Thought on MARATHON — SUFFERINGS

Tomorrow, tens of thousand of people will run for London Marathon.

Quite few of my friends did it and till some years ago, I was thinking I’ll do too though,

I’m becoming aware, better not.

( I can invent hundreds of the excuse not to do = it’s mean to think about itself is utterly a waste of

time.= So that, in accordance to my Zen Moto [Just do it] => Just think not. Ha ha ha 😀

Therefore, in my peaceful mind — Marathon ?  What Marathon ?   What a nice day !

[]

Why people run for such enduring action which is not even their imperative, which is,

some said useless action.  = Of cause, some are running for the Champion Medal and some are running

for Charity though, bast majorities are running for a sake of just running, or even for a fun.

What is a fun while giving 50 km or so torturing, punishing task to the own body ? —– of cause, as

I used to be a member of the Alpine Club, I know what it is, as we did similar training and above all,

we did pretty similar body punishing long walk in the mountain, often carrying 40, 50 kg of lord on

our back. —– and we mountain climbers were always making joke

“ What silly things we are doing 😀 ”

[]

Then give a thought or two. —– ? ? ?

Have I, have we ever had an easy life ever ? —– We, the greedy creature, the human,

always assess an action in comparison to the gain though, is this kind of view true ?

For a sake of convenience and to have an quick answer, we Buddhists having a tendency and good

excuse to end the argument, we have pretty nice story to convince ourselves into contented, which

called Enlightenment 😀

—– See this in reverse. = Need to have an excuse to have a peace of mind is,

because it is not in a peace at all isn’t it. 😀

[]

In Lord Buddha’s teachings, life was defined as SUFFERING (how nice). Yes in deed, this is true.

So, a training is the training for this unavoidable enduring life. = training for the Marathon but the

Marathon itself is a training to face a situation in the life.

June in every year, we members of our High School Alpine club had a special stamina training for a

preparation for a summer climb while carrying 40 kg of stones to a 900 m high mountain top,

starting 6 o’clock morning, reaching the top about mid day.

It was on a ridge called Baka o-ne in Oh-yama, west of Tokyo. Why it called Baka o-ne, Nut’s ridge

is, it is just one continuous boring climb, no respite = makes anybody just fed-up.

[]

While carrying 40 kg of utterly useless stones, I cursed every single step “What am I doing.

How silly I am. Ok, on the next step, I’m going to through this stones away and shout to the leader

“ Kill me here, I’m out” — on the end we reached to the top AND came down with empty ruck-sack,

that was all.  (Since many clubs are doing this many years, the mountain top having tens of tons of

round shaped river stones, which makes innocent walkers just puzzled.  “How come ?” 😀 )

( Soon or later, I tired to complain = after all, to join the club and came to the mountain was my

choice.  I’ve gained a kind of contemplation [Just walk] otherwise I shouldn’t have born to this

world. — And I continued this, while keeping Mountain shelter as a volunteer, we had to carry-up

the food staff for the lodgers of up to 300 people a night, without receiving any money, far from it,

we had to spend our own money to get there  Kita Yatsuga-take.)

[]

Anyhow, the life is the suffering  😀     But, if we have a training while having heavy punishment

to the physics and to the mental strength, we obtain good resilience to a cause of those sufferings.

To over-come the endurance of Marathon, the person gain the proof in the fact, I did.

And this proof gives the person a confidence = I can do, because I have done.

This confidence brings a peace of the mind = Don’t worry too much, it may not

as bad as the Marathon. 😀

So, it is a good news, it wouldn’t be in vain.

Enjoy a running.   Have a good Marathon 🙂

___/\___

[]

Humming a Song

While having a chats, how we feel about a particular sound,  a friend recalled one of my post

[Spiritual Sound] (click the Link) which he said pretty interesting.

“ Oh yeah,  high pitch tone instantly  take our attention,  and it gives a bit chilly feeling

doesn’t it.   But if it wasn’t a rapid warning sound but slowly moving continuous tone,

strangely it makes us a bit mesmerized and feel something spiritual, because high-tone

alerts our emotion “Be careful” and makes us highly perceptive,  it’s mean, silencing  the

thoughts and open the mind to listen its meaning.  

This completely open passive mind-set is what we feel “Spiritual”. 

Spiritualism is in fact, a matter of our mind-set, not the existence of the God. 

A mind-set which open the perception try to listen and awaits to see its meaning”

” Hum,  sound convincing”

” In fact any sound which gives no meaning or too repetitive and boring,  also makes our

brain to resign the data process and become blank or open-minded state. 

This open-minded state is the essential key to the all the religion”

“ Aha, isn’t it related to the continuous chanting of  Buddhist’s mantra ?”

“ That’s right”

“ It’s very funny isn’t it. Chanting Mantra is supposedly concentrates to their belief and

show their dedication, but in fact, it lead the Mind to fed-up and resign.   Ha ha ha.”

“ That’s a beauty of the Buddhism.   Buddhism is based on this paradox.

The end result to open the Mind is the matter,  regardless the approach”

“ Do you mean, fed-up is the Enlightenment ?”

“ Oh, you are almost Enlightened. Ha ha ha.

Fed-up to chase money-making, Fed-up women’s bottoms, Fed-up to fear the Death.

Then convinced [OK, never mind Life just goes on] is what all about the Enlightenment.”

“ Ha ha ha, it’s really a Dog Shit isn’t it”

“ Yes, Dog Shit are everywhere.  It’s called Universality of the Darma.  Ha ha ha”

[]

Then the other, mentioned “ Oh, there was a TV program.  A scientist  try to investigate

what our brain is configuring the information, he try to learn Tight-rope Walk, and found

a humming a song would help learning the body balance”.

“ Well spotted.  Whether the sound come from external source or from inside, it stimulate

our sensory. But, if it has no meaning, our brain resign to process its data, and became blank.

Still, if he was on the rope, body’s motor region have to control the body balance, but

without any disturbance of noise such as a fear to fall or a conscious of that the TV camera is

watching.   Humming signal chased off all the evil thoughts.  Ha ha ha”

“ Oh I see, was that’s the reason”

[]

“ Oh, do you remember the time, when you had a long walk or doing a boring manual work,

suddenly an old song came up to your mind, and it kept ringing in your mind, or you were

just keep humming it.   I remember when I was having long long walk in a mountain range,

the same song on a loop  all the day, and I walked like an automatic musical toy ”

“ Oh, yeah.  I remember it happened many times”

“ It must be the self protection or a remedy to deal with, otherwise intolerable situation”

“ Sounds not very happy isn’t it”

“ Yeah, but that’s why our brain filled our mind with the same repeating song, and avoided

us to fall into a mind crunch.   Blank mind can leave the body to just carry-on the task.

So that we could survive”

“ May be”

“ No, it’s not may be.   Blank Mind is the Key to deal with the situation best”

[]

In the public perception, the words [Blank Mind] sound not very promising.

So, the Zen Buddhists found better word [Mushin]  🙂

In fact, this [Mushin] can deal with everything better, because even the conscious mind became blank,

still all the necessary data processing are automatically carried out.

While the Scientist was on the rope, his conscious brain was occupied by a humming song and let the

subconscious motor region to control body movement, with no interference from the useless thoughts.

While walking in the mountain, a song in the mind eliminated any thoughts to blame the

situation,  still all the necessary knowledges and the control of the body kept functioning.

When you need to find a new tactics or to be creative, let the mind become blank, hence, no useless thoughts

still all the necessary data of which the subconscious has been storing are available to deal with the needs.

As a matter of fact, they automatically do far better job than ourselves.

[]

So, to resign thinking and put the Mind into the Blank Space,  would bring better judgement and the

better way to live. —– (Time to time, it’s better to hum a song than occupied by worries = humming a

song, may work better than Zen sitting, as it brings [Mushin] straight   🙂 )

And this is the reason why the Musicians are often having very close understanding of the spirituality.

( Except  the case, some times they got the feeling of spirituality mixed-up with the trance by a drug)

___/\___

[]

Sitting in Mindfulness — What ???

Just imagine a situation [ Boss shouted to the staffs. “ Don’t just sitting there. Do something” ]

Can anybody imagine, a staff shouting back “ Yes boss,  I’m  DOING  sitting” —— 😀

[]

Just sitting is an iconic symbol of Doing Nothing, and in deed, doing nothing.

So, how come [ Mindfulness while sitting ] —— ? ? ?

Can anybody explain what it is ?

( I found hundreds of the people in the cyber space saying in their profile = Mindfulness Practitioner /

Instructor —– there must be someone to come up and explain )

[]

Lord Buddha taught the people, who even not able to speak standard language then, let alone write and read.

All of his teaching got to be based on the common-sense.

Yet still, against the common-sense, there was a wide spread delusion among those uneducated people,

[ A person could be reincarnated into awful animal ]

—– to brake this useless vulgar belief and associated fear, was one of the aim of the

Lord Buddha’s teachings by saying “ There can not be Perpetual Soul ( solid existence of the

Self ) such as in the Vedic belief —– because of the everything exists in relation to the other

existences.

Therefore when the body dies, the soul also cease to exists ”   “ One’s death is the Nirvana”

[]

When Lord Buddha finished a talking, he just had a break = just sitting and took a rest.

So, sitting is just do nothing and take a rest = doesn’t need to even think anything.

When we need to DO something, we may need to use the brain though, if we do nothing

the brain takes a break as well.  You don’t need to put so-called mindfulness to take a rest.

Just empty your brain and the body to relax.

[]

While doing something, we may conceive new idea, new way of doing or another approach by way of

analytical observation. = This is a logical thinking.

But we often, suddenly conceive new idea while do nothing or doing a thing which doesn’t need to think

such as sitting in a toilet or doing simple routine work. = This is a creative conception.

( In Zen term, this state of the Brain and the Mind was called Mushin / Mind of No-Mind )

[]

So that, Lord Buddha, while having a rest or after that, might have told “ Hey, Shariputra, that must be

such and such ” —– which made them to mistake that he must have been in deep thinking.

This was how a misconception and a myth of so-called [ Meditation ] had been created. But,

Lord Buddha was just sitting, having a rest, and of cause, his brain was blank or in Mushin.

[]

Hence, the most fundamental misunderstanding of the Buddhism = [ have to sit in Mushin,

yet still Think something deep and concentrating to this, in Mindfulness ] was created.

Ha ha ha 😀 😀

It is the clearest indication of that the so-called Academics and the Monks who introduced

Buddhism to the west didn’t know what the Mushin is.

[]

So, when you sit, just sit. = It is to have a break and to rest.

Never even think “ I’m doing something holy Buddhist’s practice ” —– while sitting like that, you may tired

to even think about Buddhism = your brain become blank = this is the Mushin = of which you really need.

And never expect, by sitting in Mushin, suddenly should the Glorious door of the Dharma open for you

and show beautiful rose-coloured room.  ( Historically say, you most likely find a Dog Shit )  Ha ha ha 😀

————-

You may realized, —– you can’t see the Dharma in your brain.

But they are right front of your eyes.

Congratulation = this is your Enlightenment.

___/\___

[]

ダルマ／法と仏教の構造—Structure of Dharma

これは禅を学んでいる人にダルマ／法とは何かを説明して送った手紙の一節ですが，

実に明解，言い得て妙だと自分で笑ってしまった程で，これはここに再録せむとなった次第。

( In here, I’m explaining  [What is the Structure of the Dharma] )

[]

喩えが悪いケシカランと思う人が居たら，アナタ流の説明をコメントに入れてくれるよう。

－－－奇抜な喩えで，一気に理解させるというのは

釈尊以来，仏教，禅の伝統になっている。

もし，仏教は，禅は高貴なる神秘と信じているとしたらそれはアナタのロマンと高慢。

とまれ，悟りとは犬の糞。

[]

－－－－－－－－－－－

ダルマとは，この全宇宙，物理的全存在とそれを存在させている全法則，その総体のことです。　

解り易い例えで言えば，ダルマ／法とは宇宙サイズの機械仕掛けで，支配原理は神秘的形而上学

でも宗教理念でもなく，合理主義に立った物理学，材料工学，分子生物学，生理学，ｅｔｃ，科学

の総体です。

当然そのサブシステムのである我々もその微小部分の一つであり同一の原理で作動している（ダルマ

を内包する）訳です。

（機械に心は無く（＝無心），黙々と作動してその機能を完遂するのが役目）

このシステムがジャンクのよせ集めではなく，システムであるのは個々のサブシステム間，総システム

との間に整合が保たれ（ほぼ）完璧に機能し破綻が起らないという事です。

[]

ごく一般的，かつ楽天的に見れば，この機械システムは一応恒常性を保ち，全生物は間違いなく

進化して来ている。　人類も一応発展しながら無事命脈を保っている事から見て，性善と考えられ

ている訳ですが，別に人間に好意的とは限らず，むしろシステムの利益，つまり宇宙や地球の

安定的バランスに価値基準が置かれているらしい。　

つまり，個人の利益幸福よりは社会正義，特定社会の都合よりは地球環境の安定の方が重要。

－－－とは言えこのシステムはあまりに巨大かつ複雑な為に大部分は未知であり，

おそらく人間如きにその全容は不可知でしょう。

[]

人間は微小なサブシステムにも関らず，頭でっかちに進化し高度な思考能力，想念とか心を持つに

至った訳ですが，トラブルは，この想念（思い込み）が元々の設計仕様を覆い隠すだけでなく，

仕様からはずれたり（妄念），高すぎる期待値（我欲）を抱いたりする為に，本来の機能すら

全うできなくなる事です。

[]

つまり，元々の設計であるダルマと，思考想念との乖離矛盾が人間の苦の根源と喝破した

釈尊はそうした無要な思考，想念を断って（無我，無心）生きる事がダルマの回復，回帰（一如）

であり，矛盾の解消された悟りの境であるとの教え（仏教）を始めた訳です。　

[例えば季節は太陽の動きに一致し，植物が［規則］正しく芽を出し花を咲かせるように万物が［規

則］＝ダルマを持って存在するするという考えはごく自然に得られるものです。

釈尊もこの伝統的理解を踏襲した訳ですが，彼独特かつ画期的アイデアは，ダルマ理解の中に

カーマ（カルマ，縁，因果＝原因〜結果）の視点を加えた事です。つまり万物は因果の連鎖を

持って存在し，原因なくしては結果も無い。素粒子が無ければ原子は存在し得ず，光が無ければ色

は無いし水が枯渇すれば作物は育たない。－－－この考え方はさらに飢えがあるから，欲があるから

盗みが起るなど，心理や思考／その傾向にまで拡張されていった訳です。

[]　

しかもこの因果の連鎖は網の目のように広がっているから，繋がりのどこかで生起する物事は次々と

連鎖していく。従って万物は依存する条件の恒常的変化（万物流転）の中にあり不変のものは無

い。(諸行無常)

[]

もっとも，どこまでをダルマ（法）とするかは宗派によって異り，禅宗では全存在を　含めて法とするが，

現象の背後にある法則（例えば合理性）だけを法とする考え方，スリランカなどの南方仏教のように，

信者の守るベき戒律だけを法と呼ぶ場合もある。（最も重要な点は

釈尊はこのダルマを概念や抽象的観念としてではなくその存在を客観的に実感し得る実在（全存

在）として把握していたと言う事です　＝　だからこそ他人の言葉（言語化された概念）を信じる

な、己れの直感で体得せよと教えたのです　＝　例えば、事実として己れが無私であるのを経験

する事。

（あなた自身これを読みながら、実は自分が読んでいる、まして眼が文字を拾っているなどと言う

自覚はまったく無かったでしょう　＝　全て無意識の内に処理される）　己れの認知にかか

わらずダルマは存在し無言で機能しているのを知る事。　ところがそれらは直感（潜在意識）で

把えたものであるから、在るとも見えるし無いとも見える　＝　つまりダルマさえも実は無私（空）

であるのに外ならない。）

ーーーーー　

[果たしてダルマに宇宙意志とか，人間界で言うような意図があるのかは議論の分れる所ですが，

僕の個人的経験から言うとやっぱりあるようです。

何故か，ぼこっと幸運に恵まれたり，逆に前述したような思い込みや妄念でストレスを高め己れで墓穴

を掘ってしまうような［極めて理に叶った例］だけでなく，｢これは死ぬだろうな」と言えるような事をやった

人が，突然ころっと死んだり癌になって苦しんだりするのは，やはり運命（ダルマの意図）の配剤らしい。

[]運命というのは，ほとんどがシステムの合理性として説明できるダルマの原理の中に残された不可知

の領域ですが，それでも直観的にピンと来る所が面白い。

しかし運命は運命，無心に（感情的になって嘆き悲しむのではなく）受止めるしかない＝不可知を

知ったからと言って何のたしにもならないという訳で，それについて質問された

釈尊はそれを無視して黙っていた。(無記)　（とのことです＝僕が目撃した訳ではない　笑）

___/\___

 

－－－必読：無着無住とは？　（リンク）

[]

Direct TRANSMISSION — a tiny Thought

A piece of cloth here has been with me in the past 37 years since I was given this from the Eihei-ji temple.

I have washed it may be 10 times or so —– and when ever I did, its color faded farther, so that I became

even more reluctant to wash.

I wrote about this in my old post [Life’s Domain] saying that it could be an intended teaching of

“Nothing stays the same,  nothing is Permanent”. —– ? ? ?    Was such big issue here ?

It’s just an old cotton cloth isn’t it, and it is nothing strange the color dye is fading.   ( Dye will be dissolved

and washed away by the water, and it degraded by the UV light as well)

—– Isn’t it thinking too much ?    Isn’t it a pointless delusion —– or the Truth ?

[]

To explain and prove a fact in the life = “Nothing stays the same” may need to have lot more than a word, yet

just a piece of cloth shows its truth far clearer.   This is what a Direct Transmission is.

—– Then, how about  “Should I wash more often” or,  in order to preserve its original state, I shouldn’t

have used it in the dairy life, let alone washing.

But, what’s the original state mean ?   Is that the color on the cloth and the name of the temple printed on ?

—– isn’t this, just a sentimental reminiscence ?   Clinging the past ?

There may not be such a value in its original state.   It may only be in the mind.

So, without having such THINKING,  just wash it = “Having no useless thinking and just do it”

might be more like the Mushin of Zen Buddhism. = and when the cloth become completely

white, it would be the enlightenment —– WHAT a beautiful metaphor ! ! !

Though, no such things could happen.

In reality, if you keep washing cotton cloth 30, 50 years, the cotton fiber would be disintegrated.

And, when we wash, intending to make the color disappear, ironically, color never disappear.

It is just like our DNA,  it would never disappear.

—– Does it mean, no white cloth, neither see the Enlightenment ?

[]

It was a good exercise of thinking = this is a practice of what

Lord Buddha said “ Think it by yourself”.  🙂

Just a small piece of cloth teach us all about the Buddhism.   This is very “Direct Transmission”.

—– strangely, some people having an illusion “There would be a mythical communication of the

Cosmic Wisdom (Panya Paramita) which suddenly come into the mind and enlighten the person” is what

the Direct Transmission meant. —– Ha ha ha, Don’t make me laugh.  😀

It is a worst delusion than a pretty picture of a spin-doctor’s medicine bottle.

If such magic could ever existed in this world, one of the highest enlightened man like

Dalai Lama could have received such wisdom, and the trouble of the Tibet could be solved long ago.

Though, there is no magic solution or escape,  hence this is the Samsara,

as Lord Buddha said.  —– We only able to become aware of the Truth by the observation with the clear eyes.

And the Truth is not our wishful thinking but the reality = face of the Dharma.

Direct Transmission is a trigger to make us to actually see it = it is not a mythical magic.

In the famous [Flower Summon], the flower was the trigger to realize “What the Dharma is”=

Dharma is not in the special place, but even in a mere small flower = that’s why even small

flower can broom beautifully.

So, why not us. = This is what the Enlightenment is.

___/\___

—

Tiny Comment — How Master Kogetsu got angry

If this is the first time for you to stumble this blog, you might be puzzled

as this blog is the most not Zen like place.

In here, there is no pretentious word game or glorious myth were told.   Especially,

if you have a romanticized idea of Zen as something intellectually hi-class culture,

you will be disappointed.  Zen is not an exclusive special culture nor peculiar practice.

Even so-called Enlightenment, Nirvana is NOT the hard to come-by

awkward commodity.  It is right there sitting next to you.

You just not see it because you believe, it must be the other side of the river, long way

beyond the Pathway, hence looking somewhere wrong place.

Far from it, it is nothing afar.   In this blog, I’m showing how Zen and Enlightenment is

ubiquitous and in fact, right inside of you.

It was not my opinion but simply this is what

Lord Buddha told, therefore what the Zen is.

Zen can be walking, can be cutting a lemon. In deed,

being yourself is the Zen and Enlightenment.

I show it to your eyes,  what I’m doing here.

non

When I faced Master Kogetsu in the Eiheiji Temple and told him that I was a

photographer, what he uttered was “What a hell, why a photographer kind of person

wondering the Zen Temple.  This is exactly the indication of that you couldn’t settle

and be diligent in your own life” “As you are a photographer, do the best photography

and become the best photographer. It is where your life is”. — In return I replied to

him “Wait a moment, why photographer can’t search the truth.   Have look, even

Lord Buddha himself did forsake the life of Royal prince and became a seeker.  Why not me ?”

“What? —– What a preposterous word you got, comparing yourself to

Lord Buddha is unforgivable”  (though, he didn’t hit me with a stick which was in his side.  :-))

non

Master Kogetsu was one of the highest Soto Zen priest ( wearing brown ), who was the

head of the Suzuka-dera Temple and visiting, serving fellow of the Eiheiji Temple.

(In fact, leaving the dairy chore to deal with dead man for the hand of young monks and

have a break, come to chat together with another priests in the Eiheiji Temple  🙂 )

Naturally he knew the Zen Buddhism back to back.   Hence, what he meant was, as he said,

the Enlightenment to a photographer is to live totally as a photographer.

There is no fancy myth or abstract enigma there.

As the Life itself is total already, 

Zen wouldn’t make it any more complicated,  simply Life is the Life.

To see as it is and to live as it is,  Just Do It which is due, is the Enlightenment.

non

Just like a lotus flower, being as the flower is the Dharma,

a photographer being as the photographer is the Dharma.

Being with Dharma mean, when the time comes it is the Nirvana.

(Photographer being as a photographer needs no pretence or thinking =

being in Mushin = his camera, his technique, his eyes and the subject,

all become one = Ichijo —– what the one needs more.

(in this instance, forget pretty model—– What model ?    😀 )

This was the way, how Sword Master perfected his skill, how Sword Smith

created his unbreakable sword —– even a Tea Master perfected his tea making.  

It was the Zen.  

Zen is not in the sitting posture, but in the every day’s life,  moment to moment.

non

When the historical Great Zen Masters got their Enlightenment all of them uttered

“It’s a Dog shit”

Yes, it is as ubiquitous as a dog shit, as the Master has been with himself all through his life.

No fancy or enigmatic mumbo-jumbo has been discovered.  The life as it is —– It is there.

(In other words, to invent or cling any fancy story is nothing short of a delusion).

My blog here is talking about this [Zen in action] —– action in everyday life.

___/\___

—

Bowl of Water Zen

When I was talking about Zen practice with others, someone mentioned a BBC news which

showed a group of Chinese Zen monks are walking while carrying a bowl of water

as their Zen practice. —– “ Oh, what a good idea. It’s a good practice to learn Zen Mind “

—

( It’s easy to try this.  Fill the water to the top of bowl about 8″  big and holding it to your chest high and walk.

By doing this,  you can observe your state of the mind,  how steady and calm your mind is.

Strangely you may find,  the more you concentrate and gaze the water the more it shakes  😀

—– when your mind is almost detouched from the water or whole action,  then the water become still and

make no drip while you are walking —- then you can fill even more water reaching to the edge.  It’s a fun !)

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In this blog, I’ve been talking that any action could be a Zen practice, hence in one post I talked about

[Lemon Zen] and the other post, [Walking Zen] in fact I also mentioned about the effects of even riding

a bicycle or typing —– any repeating action could have the same effect to reach

a state of the Mind of No-Mind or Mushin.

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In fact everybody is doing the action of walking in Mushin = nobody is thinking when and how to move

the right leg after left leg has moved. —– It’s all done unconsciously.

So that, the practice of Mushin ( and the Mindfulness of cause — if a part of the brain is not fully engaged

for the walking, we can not automatically adjust the leg movement following the slight change of a condition

of the road surface) is not necessary an exotic funny action.

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Then inevitable question arose —– if the walking is the practice of Mushin which everybody is doing,

why not everybody is an accomplished  Zen Master.

Here is a funny but fundamental paradox of the Zen Buddhism.   When the Mushin in walking is the

Zen, it is the Zen. —– but otherwise it is just an unconscious action of walking.

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Buddha didn’t perform any fancy or peculiar action. It was just a simple ordinary daily life, yet

as it was repeated every day, each action was almost identical every time.

This simplified and fixed way of each practice is the requisite condition of [the Life in Mushin].

Buddha’s life style was the text-book and the disciples were learned and copied those action, and in the process,

disciples learned the Mushin ( or the state of the No-Mind  was developed  in them).

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Because of the state of the mind can not be learned by the word, but only by the practice ( like any

emotion,  unless a person has experienced it,  the description of feeling couldn’t make any sense )

and this is the reason why non of the ancient scripture was actually talking about No-Mind, but only No-Self.

( No-Self = No-Mind —– still able to live as a person is because there is the enough program in our

Subconsciousness which is invisible —– like what I am talking here, is a new interpretation after Freud invented

a notion of  Subconscious = which was not exists in the ancient time )

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And there is yet another paradox in the Buddhism.

To live the Life in Mushin is what all about the Buddhism though, no-mind, no thinking, BUT unless it

was  understood as the Buddhism,  it wouldn’t become the Buddhism.

Anybody can carry a full of water in a bowl, and time to time the one may need to do it.   Just carry a cup of tea

happen to be full to the edge, from kitchen to a table —– some may succeed it while making no single drip, yet

some may make a mess.  What makes a difference ?

Calm mind, hence a steady hand is the crucial point here = a kind of thought “ Oh, I’ve put

too much. I’m silly. I would spill a mess on the floor. etc. “ would make a hand even more

wobbly and the tea would drip here and there   😀

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A person can practice this and acquire better coordination on the hand, so that it will be programmed into

the motor legion of the brain and may become a routine movement.   But, that all.

BUT, if a person practised this, under a file name of the Zen Buddhism, the file become

accessible in any moment when it need to have a calm mind in your life.

Carrying a full of water as Zen, it become the Zen with its effects.

Once a person acquired this file with the attachment of the notion of Zen and its spiritual implication,

the file would be applied to any action and any situation in the Life, hence, walking is the Zen, cutting a lemon

is the Zen, and even facing Tsunami Wave could be handled in a calm mind and able to act in the best way

or see the fate with calm clear eyes.   (Sorry to the victims of Tsunami)

With this Paradox ( has to live without thoughts, preconception etc, still needs to organize its notion of

Mushin as the practice of Zen Buddhism) Buddha has asserted “ There is the way, which is to be

pursued as the way of Buddhism “ since in his earliest teachings as one of the Four Noble Truth.

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This notion makes the difference between Mushin to just to be an ignorant thoughtless.

Though, the notion itself is nothing complicated = just to be aware [to carry a bowl of water is for Zen]

—– with this awareness, just Do It and keep doing it —– then suddenly you will find that you can do it without

spilling a single drip of water, and realized while doing it you didn’t need to think anything = Just Did It !

———-

Then observe yourself, while doing even other things, are you just doing it as well, without having any

useless thought ? (You may achieve this in few weeks or may be taking few years. Just carry on. —– then you

might be noticed, you have been having no upheaval in your life and strangely, quite unexpected

or too good to be true kind of coincidences has been happening, yet no one can tell why

—– Just carry on with your LIFE without questioning. ) —–This is a Zen Buddhist’s LIFE.

___/\___

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Think Yourself (2)

Gosh, it was the February of last year when I talked about this in a post  [ Think yourself ].

On that time I wrote the reason why Buddha ordered his disciples not just follow his words but

think it by themselves,  was,  let the Buddhism to evolve by taking new thinking according to

the change of the world. —– This is true. — And the Buddhism did it,  in deed.

Then after I wrote previous two post about will-power —– I realized there was also a hidden meaning in

the Buddha’s words “ Think yourself “ —– he must be thinking the other effect in the brain when

people think about the subject again and again.

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You might remember when you were a child, you asked a rather silly question to your parent and

annoyed them such as why we can’t get a stars in the night sky,  I want to have one   🙂

We grown up and know more and better ( how far the stars are ),  and also we tired-out to think about

such question = effect of the brain fatigue and the acclimation to the same signal.

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There are two different kind of the results you can get out of a question, say what is the answer of

[ 1+1 = ? ] —– with straight arithmetic, it is [ 2 ] but when you tired to question again and again = the question

itself would ware-out.  ( may be not 1+1 kind but pretty awkward abstract notion such as

where we came from for what purpose and where are we go after life. etc etc )

When the question disappeared, no problem left = just carry-on your life.    Ha ha ha 😀

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Despite your expectation Buddha didn’t give any of those answer, he was silent = famous

roaring sound of silence.   But ordered to think yourself.

By doing so, you will get the answer of Ha ha ha 😀 :-D.

After all this is the very answer you need to have to live your happy life.

Leave the question to a Philosopher who was born to be a grumpy philosopher.

You don’t need to have grumpy life.  —  This is the Buddhism.    Ha ha ha 😀

Have a nice day 🙂

___/\___

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How to reach ZEN MIND ?

Someone asked me “ Hey Yoshizen, I read your [Will-power] post and understand what

ZEN MIND is,  —– the question is HOW to reach there ?

Well, this is the question worth one’s life.

It costed Master Bodhidharma who started the practice of ZEN,  for his 9 years sitting, and costed me just

to have a glimmer of idea, 3 years Disco Dancing.   😀    And yet another 20 odd years more of experiments.

And I’ve written many times before, but repeat it here referring the last post.

> > Buddhist has completely different psyche —– there was no will at all,  hence those

—– Masters got enlightenment  !  ( Buddhist doesn’t intentionally pursuit the goal by will

—– but to set the goal as the default = if nothing else is there, what else can we wish for ? )

—– When (to his eyes) no chocolate is there, why want to eat chocolate —> once this kind

—–of mind  became the norm,  do something by the will doesn’t need a chocolate  

MIND or the information process in the Brain has distinctive tendency, If the same signals are repeated,

the response becomes routine or the signals will be completely ignored in order to save the energy

by short-cut or shut-out.  This is an acclimation ( acclimatization) process of the brain and the physiology.

If you eat chocolate all-day, ton of it, soon you will fed-up with it ( it’s a metaphor don’t try this in home and

I wouldn’t presume any responsibility of its consequence ) = you become immune to it.  Even hate it.

Or if you love your partner, love a lot, a lot  for 7 years equivalent amount (Well, some says 2 years these days)

she ( or he ?) become either part of yourself or invisible.  In both case she or he no longer bother your Mind

(= hence brain can save energy) = life just goes on as it is.  —– It’s a Peace !

—– If he wants to do [A],  Just Do [A] —– anyhow nothing else is in the scope.

—– But to choose [A] out of 26 and try to do, it may need to think and use a will. 

—- —– But if nothing else is there, it is only a thing he can do.

So that, if you think and try doing it [A] all-day, next day, repeating million times = it become routine.

Then, You become able to do it automatic = without thinking.

Strangely, once you master this, by doing [A],  you are able to use the same mind-set to any other subject

in any moment at once.  The fundamental OS (operation system) of the brain changed to Zen Type.

Non

Buddha had been doing this in his daily life (life was simple, handling only few same things

everyday = routine, as he went through the life of austere already, he didn’t need much)

—– the followers copied his action and later realized the hidden effect as it is the way to get

the State of Mushin (Mind of No-Mind) = routine work without thinking.

Since then, all the Buddhist’s sect having a simple repeating act in their Buddhists practice.

Especially the Master Bodhidharma was the one who used the effect of repeating action as

the main tool to get the state of Mushin and the Enlightenment which is known as ZEN.

Therefore, repeating or bombarding the brain with the same signal ( as long as it is the same

stimulant = thinking or action) the brain reacts the same —> either it became routine

or immune.

Then once this tendency was established, the brain become able to handle any signal, either

completely ignore it or automatically reacts with full concentrated force. — This is the ZEN.

It is obvious, if anyone did [A], million times, he must become an expert, and able to do while eyes closed,

without thinking, but with exactly same precision.

Yet strange phenomenon is that the person who mastered to do the thing without thinking, also become able

to see (or concentrate) only the subject and able to [not to see] others. Then, if necessary not to see anything.

Since the brain become more efficient, not waste energy or time, it able to see something new

or its wider implications = hidden meaning and the truth.

And, some become able to see which is invisible to others. (Literally, third eyes, or Hyper vision = able to see

such as a high-speed movement in slow-motion) —– all by the training of sensory.

(It is rather well-known phenomenon, a person encounter such as a car-accident or explosion

seeing the moving scene in slow-motion.   This is the Hyper-vision) —– ZEN is only using

natural body and brain capability, but just enhancing it. —– no fancy magic or placebo effects.

( That’s why the past Masters described it as ” Dog Shit” as it was nothing special or miraculous.   😀 )

___/\___

—

Passiveness – Active Conviction – KARMA

While talking with a person I met only second time and discussing about his project

which I may give a help. —–

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“I just giving you a help since I think there was a Karma behind of this encounter.

No other reason”

( The reason why I needed to say this, is because of a lot of cases people mistook “ There must be a hidden

intention” —– Don’t make me laugh.   Dubious relation would bring much more risqué )

It’s mean it is just a passive reaction = If it was in the Karma, it is the absolute = no choice.

Eventhough,  giving a help, sometime having quite a complicated heavy task = the work

required serious concentration = so-called Mindfulness —– it needs to have quite heavy

commitment = active involvement )

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It is obvious, even if it started seemingly by chance = passive, it end-up with quite active involvement.

—– This is the inherent paradox in Zen Buddhism.

You are born to this world without your consent or choice at all.  Absolutely non.  This is the Karma.

So that you are absolutely passive and no escape.

Yet still, once you are up on the ring = You got to fight with your full force.

This is the FUNDAMENTAL  NATURE of the LIFE.

Buddha did simply pointed out this fact.

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Buddhism is not his invention.   It is the TRUTH which is always there though,  we simply don’t want to

face straight.   That’s all.

When Buddha saw this Truth straight, he noticed that knowingly live with this Truth, the Life

would be much lighter as it doesn’t carry heavy burden of ignorant expectation or delusion.

Four Noble Truth in the Buddhism Teachings which was taught since his earliest teaching is,

all about this Truth.

Then Buddha taught further into the mechanism of how Karma and the Dharma works.

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Strange myth of the Buddhist is that they are peaceful people hence, passive and soft touch.

It is wrong.   If the life is just for passiveness, there couldn’t be any achievement = just random

momentary this and that.

Karma comes not by chance —– it shows direction,  that is why it is Karma.

You got to embrace the Karma in its full extent. ( But without the ego which was emanated from inside

of yourself —– Karma comes somewhere else,  Ego boreout of yourself  )

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If the universe is only following The Law of Entropy, everything  (in fact even a thing couldn’t be existed in

the first place ) was just dispersed and only the space of nothing has expanded.

But there was the Gravity ( don’t ask me where it came from —– even a top scientist doesn’t know) which

configured the energy into the matter, then more and more matters created the particle, and more particles

into as the atom, then even larger heavier atoms —–> and so on.

The direction of creation created the Lifeforms on the end.

This system of the Rules is the Dharma.

To create something, it needs to DO.

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When you DO, you got to do —– otherwise nothing would happen, nothing would be achieved.

It got to be highly active process.

Be an active Buddhist.   Don’t be just sitting there    😀

___/\___

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