Different Perspective (Cat’s story – 1)

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

————- ( Here, I’m going to put a photo of my cat when I find the old film  😀 )

It is easy to say to others “See it in another perspective”

—– in fact I used this phrase a bit too casually and too often.

Here is a very good sample —– How good is because the situation was seen and handled by

[Totally different view point] = in deed, it was made by a cat.

[]

I used to live with, up to 9 cats.   I’ve risen 18 kittens bore out of  my Tom and Queen cats.

(In fact those two were also 6 weeks kittens when they came to my place —– and I didn’t know they become

mature in just over 3 months and became pregnant = and every 4 months the queen cat gave a birth of 3 litters,

hence all together 18 kittens).

[]

As I treated those cats just as another person, (simply I don’t know how to treat them as pets) they had

somewhat same freedom like a man.   Their only restriction limitation was that they happen to be the cats.

(they became more like a dog character —– Who said, cat is the solitary animal  😀 )

(If you behave and live like their big daddy, and take care of them like daddy does, they think you are the

same kin but just got big body, they keep play like Lion’s cab play with a tail of parents Lion. They are

very playful mischievous creatures.   My guess is, neglected left alone cat became solitary sulky cat.  😀

Most of the cat’s owner is believing that be intimate with a cat is hugging them and squeeze them, but cat

hate it  = in the nature, they never being hugged.  I never hug a cat, but they likes parch on the shoulder.)

[]

When I was hand-writing a draft such as for an article go together with photos.  A cat sat on my desk started

to play with a pencil in my hand.   Gazing at the pencil almost captivated by its movement, and rose a hand

and waited the moment to strike.   And as the pencil was keep moving try to hit though, to capture slippery

pencil was not an easy play for him.

[]

Most of you may react  “Hey stop it” and just whack a cat  to chase off the desk.

Or, some of you might think  “Aha silly cat,  mistaking me playing and teasing the cat by moving a pencil”.

In cat’s view, he might have thought “ Oh, my Lord ( me) having a struggle to contain a funny

moving creature.  I should help him to fight against  it” 😀

So, he was offering side support to a battle with the evil pencil.   As he had no animosity toward

the pencil, when I gave the pencil to him, he just examined it to see it is dead, he didn’t do anything further.

If the cat was playing with me, he was making eye contact, but not in this case.

(Some time they do a football with a pencil on the floor and they are very fond of it)

—– of cause it was just a guess and I was not doing any animal behavior research, he just came up to my

desk to see what I’m doing. —– When they need my attention, they knew what to do.

What clear is, even a cat has their own way of thinking but in totally different perspective.

We human should have a bit more flexible thinking proportional to the size of the brain. 😀

[]

Some animal trainer is saying that we need to see the things in their view point, so we need to see the world

from the ground level, looking up though, I’m not telling you to obtain cat’s view.

—– To see the things in different view or perspective in human life. 😀

To start, what we need is [To know how we are imprisoned in our Ego] and egotistic view.

Just feel that the cat is obstructing the writing, is derived from a thought [what I AM doing and its value is

surpassing anything, let alone a cat !] —– is it ?   Who, you are ?

[]

When we need to work together or deal with others, to protect your own interest is one thing, but to have the

job done needs the hands of others as well. = It’s mean, others are also thinking to protect their own interest.

Others might be even more desperate in their own situation. It is necessary to see the situation with other’s

view as well and find the common ground. It is not just a compassion to others, if you deprive others, it will

boomerang to you one day, but this is the Karma.

Karma works in much personal level and quite visibly rational way.

[]

In fact, to deal with others or system is comparatively easy in our life because you can see them and it is not

difficult to see what they are up-to or thinking.

An heaviest difficulty in one’s life is when the person has to face the invisible counterpart, Fate.

The situation involved was too big to asses and the number of people coming into the equation were too many

to consider.  The force acting those complicated situation may not be a kind of economics or politics but the

huge scale dynamism.   It is more likely the dynamism of the Fate = Dharma.

You can’t see the Dharma like a western God, as Dharma has no personified shape or personality =

Character or behavioral tendency. Above all, Dharma has no Ego or Self, hence you can’t exercise inference

like to other human or to negotiate.

[]

If the Dharma has no Ego, you can’t deal with it with your Ego  = Only the way to see it, is you

have to see it without your Ego = See it without your Mind = Mind of No-Mind = Mushin.

It is not a matter to tinker or merely shift your view point.

But, completely abandon any view point (in fact, forget everything first, and empty the mind)

= and expose your whole sensory and your invisible perception = use subconscious hunch

===> wait and see.  = Suddenly you will see the view or scope which is totally free from your

view point. = This is the Answer.  = This is what the Dharma has chosen.

In this way, you can see the situation in much longer term and able to take the measure in much wiser way.

Above all, as you can have much longer perspective, an immediate endurance wouldn’t cause

unnecessary worries as you know the end result will be OK.

This is what we call Peace of Mind.

___/\___

[]

Goma-ae Ingen (Green Bean in Sesame source)

– ——( To show the source, it was poured on top of the Green bean, instead to put the bean into the bowl

——where the source was mixed = it’s mean one more bowl to wash = it’s against the way of simple  life    🙂 )

[]

As a humble  Zennist’s principle, I don’t buy so-called snack or sweets.   ( I said, in principle =

exception is a fruits cake in December.   In an old tradition, families goes out to the woods to pick wild

fruits and use them to make a cake to celebrate a festive season. —– Even if it is just a nostalgic story,

still I like a luminescence,  when people had a life with a cycle of the nature.

[]

As a matter of fact, last time I eat a piece of chocolate was last year ? at somebody’s party.

( I don’t like a scandalous situation, even after it became an issue, still the African children were forced to

harvest chocolate beans to satisfy the craving of the people )

But it was not the reason of such social issue, why I don’t buy those sweets was, simply my shopping

list was fixed.  Where and what to buy is always the same and bare essential.  Hence, in my shopping habit,

there is no such item of sweets, and they don’t came up to my scope. —– Of cause I can see, it is there, like

a land scape though, —– So What ?

[]

Instead of such snack, I always have boiled Green bean (Ingen Bean) or Sprouts in a pan.

Before, I used to buy fresh one.   Then, I realized, frozen one is about the same price.

And, they are already prepared. ( In here, I wouldn’t brandish a dogma —— simple life is meant to be

good for a lazy person. = Life would be even simpler if I don’t need to cut them —– yet, I don’t have

Food processor = when one knife can do all the work, why do I need to spend a money to

buy a machine.    Ha ha ha   😀 )

[]

—– Anyhow, in a day, I eat those Greens as a snack.

I eat  fruits as a snack as well, though they are sweet = this is a savory alternative.  (In fact, a Tomato is

also good alternative  🙂 )  —– Then you may say why not a bread — but  to eat tasteless bread we need

to put either butter or jam kind, hence it’s no good.  ( Don’t tell me about Marmite  😀 )

Ask your mouth, not to your brain —– An idea came from the brain can force your mouth to chew, but it

can’t force your throat to swallow = throat was controlled by your instinct,  not by your thinking )

(Priority here is, it should be cheaper than sweets, and others may say it is healthier too)

[]

To eat them, I wouldn’t eat like a rabbit.

Its gotta be good enough for the sophisticated  Zennist’s mouth.   😀

( Simple life doesn’t mean eat junk food = Still, it should be cheap and easy to make =

achieved by some clever adaptation here.   😀 )

In the authentic Japanese cooking, sesame seeds have to be ground in a kind of small mortar called

Suri-bachi with Surikogi stick which I don’t have here ( —– once I tried it with Coffee grinder,  ended up

with miserable havoc = unlike coffee, sesame seeds are very oily = without falling to the bottom, the seeds

became gluey sticky staff and clogged the grinder.  It took me hours to disassemble and clean every parts.

And even after a cleaning, the ground coffee became awfully oily taste = The lesson was, never attempt to

use coffee grinder for anything else but for coffee bean.   😀 )

instead to grind the sesame-seed, I discovered ready-made sesame-seed paste = Tahini

from Greece or Turkey.   ( Sold in the most super-market.   This substitute is a cheat, and not much

freshly ground crispy flavor though, still it has the Sesame taste)

[]

So, this the way to eat  Goma-ae Ingen  in Yoshizen style :

—– (to make for one potion)

= Put a teaspoon full  Tahini paste into a rice (sized) bowl.

= Add a teaspoon of Soy-sauce and mix well —– That it !

This is too humble and taste is not rich enough, so I normally put something a bit more.

= Half tea spoon of Miso (Soybean paste).

= Quarter teaspoon of Dashi powder. ( or few shake of MSG if you dare)

= Two or three drops of  West Indian Chilly Sauce. (This is a very hot staff so, if you like )

===> Mix well. Then put boiled Green bean and mix with the sauce.

And just eat as its own,  or a side-dish for a meal.

[]

—– It wouldn’t take more than few minutes to make still,  you will be surprised the taste so good !

With this source, I eat boiled sprouts or broccoli as well.

In place of  Tahini, it can be done with Mayonnaise as well.

(Except Dashi which contains fish powder, rest are totally vegetarian.  People despise MSG though, it was

originally extracted from Kombu ( Kelp seaweed) and synthesized out of  Wheat Gluten = if it is anything

bad for the health, Chinese are already extinct from the Planet as they use tons of  it every day.

Additives in a Mayonnaise are far more suspicious than few shakes of MSG   :-D)

So, have a try, and Enjoy an healthy eating of  Ingen-bean.

( Incidentally, the name Ingen was after a  16th century Zen master who said to have

brought this bean from China)

The beauty of this cooking is,  if we are going to go a party, where everybody bring a cooking,

—–  just bring a mixed source in a small jar, boil the bean in their kitchen and serve.

It will be counted as one good dish.  = very convenient !

[]

Realistic Images of Unrealistic Future

There is a pretty comprehensive collection of art works of Futuristic landscape in the Net.

—– Here is one of its Link >   http://artprofilesworld.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/

digital-landscapes-3d-future-visions/

As you can see in those images, they are the images of our current knowledge of the technological,

architectural images, when they are linearly scaled-up and pushed to the limit.

Linearly pushed mean, the concept itself doesn’t have [unimaginable leap] though,

I’m not complaining their poor imagination.

As you can see in those images, there is even a hint of

[How these society, colony are surviving and sustained]   ? ? ?

[]

Is there any system to harvest solar energy and synthesizing Carbohydrate and Protein

(in simple term Foods to eat) out of the air and the water ?

Can you imagine, the time when the civilization had advanced to such extent = naturally, all

the harvestable natural resources had been excavated to the bottom = naturally, by excavating

such as rare-metal, toxic by-products had polluted the sea and all the fishes had long gone.

[]

Even if 2/3rd of the Earth was covered by the water, they are non-portable (undrinkable) water.

With the heat of the Sun, evaporated water from the sea has to go somewhere = make the rainfall though,

it wouldn’t go to the desert.

With the over exploitation of the timber and the minerals, I don’t think the Jungles like in Amazon or

in Africa are still there.   The rain fall to the tree-less land only makes flush flood, while wash off the top soil

= make the land to yet another desert.

Where can agriculture taking place. Where the food come from, let alone the water.

To built those fancy future cities, raw material might be mined and manufactured to the structural steels,

glasses or fancy new material though, somebody who run the industry got to be a man

= where his lunch come from ?    Algae grown in the huge tanks ?

[]

Those images may looks impressive though, they are the pure fantasies which has no

solid ground of reality.

Even now, we human being already pushed the capability, sustainability of the earth too far,

I wouldn’t imagine we are going to have a landscape anything resembling like those images.

I do much prefer to live rather fossilized archaic simple life. (So, I don’t have Smart-phone,

let alone Tablet kind, not mention even a Credit card.   No Net-porno because I can’t pay 😀 )

Simple, hence not a complication of the dairy life, therefore peace of mind 😀

___/\___

[]

Humming a Song

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

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

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

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

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

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

thoughts and open the mind to listen its meaning.  

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

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

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

” Hum,  sound convincing”

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

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

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

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

“ That’s right”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Oh I see, was that’s the reason”

[]

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

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

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

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

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

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

“ Sounds not very happy isn’t it”

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

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

So that we could survive”

“ May be”

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

[]

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

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

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

still all the necessary data processing are automatically carried out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[]

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

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

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

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

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

___/\___

[]

MEANING

Looking into the Stats page of my blog ( well, it is only a Stats I can access —– unless I ask my

hacker friend to hack into other’s blog site I have no idea what others’ blog environment) —– the most

interesting thing which provoke my thought is what [search term] the reader has used, and end-up here.

As I wrote before, quite few of them are obviously intended to seek porno site, may be because I often use

rather naughty choice of the sexual words. ( my friends said , it is not MAY BE but obvious facts —–

Because, I hate a pretense to be a kind of holy thinker. —– I rather stay to be an old dirty man as

many of us are = sorry folks. ( or you may say, only you are different.)   😀 )

[]

[ Self awareness starts from looking into our own shit ] = to see what has been digested and

what wasn’t —– if you actually do this, you will find that the vegetable you eat raw, comes out as it is

= pretend to be natural, is often having hidden reality = how you lost the weight is not because it is healthy

but simply your body couldn’t digest them = effectively eat less.

Head-big thinking, boasting buzzwords has exactly the same situation.

( A loss of libido may not occurred because of Buddhist’s enlightenment,  but simply because eating

so-called Buddhists humble food which caused Malnutrition.  Ha ha ha  😀 )

[]

Among the search term, what caught my eyes were [Meaning of Lemon Zen] = it’s must refer to

one of my old post [Lemon Zen] —– ? ? ?      But what is the question ?

My old post has explained how a practice (actual body movement) affects our brain activity

= which lead to vacates the thoughts = and lead to have the state of Mushin (Mind of no-mind).

There is no meaning in the practice.   As all the Buddhist’s practices are, the practice itself is,  just a

body movement and has no meaning at all.

So that, in a glance, it may looks silly and useless.

Useless, still you have to keep doing it. = This mind-set is, what was stated in the fundamental

Buddhist Teachings,  Four Noble Truth [ This teaching have to be actively cherished].

There is no meaning.  = But Just Do It.

[]

Virtually all the Lord Buddha’s teachings were, The instruction.   Not the Belief.

Instruction to do. = Because, while doing it, the organization of the brain, especially in the

region of subconscious changes.  (This the aim of his teachings =this change is not occurred

by the intellectual understanding which is in the New cortex in the brain.  

Subconsciousness is in the Old cortex / Limbic system, where the body movement affects)

[]

Lord Buddha’s word [ Don’t believe the words, but think yourself] is, because as he had

been teaching what and how to DO, —– as he, himself as a living sample = think by the

self-observation about what the self is doing and feeling.  = DOING is the stimulus.

Only dealing with this, is what called Mindfulness.

=== Without having this DOING, but — what to think about the meaning ?

—– What is the object or issue to think about. —– In this context, the word of

Lord Buddha = [Think yourself] may be understood as [Grasp yourself].

Lord Buddha meant not abstract thinking ( which many of you might be misconceived)

but the brain activity occurred only in the moment, while DOING it.

Because, the abstract thinking had been already defined as a Delusion.

And the Truth of that there is no fixed situation, had been already taught.

( Disciples were expected to have fully understood those teachings )

[]

So, again, there is no meaning in cutting a lemon. —– Just Do It.

( And have a nice cup of tea = it comes with a peace of mind   🙂 )

___/\___

[]

Principle and Reality

Oh, holy Mackerel.     Is it Palm Sunday ? ! —– It must be April-Fool.

In principle, I don’t buy a calender. —— May be not such a principle but I just don’t buy.

Regardless whether a calender says it or not, the days come.  Next of 31^st March is definitely 1^st

of April.  In that case, why DO I need to have a calender.   It is a waste of money isn’t it.   😀 😀

In a principle to be a Buddhist, I should be a humble, poor man, hence not spend a money for non essentials.

A calender comes in this category. —– Therefore, I hardly know when is the Easter.  Ha ha ha 😀

[]

Without having a calender, how do I know, this is the Palm Sunday = because the Radio said so.

(I don’t have TV) And I’ve been wondering, why BBC Radio 3 plays such as J S Bach Mathieu Passion. ? ? ?

Then blimey, the so-called Easter said to be coming soon.

Unlike Xmas, the exact date of Easter is always drifting = it’s a headache, especially before, suddenly, all the

shops were closed, as they say it’s Easter —– What a hell, I don’t care Easter, I need to buy a bread. 😀

—– So, for a wise precaution, I have to make sure, in my fridge, at least something to eat is there.

[]

Principle or just a mean man’s habit, it often cause a conflict with the reality of the world.    He he he.

—– I don’t care Easter, is a principle though, in the same time I got so used to listen Baroque music,

especially J S Bach’s.   In my view (or should I say, my ear ? ) Bach’s Mathieu Passion is one of the

zenith of the human musical culture = just a combination of the sounds in a sequence, how such

purely sound stimuli can make a person to tear. ? ? ?

I don’t care and not necessary believe the whole story of the Passion, and unlike Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s

view of him, Bach may not necessary wholly committed Christian ( such as a fact in reality, he composed

Mass C miner, in order to seek a position in Roman Catholic ) —– still, (regardless Protestant or Catholic )

he knew what is the Spirituality in the human mind and in the ear = Sound of the God is

beyond the argument of the Christian sects.

[]

From the principle, or a posture to be a Buddhist, I should find something Buddhists Music though,

there are virtually non.  (the President of Mitsutoyo Co. Japan is a profound Buddhist, and organizing

International Buddhist’s Music Competition though, I haven’t heard any music from its event)

Virtually non mean, of cause there are some, such as Nen-Butsu Wasan (念仏和讃) or

Tendai Shomyo (天台声明), name but few though, sorry to say they are in musical term, not listenable.

May be only the exception is the one composed by Takemitsu (武満徹), using Tendai-Shomyo in very

powerful contemporary music style —– yet, I have heard its broadcast only twice in my life.

[]

Leave the Moslem, as they prohibits religious music (still, their secular, so-called Arabic music has

literally Arabesque universe of rich music culture —– their rhythm automatically drives my body).

The Hindu has such great tradition of religious music which gave an influence and flourishing in the

Indonesian Gamlan music too (incidentally some Gamlan tune were even imported to the Okinawa (沖縄)

music = some use of chromatic tune are unmistakably Gamlan !)

Whether they are religious music or not, Jewish music is one of a basis of the western music.

—– yet still, where the influence of the Buddhism, of its music tradition has gone in China

and in Japan. —– was there any prohibition, or repentance of music in the early Buddhism ?

To keep the music kind away, —– was it in the teachings and in their principle ?

Didn’t Lord Buddha sang a song with followers ?

(Imagine, Pope singing popular song. Doesn’t he?  Didn’t he ever ? — I’m sure he got his real life as a human.

Enjoying a wine and singing loud   😀 )

[]

Historical facts showed, at least the musical instrument from India had reached to China and to Japan though,

it seemed it was only as a fancy goods = not accompanied by a musician, hence no music came together.

Such as a string instrument called Piipa (琵琶) in China, Biwa in Japan is the same Veena in India

(incidentally, it is the origin of Lute in the west)

In China and in Japanese traditional performance, a story teller use this as an accompanying instrument.

( In Japan Hei-kyoku (平曲) or Heike biwa (平家琵琶) and Chikuzen biwa (築前琵琶) is an old tradition,

but now kept by only handful players —– how sad )

How sad is my principle.  Though, in reality, I play its tape only as an sample sound when I have a

conversations with friends.

And in reality = regardless whether I’m Japanese Zennist or not, I listen and deeply appreciate

J S Bach’s Mathieu Passion = in this very moment it was played by the radio. (come from Amsterdam)

( The sound of Mathiew Passion, but in Miku Hatsune version is in this post (in enbeded YouTube ) )

If it is a good music just listen it.   There is no Dogma in Zen.

If anybody having fixed view, the mind has just stacked ===> free your mind.

If the song and dance is such bad, Dharma wouldn’t have created the musical tone

in the first place.  Don’t you agree ?    Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

[]

Words and MIND

To think about the MIND matter, naturally I had to think where the Mind originally came from.

Our internal drive itself may not necessary connected to the mind.   In fact, majority of our body’s activities

such as the internal organs were carried out without noticed even by our subconscious.

Yet, some signs given off, out of subconscious may affect our mood.

When a mood or body’s physiological condition were noticed by the consciousness,

this conscious may be categorized and some of them were given a generalized notion with

its associated word. ===> With only those notions and the words, we do conscious thinking.

[]

It’s mean, our Body and the Mind are having a Pyramid like structure with many layers.

Yet, not everything are fully connected one by one to upper structure = In other words, our conscious is

covering only very limited area of our Mind, let alone the whole Body matter.

Despite we are having an impression of [highly developed, sophisticated ] thinking process though, in fact

it was done in the pretty murky dark operation. = 90 % of thinking are done, out of our

conscious and it takes (said to be) 6 second to become clearly noticeable form by our brain.

Naturally, we see the Mind matter with a mysticism with the fancy words of, Spirit, Soul etc,

still,  Lord Buddha was the one who clearly saw this structure = what is the role of the

subconscious  (2400 years before Freud, even when the notion of [Subconscious] was not

existed) and he showed the way to tap-into its power to control human life.

[]

I’ve been thinking that the evolution of man was linked to the change of eating habit, Fruits-eater to the Omnivore

= then, animal protein induced further development of the brain.

Omnivore is the knowledge based eating habit = to communicate and teach which one is edible = ability for

visual pattern recognition and the categorical memory (notion) was forced to develop

(otherwise couldn’t survive = intellectually selected out)

In the same time, shared knowledges and the projected, anticipated search could lead to the higher success =

verbal communication became key tool for the survival.

—– Naturally, accumulated knowledges could be summarized and lead to have the

abstract notion with word ===> abstract thinking has developed.

Those projected (When they think “Get fish” = fish is not there, but expected existence),

abstract notion (such as “Good to eat” “dangerous”) along side the emotion, created

complexed Mind.

[]

Therefore, in my theory, the development of the language was essential to the development of the thinking

—– yet still, here is an interesting experiment with Bonobos who hasn’t got a language.

( Or, is it just a Conditioning of their basic desire to objectives ? = not a sophisticated thinking

but just a pattern connected to Banana) 😀

mmm

( An article from Gizmzg site )

App would allow humans to communicate with bonobos

The seven bonobos living at the Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary in Des Moines, Iowa, are

a pretty smart bunch of apes. Among other things, they have a vocabulary of about 400 words

– they don’t speak those words, but instead associate the meanings of them with symbols known

as lexigrams. Using large wall-mounted touchscreen displays, they are able to communicate with

humans by touching the appropriate lexigrams on those displays. Now, the sanctuary wants to

develop an app that could be used on mobile versions of the wall screens, so

tablet-wielding bonobos could communicate from wherever they happen to be.

Read on Desktopor Read on Mobile

[]

Creative Zen Mind

What can you see in the photo ?

It is a strip of bras metal from an Art material shop.

In fact it is just a cut-off, left-over of a bras panel, yet sold as a material.

Material for what ?  —– for Art ?  For making small parts of electric device ?

[]

Some may think to utilize it as a book marker or throw into a bin after twisting it for a while  😀[]

But, flat metal doesn’t necessary to remain, as a flat object. Cut-off piece doesn’t

necessary be a rubbish = They are the stereotypical preconceptions =

If we couldn’t go beyond this kind of preconception, our ancestor couldn’t have invented

an arrow- head out of a stone.

[]

If it was a Zen question —– the answer could be even “It is the Universe, Sir ”

———- Did you get it ?   😀

If it is a thin metal, it can be easily cut by ordinary scissors, and easily twisted to make a shape.

It can be anything. (Well, in a theory. 😀 )

—– So, here, one of my attempt. This is a kind of 3D line drawing. = Strip of metal was cut even

narrower strips and twisted.  If this is still a sculpture, how cheap and easy = This is the beauty of it.

And this is all about [What you can see in a strip of metal]

——– (The face shows different expression with different viewing angle —- I’m studying how and why  :-))

BUT, to see it NOT as a strip of metal, but as a 3D figure, isn’t it a Delusion which exists

only in the mind ? = good question 😀

( Here, famous story of Flower Sermon (捻華微笑経) comes = a flower can be the Universe = Dharma.

—– though, why only Maha Kashapa could understood it ?  What other disciples were doing  ?  😀 )

—– Zen has its completely detached eyes, hence see it no more than it IS, but in the

same time, as it posses no preconception = see it in the Blank Space, it can see even

an invisible = it can be a Truth.

[]

But, [What is the Truth ?] —– is the big question.

The Truth, which affect our life ? Or fundamentals of our existence ?

Is the Truth which is relevant to our life, is the Truth ? —– Isn’t it a bit too utilitarian view isn’t it ?

How about Big-bang and Black-hole, are they True, or anything relevant to us ?

( So far the historical fact, therefore the statistical provability showed, that Zennist

didn’t find any important scientific Discovery or earth-shuttering Truth to the human

= thus, most likely, we don’t need to worry about Big Truth.  We are busy enough to

deal with the handful headache in the dairy Life and the matter of the Self.  😀 )

[]

(When Lord Buddha was asked about those Big Truth, he didn’t give any answer. 

Since then, traditionally Buddhists doesn’t talk about those question, which is out of our Life.

After all, so-called Mindfulness is to eliminate any thought other than the matter

the person is facing up front.

—— Even today, the scientists who is seriously dealing with Black-Hole Theory are not more than

handful in the world = it is nothing to do with rest of us, other than an interesting talking piece   🙂

[]

—– the choice is totally up to to you = the matter of who you are

= if you are a person to see it as a bare strip of metal, see it.

Or if you are a person to see it as a figure, go for it = Zen is not a fixed dogma or

an attitude, since [To be who you are] is only a matter !

But this [Who you are] is neither fixed or ideal existence, as time goes, the same YOU

may not be the same person on the next moment = try to act in a fixed face IS a delusion.

[]

So, enjoy each moment.   And enjoy a creative moment when it comes.

When something new idea of figure, or even an enterprising business plan came up to your mind, while

you are in the state of Mushin (Mind was open to Blank space) the idea was a product

of your subconscious thinking  (generally called Intuition, some called a voice of Heart,

the other even calls it as a voice of God = it could be just a random occurence, yet

it could be a result of Karma) = Why not TRY it = Just DO it.

===> Have a fun and enjoy your creative LIFE !

___/\___

[]

Is Buddhism a Religion ?

I spent half of my life to find what is Zen.

As my understanding of the Zen deepen and the points what

Lord Buddha taught then became clear, I realized many mix-ups and the confusions

surrounding the Buddhism. 

(Please read the previous post to see What was the original teachings ? = Scientific Universal Truth)

Provably the most controversial question I can make is, whether the Buddhism

(in its original teachings) was a religion at all in the first place ?

[]

The answer to this question must lay in the title what

Lord Syakya-muni Buddha was given = [ BUDDHA] the enlightened one, not a Divine figure

even not a reincarnated Divine figure, such as Brahman’s.

Instead, he was described as a person even the God Brahman came and pay a respect.

Hindu people regarding him as a Guru, the great Teacher.

Not as an imaginary Godly figure but a historical real person.

[]

Another fact to consider this question is, in his core teaching of  [Four Noble Truth], of which

one of them defined that the [Life is to have suffering, illness, getting old and to die] —– what sort

of the person was able to say such extremely blunt harsh words ?  = sound not very popular.

In contrast,  moneymaking Guru needs to attract a lots of worshipers hence resorting with soothing sweet

words. = Lords of attractive promises, Salvation, Heaven, Mythical Power, New Opportunities, Love

etc etc, while saying “Believe me” and in the same time “ Otherwise you go to the Hell ”

The same tactics of  fraudsters = [Carrot and Whip] = with those [Words], Guru mislead the people

= This is what the Religion is = “If you believe, it is True”.   ( Sorry to use harsh unreserved

words here, because I don’t need to be popular nor drive Mercedes neither  😀 )

[]

Lord Buddha didn’t need to tell this kind of mambo-jumbo at all. Because he was not teaching

a Belief System but just the TRUTH and that was the reason, on his death bed he gave an order to his

disciples [Don’t believe the words, but think yourself] and [Don’t worship me].

What Lord Buddha taught was a Technique to live the life in Peace, and the Truth of the Life.

Like a teaching of how to ride a bicycle, and the knowledges of the road and its terrain ==> having learned

this technique, anybody can have a freedom to go around by their will.

And knowing the road-map and the condition of the road, by which people can chose the best way to

reach their destination, while avoiding obstacles and dangers.

[]

So that, the teachings of Lord Buddha can be applicable to anybody, any people in any persuasion.

Since it was not a belief system but the Wisdom = Truth of the life.  (How the Mind works,

and How the existences, include us are operating as a Rational Interactive System)

And this is why it is appealing to even to the people of another religion, who is

searching the road-map and the direction.

[]

But Lord Buddha did know that his teachings itself is not a salvation by its own.

It is not his teachings save, but the people themselves,the rider of the bicycle.

And in his teachings there is no strong Carrots or Whip = no Heaven or Hell = no Get-Rich scheme

or God’s Punishment of which those illusion can scare and drive the people.

Lord Buddha didn’t use an illusion or fear, nor Placebo effects to fool the people,

but aimed to change their Habit = Habit can be changed only by the willing person.

With this reason, he intentionally put a [MUST] in one of [Four Noble Truth] =

[The One has to actively cherish and learn this teachings] —– This is a clear indication of

[How Buddhism was not a religion] = All the Religion says ” God will give you the benefit,

otherwise sends you to the Hell”.  But Buddhism doesn’t have a God to undertake this.  

So that, the matter was not a Belief, but the Mind-set and the Technique to get it.

It was more like to recruit a member for a fancy sports club.

[]

As everybody remember, it was not easy to learn how to ride a bicycle = unless you wished and had

eager will to ride, you couldn’t master it.  And the way of  learning / practicing  Buddhism is rather laborious

continuous work = you can’t master it quick manner, regardless how big the donation was.

[]

Yet another difficulty of the Lord Buddha’s teaching was,  as a nature of learning a practice,

it was hard to teach in the words.   (You can not find any written explanation, how to ride a bicycle.)

Even worse, practice itself was not the goal but a process to change a state of Mind, which is invisible.

Who can describe this. ( On top of this, there was no notion of  [SUBCONSCIOUS] then ) = Only the way

was to observe how  Lord Buddha was doing,  and try to do the same.

Still, the teachings has been kept by the people who actually mastered the practice.

If you try again and again, soon or later,  suddenly you become able to ride a bicycle.

Because, as a nature, our body has its sense of balance and dynamic controls.

And once you mastered it,  it is impossible to go back to the state of  [can’t ride]  😀

Same as riding a bicycle, Lord Buddha’s teachings are the universal technique applicable to the whole

human, in other words,  it is the Universal Truth,  like a Scientific Truth of the Gravity.

= Because, how human mind works, and its controls are common to all the human being.

Lord Buddha’s teachings can not be regarded as a kind of religion.

Whether the person chose it, believe it or not, it is there and working. (as Dharma and the Karma IS )

Therefore, classify his teachings as mere religion and try to monopolize it,  is a mistake.

Lord Buddha’s teachings are the asset of the whole human being =

it is much more than a religion.

___/\___

[]

Anmochi = Rice Cake with Sweet Redbean Paste (make it in 10 min)

It was a bit of blunder  :-D　（いささかドジだったね 😀 ）

This Post should have appeared on the 3rd of March, a day of

the Hina-matsuri (ひな祭 ）

Girls Festival in Japan.

And its formal name Momo no Sekku (桃の節句) suggests,

it has to come with  Plum Blossoms, —– m m m, though,

there wasn’t a hint of blossom at all．

Then, few days ago, I found it in full bloom !!!

So, the belated Plum Blossom and the Anmochi’s photos here.  Mission accomplished !  😀 

To cook  Anmochi  in 10 minutes may misleading to some readers, since this cooking is an addition to the

previous post on January [ Cooking  Oshiruko ] ( the Link here) of which the boiled down Red Bean soup

had become to  Anko = Sweet Red bean Paste.  And the  Anko should come out freezer for this cooking  🙂

( To make  Anko from scratch, may need at least 4 hours —– still worthwhile to cook = try it. )

Provided, you have  Anko , to make  Anmochi  is really 10 minutes process ( with Micro-wave Cooker )

*** Put 4~5 spoon full Glutinous Rice powder into stone-ware noodle bowl ( Micro-wave  proof)

*** Add 4~5 spoons of water and stir well to make it to gluey staff (photo right = slowly dripping )

*** Cover the glue with Red bean Paste and heat it up in Micro-wave Cooker / Mid High = for 3 minutes.

===== Here, Anmochi  is ready to eat.  (careful !  the bowl is very hot.   And the Rice cake is stacked

to the bowl = you need to use a spoon to scrape it.  If you like even more rich taste, add a cream on it.

Looks not very pretty though, taste is unmistakably Anmochi = believe me  😀

Enjoy an eating.   Welcome Spring.

[]