Whose LIFE is it ?

In the Buddhism, to think “ This is my Life” might be the most arrogant notion.

—– In the truth, we might be here by the will of somebody else,

Buddha or Dharma whoever over there.

Its mean we are here to fulfil his will or intention. —– in other words, on the surfice, we are

believing that “ I have chosen my direction. It was my decision”  though, in fact it was given, and

we just have taken its opportunity in its occurrence. ( Remember, you didn’t chose to born —– you

have just become aware you are here —– when you were 8~10 years old 🙂 )

It was not accident. —– It was predestined direction.

Non

This is what the selflessness really mean in its deepest meanings.

( What really exists is not you, but the Dharma —– so, the words “Dharma in you” may be

misguiding —– YOU were not separate entity or counter notion from the beginning )

And this might be the real meaning to be the life to be the Bodhisattva.

The life is, not one’s life but the Life of the Dharma.

___/\___

non

TRUTH or is it in the BELIEFE

A while ago I was exchanging the opinion with my friend who started to wonder why the scientists

who supposedly dealing the subjects with fact based rationalism,  still making utterly

dubious explanation to such as the nuclear or environmental issues.

And he said, is there any relation or influence of the persons belief system to even a scientific

research and its conclusion.

—– Well, my answer was,

1)  The science what we ordinary folks generally know is.  only a corner of popular science and there

are many [another kind of] science —– such as creationist’s / Christian science or some pseuedo

sciences etc. etc. —– Even a Black Hole or 4^th Dimension are out of our comprehension still,

they are regarded to be the science.

2)  The science is not an absolute truth.    It is more like a technique of debate.

In one frame-work,  using the fact(s) as the evidence and construct the theory or hypothesis.

Then from the theory, make a model or an expected projection and apply to the other samples.

If its works on the other samples —– the theory is proved to be true.

The matters in the debate is to convince others. = If the others were convinced,  it became an

established or widely accepted theory.  Still, not necessary everybody,  hence it may split the science

community or society general. —– Some are following, others are not.

3)  Discovery of the facts and the technology which can affect  them are changing everyday.

New facts and the new approach and the techniques are keep appearing

and the re-examination of previous results or theories are taking place everyday —– hence,

the truth yesterday is not necessary so tomorrow.

Therefore,  some may convinced but to others,  it may seem to be utterly rubbish and fraud.

( Remember, until 250 years ago,  the lightning was understood to be an anger of the Good,  until

very courageous and lucky Benjamin Franklin catch it into a jar and proved it was electricity.

( I’m puzzling how and why he wasn’t killed  😀 ))

non

I definitely know, the sun is rising every day and goes round in the sky but never noticed

the ground / earth is rotating —– still, I accept the sun is in the centre,  not the earth

—– by the widely accepted science as I got no basis to contest it.  I have no choice but to join 😀

We know what is electricity —– to connect a light bulb to battery,  it would light up thanks to the

flow of electron —– though,  nobody ever seen what is the electron.

All the evidences are circumstantial,  in other words we are seeing only its effects.

Yet still,  we need and use its effect.   We don’t care what is taking place in a coil in the motor —–

as long as it’s rotates.   ( Some of you might remember the Rule of right hand to know the relation of

electric current, magnetic field and the direction of movement —– we can see the fingers, but

rest of the phenomena = we only believe )

Yet, as it explain well and the effects are always consistent,  we convinced it is the TRUTH)

We know thousands, even millions of phenomena in its appearances but need to believe the truth

or the theories behind.   Our imagination is filling the gap by what we call  [intelligence].

non

Unfortunately we human being is still not clever enough to handle vast amount of factors and

the parameters in such as environmental phenomenon though, clever enough to select convenient

facts to construct a model which conveniently conveys the opinion —– regardless

whether it was true or not. ( I’m not suggesting,  I’m odd with conservationists,  but saying how hard

to construct [a model] which is having millions of parameters of which we haven’t even discovered yet)

non

When we handle the matters in the nature or even about ourself we encounter the invisible of

which the whole truth hasn’t been fully discovered,  and there may be the unknowable.

In fact, we know only very little.   So that, even in a critical science we hide the gap of knowledges

behind of such as the statistical numbers —– hence the theory or prediction is only a guess.

If we have to deal with a matter which got too much unknowable, we either construct

metaphysics or myth —– or religion.   If you believe, it is the truth,  hence the belief system.

Non

My friend’s argument was, even a scientist who is having a strong belief system (its might have

hidden deep in their subconscious, due to their up bringing)  may tend to creates a theory

more imaginative (or Dogmatic ) than the facts based objective science.

———- ?— Its might be true.

And they might be believing and aiming the more positive outcome of the theory which would

coherent with the idea of promised land and the harmony —– subconsciously construct the

theory to proof the God was correct and the world is perfect.  Therefore,  such as an

environmental model should have automatic feed-back and self-preservation.

( And they knew the theory of self-destruction is not popular to get a financial support )

 

In fact, the universe would continue to exists even without the notion of the God and its alleged

creation —– practically the system looks to continue  for ever 😀

( Since the geological time scale is too long for us to imagine )

non

We are standing the moment to establish the final General Theory which may proof

the multidimensional world —– we said to be co-existing next to 4^th dimension,

5^th dimension etc,  we might be living with the soul of people in the past. —– really ? ? ?

( I know something there —– but not necessary because of the String Theory —– even if

a fancy subatomic particle or antimatter was found and its trace was recorded in a digital

imaging screen,   how do I know the soul of my friend is there ? )

___/\___

non

FORMURA in DHARMA

I have written about how Leonardo Davinch was obsessed with his Masonic belief a while ago.

And it is well known that the Masonic people has been trying to figure out the fundamental rule of

the universe in its proportion or mathematical formula, hence the architectural proportion of

the old temple etc.

Fibonacci number / its rule of consecutive numbers are one of the rules found in nature —–

since they thought, it should have the ultimate power of rule of universe. etc etc.   ( It is true, some plants

and its order of distribution of  leaves or seeds on the pod shows certain pattern, hence certain formula

which lead to the discovery of the very Fibonacci number ) —– so what ?

non

Unfortunately, there is no such magic formula to solve the trouble in the human life.

If the perfect proportion of the old temple have had any mythical protective power of the universe,

it couldn’t have been destroyed.

It is a tendency of the dream of lazy and yet greedy man —— to grub the power and the fortune

by tricking using the simple and easy formula —– and believing such things could ever exist.

Non

Of cause, Buddha taught no such things could ever exists, and such idea is nothing

but a delusion. —– though, some Mahayana Mantras having many fancy super natural stories.

A man who read Diamond Mantra and wanted to gain such super natural power, asked me to teach

the secret of Zen. (since he believed I’ve got it —– how nice complement 😀 )

non

Give a thought or two to what Buddha taught —–

Fixed formula which got only few parameters only works to the fixed, limited condition.

Buddha said, nothing stays permanent and keep changing moment to moment = out of

reach of any fixed formula.

Such formula is a product of our poor thinkings —– how we can rely such idea when the author,

ourself is unreliable.   Even its existence is not certain.

Above all, what is the intention to get such secret formula for — to get the good result quick ?

To get power and the fortune in easy way ? = What a greed and the arrogance.

Such greed or arrogance negates any virtue of the Buddhism.

One Buddhists sect recruiting the people saying “Get happiness quick“— though, such idea to appeal

the people’s greed negates Buddhism itself.   ( You can see, despite they are taking a lots though they

are the most miserable people — only able to repeat what was written in the book, and thinking  Happy)

Strange Paradox of  Goodness in the  Buddhism only came  out of  absolute nothing. From No expectation.

non

Buddha didn’t give an answer to many questions — long time myself has been thinking, because

it was not necessary for us to know, — though I realized, it was the very answer Buddha intended to give.

The answer itself is a notion, whether it was said by Buddha or not.  When the notion itself and

the condition based upon it couldn’t exist in a fixed form, there couldn’t be

a fixed answer = no answer is the very answer.

—– Then all the another pieces of his teachings fallen into the jigsaw —– that’s why the clear eyes to

see the Dharma is essential = Dharma itself is not fixed entity, it changes a moment to moment,

hence the flow of response is essential. The free mind, not cringe to any fixed idea, away from any

deluded idea or belief is essential = Mind of No-Mind is the key to see the Dharma.

Its mean, the compliance to the situation is the matter. See the situation as it is.

And the response on this moment may not be the same to a response a moment ago.

Its mean, there is no fixed formula. Or no-formula is the ultimate formula.

No quick fix with anticipation exists.

Don’t worry with bad anticipation, until its happened, it hasn’t happened yet.

When it’s happened, then, take best action —– as long as you keep your eyes clear,

the situation you see is far better than misguided anticipation.

Flexible structure is much stronger even in an earthquake.

This is the Buddhism.   Buddhists never miss the moment.

___/\___

non

JOKE

One of the most cynical joke toward the Buddhism is

—– If there is no Self, where is the one who get enlightened ?

In fact, I’ve seen this joke also in a famous book written by one of the most prominent Buddhism

scholar in Japan.    He translated many important Buddhism scriptures into modern Japanese.

Which book,  I might have read 100 times ?

(so, I’ve read this joke 100 times) — Ha ha ha —– very funny 😀

And it took me more than 20 years to realize the hidden truth —–

Ah’ because, he hasn’t enlightened yet then !

Non

As long as the one is entwined with the Self —– no enlightenment. (It is self-evident)

And the moment, when the one got enlightened —– it is the same moment as the Self disappeared.

Or, the moment when the Self disappeared, it’s mean the one was enlightened.

The Self and the Enlightenment never exist in the same time.

Therefore, to make the joke has no point —– and the author of the book hasn’t realized it by

himself —– its mean he didn’t know what is the enlightenment. Yet still, he is a professor teaching

about the Buddhism. —– knowing the words and teaching them is different from Buddhism itself.

One could get enlightened in direct transmission in one day, still the other who studied

hundreds of scriptures are not necessary guaranteed to achieve enlightenment or nirvana.

Never mind, we all are still Buddhist. Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

non

Japanese ENIGMA — It’s the BUDDHISM

There are numerous report of the Japanese disaster which showed incredible calmness

and the orderly behaviour of the people who went trough unimaginable devastation of

their life.

AND the unbelievable calmness while hearing and facing the situation of their Nuclear plant’s

meltdown. —– as if even a meltdown didn’t make a news or no longer the issue.

non

Of cause there was a cunning manipulation of the media by the government and the establishment

whose interests are heavily entwined with those Power supply industry ( with their financial, political

mutual interdependency ) and the PR machine which organized the bent scientists who has been

creating smoke screen and the deception saying “ Nuclear is safe and clean “.

non

So when their Nuclear system break down and shown the leak of radio-active material, they kept

pretending it was just a minor trouble of electric power failure, hence nothing serious at all, and

try to patch-up behind the scene. —– though, as it has melted down just the next day of Tsunami,

the trouble couldn’t be solved easily—– meltdown is really serous trouble.

—– still, they managed to keep the people ignorant, then rose the accident level 5 to 7, a month

later —– waited until the people get used and become immune to a bad news.

Strangely you may think, even in this situation, there is no word of Meltdown in

the Power company’s official report. (Saying  ” I’m not good in English”  😀  😀  )

So that no longer Japanese believe the Company who is just dodging the word. 

( Then what can you believe —— nothing. —– neither knows what will happen ) 

non

Strangely, how serious the situation was, which was detected and assessed by the foreign experts

who saw the Nuclear accident in Three miles Plant US, and those report was appeared in the media

abroad, —– but they were ignored as a demagogue —– anything bad news were suppressed.

This attitude was taken not only the Japanese media but it was common among the people.

[ The most important issue is, to rebuilt the life and regain the normality.

Anything obstruct this has to be rejected and ignored]

———- Whether you can believe or not, you like or not, this is the Buddhism.

non

Buddha told that the life is suffering — and the death is in the end. Yet still, there is

the way to overcome those obstacles by the way to see the world and the life.

And the way to see it, is the Buddhism.

By this, the Enlightenment, we can get the Nirvana —– therefore, instead of wasting

the time worrying about those obstacles and the troubles, [Just get on the life. Just Do It]

Japanese are literally doing this.   ( Unlike in the west, no riot smash or burn down the

Company —– because they know such emotional act can’t solve the trouble at all)

non

Buddha ignored a question what is the structure of the universe or the soul is perpetual.

—– obviously because  [ They are unknowable and it doesn’t matter for us at all ]

non

Now we human being is at the brink of finding the fundamental of the existence by the experiment

of Atomic research —– sound interesting though, —– [ String theory ? ? ?] —– ?

Is it the matter to how many person in the world ? Is Parallel World (even if it’s existed)

anything matters to you ?

The more closer to us, all the fancy gadgets wouldn’t work and couldn’t be designed without the

calculations in the Quantum theory —– though, how many people in the world actually dealing

with this ?   Most of the people using the gadgets only knowing which switch is on-off.

We might be extinct because of the activities of the Sun or by an Asteroid etc. etc. who knows ?

Is it help us to know what could happen one day ? — other than interesting brain teaser.  😀

———- So that, Buddha rejected anything which exist only in the mind

and irrelevant to our dairy life —– defining they are just the delusions.

non

To the Japanese people, natural disaster —– when it’s comes what would happen are same as the

Asteroid or Solar Activities —– it may come but what can you do ?   Nothing.

If nothing, it is better not to bother. —– Worrying wouldn’t help anything (except to the

scientists who knows better and the engineer who design more reliable structure )

And for them, the trouble of the Nuclear Meltdown and its consequence came into the

same category. —– therefore, if it’s happens, it happens —– same as inevitable death,

there is no escape hence no point to argue. —– just resign.

(Anyhow, they can’t understand what is the Nuclear Reaction mean and radiation is

invisible.  It makes no different to Earthquake.  They just shut off the useless thinking )

And as the blockage removed ( worrying mind has gone) then,  just live the day in its best.

Do the best mean, do what you can, to the things on front of you.  Help others who is having more

difficulties.  Utilize something which remains —– improvise and be resourceful. etc.etc.

The matter is live there while making in its best. —– best mean not to do wrong —– they

don’t rob others, nor steal. Even don’t cry —– crying makes others even more depressed

—– it’s no good.  So, this is how and why they are seemingly behaving in such orderly way.

non

You must be realized, it is not enigma at all —– and realized, the control of ego and

emotions can be done by anybody. ( If you can not, it is because you are believing and

unconsciously wanting to cling your ego and the emotions.

—– it is your trouble of fundamental Mind-Set — you need to change the subconscious )

non

Play to the 25,000 victims of the disaster in Japan.

And the best wish to the recovery of the half million people who has been affected.

___/\___

—

Illusion of PERMANENCE

A decade or two ago, when we saw the dawn of digital photography, we were told

and believed that the digitized photo will be safe and permanent.

Unlike silver based photo image which is vulnerable to the chemical deterioration

etc. digitized information is the most reliable, solid archive of the recording.

—– Really  ? ? ?

non

After nearly three decade, the people who bought early CD music, started to notice

that their disc has been deteriorated and no longer playable due to the

ageing of the plastic material.

CD player just show you a sign [ No Disc ] or music became corrupt and repeat the

same passage again and again. —– The average life of CD is 20 years.

Considering the 100-year-old Wax-cylinder Gramophone Record still able to give the signals out,

I wonder what an advancement of technology was.

non

And I noticed, some photos saved in a USB flash memory has become [ Invalid ] —– ? ? ?

Data was just evaporated.  Since I have no idea what  image existed there.   I just give up.  Nothing I can do.

—– The data in the flash memory last 5 years.

non

HDD / Hard disc is notoriously fragile animal.  One drop would nullify hundreds of Giga byte of data instantly.

( Mechanical and electrical life span of HDD is about 5 years.    Therefore, you may need to copy the data

again to new HDD, before trouble occur )

It is absolutely true. Digitized image never changes and as it is the simplest form of the

information which consists only 1 and 0, it would be most reliable form.   Yes, Information is,

but not a media which recording or storing them.   Without a media, the data can not exists.

And the danger of electrical glitch which corrupt the data or OS could be always there.

The more you open the file, the more chance to have it.   The larger the HDD, having the more danger.

(Just imagine, a  2.5″  HDD disc on the photo having less than 5 square inch surface. —– Assuming, on there

30 Giga x 8 magnetized (and not magnetized) dot are aligned —– you know how small they are.

Picking up the data, whether each point was magnetized or not, from the disc which is rotating  5400 round

a minute —– it is an incredibly tricky business, even when everything worked perfect = soon or later,

something not perfect come to affect the over all function = you no longer able to read the data.  That’s it. )

—

A collection of Photos and Video images I had been accumulated in my old laptop which I have copied into

a USB flash memory to read in my new laptop was just disappeared all together.    4 Gb size of data has just gone.

The screen shows ” File is empty / 0 bite ” —– great !

( Later, I recovered the lost file in the  4Gb USB memory using [ Mini Tool Power Data Recovery, Free Edition

program ]  which I downloaded free —– saved about 15,000 files out of 20,000 though, all jumbled-up, without

caption or file name = you know,  How the situation is nightmarelish —– 😦   and   😀  )

non

In this situation and its hard reality, the internet data storage service was born —- though, like my experience,

one day its might just disappear.   Service might be withdrawn, even by human error,  or the file even the

site management itself could be hacked in, and the data could be lost.  The more important the data is, it would

be the more profitable for the hacker to steal it.  The Cloud computing may seem very convenient and

very very powerful though,  of cause,  such concentration of the data can be seen just as a huge

treasure trove,  and inevitably attract the organized cyber criminal.   Cynical irony is, even if the

data has been extremely highly encrypted, billion combination of code can easily  be deciphered

using even more computing power of the Cloud. —– Nothing is safe and permanent.

So that the wise mind-set is, —– accept its nature, it might be there, might not be there,

and live with which is remained to be there.

If the photo is there, use it.  If not there, it’s not there.   Never cling the idea  [It should be there ].

(Better keep the crucial data locked up as a print-out copy —– then how about a fire ?  😀 )

non

Your loved one might be there and smiling at you.

You enjoy it,  but might not be there any longer,  still not to be desperate.

You enjoy your precious memory. —– Live on what you got in your hand.

___/\___ Have a peaceful day.

—

PS: ( Photo above was taken by Canon 5D Mk-II with TSE 24 mm-L II — This is a pretty well made good lens )

—

In REALITY

All over the world, there are kind of Haunting Ghost Stories.

Still, I never heard a Ghost came back to his Priest, complaining a failure of the teachings

to give him a proper Nirvana. ( or reaching to the Heaven ) 😀

As a matter of fact, Nirvana doesn’t necessary mean a Death. Original meaning is “Put-off a Fire”

and the Fire is a metaphor of the Suffering in the Life.

In this context, its metaphor is quite Buddhist-like understanding, still somewhat akin to the Original Sin

of the Christianity.   It is a sale’s tool to sell the religion to unsuspecting innocents —– exactly same tactics

to sell a body-spray saying “You smell” even though the man is having virtually no body odour but simply

because a man himself can’t judge his own smell.

So, a first step, persuade the people to start to feel, his life is not satisfactory and having trouble and the

sufferings —– when they were persuaded “Having something wrong” then start to sell a remedy.

Irony here is, if there is no religion in the first place, there may not be a notion of Sin or Sufferings.

—– Any how non of the Life is perfect as nobody is perfect.

—–

I used to have a friend of the owner of a big department store.

Since he had inherited huge share of the company, automatically he was earning too much amount

of dividend, therefore having even a headache of what to do with that money.

Donating so much so to this and that Conservationist Organization, and others etc while chased by

other organizations who want his money too, etc etc.

He doesn’t want to deal with money, so that his company has appointed another relative to be a executive

to run the business —– though, because of he got so much money, the people coming to him, were all

after his money, include his 6 wives ( of cause, one at the time 😀 )

Women who got tender sensible character were scared off from him, hence he had to live all through

his married life with gold-diggers. ( Once I was asked by him to judge a woman, I instantly told him

“ Never marry her “ but the woman was much more clever than him in the tactics of psychological

warfare, make him to wait too long, away on her holiday, then gave a call from  China, saying

“Government wouldn’t allow me to leave the Country, unless I got British passport “—– its mean

get marry and get nationality. —– as she got what she wants, she divorced him )

—-

He didn’t need to be Greedy, or Egoistic. Very intelligent Cambridge graduate, hence some time

hard to follow his too academical subject (not mention Cambridge accent 🙂 ) still maintain child like

perception and openly cried like a child with his loneliness ( when woman was not there ) —– though,

he couldn’t understand what’s wrong with his life. —– It was his hopeless Karma.

I don’t think he got anywhere near to a Nirvana though, ( still, at least a Greek wife then was his bed

side —–when he passed away ) I don’t think he would come back as a Ghost. ( He needn’t to haunt

anybody ) —– So, what is the Nirvana ? —- Is there anything like a perfect Nirvana exist ?

I don’t think so.

Someone said, the quality of the man will be reviled when how many number of the attendance came to

his funeral. —– ?    Is the quality of famous pop-star higher than the others ?

Anyhow, the deceased wouldn’t know how many people ever came to his funeral.

—-

Here is the another irony, if a man didn’t ever had a notion of the Enlightenment nor Nirvana, he

would just live his life as it is with high and low.—– Though, a Snobb would say, it’s a dog’s life,

man has to aim spiritually higher existence. —– ?   Really ?    Interesting !

—-

If any Buddhist having this kind of snobbish delusion, better read the Books again.

You will find the description such as

“As long as you have the notion of the Enlightenment, it is not the Enlightenment “.

This is the description of ultimate Mushin. If only the accomplished Buddhists reborn to the human again,

and rest of people would reborn to the another creature, human population will be soon dwindled.

Think how many times more number of   Non-Buddhist population in the world.

So that, in reality, there is no problem to re-produce bad boy by the un-enlightened parents. 😀

If this is the reality, what is the point to study and chase the Buddhism.

Because after all, the goal is just carry out ordinary life without having the conscious of own life.

This is the situation, I described long time ago with a metaphor of Room A and Room A’. (Ref: )

—-

Funny Paradox is, in the Mahayana understandings, as every body born with the Dharma within,

there is equal potential for everybody can achieve the Enlightenment and Nirvana.

But in the same time, nobody is the same (even the same person is different, moment to moment),

nobody is perfect, still everybody can get their Enlightenment as his own INPERFECTION, there

can not be any one standard of the LIFE.

Therefore, neither a standard of what the Enlightenment should be.

Only the person who can assess Who I am and the State of the Mind, and the progress to reach

the Enlightenment, is the very person —– might be you who is reading this.

—-

In the fundamental paradox of the Buddhism, as long as a person is thinking about

the Enlightenment, the person will get no Enlightenment. —– in fact,

the Idea of the Enlightenment itself is nothing but a delusion.

“There couldn’t be any Enlightenment exist” —– might be the ultimate Enlightenment.

To see the thing as it is, in reality is the Buddhism.  And to think it by yourself was the Order of

Buddha himself.   And above all have to live in Reality, not waste the time with fantasy. 😀

Is it a daunting task ?   No, I don’t think so neither.

Because, to be a Buddhist is as easy as Just Do It, Just Live.  😀

___/\___

—

TOMATO is DHARMA

A reader sent me a link of a page of Wikipedia [Dharma]  to educate me. 😀

Thank you very much though,  I might have seen this page before but didn’t like it.

The author of the page surely knew the meanings of the Dharma contains

mere things and phenomenon as well.

But he might wanted to make up the story looks more authoritative,  he emphasized more in the Rules side,

and only mentioned “Things”  and  “Phenomenon” just like an addition.

—– ” It was his Arrogance sir ” 😀

——

Don’t make the things and the life even more complicated with useless thinking.

Just open your eyes and look at a Tomato plant.(Provided if you have one. If not, anything would do the same)

—— Its green shoot, leaves, and although it’s under a soil and can’t be seen  but its root is there.

It’s just grow.  And going to yield beautiful red Tomato fruits (or vegetable ? —– you argue, not me  😀 )

( If you ever eaten  fully ripen real tomato in the sun drenched field,  you know how sweet its fruits is ! )

With your fresh eyes, just feel again.  Isn’t this amazing ?   How it’s grow ? How it’s exist here ?

To maintain its shape as a Tomato plant,  there is a complicated biological mechanism, —– determination

by its genetics, and the botanical, agricultural aspects such as the species, variety etc,  the growth

mechanism,  monocular-biology,  what nutrition,  what substance goes into their roots and converted into

what and makes its leaves etc etc.   It is a conglomerate of existence with rules and phenomenon.

—-

Without having this Tomato plant itself,  all those phenomena never taking place there.

So, why the Tomato exists in the first place and who is and why, you happened to watching this Tomato.

All together,  this,  before your eyes —– is The Dharma. (Which you need to pay a respect as well)

—– But, if you don’t have the eyes and the mind to feel it is amazing,  you may need to reset your mind

and the perception once, and start again to see the world, like a child saw it first time ever.

You may not as bad as the people believing that the Tomato comes from Tesco. 😀

This is why Buddha ordered  ” Think yourself ” —— refresh your perception.

To see the Dharma in its shape of a Tomato is the starting point of the Buddhism.

___/\___

—

YOU are a part of the DHARMA

The people who is thinking to know or believing the Buddhism, might be believing that

Shakya muni Buddha started the teaching of The Dharma.

You are wrong.

—-

The Dharma exist from the beginning of the time and the space. —-– or even before that and

may triggered the creation of this world itself.

And the notion of the Dharma has been existing thousands of years before Buddha.

In fact, an ancient word Dharma is a headache of the scholars and the translators alike, as its contains

so many meanings.   All the existences is the Dharma, and the Rules among those existences is the Dharma.

And the Rules and the Law are also the Dharma. —– it’s suggesting it was the long-established philosophy

to see the world, visible and invisible, the existing world is an entwined system of the existences and

the relations and the rules between them.   It was derived from the basic attitude to see the things not

just as a material but to understand them in a spiritual context.  Typical in the Eastern Philosophy.

It is more akin to the general theory of the Universe which can define from the sub-particles

to the life-cycle of the stars and the universe.

What Buddha found was mainly the relation and the rules between Man and the Dharma.

But as the Dharma itself is the Rules, what he taught was the way to see and follow its rules in the Dharma.

And taught his followers, to follow and live according to the Dharma, it is the way to attain the Nirvana.

——

As everybody born with the Dharma within ( of cause, since we are a part of the Dharma ) every body

should able to see and easy to follow it. ( provided, to see it with clear eyes and the mind. 🙂 )

So that, Buddha ordered his disciples to see and think it by themselves —– not believing what others

said or written.

—– Why, the reason was?  Because, the Dharma is invisible and deep inside of each person’s

subconscious, only a fully opened mind, without any disturbance of the thought in the mind

can see it. Listening, reading somebody else’s words need to think the meaning —– utterly opposite of

what Buddha taught.   Of cause, no-one can write down and listing up what the requirement of the Dharma.

No human being is above the Dharma.

Even Buddha followed the Dharma and accepted his Nirvana.

—–

As everybody is a part of the Dharma, everybody is connected each other and to the natures.

As if you feel the pain of the injured hand in your whole body,  the pain and the agony of the victims

in Sendai hit the other people,  even a Yakuza in Osaka,  and made him to drive a truck to deliver the

relief goods to the victims.  It was his spontaneous actions and nobody needed to persuade him to do.

Thousand of volunteers like him are helping the victims of the earthquake, tsunami and evacuees of the

destroyed nuclear plant,  simply because the compassion in their subconscious,  which is no

other than the Dharma, has driven them.

Some volunteers may be the Buddhists or other persuasions but not necessary all of them.

Its mean,  the humanistic compassion is not a monopoly of the Buddhism nor any religion,  but

the Dharma and its virtues are the common among the all the human being.

Buddha pointed out this fact, and taught the way to see and listen it,  since he noticed the

mechanism and the tendency of the Rules in the Dharma,  by his insight while in Mushin.

What makes the Buddha’s teaching unique was,  that he found an active process to reach the

Dharma by sharpening one’s perception by the practice.  The practice to silence the useless noise,

the one’s thinking which is masking the Dharma.

—-

Fundamentally the Dharma is Selfless as it is,  say the Universal Soul,  the Rules of

the Universe,  it doesn’t belong to or favour any individual.

And its Rules are for the continuation of the Universe,  not necessary for a single individual.

Therefore, to see and listen what the Dharma is aiming, the one has to silence his own projection.

In other words, the one has to know he himself is not a single entity, only a part of the Dharma.

In metaphor, there is no such things of the sovereign independence of the Nation of the Self.

Strangely you might think, giving up the independence can bring much more benefit to a  nation.

( Don’t fooled by a silly sample of a farce in the European Community and the troubled  Greece and the

Portugal etc,   EC is not the Dharma.    Ha ha ha  😀 )

Of cause, the power of the Dharma and its aim of continuity is far grater than an individual.   😀

Its power ratio is the infinitum against virtually nil.   Better forsake useless own thinking and let the

Dharma to decide —– this is what Buddhists calls the Selfless-Life  or  Life in Mushin.

In another metaphor,  the Cloud Computing has more power than the set of program in an individual

PC. ( —– though, I don’t like the idea of Cloud itself,  since Google is not the selfless Dharma.

There is no such things like free lunch.  Think while using free Google,  what we gave up to them ?

To them we are completely naked. What we are interested in, what we are searching, what we are

talking with my friend etc etc and made ourself to just a target of the  advertisement )

—-

Once the individual thinkings were cleared off,  one’s subconscious,  and the Dharma which

has been masked underneath will prevail.

And it allow a person to react instantly without the hindrance of time-wasting thinking or

useless consideration of Ego.

This is what the Zen Buddhism is doing and what you can achieve with it.

___/\___

—

Self Denial — Self Sacrifice — Duty of Charity — MUSHIN ???

Self Denial – Self Sacrifice – Duty of Charity – MUSHIN ???

This is one of the most misconceived area in the Buddhist’s practice, hence I’ve been asked a

question again and again about the distinction.

Such as like a practice of one of the Buddhist’s sect in Japan, Ittou-en which I had mentioned some post ago,

which member is going around the town, asking household to let them clean their toilet.

This is the practice to learn Self Denial and the Self Sacrifice, and make people’s toilet clean may

seemed it is an act for other’s benefit hence it must be a charity. ( Though it seems quite patronizing )

I can see their point though, in the same time I would rather feel the intention with a pinch of salt.

If a practice to clean somebody else’s faeces could make a person humble and enlightened, the

people in India where particular job has been assigned to one particular cast ( or former cast ) should

have created thousands of enlightened holy man there. ( Never heard of it 😀 )

I’m sure, to clean somebody else’s faeces could destroy the person’s dignity still, not necessary it

destroys the person’s Ego. ( Ego is not dependent on the profession. Arrogance may be )

The more the required practice was dreadful, the more strong will and the determination is needed.

Unfortunately, this strong will, a belief of “ This practice should make ME higher noble person “

and “ I WANT to achieve it, I WANT TO ACHIEVE IT “ is nothing but an obsessive thinking.

Far from it, what Buddha taught was to DO the things without thinking, i.e; in Mushin.

The so-called practice is its formalized form of each sect.—– As everybody has unique grown-up and own

life history, even in the way of learning the same Buddhism, everybody takes different pathway and

as I described, there are three distinctive aspects how people related to the Buddhism, hence to learn

the Mushin, each person would take different approach and the steps.

Hence different expression, explanation were come up, such as Self Denial.

As a matter of fact, Buddha didn’t teach such things at all. What he taught was “ Self is not exist

from the beginning “ ( Since he took a stance against the Vedic idea of Atoman —– he saw it is the cause

of the trouble, as  it is the delusion.   That is why, he taught the MUSHIN / Mind of No-mind) —– though,

this is one of the hardest part in the Buddhism to understand. ( If anybody has able to achieve

the MUSHIN, it is almost the completion of the enlightenment. )

—–

History of the Buddhism clearly showed this fact, that even Buddha’s immediate disciples are not

necessary understood this. Hence the first few hundreds years, Buddhism have had the time

of Hinayana to Suppress the Self = Denial of the Self = Superficial mimicry of the MUSHIN.

To be in MUSHIN, of cause there is no SELF hence no EGO or Arrogance, Greed.

But try to achieve it from other way round, suppress the SELF first, not necessary works, because of 

a thinking of “Deny the self, deny the ego” is there.

———- As you are reading this, only your visual cortex and the brain to configure the word and

their meanings are working = you are not aware the existence of your eyes and

the conscious “I am READING this”. ——- You are reading this in your MUSHIN ! ! !

Buddha also against the practice to torture the mind and the body, therefore the Self Sacrifice is

not in his teachings. It was not the Self Sacrifice but as the ( Enlightened ) person doesn’t have

the Self, the person just react to the situation in the best way or necessary way —– it only happen to

be seen “ the person has sacrificed himself “—– but the person himself was Just Doing It, that’s all.

Same applies to a Charitable act —– “If the one is doing it with a conscious of I’m doing the

Charity, it is not the Charity “ —– so as the Enlightenment. Which occur only in Mushin.

This is the reason why, in the Mahayana Sutras, there are typical expression like “ Exists as not exist “

“Do as not do” hence, do the charity (or help others) without having the conscious of helpingothers.

Without conscious mean, without thinking, without having the

conscious of the Self = DO IT SUBCONSCIOUSLY / SPONTANEOUSLY.

—–

To re-discover the Buddha’s original teachings, Buddhists spent another five hundreds years until

the Mahayana was introduced. And with its new ( or original ) understandings, sacrifice the life

to get Enlightenment as an Arakan ( Arahat ) was rejected, since the matter is not a posture but to

be in MUSHIN, and to be in MUSHIN, anyone and any life-form can get enlightenment as the

Dharma itself is, in its nature. —– But the reason why Buddha remained as a Bhikku ( begger) was

very simple. He was not trained to be a farmer nor any profession, there was no way else to get food.

To have a simple humble life go round the town begging the food was enough for him (and to his followers

together ). It was his simple easiest life style. To live as a Bhikku he didn’t need to think neither. He just lived.

Therefore, to be a Bhikku is not a precondition to get enlightenment, it was just happened to be.

Buddha never accused to be wealthy and had no hesitation to receive their giving of good food and

he ate any food. A funny description in the Vimalakirti Sutra “ You have to mind to receive it from

the poor people as well, in order to give the same opportunity for them to offer the food ( Hence

let them to practice good deed —– for them to attain their Nirvana ) show the situation well. 😀

Buddha’s teaching to those wealthy people to stay modest ( Middle Way ) and the way of giving

in Mushin would lead them to have Nirvana without any danger to reborn to be animal ( Since no such things

of perpetual soul exist ) must be well received by them.

As it was the historical fact, the Buddhism spread and did grow having with the wide support of

the ordinary people. It is impossible to imagine that Buddha asked those people to endure a kind

of practice to sacrifice their life, let alone to clean the faeces in order for them to reach Nirvana,

as Buddha himself rejected the practice to torture the mind and the body.

Simply because Buddha knew, anything can be done in Mushin, and the Mushin has no Ego.

Anything can be done mean, the practice can be anything, hence it doesn’t need to be torturing practice nor

heavy self-denying act. Mushin can be achieved Not What the Practice IS or how to understand it,

but by the Mind-Set = Mind of Just Do It.

—

It is the easy practice, as easy as some late Masters described it as Dog Shit. And as difficult as

non of Buddha’s disciple could understand .

It seemed that Buddha did know the situation, hence he needed to order his disciples “Think yourself,

not just believe what you were taught” in his death-bed.

Its meaning of thinking is, not what the answer they would get, but the process and the effects of

thinking (and effort to figure out in practice) —– “Mushin has no Self, no Ego” was what they had

been taught. And they must have shown well copied practice what they learned from

Buddha.  But it was just a copy of the movement, not necessary in Mushin.  Buddha must be aware of this.

That was why he needed to give an order to his disciples. —–  It was an inherent short-coming of

having the master near you. You can get the explanation easily from him, then you satisfied as you

could understand it (intellectually). The trouble of Mushin is —– you can’t get it with an

understandings or any thinkings. You have to DO it to discover.

—– therefore, many hundreds of years Buddhists monks just argued the definition of Dharma or try to prove

whether the Self is exists or not.

But the situation like this provoked the mind of free-thinker. “What a hell, what are they talking

about ?” which made them aware, that the matter is not whether the Self is exists or not, but it lies

in the phenomenon, that we can do the things without the conscious of the Self, and it can be

done by anybody. ( hence Mahayana )  ! ! ! ” This must be the core, what Buddha had taught.”

This kind of observations never came from the monks who is just sitting and thinking, but from the monks who

are under-taking the chores  in the monastery or low-ranking monks walking and begging the food by himself.

That was the reason why, such observation became a noted idea and written-down to the Sutra took long time.

Yet still, they couldn’t go further than the description

of “Do the Charity without having the conscious of Charity” or “Do as not Do”.

Mahayana Buddhists only thought about the DOING side, not knowing how DO changes the mind.

And how this DO came out of one’s brain was completely out of their sight.

—–

To decipher what was the mechanism in the brain / to see the roles of the subconsciousness, took

another 2000 years. ( Until here )

I am well aware and confident, for you to read this post, this 10 minutes opened your eyes to

reach your enlightenment. ( You only need to open your eyes and the mind  🙂   )

___/\___

—–