Folded Bag

I got notoriously bad (or very good = depend on how you see it) habit to picking-up something

interesting on the street or from a rubbish-dump.   It could be a discarded electric device or a

part of machine of which I’ve been looking for years, or something useful in my future projects.

(Sculpture featured in this blog, [Buddha 2009] was made by the discarded aluminum pipes,

kinetic piece [Cupidon] in my Youtube (kinetorori) is powered by a motor from a cooling-fan

I found road side and the motors rotating [Virtual Woman] came from Micro-wave Cooker, not

to mention a nude figure [Suppon-pon]  😀  😀

Virtually everything, but few exceptions were such as Chinese Toys I bought for £1  :-))

In order to carry it back, I always have some spare bag stashed in my pocket or

in my back-pack. —– may be three bags in the back-pack, one or two in my jacket’s pocket.

It’s the same idea to a motto of the Boy Scout “ Be Prepared” 😀

[]

To stash a plastic bag, they got to be neatly folded like the one in the photo.

In one occasion, when we Japanese friends went to a park and try sitting there, we noticed that

the ground was a bit wet.   So I handed my bags to those friends to sit on it.

Among those friends there were young women and one of them screamed

“Oh dear, it’s folded”.

[]

—– Now-a-day, statistics showed that about 20% of male population in Japan chooses not to

marry. —– Everything become very easy to carry-out the daily life without having a wife.

Just heat-up a pack of pre-cooked meal using a microwave-cooker in a Convenient-store.

—– Even a convenient Sex is available everywhere whether it was paid or not.

Those kind of conveniences may be more expensive though, on the end, the total cost would

be less than to have a wife, not mention able to avoid the troubles comes with marriage, hence

in average, the number of kids is less than two = reducing the population further.  (Of cause,

the life is not just a matter of cost. —– but this is the situation there.   Which caused the

other is a point of argument though, I don’t think Packed food was the cause of single man  :-D)

= in obvious consequence, the counter-part, women had to face this situation.

—– So that, there are lots of Magazine articles, Net advices, how to find a man to get marry

and what point to look at. = Good sign and the sign of the man, better avoid.

—– A kind of Psychological profile said, better not to chose a man who fuss about principles,

tidiness, cleanness etc. = “He would make your life in Hell while complaining your laziness”.

—– So that, a young woman cried (implying, I can’t take care of this sort) 😀

(So does, some can fold an umbrella neatly but others not, saying “Anyway it has to be open on

the next rain, why bother” = If this is the rhetoric, we don’t need to bother the life

or happiness because anyhow we will die soon or later. = it’s a choice)

[]

To folding a bag may not takes more than a minute and not much skill is needed

though, it need to have a certain mind-set. 

It’s a mind-set aiming it better or ultimately a perfection.

[]

A bag photographed here came from a Chinese Food-shop when I bought a bag of rice, may

be 6 months ago.   It’s mean this bag has been used to carry a shopping repeatedly 6 months

(and folded again.)   And it is an essential item needed to do a shopping such as in the Lidl who

doesn’t give a free bag. —– Financially, I may not be much rewarded to have own bag

though, the matter is not to save a couple of pounds in total but, I don’t like to carry their bag

which is showing too conspicuous logo 😀   Anyhow, we are getting too many bags on shopping

such as when we buy loose vegetables etc.   Too much already, and the situation is bad enough.

[]

To fold a bag is a way of  Zen.   Whether it has any merit or not, leave a bag in a

messy state is messy. Why not to make it a bit tidy.

Why spend a minutes ? —– if not, could we ever utilize that minute for

anything more productive in the life ? —– I quite doubt it.

A person, even wouldn’t bother to fold a bag couldn’t pay enough attention to the life.

(But, don’t ask me, “By folding the bag, why I didn’t become a millionaire or Prim-minister ?”

= it’s a matter of another mind-set.  Aiming to become millionaire need to take care of million

more factors, not just for one bag.   Folding a bag is only a start.  😀 )

[]

Zen only deals with its moment. = When see an empty bag => Do something = the best

is to fold and put it in a pocket. — When a moment which need to use a bag comes, just use it.

But not to walk on a street expecting to find something to pick-up.  When it comes, it has come.

—– though, no fixed obligation to pick it up. 

(But if you interested in, pick up at once = When you go back next day,  it’s gone already   🙂 )

= Zen decision has to be made on its each moment. (On its moment, the existence of

spare-bag was known to subconscious, hence to conceive [pick it up] was a viable choice. 

And why you were interested in was, because your subconscious knew that you need it.

= no need to dither like “I want to pick it up, but how to carry this back or not to pick up ?”

= ( having a bag increased the flexibility of this decision making  😀 )

[]

After awhile, the accumulated “Folded bags” became bag-full, and got to go for recycle =

recycling people might think “What a waste of the time. Why this guy didn’t just put them

straight to the bag ? Otherwise, he could have used the time more productively” 😀

—– It comes down to a mind-set of the Life. = To live tidy life is a life, still

live in a mess is also a life. = We can chose as we like. The matter is,

to know, which ever we chose, the consequence do comes accordingly.

(The troubled consequence of my habit is, the junk I’ve picked-up became a mountain =

“one day I’ll create something out of this junk” might be a wish-full thinking or

delusion = a curse to live as a kinetic sculptor.   Ha ha ha 😀 )

___/\___

[]

YOU or Potato ?

Have you ever seen a bean or maze seed dropped to the garden, sprout.

Or did you ever planted vegetable such as potato, even a carrot in a soil and see them

shoot up. — Yes they are alive in deed.   Still, we do fly, boiled alive and eat them.

Don’t make an excuse, they don’t have a sense, intelligence or feel pain = who knows.

(Have you ever been a Potato to make a first-hand report of being cooked alive. 😀 )

[]

We are all living on a margin of thin blue line of compromise and

dependency.  We are just be here on borrowed time on probation.

So, don’t preach others with smug face, for conservation or environment what so ever.

= (Before preach, get rid of your cotton pants which was made by forcibly cultivated,

harvested and processed cotton flower,  and stop eating vegetable which was grown for

money in a field where tree has been uprooted. )  = Guilty party keeps mouth shat  😀

In other words, there couldn’t be any quiet peaceful life = life is inherently noisy and

filled with all sorts of bothersome trouble.  That’s what the life in Samsara is.

[]

Zen wouldn’t make you noble.

Zen teach you how to cut onion, potato (not mention Lemon :-)) efficiently without any

hesitation or wobble.  (So does to do the business.  Make you Just Do It.  🙂 )

And the Buddhism teachs you who you are = no different from a potato, yet still very

unique one.   (I didn’t say you ARE Potato if not very close — a man of half potato must

be genetically very very unique = I never seen one though.  :-D)

Therefore, Buddhism makes you absolutely humble and absolutely confident to be YOU.

(as one of guilty party which is natural.)  No one is perfect or innocent = What’s wrong?

Wrong is, to imagine you are right, while wearing cotton pants and live in this world

still believing that you are right,  is only in your imagination which is called delusion. 

—– By the way, I didn’t say if it was a sheen nylon French-nicker, it would be OK,

though I don’t mind to see one.  (As I’m one of the guilty)    Ha ha ha  😀

(To live in Samsara is heavy enough, yet still, how heavy unnecessary load called Pretense we are carrying.

Still, some people preaching, wearing a mask of Pretense is they called Decency, and keep Pretending it  😀 ))

Let all those heavy load to go, is what Buddhists call  [Enlightenment] !

(Its mean, if you are a Potato, DO live a life of proud POTATO

IS the Enlightenment ! ! !

= Even a Potato can get Enlightenment,

why not an ordinary man on the street.

___/\___

[]

Hut Albireo in YASHIGA-MINE

Gosh, I found the Web-site and a photo of the Hut Albireo （八子ヶ峰ヒュッテ，アルビレオ）

(When I searched in English before, I couldn’t find —– I got Japanese typing program only few years ago )

Hut Albireo (its name from a star in the Cygnus )  was a sister Hut of a mountain shelter Takami-ishi Goya (高見石小屋) in Kita-Yatsu-ga-take（北八ヶ岳）, in japan.

—– (Until now I didn’t reveal the name of the mountain shelter I talked, because of my stories often goes too far, I thought, unless the people can verify it with the first-hand independent source, I didn’t like to do name-dropping).

[]Both Takami-ishi Goya and Hut Albireo were originally built by Mr. Satta but later they were taken over by the another hotel, Honzawa-Onsen.  And the Hut Albireo was bought by one of keeper, Mr.Kaji who was the chief volunteer of us.  In fact it was in a financial mess  we keepers were involved in a nightmare as Mr.Satta lost a lots of money in betting.   (Not very mountain like peaceful stories  🙂 )

( So, I learned a man’s life’s up and down entwined with a silly money affair, rather early stages of my life, fortunately or unfortunately. —– Since I hate money and gamble  :-D)

[] To build the Hut Albireo, we keepers were also worked hard from digging the ground works, to carry-up the building materials  (all worked for free though  😀 )  —– coming to the age of stock takings of the life, and looking back to those life I spent in the mountain (from 15 years to 27 years), I convinced that it formed my base of  Zen Buddhism.

In fact, I’ve learned the Buddhism in hardest way in the harshest condition   😀 After all, the matter is just do the work regardless even if it is for others. =  No Ego required.  So, I’m very grateful I did it.  Ha ha ha  😀  —– (Such as a work in a building site in Okinawa while I was a drifter, the work in 30 m high was not too high for a rock climber, and the work was paid ! = In comparison to the unpaid work, such as carrying  the 50 kg of fire log 20 times everyday (its mean one ton everyday and continued one week ) any other work is easier =  who complains =only thankful to be alive = this must be the best lesson and the contemplation for one’s life.  Ha ha ha  😀 )

[] So that, to find the Hut Albireo is still there, and the same owner Mr.Kaji is still alive, was the greatest news to me.  (He was the keeper who carried 15 ton of log together every year. — the question is whether he became a Zen Buddhist or not  ? ) = I need to phone him ! —– Since then, what I found through phone was a bit spooky story that the volunteers, worked together with us (me and Mr.Kaji) around the same time, me and Mr.Kaji are the only surviving member now = rest of 5 were all dead.  What ? ? ? —– (I don’t miss them. Any how they didn’t work for cutting log, or carrying up the food staff = all the heavy work. — They did just disappeared.  😀 )

( Incidentally, when I had my wedding, the Ceremony was conducted in the Shinto Shirline  Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社) and we had wedding party in this very Hut = it was my biggest folly of my whole life.   😀 ) 

［］

Clear the Deck for 2013 / Detach the EMOTION

Blogging, or writing in general, it is the process to convert the idea or notion into a separate object,

thus, enables it to be examined as an independent entity. ( on top of much more common purpose

to express it to others ) = like a Jig-saw Puzzle, we have to find, not only matching the shape of

pieces but also its picture printed on, which we can see the rationality in bird’s eye view.

[]

Thanks to given task of this Blog (yes, I regard this, not my choice but a given task I was assigned

— simply because it has occurred on my life — has anybody else assigned as well ? = if nobody

else there, I have to take care, haven’t I ? 😀 ) at least I managed to record the process what and

how I figured out Zen Buddhism in the past 3 years and 9 months, with over 400 posts.

(since, this is the DIY Zen study)

As it is still an ongoing process, I wouldn’t pretend it had consistent unity = far from it, it deviated

a lots, therefore it often contradicting each other.   And not necessary having even consistent

definition of the term, not because of mistake but change of my approach.

So, thanks goodness, I’ve managed to come to much clear picture of which those confusion has

been sorted out (well, more or less 😀 )

[]

My basic approach to the Buddhism is the same from the start, long before even I

started this Blog. —– It was to retrace the way and the process how

Lord Buddha found and came to his conclusion as a normal human being, not a

superman or divine figure.

Human brain is more or less having the same function and the same tendency.

As there couldn’t be any super natural phenomena such as Extra Sensory Power (though, I

reserve the judgement about this point, because there seemed to be something still there ) and

the human common-sense is more or less the same, therefore when we see the same subject, we

are able to deduce to the same conclusion.

[]

While I was blogging, there were two important view point came to my consideration.

The one was a phenomenon in the Neurophysiology, that the threshold of our perception

become higher against the repeating signals = I realized the connection to the repeating

action of the Buddhist’s practice which lead the person to acquire the immunities to the

repeating coming signal or same internal thought, hence higher threshold blocks the signal

reaching to emotional cortex and trigger the hormonal reaction. ( Such as if you see

the same porno photo on the wall every day, the perception was desensitized and soon it loose an

impact to arose you with a seclusion of Testosterone = photo become just another landscape. 😀 )

—– (On the beginning, I’ve been putting more emphasis to an effect of imprinting

by the repeated practice, but [imprinting into subconscious] alone couldn’t explain

the origin of Selflessness).

[]

And the other was a neurological symptom that the blocked connection to the emotional cortex in

the brain of Alzheimer’s case, it cause the loss of cognition to see the SELF and the

own possession = hence, loose the EGO, and the Self-preserving GREED.

Some of you may feel rather disturbing with this, because of the connection to Alzheimer’s though,

despite of it this is the very key to understand the MUSHIN and the SELFLESSNESS as

one phenomenon = the matter is to block the Emotion which is causing all the trouble

in the LIFE such as Obsessive Thoughts, sticky Attachment, EGO and the GREED.

[]

So, thanks to Alzheimer research, the mechanism of our Mind has been exposed.

But, to have this detached mind, you don’t need to wait another 40, 60 years =

while doing Buddhist’s practice, you might realized that you are doing it without

conscious (unconsciously hand was moving or automatically chanting) —– once

you see this phenomenon, practice the same while watching this blank-space in

your brain. —– Then, while having this blank-space in the brain (Being in Mushin)

turn the eyes beyond, and see the world in Mushin. = Soon or later, you will acquire

the skill to have this eyes in any moment and in any situation. = YOU ARE IN ZEN.

[]

In this context, so called Buddhist’s teachings = [eliminate THINKINGS] this Thinkings has to

be understood as [Emotional Judgment] not a logical clear thinkings. =

This is one of the most confusing part in the Buddhist’s teachings.

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples in his death bed

“Don’t believe what you were taught and what others say, but think it yourself ” =

Think logical in clear objective way, and use common-sense, was what he meant.

After all, cool dispassionate eyes = non-emotional, logical thinkings is the key to the Buddhist’s

Mind-set. —– (Without having Emotional conscious, we feel the Brain is blank ! 

= When we see something in total dispassionate way, we only feel the vision but

not a thought = This is MUSHIN —– still, the brain is working subconsciously )

There is no mythical secret technique which is not achievable to the ordinal mankind.

What Lord Buddha taught was not a kind of Mythical belief but the clear practical solution

—– such as the case of Kisa-Gortami, he didn’t tell her any Mumbo-jumbo such as she could see

her dead child in the Heaven or child would reborn and see her again, but simply made her just

running around and made her to reach logical understandings, that a death is the common

and inescapable truth. = This is the very Key teaching of

[Life IS, to suffer, getting ill and old, and to die].

[And the way to deal with this harsh Life is to learn Buddhism through its repeating practice] which

would eliminate the bad effect of the Emotion, hence able to live in peace of Mushin and Selflessness.

(As I rote above, without connecting to Emotion, the action can be done in

dispassionate way almost automatic = even without the conscious, and without the

obstruction of Ego, Greed and the Delusion)

[]

—– If you give a thought and review all the Phenomena in the Buddhist’s psyche, such as

Detachment, Detached to the Changing world hence Live in its Moment, Has no Fear of the Death,

no Ego, no Greed etc etc you will realize, all those were the manifestation of NO Emotion (and

Emotional Judgement). —–The man who could forsake the pleasure of life in luxury and the feast

of flesh, and able to bluntly define the [Life is Suffering],

Lord Buddha had no illusion, neither gave any sweet illusion to the followers,

especially his teachings were the one, revolutionary idea which against the popular

Vedic idea of Atman = (Perpetual soul, which has no logical, scientific proof) he would have had

no way to fabricate any another fancy stories. = Hence, the Buddhism in its original form is blunt

and straight, because of it was not considered to be popular but stand on the Truth, as it teaches

Own Enlightenment, not dependent on a Salvation which proved to be never come.

[]

Widely misconceived so-called Buddhist’s [Compassion] is not emanated from the tender

Emotion but it comes from the same Mind-set of Mushin and the Selflessness = see

the situation without Emotion and the Ego, hence able to see the needs of others as if it was one’s

own = then able to see what is the best to DO here = effectively helping others as a result.

= If the one still having own Emotion, the own self-preservation comes first.

Selfless act has no Emotion.   And this is why it has no notion of [giving to others]

= NO distinction of ME and OTHER. = in this Mind-set, there is even no conscious of Me and even

Animal or Plant. = This is the True Compassion in the Buddhism.

True Buddhist is not compassionate sweet person but he (she) is the person just Doing what he

ought to Do, without having even a conscious of doing or being as a Buddhist.

When the one has NO conscious of SELF, how the same person can have a conscious

of [I’m a Buddhist] —– And this is the true meaning of [There is NO SELF]

___/\___

[]

Stollen ( German Fruits Cake for Xmas )

On my daily life, there are quite few things missing —– on the shopping front, it is far easier

to count what I buy rather than listing up what I don’t buy = such as other than fresh vegetables and

the fruits, a sort of sweets or confectionery is completely missing = simply because I’m buying

essentials which I desperately need ! = if I don’t eat I may die = So that, I have to eat = hence, I buy

the food staffs, but in the cheapest way = fresh raw material = never buy processed food, let

alone junk-food or that kind, bottled drink, any alcohol, which we don’t need for our survival 😀

[]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not following ANY idea of “Healthy diet” or Religious restriction what so ever

but simply I’m living the life of poor-man. Cooking out of fresh materials is the cheapest way to eat.

This mind-set, “poor-man” (in Buddhist’s term, Bhikku = Beggar)  seemed to have originated from

my family = Zen priest’s and the life in the mountain = NO waste of food, food is to survive.

—– And in the same context, no waste of anything (since, I’m not printing a money or ever

produced even a single grain of rice) so to repair and recycle what so ever it was possible, is the norm.

In the same way, wear the clothes is for its essential function, not for fashion or vanity = hence,

as long as it is wearable (with stitching repair etc), no need to buy another one.

—– So, I’m still using my heavy-duty jacket I bought in Japan 40 years ago 🙂 — though, it seems,

it has gone too far hence, some body told me “If you like to come, buy decent clothes and wear a tie”

= so, I needed to buy a trouser and jacket last week (last time I did shopping for clothe (other than

underwear and socks) was two years ago 😀 )

[]

Therefore, in my shopping, I’m going through a forests of foods and goods like a remote land-scape.

Still, it is not a kind of fixed mind or prohibition, the mind recognizes those item which I don’t need is

not there —– sweets, confectionery or the fashion display doesn’t take any attention = or they are

almost NOT exists. (I might be an enemy of the super-market —– or for them, £10 par week

kind of person has no statistical significance :-D) —– THOUGH, once in a year, I’m making

an exception for a German cake Stollen which is only sold in the Xmas time.

Stollen is a German equivalent of Xmas pudding but not as heavy as Xmas pudding with Rum or

Brandy, still it is a kind of festive fruits cake.

[]

—– I’m not an expert of cake making, let alone Stollen. I only know this, in the past 7~8 years since

I saw a woman buying this from the Lidl saying “This Stollen is our traditional Xmas cake”

As the woman pronounced “Sh-tollen” I noticed she is a German. (And Lidl shop was originated

from Germany)

—– So, as a cultural interest, I bought one and realized this must be the symbol of their winter life.

= In the Autumn, people, kids goes woods and gather edible small fruits, Blue-berry

kind and Walnuts, Pine-nuts etc. And use those harvested and dried fruits to make a

cake for winter festive season. (Though, today’s Stollen was made with imported Raison, Almond

/ Marzipan etc —– still showing and maintaining their traditional folk culture 🙂 )

I like the life rooted on the Earth and live accordingly to the season = life of

the moment to moment.

Pick the Berry in a late Summer, preparing for the coming Winter — and eat the gift of the Nature

in the Festive time remembering the Sun in the Past Summer = To repeat this, ten or so times,

the kids become good grown-ups and start to have their own family.

—– or, to repeat 60~80 times is what our LIFE is = smell of sun drenched bush, or cool air

of forest’s floor —– the memory of brother or sister, friends etc etc = and the cycle of the LIFE

= therefore, as I bought the same Stollen again, it’s mean yet another year has past.

I wouldn’t say, either congratulation or sorry = it’s just another year  😀

(And, I wouldn’t imply the life has an equivalent value of 80 Stollen  😀 😀 )

___/\___

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Autumn CHERRY BLOSSOMS

It was on the end of November last year, I found the flowers on this Cherry tree.

But it happened to show the same, two weeks earlier in this time. —– As it is a bit early

this year, the Cherry tree has lots of leaves as well.

So, the autumn golden leaves and the pink blossoms in the same time = rather unusual

sight in deed. Because it was unusual, I didn’t feel very comfortable last year though, I was

more permissive mood this year. After all, to impose “What is normal or abnormal” is man’s idea.

—– Nature may have much more facets which we never know = And they may say,

“What’s wrong with having flowers in an Autumn = it’s not your business”.

A sort of stereotypical knowledge = there may not be an insect who visit and pollinating

the flowers out of season though, —– yes, there is an insect (kind of fly ?) was in the flower.

Out of our eyes and beyond our knowledges the Nature may still be in full

operation regardless the season 😀

And WHO said, the Cherry open the flowers only for the purpose to make fruits

and seeds = yet still, they could blossom just giving a fun

for the winter insects too —– why not 😀

—– As a result, this tree gave the opportunities for me to talk about TWICE already

= it’s a big achievement for such a small tree !

Never mind, the Wheel of the Nature is Going Round and Round and Round —–

And our lives goes on as well. 🙂

___/\___

[]

INTUITION

Intuition is a tricky subject. 🙂

Every body knows it is there though, as a mater of fact nobody is sure how it works and

works correctly or not.   Generally, the woman said to be good at with this though, if it is true,

how come 1/3^rd (now it is getting nearly ½) of the marriages end-up in divorce = wasn’t it

correct intuitive choice —– or, correct intuition had been over-ridden by the useless thinking ?

[]

Many Internet blog sites are keep shouting “Be intuitive” though, funny contradiction is,

in the same time, often the very same blogger also saying “Never judge a person in first

impression but to be Kind to others and Open-minded” or

“Never chose a book with its cover” kind of crèche wisdom.

In most of the so-called WISDOM, there is always opposite wisdom as well.

= Silence is Gold and Eloquent is Silver, still many relation brake down because of lack of

communication —– if intuition is so good, why it needs to speak by the words. 😀 😀

Reality is, to see the situation down to the minute details and to pay attention to every

aspects of its implications and give enough consideration and correct rational judgement

is a heavy task, in fact too much to do —> So, don’t bother JUST react and pick-up first idea

—– IS what people calls “Intuitive Decision”.

[]

Our subconscious memory-bank has enormous amount of accumulated data, deposited since

we were born —– the more serious matter, it has been imprinted with the more stronger

emotional tag, often with the accompanying pain,  or if it is important in the family or in the

society,  it has been strengthen by the repeated input as it occurred again and again

= hence, the first INTUITIVE reaction against the situation was based on those

important data without having mere hear-say or “read yesterday” kind of

cheap data and thinking,  therefore it is more or less correct, but not necessary

perfect. —– to compare to the result of “Deep consideration” which has been done by

a not necessary very bright brain = may be the probability of hitting right answer

would be the same.

[]

If the outcome would be the same = right or wrong, half and half, why bother

bothersome consideration or thinking ?   Anyhow, we have to pick-up the

consequence — favorable or not =  This IS what the LIFE is.

This contemplation is the core of the “Intuitionism”.

And to live the Life in natural flow.

And the more importantly,  even the most wisest man in the history,

Lord Buddha has found (= even to such a wisest brain) “the Life is suffering”

= no one can escape from this fundamental truth. (If you feel not seriously suffering

= You’ve done rather well  😉 )

What we can do the most important attitude toward the Life is,

= NOT dwell the idea “IF NOT” = as the situation is changing moment to moment, to

keep regretting a wrong decision which had been made in the past,  and a result already

arrived,  is in the matter of the fact = have to deal though, the new and current situation is

on front of the eyes and it is burning. = This is what we have to fight against.

(If the fire is not big, a pint of beer could be enough to put the fire down otherwise, just run !

Don’t sitting there ! 😀 )

[]

Yes, don’t sitting there.  DO something !  Enjoy a nice and active Weekend. 🙂

___/\___

[]

Park in September

When I took those pictures, I remembered  “Wait a moment, I’ve seen those flowers in full

bloom, and I’ve taken pictures — where those photos has gone ? (Then I found them and put

to past two posts )   What I realized was,  even if it’s only less than a month since I came here

last time though, what a difference mere 4 weeks has made.  Really, the Summer has gone.

May be because the Summer was rather wet, the Ginkgo tree seemed to have fewer nuts.

Literally the time fly.

[]

Canon 5D Mk-III / Pentax 15 mm F3.5

[]

What Photography to do with Buddhism

Someone asked me “ Why Photography in a Zen blog ?”

[]

The understanding of Zen is so wildly varied, let alone the understanding of the Buddhism.

It spreads from vague spiritualism to an endless peculiar practice.

A reason is that it lays in the person’s subconsciousness. Hence, the person oneself couldn’t

see it clearly, let alone the others, even the teacher.

Since, it was not clearly written down like as a Dogma, and to memorize it doesn’t mean

understood the Buddhism. (Though, some sect says, they got 100 of the rules written down

and follow them is the completion of the Buddhism.)

[]

My discovery of the Zen came from a peculiar practice = Disco Dancing  😀

With a peculiar mental tendencies habituated in my subconscious, I realized, this is

what people called the Zen —– Like a Pathological diagnosis, I found the symptoms all

matches to the description of the Zen of the past masters =

hence I understood, what I’m living is the Zen.

[]

So that, in Zen, the matter is a mental state or so-called mind-set, while the one is DOING

something. = Doing it unconsciously with the mind-set of what

Lord Buddha stated = IS the Buddhism. = Hence, able to receive all the benefit to live with

the Dharma. —– Here, it is crucial to be unconscious (=in Mushin). 

We can do a thing without thinking but not able to do thinking without thinking  😀

Try to do Mushin or talking it consciously is just a pretense or mimicry  😀

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Photography is a secondly art (it doesn’t mean second class art 🙂 ) = unlike an abstract

drawing or sculpture, unless the subject is there, its photograph couldn’t be created.

In other words, photography has to follow the existence and its moment.

That moment is the only moment. Photography is to capture and deals with this MOMENT.

As Lord Buddha stated, “Nothing stays the same and they change moment to moment”.

= Photography has to face this situation straight.

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Why and how you encounter its situation or subject was not necessary what you expected or

designed.  = To encounter it was what the Karma has worked.   You may think that

the idea to come to the garden to take picture was what you conceived and planed by yourself

alone though, without Karma has had pulled a string, you didn’t get the idea in the first place.

Whether you are aware or not this is how the system works.

And this system = the mechanism of the Dharma is what

Lord Buddha elucidated. = This is the Buddhism which is applicable even to a non-Buddhist.

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And we have to follow the subject = we didn’t create it, hence this is a secondly art =

we have to accept a humble position to be a secondly creator. Therefore, we have to see

the world with humble open eyes but at most diligent way, down to the minute details.

Once we start to see the subjects, what we are seeing is the environment or most likely

the nature. —– In fact, we are seeing the Dharma.

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When we try to capture and focus the subject, are we thinking what to eat for lunch ? =

Not only the lens, we are focusing what we need to do without any thinking but with full

attention to the subject on front of the camera whole heartedly.

This is the moment of Mushin and the Mindfulness.

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Then “Got it” = but what we got ? —– Even though we might think “I’ve got iconic image”

it is a mere reflection of the subject in the memory card, which could just disappear with a

glitch in a computer. —– And in most of the case, it wouldn’t do anything with the person’s

finance = it is nothing but a selfless, greed less act = expect no reward, still needs to put

so much effort for taking.

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—– Isn’t this Zen Buddhism ? —– If not,  What else   🙂

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Smashed Camera and the Face !

Only yesterday, I managed to stumble on a curb stone and smashed myself on a concrete

car-park.—– Unfortunately, my camera was on my shoulder hence,

the camera was smashed too.

 

I was landed on the concrete, over my specks apparently fallen before me, hence one of the lens

cut into my forehead.  I was amburanced to a hospital and my face was stitched and patched up. 🙂

The hospital’s handling of my case was what we know well = I was left waited more than two hours

still bleeding yet just sitting on a bench. (While waiting, blood pressure etc were taken by nurses)

Then I noticed, despite of my camera being smashed and the view screen was shuttered, yet

amazingly it was still functioning, even more of my amazement, a Zoom lens fitted on the camera

= Canon’s 8~15 mm F4 Fish-eye lens was still working perfect ! ! !

(with its fragile movable structure, Zoom lens couldn’t survive this kind of shock = this is the

exceptional case !  = May be Canon designed it for the photographers with rough

and tumble in mind 😀  = Anyhow it was a good news in a bad situation 🙂

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On my life, I don’t have accident or should I say only seldom = On the Ski, I’ve

broken 3 Skies but never broken any bone or heavily cut myself.

On the climbing, I’ve fallen 10m and about 5m —– still always landed on my rucksack hence never

injured. (other small falls were the nature in the climb 😀 ) Therefore, I had no experience of the

hospital, except the one when I was attacked and hospitalized in 24 hours coma and woke-up there.

So that this occasion was a rare chance to observe all the people involved = local people who saw me

fall was very kind and as he saw the gushed blood, called the ambulance at once.

The ambulance people were very professional (got to be) and I was taken to the hospital in 5 min

drive. —– (then long long waiting started while seeing another patient such as a lady mugged and

injured and so on) —– on the end, the Nurse and the Doctor did very good job to find out the

broken glasses in the cut (down to the skull !) and stitched it up.

—– And, I walked back 15 min to my place in the middle of night = 7 hours after the accident.

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As far as I know, the Zen mind should have an Hyper Vision in such case = when I fell

on the rock, I saw the slow moving details of the rock and the surrounding view.

When my ski caught the tree under the snow and my body was flying forward in the air,

I saw my body in a slow-motion. —– though, in this occasion, I only found myself laying on

the ground = there was a kind of lapse of the time = it seemed to have a jump of memory.

—– Why I couldn’t have seen my falling body nor able to take Ukemi (受身 / Safer

bodily movement to reduce the impact when falling to the ground).

(Bruise on both of my back hands indicates that the hands instinctively moved to protect myself

though, why didn’t hit the ground palm first, as an Ukemi.  ? ) = May be, the Hyper Vision could

have happened only the moment when the Mind was in a fully alerted state, not in an

absent minded casual situation = after 30 years, I still have a moment of absent-minded or lapse

of my mindfulness. —– Or, I must be getting old and getting rotten. 😀

It’s mean, should I look for the protective gear of mountain biker or even a walking frame ?

(May be not a coffin yet)    Ha ha ha 😀

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