Fate and the Mentality

Few days ago in Japan, one of the busy commuter train breakdown due to

the safety mechanism in their over-head power cable.  Stranded passengers

in the trains were lead to a nearby station, 20 minutes walk on the rail track.

(Japanese train takes the electric power from the over-head cable, not from

the side track, so that, without a danger of electrocution, it is safe to walk

on the track.)  = All 5000 passengers were just walked in orderly manner and

no trouble was ever occurred. 

When this news was reported on the Chinese News Paper, the Net users in

China responded with their astonishment saying such as “If this was happened

in China, within 5 minutes passengers started riot, smashing the windows etc”

“How 5000 Japanese could keep calm and quietly walk for 20 minutes long

without showing any anger or frustration !”

—– And the Japanese Net users responded to those Chinese thread saying 

“It’s no point to make a riot and break the train because it would only cause

even more delay”  “When all the people having the same fate, making trouble

wouldn’t get any situation better”  “Anyhow, the company or school where

people will be late wouldn’t accuse them because it was like an act of God =

It was the fate anybody has to accept”.

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They are the two contrasting mentalities = in my view, each mentality

originated from the Chinese Taoism and the Japanese Buddhism.

I quite doubt, in China how many people ever read the Book of Taoism =

Tao Te Ching, still, most of them seemed to visit the temple to read their

fortune = by throwing two wooden sticks six times to find Yin and Yan’s

combination (It is in fact the Ai-Ching).  The funny things were, they keep

doing it again and again until they receive good prediction. (=they would

not accept bad prediction !)    In other words, Chinese doesn’t follow even 

the will of God (or Heaven) or vend it by their Ego).  (China has Confucius 

and Buddhism as well though in mentality, they all got the same.)

—– in contrast, Japanese Buddhist is far more cool, or even cold,(may 

be even Cynical) for not to have a passion for riot.  🙂  = since they know

the situation, what sort of the process would be needed to repair the

breakdown system etc well.  They are far more rational to know

what they can do —– in fact, the situation IS telling them,

Just Walk. = So, they did.

This is the Mentality to accept and follow Dharma and the Karma (or Fate)

and the Wisdom or the Belief, that the end result would be better with this.

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Karmic Encounter or just a Coincidence ?

From Japan,  group of tourists are visiting northern India / Ladakh.

At the introduction meeting of one group, in a sheer coincidence,

two of the members found  that they’ve got a common connection.   

Both of them happen to be my old friend. 

The guy was a younger member of our Alpine Club and the lady used to

work in the Uni’s Herbalium = a part of the  Science Dept’ where I was

taking botanical photos and assisting their expeditions and field works.

So that, when I had my wedding party in the mountain hut, they were

invited and indeed, both of them were there — long time ago !   🙂

—————— (Some photographs of Ladakh from my friend)

In practice, their encounter wouldn’t have any  real implications to the

two and to myself —– still, it reminded me that I spent more time to deal

with Botanics in the Hervarium, than facing the Rock while I was in my Uni’.

= This fact seems crucial for me to stock-take my Life.

= It’s mean, I haven’t been in Ladakh, Himalaya, Patagonia etc etc, but what

I did for the Ogasawara Expedition left me more legacies, exactly like how

the life in the mountain shelter structured me, far more than the life in the

Alpine Club. (— sorry, I’ve gone too personal though, without having those

underline causes,  Yoshizen couldn’t be existed as I am now. )

It explained well, Yoshizen was not a man sitting on the rock but kneeling

down and watching the flowers.  — and I like this stance.

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It signified my approach to the Zen Buddhism.    Unlike a kind of guru who rely on

the maze of mambo-jumbo (so-called spiritualism), but me to approach the Buddhism

from the factual observation with scientific, neurophysiological aspect was correct.

As the result, to see the Mushin as a fatigue of one’s mind and the No-self as

the jump-process or no-tagging of the Emotion.  Those prosaic definition had no

glorious Mahayana like ornamentation though, have you ever read the words of

Lord Buddha with a mythical embellishment in the original Agama Sutra ?

Lord Buddha was a rational scientist, hence had no delusion or illusion.

So, the original teachings of Buddhism didn’t have any mambo-jumbo.

(In fact, there was an urgent needs to explain that there wouldn’t be any danger to

reborn to an animal or lower cast like as newly emerging “Hindu” preaches,

because everything exists in relation (Karma) to the others, when the body dies,

the soul dies too = nothing remain to reincarnates.    This was what

Lord Buddha taught then, 2500 years ago.  Anything else was a mix-up.)

___/\___

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My old Basket

I found 130 years old photos of Japan, pretty well hand-colored and preserved.  

Among them, this was a photo of a Basket maker and his work samples.

(This is a studio set-up photo by an Italian Photographer

— Photo Credit / 1886-Japon-Adolfo Farsari )

It’s amazing to see, the technique and the design hasn’t been changed much

—– I mean, if anybody still doing it somewhere in the world.

And funnily enough, I have one which has been with my life (mostly in the

mountain) for the past 50 years or more !

I bought this when we went to a mountain in the northern Japan, I found it in 

a local shop.  = it may looks a bit odd taste for a techno orientated Hi-school boy,

though I was a very opinionated noisy student, a sort of a nemesis of the school

authority then.  And I had a view to feel shame for the loss of the traditional

culture and the crafts.   Not because of a nostalgic feeling, but I did know such 

kind of crafts could be much suited for the daily life and even stronger for a long 

term use, as its historical fact = it has been kept used 100s of the years by the folks

= it’s mean, it has been repeatedly modified and refined. = it IS the

manifestation of the accumulated wisdom came from user’s side, not from the

head-big designer or the seller’s side !

And after so many years of the journeys and the climbs, it’s mean packed tight

in the backpack, tumbled, pressurized etc all sorts of hard use, still my basket is 

almost intact because of its flexibility.    It has been used not just packing

important items such as toolbox, first-aid kit, survival food, money, train ticket 

etc but also it was my pillow in the tent or where ever.  In any emergency,  grub 

it and jump-out the tent and run. (if we noticed a flush-flood or avalanche kind

is coming) —– In real life, once I run-away (to the side) from an avalanche and

move the tent just before a flush-flood came down, so not much serious trouble

I actually experienced.  (other than, hard climbing itself.  🙂 )

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You may wonder, why I didn’t use plastic container.    In fact I did, though,

they didn’t work well in the Winter mountain where the temperature goes down

minus 20~30 degree C. = they easily break.   And the another disadvantage of

the plastic container was,  when the water get inside, it stayed there for ever.

(They are not water tight = when they got pressure, their rid easily come off)

—– So, I’ve been happily together with Bamboo.   🙂

[]

 

Mountain Tool box

Ideally, in here I should put a story and the photos from mountain or

at least a kind of hill walking.    Ideally from Scotland or North Wales —

if not, at least South Down somewhere. — That’s what I’ve been thinking

though, now I would say “Shame” it may no longer a viable idea.

I missed the boat.

= As a consequence, quite a few of my possessions became redundant.

(Still, such as a tent could be used for a camping, and a cooking burner

for a party use etc — typically, a multi function knife is in my daily use.)

Among those who became redundant, my Mountain Tool Box must be the

top of “the object de reminisce”.  

This was a Box accompanying me almost all of my active life more than 55 years

and in the mountain, this box could acted as the last resources for a survival. 

(Over so many years, many of the original members were broken or replaced

by the better tool. —– So that, in the photo above, only a Pocket Torch Light,

2 Screwdrivers, a Tweezer and the small boxes with its contents remain original.)

Specially designed Sewing kit in a match-box (left photo )

Screws and the Nats etc and a Razor blade (center photo) = (If 

anybody got Appendicitis, this Razer could be used for operation)  🙂

Spare-parts for Oil Burner and the Rivets etc (photo right)

Burner then was either kerosene use Radius, or white spirit use Phoebus.

And in the Alpine Club I only know how to repair, hence kept the spare

parts.  So, this box was expected to have everything for repair work. (from

mending a Climbing Boots, stitch-up the Tent to tighten-up loose gear)

And in the mountain, able to put a

fire could be the most crucial matter

for a survival.  Keep a match dry was

always a headache.

(Cheap gas-lighter wasn’t common then)

So, I kept a gas-bombe type gas lighter

for the last resources.

(After over 50 years, gas-bombe is still full !)  —– and I reflect, it wasn’t a bad 

start for a Hi-school boy to prepare and organize a Tool-box in this extent while

giving the detailed foresight of what sort of repair work could happen.  

—– And it made me think, “Is this kind of mindset (prepare to fight-off all

the trouble beforehand) affected the Karma to exclude me to get an accident”.

= It is the question, when the burner was broken down —– frozen to death is

a natural fate, or the Karma gave me the way to fight-off ?   Good Question.

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MS Windows -10 ~~~ What a trouble !

Since after Window 10 was released, the notice “available for download” was

keep pesting the screen.  In the net-sphere there wasn’t much report of the trouble.  

— So, I clicked to start download – – – ? ? ?    and again, the process always stopped

in a few minutes. and again. — (My action must be halted on this stage.)  😦    When

I tried again while all the programs were shut down = even an Email was signed-out.

Then, upgrading to Windows 10 started — and took hours to “Configure” “Restart”

and so on again and again.      On the end it was downloaded and start working

though, I realized it’s not on my taste — such as the apps appeared on the start page,  

Store etc may be convenient to some people doing a lots of net shopping  (I don’t

know whether MS is selling those space) but not for me.  And the way to gather the

photos to one place was utterly inconvenient.  I checked the compatibility, such as all

the program or files I’ve been using under Window 7 were still functioning — or not ?

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Then, I saw a notice to upgrade Openoffice from 3 to 4 something = and I did —–

though, something was not quite right and too messy. = Openoffice opened under

MS Word ! (Of course, MS is not happy with free Openoffice, instead to buy theirs)

– – – – – On the end I decided to revert back to the Windows 7 again.

– – – – – though, the Openoffice lost function = So, I try to uninstall  and reinstall it

through Chrome.  On this process a malware “Chromium” started to block the 

process and the other malware “Cassiopessa” started to mess-up saying “windows 7 

needs to be repaired = download this” (must be a spyware) = = = So, the battle to 

remove those malwares started !  😦    Chromium was easily removed on the Control 

panel (uninstall program) but, Cassiopessa registered nowhere as a program = So, 

I needed to remove it from the default settings of EVERY browser’s start menu.

— which took to me till morning !

[]

On the end, I’m on the same Windows 7 but without the Openoffice. (I couldn’t 

remove old file as they were corrupted = Computer says “couldn’t find the file” = 

therefore I couldn’t install new files). SO, my conclusion was, if anybody has been

using the Windows 7 or 8 happily, never attempt to upgrade to the Windows 10.  

To buy new PC or laptop with Windows 10 should be OK but not upgrade on a

computer of which many different origins of programs, apps has been installed.

(some of them may not completely be compatible)

And this was the legacy of this Win-10 trouble. = during unload, reload process,

together with malware, the virus got into my laptop — to my WP blog account !

(But this is the only Visible part —– Who knows what is going on behind. =

Security program found nothing — still like this popping-up ! )

You see, how risky those action is.

—————–

PS : On the end, I was forced to use MS Office / Word  (yet I didn’t became payed user)

= at least, MS succeeded to kill-off the OpenOffice.

(I tried to reinstall OpenOffice again without removing old file = I succeeded !)

Though, soon after I’ve installed OpenOffice, this notice Appeared (MS is spying

our every move! ) —– I’m very suspicious this could be a malware made by MS to 

slow down or even block and make us abandon the OpenOffice.

(Otherwise, what was the purpose to do like this ?) 

— By the way, the red cast on the photo above was the tendency of my Canon 5D Mk-III.

(When the subject was bright white, often such red cast appear, which Canon

couldn’t fix.   😦   )

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Dust, Water seal ? — on Canon 5D

As I’ve disassembled and checked the inside of several Canon 5D cameras, I noticed

some peculiar points, the way how those cameras were designed and made. 

There was an almost legendary story, how Canon camera was survived when all

the Nikons has stopped to work under the sand storm in the first Gulf War which

made the press photographers to change their camera like an avalanche.

I heard a first hand witness story from a photographer who was one of my pupil

(who became a staff photographer of Reuters and went to the desert.) — What he

told me was that many other photographer’s Nikon were breaking-down while the

Canon kept working~~~ (in fact, before his camera break, he part-exchanged his to 

Canon. = so, I didn’t actually see how Nikon machine was clogged.) — Since this 

event, camera makers are keen to appeal “the Seal against the Dust and the water”

in their camera design. = So as the 5Ds are no exception = claim to have the Seal.

THOUGH, when I opened their body, I saw very little such measure.

= this photo was a 5D Mk-III inside, as you can see, there was no seal or gasket kind

of material on their jointing edge.  = It’s mean, once the body was dropped in the water

the camera has no resistance to it.  — May be what Canon was saying was, “In the

normal situation”, such as a light rain splash = not soaked into the water which IS

regarded as the user’s fault.

If you closely look at the 5D body, such as the Battery cap. (Photo left)

You can see the gasket on its edge which might be giving you a sort of comfort.  

Though, it was just a show-off window display. = If you are serious, have look 

battery chamber of the memory retaining battery on the right-bottom of the body.

(right under the cable connectors = Photo center and right ) = situating the same

bottom of the camera, this opening has no protection against the water at all. =

When the camera was on the table and if the beer was spilt, it seep deep into the

camera body. —– Still, sound strange to you though, today’s DSLR camera is 

quite resilient to the water which is not because of the special design, but the 

nature of its electronic components. (but the image sensor get smear easily)  

Those components and the Circuit Flex are waterproof, which was designed to 

be washed by a solvent and the shutter switch has closed structure. (photo left)

Seemed to be the weakest-point against water is the Dial on the Grip (photo center)

= But the Dial was in a small chamber, separated from the electronic encoder

therefore the water wouldn’t go into the circuit easily (photo right).

[]  

You may not believe though, on my experience, I saved number of  TVs and

electronic goods, mobile phones, soaked under rain water, dropped into toilet,

and so-on, so that, they were even splash washed under the running water.

After completely drained the water, then dry it with hair-drier. (60 deg’ C Max)

(Don’t put the battery and switch-on before completely dry.)

= the most of the case, they recovered the function. = Same can apply to the  

DSLR.  (Hi-zoom compact camera may be much harder to save because the

mechanism is too small and compacted). — So, if you dropped your DSLR into

a water (cleaner the water, the better chance —– muddy water’s sand particle

reduce the chance) = grip the strap and swing, rotate the camera like a gyro 

in the air (if it was 5D camera, remove the memory battery to open the water 

escape.) = with a centrifugal force the water would be shaken off from inside.

(In an old day’s wisdom, put the wet camera into a pure alcohol = replace the

water by alcohol first —– a bottle of vodka may work as well)  🙂

Then try dry the camera as quick as possible. — place the camera in a box and

blow-in hot-air = otherwise a written-off camera could be saved or last few shots

of the assignment could still be taken.    (Though, if you couldn’t succeed, don’t

blame me = As I don’t presume any responsibility here.) Just Hope Good luck.    🙂

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Can Zen change a person to Liberal

Very fundamental question — Can Zen Buddhism change a person to be more

open-minded liberal personality, or a person who IS open-minded, come to Zen ?

= in other words, that person has been born to be a liberal by own Karma already.

Zen or Das Kapital may have played little role to make one’s direction, only gave

an excuse and a cosmetic to the life.

— In my early post, I wrote, I came here by coincidence though, from the start,

I was born to be a son of Zen priest.   Like it or not, Zen family has the Zen principal

and such atmosphere anyway.   So, standing here as I am, was that because of

nurture or my nature IS questionable (pointless) question.

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In scientific theory, decision making in the brain “which one to choose” or “do I take,

or not” was driven by the the Dopamine reward system = choose correct direction

would be rewarded by the seclusion of the Dopamine = so, feel satisfied and happy.

—– But, this selection, “Which choice would be rewarded” was not necessary

rationally decided by the data book’s logic.  

We might thought, such as the choice to be a Liberal or Conservative kind is highly

intellectually complex matter therefore it must be concluded by the big data-book

(thus lots of experiences and the learning required = So that, a long practice of Zen

would affect) —– though, contrary to this, a Gene affecting the person to be Liberal or

Conservative as one’s nature, seemed to be found. (was what they says — can be true !)

Can genes make us liberal or conservative?

Aristotle may have been more on the money than he realised in saying man is a political animal,

according to research linking genes with liberal or conservative leanings.
Or, to be precise, a specific variant of one gene that would seem to exert greater sway over women

than men.   Working with 1,771 university students of Han Chinese origin in Singapore, researchers

compared answers to surveys — including one tailored to hot-button issues in the city-state — with

the presence of a permutation of the DRD4 gene.
DRD4 is one of several genes that determines the way dopamine — a crucial neurotransmitter, or

chemical messenger — is released in the brain.
What they found was a robust link between the presence (or not) of the variant and a split between

liberals inclined to decry inequality, on the one hand, and die-hard conservative wary of change,

on the other.
The association between political attitude and DRD4 was highly significant for females, and less so

for men, said the study, led by Richard Ebstein of the National University of Singapore.
Women, it was also shown, tended to be more conservative in general.
The results are bolstered by earlier research based on people of European descent that found similar

patterns around the same gene, according to the study.
In the long-standing Nature vs. Nurture debate, it was long assumed that social values — and

especially political ones — were rooted in family upbringing, education and class.
But a growing body of evidence suggests, in the words of the researchers, that biology can’t be ignored.
A landmark study published in 1999, for example, of twins separated at or near birth showed a

marked strain of heritability for ‘conservatism’.
The brain is wired with several distinct dopamine pathways, including one related to the risk-taking

— arguably a parallel to the liberal-conservative dichotomy.
From an evolutionary standpoint, risk-taking is a complicated business: in some situations, it may

enhance one’s chances of success or survival, and in others it may spell doom.
In the study, the researchers used standard questionnaires to rate conservative or liberal tendencies,

making it easier to compare with earlier efforts to uncover links between genes and attitudes.
At the same time, to adjust for cultural variations from one country to another, they also devised a

survey based on local issues known to divide opinion in Singapore along political lines.
One set of questions, for example, asked the students — half men, half women with a mean age of 21

— to take positions on sensitive environmental and animal rights issues.
The correlation with the genetic variations was especially strong on these points.
Our results provide evidence, Ebstein and colleagues conclude, for a role of the DRD4 gene variants

in contributing to individual differences in political attitude, particularly in females.

(2015/08/06 12:34)  from AFP-Jiji Press

So, I may born to have a fancy variants of DRD4 ! —- have I ? ? ?

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Follow the Flow — Karma / Dharma

Those who, the kind regular reader of this blog might have noticed that the past

5~6 months or so, I seemed to become an intoxicated junky of junk cameras.

What happened on me ? = Give a thought or two, in terms of the flow in the life.

(= Follow the flow mean, not chase it, not cringing the mater or notion, let alone

obsessed.  It would just happen = so, just follow.)

I gave a glance to those cameras —– then, I found the serial number of the camera

I first disassembled, (which was given by my friend) was like this.

Oh my goodness, 8150 again ? !!! —– This sign appeared wherever I go, but

crucially, it will be sign-posted to the matter or thing which got “the concern”.

= May be concerned to the Dharma, and to my Karma hence I have to take the

matter serious. — to show some more hard facts, if you think it sound dubious.

Photo above left was Canon EF Macro 100mm F2.8 = the most useful lens to me.

And the Photo middle was the most frequently used Canon Fisheye Zoom 8~15mm.

Which got the number 2***1850*.   And the right, Zeiss 18mm for Nikon.

They are the numbers happened to appear onto my camera lenses.

They were in the shop purely by chance = as if they were placed there for

me to pick-up, though,in most of the case I bought it even without seeing

the number. —– Without any explanation of why it’s there = is the

natural flow of the fate or given task or opportunity to pick-up, whichever

the way we interpret.

—– as it comes.    So, I pick up and do what I can do, regardless whether it is

worthwhile or profitable, or please others — or NOT. (in a hindsight, at least

I can say “I did a lot” to respond what the moment required to me.)

I think, what comes is in fact, what was given —– for each of us to fulfil what we

were born to do. = It’s mean, my Karma think, that me to play with junk camera

suits me !   Or the Karma even like my way to play with the junk.  😀

—– And may be my Karma noticed that I’m not sensitive enough to see the

hidden sign, they started to put a noisy notice shouting 8150 to make me aware

that we are a part of the Dharma and they are watching us.

___/\___

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Images from Southbank (B)

Well, they were the rest of shots of the day at Southbank by the

“Homemade Two Element Lens”

— (This Lens was for Canon version, but I got Nikon version as well.)    🙂

I think, this lens and its images has enough significance, say raison de etre.

Anyhow you don’t need to agree.  😀

(What this lens amazed me was, despite its fuzziness, it still shows good details.) 

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Images from Southbank (A)

Like a word “City” mean a specific area of London, adjoining the north of Tower

of London where a lots of Banks, financial establishments were concentrated,

a word “Southbank” having special meaning as the center of the art performance,

from the music concert to the art exhibition.  

So, I’ve been this area quite often, long since —– though, this time it was

nothing to do with their art but just a casual snapshot on the street.

The lens used was that “Homemade Two elements Lens” consisting with two

plastic lenses = one from Toy Camera and a specs’ lens for short-eye sighted.

—– I didn’t design the lens but that toy lens happen to be there and I just

stretched its focal length by placing a concave lens on front.

(made it as a Retrofocus type)

(The beauty of this lens is, there is no focus or Iris control = just click it !)

I don’t have much of intention to control the image.  I happen to be there and

the scenery was there.  (by the way, there was no PS kind of process but just clop.)

Anyhow, this lens happen to have this quality which I like very much. 

It’s a fun indeed.  😀

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