Why TALK, Why Blog ?

It is the most fundamental contradiction in Zen Blog.   Which I’m well aware.

Zen is after all, [in practice] how to live.   Not a system of thinking or idea.  Nor dubious magic at all.

Therefore, if any notion or thinking of even an idea of spirituality or any religious notion is there, it is

not the Zen but mere pretence.

In Zen, because of no preconceived idea or thinking is there (or no longer there) it is described as Mushin

and having the eyes to see the subjects without preconception, it is fully opened clear eyes by which

the one can see the object as it is, hence, there couldn’t be any barrier between

seeing and be seen = it is the Oneness / Ichijo.

Seeing and be seen are no longer there as the separate entity, hence no Self could exist

—– all those are not a logical conclusion or answer,  but just a state of the brain.

( Brain is not only for thinking   🙂 )

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State of the brain ( In fact, the balance of hormone,  Dopamine  and  Serotonin  etc)  will be

reflected to one’s feeling and the actual action,  so does to the results  ( hence to the one’s Karma)

not as a revealing words.   ( Because, Zen is not a word game but real dairy life )

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This is the Buddhism of which Buddha taught.

To learn this,  the followers literally followed

Buddha and copied what he does,  down to the minute details,  since

Buddha himself was the teachings itself.  And as

Buddha did practice his own dairy life according to the Dharma,

and himself was a part of the Dharma too,  his actions or practices were the Dharma.

( So that the recordings of those teachings were also called as Dharma,  and those practices has been reflected

into the Zen Buddhism,  such as in the Soto Zen,  there is no verbal communication but just follow the practice,

and through practice,  the learning could be achieved and even sudden realization could be occurred,

which was called Direct Transmission )

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—– this is the reason why I feel deeply paradoxical to talk about Zen,  let alone blogging.

In the so-called Buddha’s biography, there was the story of

Buddha’s hesitation to teach what he found in his Enlightenment, which was needed a persuasion of

the Brahman to start.

(So far I couldn’t find the origin of this story in the Scripture —– the author of the biography must have

really deep understanding of the Buddhism and had the insight )

Buddhism having inherent trouble refusing to be explained by the words.

Understanding or so-called enlightenment may just come while practising.

So that,  I can definitely say,  Just Do it.

___/\___

—

Mindfulness – Mushin – ICHIJO

In past ten days, there were quite a bit of talking with my friends and they gave me a suggestion, that

a part of the script in my last post seems to be the most simplest but crucial explanation

of the Zen Mind, and said, having those few lines of explanation, half of my blog would

become redundant.

Great ! Thank you very much —– should I feel grateful or sad ? ? ?

( Anyhow, this blog is the ongoing report of the DIY ZEN, try to figure it out and see its notion in

a perspective = its got to have a progress and the refinement )

—– so, the following is the notorious script;

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——————

In metaphor, Mindfulness is to eliminates all another thoughts —– say, when you got to

do [A],  to eliminates any thoughts other than about [A] is Mindfulness.

Then eliminates the very thought about [A] is the Mushin. ==> While doing [A], if no thought

is there at all, how the job [A] can be done = it is done by the Dharma.

Therefore, it is far better than “Done by yourSelf ”   ! ! !

( Quite convincing isn’t it ?    )

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—– It seems that instead to use two words,  it is better to use one word Ichijo.

(Oneness = a mind and a subject are fused together as one Dharma,  hence the Self and the

subject itself are no longer exists as the separate entity, or seen to be exist) —– therefore,

the matter of whether one’s mind is there or not (about Mushin) or the subject which needs

to be fully concentrated (So-called Mindfulness ) is there or not, all become irrelevant.

( May be the first person who translated the notion of Zen into English didn’t know what the Zen really mean

—– good in English doesn’t necessary mean having good understanding in Zen   )

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It’s true, in the notion of ICHIJO,  all the teachings of Zen resolved into

an infinity of the DHARMA.

The best of all, it is cheaper to practice only one ICHIJO, instead of Mushin, Mindfulness and Meditation.

—– you can get all three in one practice of DOING anything. — Ha ha ha, it’s suits to a humble man  

—– And this is exactly what the Dharma mean.— Totality is the Dharma.

___/\___

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PS :  In the above script  [when you go to do [A], ] = this DO mean actual action not a meditation.

—– As I’ve been saying [ Just Do ] from the beginning,  Zen effect only comes with ACTION,  because

—– it is coincided with the seclusion of a neurohormone Selotonin which gives the contented feeling

—– and calm your mind down. —– This is the reason why, all the Buddhism practice is a simple

—– repeating action. —– Once anyone master this,  then the same technique can be applied to

—– any action or no-action alike = Being contended in calm while do nothing  😀     Peace !

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How Mindfulness and MUSHIN exists in the same time ?

This question seems to haunt a Zen novice for ever, as I’ve been asked again and again.

One of the reason, why it is hard to understand is —– because the person is trying to understand it

in the head, as one of the thinking process.

Zen is a very simple PRACTICE but not a kind of practice to be understood or comprehend.

(Think, riding a bicycle — you don’t need to understand the theory or to know the how to ride. You just need a practice on youe body.)

Understanding is the process in the higher legion of the brain / conscious thinking process,

but Zen is the state of the subconscious —– hence it can not be handled consciously.

Without your conscious control, to move forward right leg, then left leg, this is how you walk.

As it was all done in subconsciously, you don’t need to know, in order to move your right leg,

which muscle to contract or so on —– everything done in automatic. —– You walk in Mushin = Without thinking / awareness / conscious. 

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As the Zen is a PRACTICE, you got to practice and master it, or simply just do it. While doing it, you will

get used it and soon or later you master it = you don’t need to understand.

Once you mastered it, as it will be processed and carried out in your subconscious = you do it just as a

routine or a habit = you do it in MUSHIN.    (Very simple and clear isn’t it ?)

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And Zen is the state of the Mind behind of those action, in any or all sorts of the action —– hence

Walking Zen, Lemon Zen, anything can be the Zen — put all together, everything LIFE in Zen.

(When total Life became Zen, it is a step before the Enlightenment 😀 )

Because of the people misconceived that the Sitting is Zen, it made the matter confusing.

Sitting is a relaxed posture, taking a rest = have a break = do nothing hence most of the time even

the brain is in idle.   (but deep in your mind, some thing might come and go —– sometime new idea might come-up)

—– therefore, some say, it is the MEDITATION (deep thinking), others says its got to be

in Mushin = No-thinking.   But, sitting is only one of the action (or rack of it ?) and

the state of the Zen is not confined in this posture.

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When you are in action, —– if you have been doing it routinely, you are able to do it in Mushin, —– but

can you DO two things in the same time ?     I don’t think so.

When you DO, you do only one thing.   The brain can think many things in the same time or rapidly

scanning many thoughts, hence you feel, many thoughts are in busy traffic.

Not only many thoughts are running, the situation is rapidly changing = only a measure is, to deal

one thing at a time, in fact that is only we can do without making a mistake.

(Only a thing you can do in the same time is to do something while walking on a flat road as an exception.

You can test it.   Still, thinking can run parallel —– but, it would be a destruction, that is why it’s need to

have a concentration = eliminates any another thinking = this is what Mindfulness really mean)

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People thinking and imagining, try to figure it out —– by way of thinking.   That is the reason why it is hard

to imagine, the state of the mind / fully concentrating to the subject on front = (so-called Mindfulness ) and

the Mushin (Mind of No-Mind / not thinking) can exist in the same time.

It’s co-exists only in Practice,  or because of when it is Practice, it is co-exists.

(may be the use of two words made it complicated,  like an electrical phenomenon, Current and the Voltage

—– phenomenon itself is only one phenomenon = just a dynamism of the Electron.   In order to observe

its phenomenon, when we put a meter in series = meter shows the current.   And if the meter was connected

in parallel = meter shows the voltage.   But the electron has no intention to express anything.

They just move when it is possible to move —– man created two separate notion and made it looks complicated.)

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In metaphor, Mindfulness is to eliminates all another thoughts —– say, when you got to

do [A],  to eliminates any thoughts other than about [A] is Mindfulness.

Then eliminates the very thought about [A] is the Mushin. ==> While doing [A], if no thought

is there at all, how the job [A] can be done = it is done by the Dharma.

Therefore, it is far better than “Done by yourSelf ”   ! ! !

( Quite convincing isn’t it ?    😀 )

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—– It seems that instead to use two words,  it is better to use one word Ichijo.

(Oneness = a mind and a subject are fused together as one Dharma,  hence the Self and the

subject itself are no longer exists as the separate entity, or seen to be exist) —– therefore,

the matter of whether one’s mind is there or not (about Mushin) or the subject which needs

to be fully concentrated (So-called Mindfulness ) is there or not, all become irrelevant.

( May be the first person who translated the notion of Zen into English didn’t know what the Zen really mean

—– good in English doesn’t necessary mean having good understanding in Zen   😀 )

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It’s true, in the notion of ICHIJO,  all the teachings of Zen resolved into

an infinity of the DHARMA.

The best of all, it is cheaper to practice only one ICHIJO, instead of Mushin, Mindfulness and Meditation.

—– you can get all three in one practice of DOING anything. — Ha ha ha, it’s suits to a humble man   😀

—– And this is exactly what the Dharma mean.— Totality is the Dharma.

___/\___

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When you ride a bicycle, you don’t carry a banner of “Thinking how to rid” “Riding in MUSHIN” “Full concentration in riding” “I’m the man of riding” —– in fact, all those Notions were created by “Somebody else who observed the Matter in riding”. = The situation was the same in ZEN = “Mindfulness” “Mushin” “Awareness” “Consciousness” “Thinking” “Meditating” etc etc, all those notions or idea were the debris of the useless thinking (about ZEN) —– ZEN is only a ZEN = it may not even be a notion or name = It is a kind of state of the mind (?). A person was just riding a bicycle while being a state, nothing else of riding = was observed / analysed by the others, and “Its state was categorised / named” as “In the mindful state” —– but other saw it in different angle and named “In MUSHIN” and the other said “Without the consciousness” and “Without a thinking” —– in the same way, [This ZEN master saw it in this way, and started to say in that way then taught in this way = which was called “*** school / sect” etc, etc.

The funny things were, the ZEN is only one and it may not be anything different from just a life. (It seemed, somebody trid to be looks clever by saying in different way.)

Detailed attention to the LIFE

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

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

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Contents itself is nothing new or anything eye-opening.

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

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

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

—– m m m ? Sound familiar ! ?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—– laziness is the fundamental Evil here 😀

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

follow others (provided, somebody lead them).

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

its Teachings, is the starting point.

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

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

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

we are not the dominant Force in the Life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

to achieve anything better in your life)

___/\___

—

Wet Mind and Dry Judgement

This year’s freak weather is not kind to the nature.   Nor to the farmers who grow corn,

but in the same weather said have brought a bumper harvest to the strawberry growers.

The situation seems to be the same all over the world.   Hence, it said to have brought big profit to the

commodity speculators who [rightly] speculated to have corn shortage and its price up.

Whether it is right or wrong, it is always the case, somebody’s misery is some other’s god opportunity.

This is the hard fact, as the weather is.

Then bring an argument to those situation is either emotional or in moral issue

—– both based on the Wet Mind.

Because of the dry weather, the plants on this patch of the land here couldn’t succeed.

In fact this year they failed twice. —– once the weeds grown to a feet high, then the dry spell on April

wiped them out.   And after a short but pretty heavy wet weather, some plants shot up again —– then

they are all dead now. === is rather prosaic description of what happened here.

From this desiccated scene, may be I should create quite emotional, wet stories such as how I feel sad

while imagining a pleasure to see wild green, mentioning the glory of the sun and the joy which the nature

has been brought me over the years, and so on.

—– wet stories appeal to the readers, who is seeking sweet story

and a moment of consolation in the cyberspace.

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Despite we are living in the environment of  90%  Hard, Dry Facts,  our mind seemed to have

90% of  Wet Thinking / Wet Mind —– because we don’t see the Dry Fact in Dry —– We are seasoning it

with wet, slimy source, mostly to sweeten it. —– On top of it, before cooking and seasoning them, we are

conveniently selecting them to meet our taste.    (Hence, sweet blog is more popular 🙂 )

Then, end of the day, we have to face Dry Fact and forced to give Dry Judgement — if the judgement

was not Dry enough, it will fail and Boomerang.

I know, Dry Food is hard to swallow, Dry Fact is hard to see though, anyhow  it  IS  Dry —– to

see the world as it is,  the first step to avoid to hit by a Boomerang = have a long-term peaceful life,  in stead of

temporary comfort —– which need to have some practice.   ( to begin with,

to know how sweet your taste,  and the favourite source is   😀 )

___/\___

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Clockwork DHARMA ?

I just found a good metaphor to explain [What is Dharma] !

It’s a huge gigantic machine !    (No, this is no a joke   😀 )

Gigantic, as its mechanism extend as far as to the end of universe.

And as it is working and ticking,  it’s keep moving,  hence, no same moment ever exists.

But this machine is invisible, except some end-device connected to its mechanism.

Its mean, all the visible existences are the part of this machine.

This machine exists since the start of the universe, long before human kind appeared on the earth.

Therefore, no written specification, operational manual in any language exists, yet still, some part of its

mechanism and the function has been observed and deciphered as a science and chemistry.

As it is a viable working machine, there is certain tendency and the rules of the way how it works,

though, as it is so gigantic and too complicated, it is beyond the capability of the human to know whole function.

—– except Buddha.

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While observing the phenomena and its occurrences, Buddha noticed that, this world is a kind of system

which is affecting and reacting to each other. ( This intertwined connection is the Karma )

He found it as the system of infinite size which contains ourselves as a part.

And as it is constantly adjusting and reacting, there can not be a single moment of stillness

—– nothing stays the same.

And as it is a system automatically working like a machine, it doesn’t have human like Ego or its own SELF

—– and the human is its part of mechanism, human has SELF neither.

And this system exists before human and not designed to serve for human, its operation is not necessary

for the benefit of human, therefore to live as a part of this system, occurrences are not centred for human

nor kind to human. —– Hence life is harsh.

—– with those contemplation, Buddha found the wisdom to deal with this system or to live as a

part of the system with minimum aggravation,  hence in peace and the harmony.

And the teaching is —– to know how the mechanism of the system and the mechanism of ourself works.

Only the way to find the function and its internal rules of the unknown mechanism is —– to observe

and find it by oneself.—– (Finding it,  is the Enlightenment)

As the system is working automatic, disregarding the human ego or emotion, to impose or try to understand it,

with human-like mind is pointless —– because the system itself has no such mind.

( You can’t deal with machine with your emotion — you have to do it like handling a machine 😀 )

As the system (include ourself) is operating without the mind, try to think or explaining it with words is

useless.  It needs to observe its function and the results = deeds.   Hence, talking, thinking has no place.

—– This is what the Dharma is.

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You may not like this description   😀

Especially the western people got used to think the God as a personified figure, as it was imagined as a

super-human,  though,  no such things in the Universe.

Nor so-called great soul, like Brahman or Atman. ( Romanticized idea appeals to the emotion, but

romantic idea is far from the Truth )

The Dharma is the system much more like a huge machine.

That’s why it is operating dispassionately / in Mushin ( Mind of no-mind).

( Financial panic may caused by the fear of speculators which some Buddhist may say “It’s only in the mind”

though, resulting rise of interest will affect all others like a mechanical precision and the force)

 

In fact, human mind is always causing a destruction and a mayhem to the system.

—– that’s why the Buddhism says Mushin, Taoism says Woii —– do nothing intentionally = let the natural

mechanism to take its own course.

( I found this metaphor is the clearest explanation —– in words 😀 —— Convinced ? )

___/\___

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What a situation, what BUDDHIST can do ?

Having more than 2,600 years history, Buddhism acquired very wide-spread of diversity and its facets.

From almost purely religious belief to the way to control one’s mind-set, on top of its local variations.

Like, Pure-land sect might be its extreme and the Zen is the other.

And the Tibetan Buddhism is one of the most uniquely evolved type in its land.

Some are adopted and fused with the fashion of popular belief then, such as the Tantrism.

Still all derived from the teachings of Buddha. Which is,

how peacefully live the life of impermanent life.

[ Don’t worry regardless how the situation in THIS life is dire, there is a heaven waiting for you.]

—– is a typical religious approach, such as the Pure-land sect.

[ See only the subject which IS on front of you ( its mean, Don’t be deflected by a matter which is

irrelevant )] —– is the Zen approach.

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Most of the Buddhist’s site says [Be grateful to have a joy of the life and have a peaceful life ] —– how sweet !

Yet seeing too many disturbing news, too gloomy aspects of the social, political, economical situations, and

seeing loads of destructive reports ( such as in a website < Extinction. Protocol > —– which is giving

an impression [ the world is end tomorrow ] ) —– how can I keep my peace ?

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Facing the devastation of the world such as happened in Japan [could we still stay calm ? ]

As a Zen Buddhist, I might have made an explanation “ As a Buddhist, I gave some donation to Japanese

Disaster Fund etc, which I thought my duty, though further than that, I can’t do much as it is too far away”

—– but, wasn’t it, bought small peace of mind, then buried the head in the sand with convenient excuse ?

And making excuse “ What I can do is, transmit nice stories to make a reader to feel a joy of the life —– and

put photos of flowers and blue sky “ ( though, i’m not necessary doing this  🙂  )

Other Buddhists might have thought “ This is what the Samsara meant, this is what the life is, so, I need

to chant the Mantra more ( to go to heaven) “

—– but in reality, the situations are not such benign, nor Buddhist’s thought is simple.

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There could be some thoughts, from quite meta-physical view such as, we human being is facing an

awful repercussion, as we have been odd with the Dharma too long ( so-called Punishment ) to

much talked about break down of ecosystem / global natural balance, devastation of environment

—– driven by the man’s greed (Capitalism) —-> hence we are having so many freak weather, climate

change and its chain reaction etc. etc, the list of implication is endless.

———- then, what can we do, and should do as a Buddhist ?

In fact, when I faced this question on the time of Japanese disaster, I was deeply affected, or simply

depressed. —– what AM I doing here.   just reading the news ?

Just an ordinary man who went there with bare hand and shifted the mud, would have done much more

good to help the situation.  Or, should I keep stay calm, as if nothing happened in the world, while stop

reading the news —– and making nice lemon tea ?

Was that a kind of peace what a Buddhist should enjoy ?

Nothing other than on front of me, exists in the world ? ? ?    Other than that, are all irrelevant to

the one’s life and they are the delusions ?

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Where is the realm of one’s life — while everything are inter-connected to each other.

The air I have inhaled now could contain an oxygen atom which has been exhaled by a man in the other side

of the world a month ago, or from a plant leaf of Amazon jungle.

What actuary Dharma affecting one’s life ?

—– Or, was that only manifested as a flow of the occurrences ?

The answer seems to be, there is no fixed answer to what is right or wrong as a notion,

such as [go to disaster area and help clearing the mud] or [stay here].  They are just man’s Thinking.

As, there was no way to go there and I happened to stay here and worried about the situation

—–  happened as it was, it was right = the natural flow of the Dharma. ( if it was wrong, I shall

pick up the consequence soon or later = if it’s comes, it comes )  ( In this extent,  Buddhists are passive

= unless we were attacked, we don’t fight, we don’t attack —– ? ? ?  Does it mean, to research defence against

tsunami is wrong ?  No, the danger is already there, and soon or later it will come = preparation is a defence.

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While after the Atomic Bomb, the ground of Hiroshima and Nagasaki started to have regrowth of

the plants, flora and fauna, and the People started to rebuilt the houses.

People couldn’t wait 25 years like Chernobyl.  (Incredible though, it’s just a historical fact )

People lived there might have shorter life and some baby might have died prematurely —– still, we haven’t

found any mutant man, or super cockroach from Hiroshima or Nagasaki —– simply defective GENE has been

died and disappeared —– and survived are just lived on as normal existence.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the same bustling Cities like all another Cities in Japan now, other

than their horrendous memories. —– Life continues and the cities and towns in Japan will be recovered with

wiser adaptations in their building design.

Living far away from Japan, I’ve shed a tear or two with the emotions of  powerlessness.

—– that was my deed,  this is what happened. That’s it.  Not my word or thinking but only the fact count.

( Regardless, what ever the theory, planning, talking, we don’t know what actually happen —— and when

it happened, we have to follow and find the measure —– only the reality, the fact and the deed count. )

There wouldn’t be any escape and in the same time, no use to dream any hypothetical

possibility or have an illusion to be a Superman.   ( Unless you were born to be a Superman  😀  )

Yes, this is what the Dharma is.  We have no way else but accept and follow.

___/\___

( PS :  By the way,  I like Bob Geldof —– He was a young man with passion as a young man is,  but

don’t like Bono —– he is just a bully, who found a mechanism to satisfy his ego)

—

Order in Disorder (2)

Before the Buddhism evolved into Mahayana, the followers try to understand the existences in each

definition, in order, such as described in the Abidharma Kosa, and tried to fix the rules,  so that,

in effect,  made the person into the orderly ideal TYPE.

Then, the Buddhists realized that there is no such things like an orderly type nor

orderly existences —– no order is the order.

Like the nature, even a Hurricane or a Tsunami are also a part of the Dharma, not mention a Death.

Try to impose an ideal TYPE or the imagined ORDER and branding anything else are evil,  is

the human invention, and such thinking is nothing but the delusion.

In contrast to [see the Dharma as it is ], — [try to impose the idea over the Dharma ] is

the fundamental difference between Mahayana and Hinayana.

Accept the Dharma as it is, accept the human as human not an ideal TYPE,  was

the starting point of the Mahayana Buddhism.

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From his earliest period, Buddha’s teachings consists of the Four Noble Truth, in which

Buddha defined that the Life is suffering, getting ill and getting old then to die —– far from any

ideal TYPE of the life. —– but this was what Buddha did find.

And it took 500 years for the followers to realize what it’s really meant.

Still, if the situation of the life is confined only to this,

Buddha wouldn’t have taught his enlightened wisdom of —– how to deal with

this apparently hopeless situation.

The Buddha’s answer was,  against this disorderly situation (Samsara),  to live the life

in Mushin (which can be acquired through the practice)  would open the way to live without

fear or negative thought,  and away from any negative effect of ego and the delusion.

—– therefore lead to the peaceful Nirvana.

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Only the rules what Buddha found was the Rule of the Karma though, as he also explained the

constantly changing nature of the Dharma (which include ourself),  this Rule still having unknowable

hence,  no-order again.

Yet still,  strangely you might think,  this uncertainty still retains the overall direction of the Karma.

(Which is the direction of the Dharma) —– situation constantly changes,  occurrences seemed random,

still we pick up what the one should pick up = on the end the one goes to certain direction.

Only the matter is, to pick up right one. —– To do this, its need to have clear eyes

and absolutely calmed, exposed sensory. —– here, the Buddhist’s practice comes in.

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To the absolutely opened eyes and the mind of no-mind = Mushin,  even a minute sign of

something happening will be seen.    And as the mind is open, usually an out of scope kind

of irrelevant matter (which can be crucial to one’s  life)  may also be seen.

Stereotype,  self-imposed casting always limiting one’s perception and cause wrong thinking.

But, creative, progressive idea and the direction is over this barrier —– why you find this ?  why you ?

is the indication of [ because you were assigned to do this] —– this is what the direction mean.

To the outsider,  the nature / the Dharma looks No-Order though,  to the open mind = Mushin,  it looks no

problem —– since he could see the direction and be in contended as in the right direction.  He stays calm.

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– – – “ Oh, C’mon, can’t you see, the World is disintegrating”

“Yes I can see, its true.  But because of that, somebody has been assigned to work hard and dealing with it.

So, if he asks your help.   Help him.   If not, don’t interfere him, or worrying about it yourself.

If the Dharma in deed had the intention for the World to sink,

the Dharma didn’t assign him to solve the problem”

Put faith on the Dharma.  🙂

___/\___

—

PS :  It may look nicer to shout against the Nuclear Power or multi-national Capitalists etc. while pretending

to be a conscience of Planet Earth though,  I don’t think it is not necessary a typical Buddhist’s attitude,

unless the one was born to be a campaigner.    Because, the Buddhism is not stand on the mouth but practice.

Before open the mouth,  better stop wasting energy, electricity etc,  stop buying bottled water,  fizzy drink,

give up the car etc etc.   Those practices may be in your hand but, —– ? ? ?  how many people in the world

can stop the Nuke ?  —– the drive to change the policy of some country to give up Nuke was not by the

campaign,  but by an accident in Japan which costed hundreds of billions of money.  Money speaks louder.

In emotion, everybody feel ” What a hell, Japanese government is doing (or not doing !)”  though, it need to

think what an emotional shout can affect the actual policy there  —– yet, on the Election, they vote to the

well-known TV characters or comedian —– ? ? ?    (What’s  going on there)

—

Anyhow,  no-one’s conscience or emotion would give a halt to earthquake or tsunami  😀

(To the Planet Earth, it was a small wobble to release a tension (so, it was a rational adjustment.  Not a

disorderly passion ) though, for us, minute human being, it was a devastating quake) we are utterly powerless.)

—– but this is what the nature / Dharma is.

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Order in Disorder (1)

Reflecting back my own life, I myself often amazed, or even bemused,

how I’ve been coming through chancy life.   I wouldn’t say I was anything casual or irresponsible,

because if there was anything due, I did my bargain in my best.   But beside this, I put even more effort for

something else which is not necessary I was expected to do. —– but in the hind sight, I’m wondering

whether it was my choice or just happened to be there, and I just picked it up ?

—

When I was small, my interest was the Nature, insect or plant kind.    But it was not my choice.

Soon after the war ended, Tokyo was a burnt down city, not much other than a wild field to go around and

no sports facility or game kind there.     (My hobby of electronics was definitely my choice. And to get the

components, I needed to take a journey to Akihabara where ex-Korean war junk was sold — and those

mechanical-electronical components  such as variable condenser, vacuum bulb’s intricate, futuristic

structure fascinated me ! )

—

For me to turn my eyes to human life and its psyche was happened when one of the (bad) boy in the

secondary school incited me to read a book of the notorious suicidal novelist, Osamu Dazai.

(so, I became bad boy too —– and became a rebel )

And to start to go to mountain other than for chasing the insects was, simply the class teacher organized an

out of school activity club and I joined it.    (Since I was familiar with walking on the hill or in the woods)

And this activity continued while getting heavier and heavier even to winter rock climbing level.    (Its mean,

I did this, one of the physically, mentally hardest training from 12 years to 27 years, up to 1/3^rd of the year

in the mountain)

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For me to take the subject of  Industrial Sociology  in my Uni’ was also a sheer coincidence.

A Professor of Industrial Sociology asked me to help his project, and I got involved deeper, that’s all.

But I personally learned from him, how to observe and analyse the man and its society.

(Visualize somebody’s life and give an insight “If I were the man in there, how do I feel

and behave”—– this approach gave me great insight, and the way to see the human life

—– instead of imposing the view or criteria of observation, not to take superficial

observation of one’s behaviour, but to see the situation from the person’s psyche and his

stance, was the crucial attitude I learned from him)

—

And while in my Uni’ I spent most of the time  (well, while I was not in the mountain)  in the Herbalium in

the Science dept’ despite I was studying sociology.    This Makino Herbalium is one of the largest in Japan

having millions of botanical specimen and I was working there, taking photo of plant or making specimen.

It was my part-time work to pay for the Uni’ and to go to mountain or skiing.

While there, I was asked to join 3 expeditions to help botanists as a botanical photographer and an expert of

jungle walking   🙂 —– in fact for those reason I remained in my Uni’ altogether 7 years.

(with annoyance of the administrator, who shouted me  “Are you still here ?” 😀 )

———- but I might have made a mistake to become a photographer   😀

( But if I were not a photographer, I didn’t come and to live here —– it was a necessary

 element in the course of my life —– like a Butterfly Effect / minute change may cause

the drastic difference in the end result —– therefore, there is no regret )

( To deal with close-up photography,  it is necessary to improvise or even specially design the equipments.

Working in a part of the Science Dept’,  I could access the engineering machine in the Technology Dept’ and

having the knowledges of electronics lead me to design even special camera.  It happened, as it happened.

—– was that natural consequence or just a lucky coincidence  —– it’s a good question  🙂 )

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Then I left Japan.  And while staying in England as a photojournalist, suddenly the awkward court case was

started which I had no choice.   I had to deal with the case as a Litigant in Person while learning English Law

overnight —– and I was forced to give up photographic business.   Court case really consume time though,

in the other hand,  if next hearing is months away —- suddenly, too much time but nothing to do.

So that, I got plenty time for reading and thinking —– about  Zen.  Then, suddenly  “ Alas,

now I know,  all through my life,  I was given the hardest training to become a Zen monk”.

I’ve learned Nature. Then my scope was expanded to human existence while dealing with sociology and

working in the mountain as a voluntary keeper,  seeing the people in their edge of  the life.   Hence, farther

into the spiritual fundamental aspects of humanity.

(but didn’t learn how to deal with funeral , so, don’t ask me to conduct a funeral 😀 )

(Since, the Court case was caused by a woman’s explotitation of my immigration status, I was quarified to decrear

” Woman is the cause of nothing but the trouble”  hence I quit to deal with woman.  Literally became a monk  😀  )

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Looks utterly chancy life ––— though, on the end, it converged into one direction.

And yet another coincidence,  I happen to start this Zen blogging.

Before I left Japan,  I was told by my mother who was a psychic, and while she was reading my palm line

“Since you got mission, you wouldn’t be fallen before your task was accomplished. Therefore I wouldn’t

worrying about you at all” —– I don’t know the reason why I don’t get ill (I still have no registered Doctor

while staying in this country 35 years), or in the mountain,  I had falls on the rock 3 times though never

injured.   And I’ve broken 3 skis but never broken any bone   😀

—– It’s hard to tell, whether all of those are just the sheer coincidences, and I was just lucky

—– or something else ? —– there seems to be no order or rational connection, everything

were just occurred,  yet still,  in the hind sight,  there was a certain direction.

( If A hasn’t been there, encountering  B wouldn’t be happened, then at the B, conveniently C

happened —– and so on,  and lead to  Z  on the end = this is the life. )

—?— is this the hidden order ? —– Or the Dharma’s intention ?

___/\___

( To be continued to the next post  🙂  )

—

Bodhi-Tree / Bodai-ju

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

___/\___

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