(slippery, slimy Cat-fish) by Hyotan (equivalent of smooth glass bottle).

——This is the very reason why all the famous answer to the  Koan  is, in fact,

mocking back to the question. )

What Buddha wanted to teach was, to brake the attitude of the people who

tend to cling or obsessed with the things or ideas.

Buddha wanted the people to have clear eyes to see the truth of the life.

Imposing self or distorting vision of the ego is the main obstacle to see

the truth.