Mindfulness yet again ? ? ?

Many years, I’ve been having incongruity toward the use of the word, so-called Mindfulness. — With a kind of hunch (There seems to be a big mistake ! ), I refer back to the Agama scripture how they wrote about the definition of Selfless. —– It seems there is no direct description of No-self in the Agama, but only the indirect explanation, which was as an answer to a question “Is there permanent Self (Atoman) exists ?”   It was only in a metaphor of the impermanence of a soil (or cow dung). (= Even such simple existence of soil couldn’t be permanent, how the mind or Self could exists permanent.)

Of course the No-self was not the primary phenomenon but only a consequence of No-permanence, and No-permanence was because of the constant activity of the Karma. Understanding of the Karma was Lord Buddha’s most fundamental philosophy, and from here, such as Four Noble Truth were deduced.   Therefore, it may not too strange to have less significance of the No-self in the Agama scripture.   Or, it could be the deliberately placed emphasis to negate the Self.  Since you can’t talk about a thing which is not exists. Why Self is not exists, because it was a deluded product of the mind.  And the mind is only a momentary reflection of the Karma.  So that, to put emphasis on the mind (of awareness / memory) in the Mindfulness practice IS not Buddhism.  In deed, the Theravada sect who promoted the idea of Mindfulness was based on the idea of Sathi, which was the idea in the Vedic meditation.   Of course Vedic stands on the idea of Atoman = Perpetual mind / Self = so that, become aware of the mind = mindfulness IS their practice.   It is not a Buddhism but nothing but a Hindu practice.  This IS a typical mix-up or a misunderstanding of the Buddhism by the Theravada sect.

Whether clinging the mind could bring any good to the mental health of the person, in comparison to the empty-minded Buddhists.  It was too apparent in the social phenomena in a Hindu country, in contrast to a country where people even don’t remember that they were the Buddhist = Japan.   A country where the notorious brutal gang rape cases were kept happening, or the country where the safest place to travel.       The question IS where their Ethos and the Morality came from.

It was the observation made by Lord Buddha 2500 years ago.   Clinging the idea and such mind is nothing but a delusion since the idea of “such mind could exists” itself IS the delusion.   And let all the five senses free = not to stick to any perception will make us to emancipate any notion or image, hence able to see the Dharma. (All those notion, images which were the products of thinking, has been masking the Dharma.)

It IS the biggest irony, as long as you are thinking or seeing something, you can not see the truth. When you abandon to see, you start to see the Dharma. — The most funny irony IS, to abandon to see, stop thinking to see IS exact opposite of the so-called mindfulness practice. So, those so-called mindfulness practice is creating yet another delusion and the obsession.

___/\___

.

Thinking process

Sorry, it’s about that bellows again.  — behind the apparent shape and its function, that Sony Tilt attachment has many hidden structures and the stories, such as the bottom of A7R camera, additional plate was screwed. Because the device’s constant adjustment = rotation, the plate protect the camera bottom scratched.  And the hard alumium plate has anodized hard surface, which would prevent the two aluminium parts stack together.

You may not able to guess how the bag bellows was made and attached to the mount of both side.  Imagine, if the leather bag was made separately, how you can attach it to the mount (Body side was a camera body cap and the lens side was the back of the front panel with Canon EF mount attached.)  = In order to have the precise position of the mount, a length of black leather was first glued to each mount ring.  Then the leather was folded to the position and stitched together to make a closed bag.  (Because the tilt movement is only one side, the bag was made wedged shape.)

When we make (design) something, there are two different approach.     One is to imagine the final piece in the brain first. And cut the material in each size and shape then assemble altogether.   And the other is, bring the major material to the place and find the size and shape etc on the spot while giving many considerations.  So that the making process is step by step.

(Sound somewhat out of context, you may think though)  The Buddhist’s approach is the later.  Lord Buddha loathe to rely on the imagination, hence he didn’t teach notions, even not rely on the words.  Because  he taught the Karma = everything exists and moves following the Karma.   The sign or agent of the Karma are on front of us and they are keep changing moment to moment.  Perceive all those Karma and intuitively follow them will be the least troublesome life we can have. (Intuitive mean, without having “thinking” self = Selfless = be in the Void = with Dharma)    This is the reason why we have to deal with the things on front of us.  If not on there, its mean, it exists in the thinking or imagination.   So, to make a thing on the spot, while finding the precise dimension and the requirement is the right approach to do.   (It’s not against the nuclear scientists designing particle collider — we may not able to see the particles or tela gauss magnetic force by our eyes still, they are there. = Scientists intuitively count its effect in.) —– In this world, there is no ideal remedy or solution (which was a product of imagination or fantasy) but only practical measure applied on the spot, moment to moment. (You might have seen or remember that all the so-called  “ology / ism” has been bankrupted leaving immeasurable destruction behind ! )

___/\___

.

OM Cap

Some post ago I mentioned that the lens and body cap of Olympus

OM can fit to the other cameras.   A very funny story behind was,

since I needed a body cap of Micro 4/3rd camera as I wanted to make

a lens for M4/3 camera (MD-E).  I ordered it through eBay, as I found

one bender is selling the lens and body caps together for £0.99 !

While I was waiting the cap arrive here, I changed Olympus MD-E to

Sony A7R = since, compare to 10 mm x 16 mm M4/3 image sensor, A7R

got 35mm full size.   Why settle with tiny toy.  —  Then, I realized

that the body (and lens) cap I received was not for M4/3 camera but

out-dated OM (film camera’s)  = “A’ha that’s why it was so cheap”

This could be a serious trouble though, before I start to complain to

the bender, I found that the OM cap can fit to the latest Sony

E-mount body / A7.  (Anyway, on that moment I no longer had

Olympus but Sony. )

.

The three caps on the first shopping run out soon to make yet another

Pinhole Machine and Toy camera lens. 

Therefore, I re-ordered to the same bender yet more three caps.

—– And, I waited, and waited while having quite hi-tension because, 

the bender might have noticed that he (she ?) made a mistake and would

send me M4/3 cap instead, it means I may need to buy E-mount cap while

paying 4 times more money.  But, I received the old OM caps again !   🙂

I’ve tested few plans to make other strange optics etc to use those

lens caps.   In fact, I got the M42 to E-mount adapter for the same

purpose still, they are more expensive and awkward to work with. 

— anyway, back to the funny story, = I still don’t know whether 

the bender was knowingly selling OM cap as the M4/3 cap or

honestly believing that was M4/3 cap. 

What so ever, I was lucky to have this mishup — and that’s why 

on the postal package, the Omen of that number appeared.

(on the top photo, in the red circle = 1085 )  😀

.

Covent Garden (2) (by the Lens)

All the photos in this post were taken by, most of them were by 

the 18mm Zeiss Distagon for Nikon, on D810. But few of them

were by the Homemade Toy Camera Lens on the Sony A7R.

Covent Garden IS the place the most changed its guise in London. 

When I came to London, here was a vegetable market.  Still, for the

planned move of the market, some businesses were started to move.

When the wholesale market kind of business moves, they leave

huge stock space behind. 

Then, the people who needs huge space moved in. = Photo studio kind.

And the related business, such as film processing etc. =

That’s how I came here = to have my E6 film developed.

What a bad taste.  Is this what they call Spiritualism ? ? ?

Simply because of a Film, My fair Lady (Audley Hepburn’s Flower girl !)

the tourists started to come Covent Garden, so, the area has been changed

 to a “Fashionable Tourists Place” —– still, it’s interesting to see why the

area attracted occult / spiritual shop = quite few of them are here.

In 1974 (?) probably the first vegetarian restaurant in central London

“Food for thought” opened here.  (I was taken there by a vegetarian

friend who does the Buddhists Meditation)

(thence, he started to have the troubles on his leg).

—– it was a well-known story, that the all the High Priests 

of Zen end up on wheel chair.

Gautama Buddha left a rank of hard astir monk, thinking that to

torturing the body wouldn’t bring any High Awareness to him.

(But, my friend didn’t convince and said, that the trouble on his leg

was nothing to do with Zen practice, instead, need more effort for

the meditation to save his life.) ! ! !

So, may be those stubborn vegetarianism was the origin of

“Spiritual Covent Garden” (Food for Thought twisted the belief ! )

And a corner of the Covent Garden, Neals Yard became a holy place

for the vegetarian. — By the way, vegetarianism came from Hindu.

Lord Buddha eat anything offered and died for food poisoning of fish.

Buddhism doesn’t have such arrogance, “Killing the plant is OK”.

Killing and eating animals, plants are part of unavoidable Karma.

Round the corner, two pictures above, were in fact, China Town.

.

Photographer’s Gallery

Probably the most well-known iconic figure in the Photographer’s Gallery

must be the guy always sitting there, Alan.  —– In this occasion, he was

captured by the Toy camera lens, costed less than  £2.  —– Still,

considering its humble origin, the photo here wasn’t too bad, isn’t it ? 

Or, I would say, the quality and the quite present softness is superb.

(Did you noticed, there was no focused point or depth of field kind

on the picture = because the lens was omnifocas.)

(And, did you see the man’s face, he was not smiling.  If you thought

otherwise, your eyes are not seeing reality of the life.  Look again.)

But, rest of the images here were taken by my Pinhole-machine.   😀

About the info’ of what they are doing now = please see their website.

This is not a journalistic report but the shadow, what I saw there

and how I reacted.

MMMMMMMMMMM (sometime, I keep my mouth shut)

😀

.

Ox’cart and the Fate

I found a Buddhist story in a Japanese website, a collection of small episode which was said to be told by Lord Buddha = “There was an ox’cart carrying heavy goods. The ox, who draw the cart everyday fed up the work, got an idea, if there was no cart there couldn’t be any work.

So, on a bend of the road, ox sped-up and the last moment,he sway and made the cart smashed onto a rock.   As the cart was smashed broken, no more work on that day.  Then few days later, the owner brought a new cart made by heavy iron. So that, the ox had to draw even heavier lord”— in this episode

Lord Buddha taught that if anybody does silly things, it would boomerang back onto the next life. —– interesting story though,I don’t think this story was genuine at all even if it was in the Mahayana scripture.

—— The reason was

1) Lord Buddha wouldn’t have said “Next Life” since his stance was Anatoman (No- Atoman = No perpetual soul/self) therefore there couldn’t be Next Life.

2) I don’t believe that there could be a cart made-up by iron exists which was affordable to a man of ox’cart in India, 2500 years ago.

3) Of cause, ox isn’t such clever. (Sorry, Mr Ox.   😀 ) This story must be a fake by a script-writer of much much later period when the idea of Hindu = Atoman and their belief of Reincarnation was mixed up into Buddhism. Obviously, as the Buddhist’s Sanga (follower’s community) had

NO CAST system, the idea of Reincarnation was not existed there.

How do you think ?

Prince William on Gay Magazine

After the discussion, HRH The Duke of Cambridge made the following statement:

“No one should be bullied for their sexuality or any other reason and no one

should have to put up with the kind of hate that these young people have endured

in their lives. The young gay, lesbian and transgender individuals I met through

Attitude are truly brave to speak out and to give hope to people who are going

through terrible bullying right now. Their sense of strength and optimism should

give us all encouragement to stand up to bullying wherever we see it.

What I would say to any young person reading this who’s being bullied for their

sexuality: don’t put up with it – speak to a trusted adult, a friend, a teacher,

Childline, Diana Award or some other service and get the help you need.

You should be proud of the person you are and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Attitude editor Matthew Todd says: “During my time as editor of Attitude I have met

parents whose child has taken or lost their life after being bullied for being LGBT+

or just perceived to be LGBT. I am very happy that the future King of the

United Kingdom agrees this must stop and I would urge parents in particular to

raise their voices in their communities to ensure that every school protects

– really protects – all children.”

This issue of Attitude magazine went to press on Wednesday 8 June, just days

before the devastating shooting in Orlando which saw 49 LGBT+ people lose their lives.

Attitude sends our most heartfelt condolences to those affected by this atrocity.

Around the world, LGBT+ people experience hatred and violence every day.

Such violence does not exist in a vacuum but snowballs from intolerance and bullying

that begins in classrooms, too often comes from politicians or religious leaders and

is often not treated with respect by the media.

——————————————–

(You may see the original article here)

http://attitude.co.uk/making-history-prince-william-appears-on-the-cover-of-attitude/

.

Being a photographer (or used to be) I have/had many friend who was

happened to be a gay.   Most of them were such as a hair stylist, designer

etc who was working in the creative industry —– but on the business,

(I mean photo shootings) no such things are the matter I neither care.

(Still I appreciate their gentle attitude and the care for the details.)

.

I myself is a so-called straight = only had relation with opposite sex

but, almost 30 years I haven’t touched a woman (only a shake hand).

(I would say “Enough is enough, no more thanks” = fundamentally,

sexual relation was designed to be quite unfairly = pleasure, the woman

can get, is comparable to have a trouble to have 10 months pregnancy

 

and the child-birth.  In comparison, a man’s pleasure is to release a shot,

still receive a blame etc etc of trouble. = What is the point to have one.)

Though, in the society, “If a man doesn’t have a woman he must be a gay”

= It seems, the people couldn’t think the third way.

.

When I was a regular of the Club, Fridge, Brixton, London where they

had “Escape from Samsara” every Friday — I was there for 5 and a half

years as I had free entry and the free drinks — since I was the best dancer.)

The club also had the gay-night = “Love Muscle” on Saturday night (but I

didn’t like the atmosphere = I stack to Samsara.)  Still time to time gay man

came to Samsara.  Though they are the very flashy people (wearing SM

string costume, exposing their bottom kind) I didn’t care at all, (it’s their

business, not mine)  When I was in the club (in fact in any club) I was there

for dancing, not for socializing, I didn’t speak with the cloud but only to staffs

(so, some of the people mistook me to an under-cover drug police, security,

even the real owner of the club !)  Then one night, a man with a SM costume

hugged me from behind and shake his thing onto me.  I twisted his arms 

and throw him out.  A member of the Samsara organizer, took the man inside

again saying “I’m a gay since I was 16” “I don’t care it’s your business”

“I have the exactly the same right, no to be harassed by the gay”  “OK, if you

don’t like I stop to come here — see what would happen”  — after I stop to

go Fridge club, strangely, every Friday was rainy, and the club floor became

empty.  6 months later Samsara bankrupted and a year later, Fridge was sold.

.

So, I don’t care who ever, what so ever your sexual orientation kind = leave 

me alone and I’ll leave you alone = Don’t expect me to treat you special.

 

Everybody born with their own Karma = So, everybody is different — AND

while finding somewhat common, we ARE living together by the “Majority”

consensus = Minority IS always there. Behind of 51% Majority, 49% of almost

the same size of the Minority is there.  If the Minority is asking the same right,

what is the point to have the Democracy.  The system was designed and

working when each part was functioning in cohesion.  To keep in coherent,

the part or person has to compromise otherwise the system disintegrates.

It must be the headache, when the each part of the system behaving

differently (out of cohesion) still asking  the same right and the same

treatment of the perfectly functioning system. (System is in debt already

— still the person “speaking” friendly words while living above the system

looks nice — to the untrained eyes.)

.

Fortune-line and the Bully

Many years ago, when one of my friend visited this country with

her friend’s daughter, I met them over a lunch. While having a

casual conversation such as the cultural shift in Japan, generation

gap kind of talking, I found a bit of odds in this young (yet over 25)

woman’s talk — I asked to see her palm.   Bang!

“Oh, what a stubborn woman!”   “Oh yes that’s who I am”

— My friend (my generation) said with surprise, “I didn’t noticed it.

You never behave in such a way” —– Probably before the senior,

young woman must behaved well, while

covering-up her hidden character which she must be well aware.

[]

The reason how I could see her true nature was, that she got

very strong so-called Fortune-line in the centre of her both palm.

—– Together with over 50 years of my own observations, what I

found about this line was, not necessary the success and the fortune,

still at least the urge of dominance and its assertion of own way was

quite prominent = simply, very bossy strong character.

In theory, this character could be an effective asset to push the

business or project to succeed but, the life is not such simple.

Want to dominate IS what the person WISH, though others to

accept it and to support, IS the another matter.

Whether the others follow and support the person should be clear

on the other lines, which was called Sun-line under the Ring finger.

One or two vertical lines started from the bottom of finger indicates

the person’s virtues respected by the others.

Without this respect, the dominance is just by the force (money,

position etc) therefore it was only superficial hence empty.

[]

Reading of line is always in relation to the other lines.

Between the Thumb and the Pointing finger, if the

Intelligence (Brain) line and the Life-line doesn’t start together,

the person got a different mind-set of what he/she was born to be

(= like believing to be other or want more.)   So that, when it happens

together with strong Fortune-line, it likely causes

the tension even trouble in the daily life.

(Try to dominate though, not necessary having such power or

influence let alone the leadership, yet still having a delusion or

dream of that “I can” — and harass the others who don’t follow

= is nothing but a trouble maker.)

[]

It is the remotest situation to my life, therefore far beyond my

imagination though, there was a news (time to time) that a young

mama committed suicide after receiving the harassment / bullying

from the mom’s group of a children’s nursery.

Living in the same area and taking the same aged children to the

nursery mean the moms are belong to about the same cluster,

more or less the same financial, social position (otherwise lives

much posh area and chose posh nursery or even having own

child-minder) = so, everybody is the same kind of “person” — yet

still, or because of that, somebody among the group try mount

the others and assert “I’m the boss”.

(It seems, the bullying among the children, mounting among the

social group, job front etc are almost the “Norm” in the human

society, regardless whether it is acceptable or not.)

[]

—-If anybody try to get rid of such Ego, Zen Buddhism could help

though, Zen couldn’t stop the others indulging the pleasure of bully.

It is the Irony = “Try better in Bully !” “Show you my power !” —–

So, when you encounter such situation, have look the palm of the Bully.

How rampant the Fortune-line is, and the Brain-line and the Life-line

were separated. = People behave as they were born to be.

That’s what the Karma meant = Parents, DNA, Family/Social

environment, Way of grown-up — but

NOT because the so-called previous life. (because, no such things exists)

= The palm lines were the reflection of how the Brain developed and

organized = and it was according to the DNA received from both parents.

(and the Fox-Gene’s rather chancy behaviour)

—– Human being is a fancy creature !

(though, I have not learnt of animal palm line yet =

Chimp might be having as fancy life as ours. = Bullying Chimp.  😀 )

.

 

What Buddha taught ?

When we try to find what was the original teachings of

Lord Buddha  among the millions line of scripture, we have

to pay the most heavy attention to the personality of

Lord Buddha as an individual human being in his totality, while

chiselling out all the mixed-ups and the glorifying decorations.

(If the scripture had Hindu name, it is not Buddhism, or the 

story has supernatural magnificence it was just a fantasy.)

—– there could be a gradual change of his view and the opinion

still, there couldn’t be an utter contradiction from the same person.

Since he got his Enlightenment (with his own understanding of the

world) after he seceded from ascetic monks/Guru’s group (with a

disappointment and a lost hope to find a viable answer from them

and such ascetic approach) therefore his idea couldn’t be anything

like a transcendental oracle like fanatic words  (so-called

mumbo-jumbo) but  frank and down to the earth straight idea.

[]

Typically like Four Noble Truth, those very brunt and blatant words

were the words of cool realist.

If the person was a kind of salesman, he would have chosen much

sweeter words and even a misleading bait in it (such as a promise

of Heaven). But

Lord Buddha was not a spin-doctor but rather like a rational scientist,

he talked the facts and phenomena, not his speculation or fantasy —

its mean his teachings were not an idealistic Dogma but the wisdoms

based on the facts and the scientific observations.

= in this approach, he found the mechanism of Karma and able to see

the effect of the time in moment to moment flaw.    So that, to find 

the NO Perpetual Soul (Anatman) was a straight conclusion.

(That’s why in his Sangha, there was no Cast = curse from the past)

Those observations and the understandings needs no special filter to 

see = they are the common facts, and from those observations anybody

who acquired the right eyes can see and find the truth behind 

( 8 right ways meant this) and see the Enlightenment.   That was why,

Lord Buddha gave the last instruction on his death bed

“Don’t believe what was said but see/learn it yourself” = this word

clearly indicates that the teachings were not a Dogma to memorise

but the Direct Transmission =

wisdom which could be learned from the observation of Facts.

[]

And Lord Buddha’s observation went into deep inside of the

human psych = subconsciousness too.

He realised that we are able to see and know the subject

without us thinking it.  (So-called intuition) 

And he thought this is the Manifestation of the Dharma in us.

(We can walk without thinking how to walk — so,

WHO made us to walk ? = It must be the Dharma !

But being in our subconscious, even we know it’s there though

we can not see = It is there and/but It is not there.  (There must

be a big debate about “Self / Soul, the subject / who is thinking, =

the person who is thinking IS WHOM ?       Though, as

Lord Buddha took the stance that there is no Self / Atman = talking

this subject IS effectively a recognition of the existence of the Self =

So, how it was debated was very interesting but we may not know.

—– still from the Scripture we can see the description “Giving

without aware of giving IS the true giving” = we can guess what

was taught there then.  And from here, (if Self exists or not) the

debate extended —> Does Dharma exists or itself is Void ? ? ?

And in this context, an episode in the Agama sutra was the

story which gave us the most crucial insight.

= That was the true record of

Lord Buddha’s teachings.

___/\___

.

Core of the Buddhism

Did Buddhism asked the followers to remember any special notion,

something like a rule of the “Preservation of Energy” in physics or

a special formula, or to do very peculiar practice ?   (Don’t mix-up

with a funny ritualistic practice of Tantra sect.

Or their magic Mantra (Dharani) which was claimed to have a

supernatural power. — They are noting to do with the teachings of

Lord Buddha.)

.

—– Such as Four Noble Truth = they are only a bit deeper

understanding of the phenomena in our life general.

= After all, what the Buddhism telling us were the Awareness

toward our own existence.    Which is not far from our

common sense = Because all of us ARE existing more or less on

the same bases = Nobody was born to live for ever, nor born

with the wings to fly etc etc = nobody is superman, or

divine figure in flesh —– as no supernatural facts exists (other

than silly delusion or rumour) there couldn’t be any possibility

of the fantastic fabrication mixed into the Buddhism teachings.

(In deed, there are mountain of fancy stories = but they ARE

the fancy stories = nothing to do with the teachings.

— It’s a fun to see a fancy imagination of the people.)    😀

[]

Lord Buddha denied any idealistic notions as they are only

the delusions.  (Therefore he completely ignored to answer

(completely stop to talk the person is the same to kill him)

the questions about “after the life” or about the “universe”

which is neither exists nor possible to know.

—– Considering the both subjects are the easiest topics to tell a

fabrication or a fancy story (because, to counter prove its fancy

story is even harder — Try to prove there are Heaven and Hell.

Then try disprove them.   You will see it’s a waste of time = so that,

Lord Buddha completely ignored it. )

Probably the most important key to decipher Buddhism teachings

are in the story of Kisa Gotami (Running around the village) =

as a typical Upaya teaching, there was no verbal teaching but the

learning by the practice = Direct transmission to the subconscious.

= No lexical Notion/Idea or Thinking process.

And this phenomenon was also significant in this story.

—– Why it’s significant = because its phenomenon of

“Exists but Exists Not” character of the Subconsciousness

and this phenomenon is the core of the Voidness.

Dharma IS here or HERE all together IS the Dharma though,

since its detail is constantly changing moment to moment because

the Karma is active, it couldn’t be defined in one shape, still it IS

the Dharma.  = This “Exists yet Exists not” character is parallel to

our subconsciousness.  = And this IS what we ARE = and to

become aware this fact IS the Enlightenment.

(So, effectively it IS no difference to know who I AM = just

I am as I am. = That’s why, it is a Dog shit.)   😀

___/\___

.