Zen Sound of Fuke Shakuhach

There was a funny chain of connections.  It was started a word “Kuwa-no-mi” 

(桑の実 / Mulberry) in a post by a prolific blogger Tokyobling, in which he talked about it

with the photo of tree in Tokyo. —– I’ve put a comment  “80% of Japanese may not 

know what the Mulberry tree is, still 99% of them knows the Word

 “Kuwa-no-mi” because of a song “Aka-tombo” ( 赤とんぼ/ Red-Dragonfly) which

was dubbed as the Second National Anthem of Japan.

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May be with my emotional attachment to this song which strikes Japanese psyche and

my associated memory, (—– Aka-tombo only appears on the end of summer which

meant us the end chapter of all the sweet and bitter memory in that summer

(and our youth) —– (you must remember, when you were young and small, how one

summer was long and eventful which was engraved deep into your subconsciousness =

You know, we only had 10 or so summers in the whole life to grow into an adulthood !)

And I’m very conscious about this Mulberry tree and the distinct taste of its berry.

So that, since when I accidentally found this tree in a town called Hitchin, I made my

annual ritual to visit there every year and eat the berry, until I found the another tree

in south London.       (I talked about this tree in one of my post.)

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As an answer to my comment, Tokyobling sent me a link for a song-video of

“Aka-tombo” in Youtube.

—–> while listening a song, I found another Japanese old folk-song as well, which was

accompanied by a traditional Japanese bamboo wind-instrument called Shakuhach (尺八).

—–> as usual in Youtube, many related or similar kind are listed next by next.

—–> and I stumbled this viz, which plays “Fuke Shakuhachi” (普化尺八)

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Fuke-shu (普化宗) is in fact, one of the Zen sect unique to Japan, and

there is a temple called “Fuke-dera” (普化寺) in south of Kyoto.

(I hope it still exist though, many years ago, it was said only 9 monks left

but in this viz the monk was from Mukai-ji temple, there might be more monks in

another temple —– incidentally, why he is hiding his face is a symbol of  No-Self )

(Composer Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps” is the most famous adaptation of

this sound to Contemporary music.  It’s worthwhile to listen ! )

—– This sect is using the sound of Shakuhach to teach what the

Dharma, and the Enlightenment is.

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But in practice, just to make a sound out of this instrument is hard enough because,

there is not much structure to make sound = one end of bamboo was just cut in angle

and having small notch to blow (that all 🙂 )= it is the matter of the way to blow in

certain angle.  —– ( for me it wasn’t too difficult as I had an experience to blow sound

out of Peruvian Quena Flute which got somewhat similar structure)    Still to play

good sound, let alone to master Kaza-iki etc. must takes 10,20 years of practice.

And THE result is —– just as it is = the sound you can hear but just the sounds,

nothing more than the sound neither Bamboo changed to the Gold.  😀

= still, if it is good, it’s good and in deed, it shows (or sounds) the Dharma, 

—– or you may hear it, as a sound of the nature or its reflections.

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This is in deed, touches the hardest part of the Zen teachings and the deepest

human psyche which could interact or communicate with the Dharma.

(I wouldn’t imply, Dharma would talk to you though —– we might only feel, passively. 🙂 )

For this, please read those posts;   [Harmony in Dharma] / [Aaaaaa~~~~~]

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Still some of you might say, So what ? —–

Nice tone which sound no apparent pattern or rhythm, hence it refuses

our mediocre comprehension, and its high tone makes our perception

sunk deep into the spiritual state (or totally open minded blank state).

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I met quite few professional Shakuhach players as most of Japanese traditional music

regularly needs to have them.  Of cause, a player, able to play and able to make

beautiful sound doesn’t needed to be an enlightened Zen Buddhist, let alone Fuke monk.

And not necessary beautiful sound makes the people to get enlightenment.

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Yet still, to a person who actively seek an enlightenment, start from making

Shakuhach out of raw bamboo by himself, and try to achieve the best sound,

is the typical (endless, repeated) Zen practice.

—–> on the end, no wonder, the one could achieve and reaches to the state

of Ichijo = player, bamboo pipe, the air, the sound, all become one = as what

the Dharma is.    Still, this is nothing but the state of blankness, Mushin

= the mind was sublimated into infinite Void.

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—– Because it is blank or Void, there isn’t much of use, hence it is a Dog shit.

And only there is a blank, what left in your life is, Just carry on, be who you are.

(expecting anything else is nothing but one’s Greed and Pretentious Ego and it is nothing but

a Delusion.   Since, Void will not hold anything in it —– though, Mahayana

understanding is, because of it is Void, everything is in, since it would make no difference

at all = So, your life is your only life.)

Never mind, as long as the sound is good, it’s good.   

___/\___

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Hand-made Bag

This not a museum piece from the Captain Scot’s camp.  

This is a bag I made about 1976 and used over 10 years since.

Unless I was on a Shooting assignment to carry full gear,

I only needed to carry A5 size Duplicate Notebook and,

may be just one Nikon with wide angle lens. — Only to carry

little things, ordinary bag on the market was too big.

Then I found a leather-goods shop selling  off-cut leather,

I decided to make one, fit to my use.

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 —– To make a bag out of off-cut pieces need to have just

a cut and stitch work though, being off-cut, the leather

pieces are  irregular shaped mixed sizes,

I needed to do a jig-saw puzzle first, to make required, workable

flat piece of leather.  And how to design such as closing fitting

on the top flap was the another fun.  🙂  

(I used the same key system for the small coin-purse too.)

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—– Whether you convinced or not, this is a Zen practice.  

When making it, there wouldn’t be any other thoughts.  (Mindfulness)

And while stitching it, just fingers were working.  (Mushin)

Considering the time spent, it wouldn’t make much financial gain nor

as it is not a kind of Master piece to show-off, it’s far from any Arrogance.

Still it was a fully absorbed commitment to deal with the material and the work.  

So, it was, I would say in Ichijo. ( Oneness = Non Duality )

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—– Forget the brah brah, anyway the bag worked well, for its purpose

and it was my good companion for rather long time on my life.

___/\___

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Test of Selflessness

While looking for a hint to see what was the mind-set of

Lord Buddha, here and there such as in

the Agama Sutra, I stumbled that

Lord Buddha had intentionally not revealing

his intention preventing the followers become

“head big brah brah person”.

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An episode in the Argama, which was — In a rainy night

Lord Buddha told a disciple, Ananda that he is going for

a walk. (without telling where or what for.)

To follow him, Ananda came out carrying umbrella and

torch-fire.  Everybody in the sangha followed as well,

each carrying umbrella and a torch, as they have been

accustomed to follow their teacher. —– After a while

walking up a hill, and saw all of his followers were there,

Lord Buddha smiled.   Then Ananda asked him,

“Great Teacher never smiled without a reason. So,why

this time ?” but he received no answer why.

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Lord Buddha has, in fact, tested

the followers reaction and their progress.

Even under a condition, not nice for a walk, still all

the followers actually followed him.  Which was an

indication of that, everybody had sublimated his

teachings and able to do it in practice.

—– What was the crux of teaching ?

= Without asking why or what for, despite in a rainy

night, just follow unconditionally, was a proof of that

everybody has reached to the Selfless state of the mind,

hence able to respond the situation as it’s happened.  

(As he saw the sign, that the teachings has

worked perfect, so, smiled.)

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Lord Buddha had such a good insight of human mind.

That was why he never explained the intention why,

or the logic behind of it. —– Once he explained and gave

a verbal key, the followers remember it as a buzz-word

and become head-big, then the thinking start to

control their behaviour which is nothing but a

sham or superficial pretence.

Buddhism is not a religion of Dogma of which followers

have to read and remember and recite the words, but the

Buddhism changes one’s psyche down to the subconscious

level through the practice. (= not behave what was told by

the Dogma or Rules, but naturally do it unconsciously)

If followers knew that it is a test to check whether the one

can respond at once without questioning and to follow

in the state of Selflessness. —– it can be mimicked and

easily pretended while competing with others.

(Look at me, I can do this. I’m better than you —–

this arrogance is the most remote from the Buddhist’s mind.)

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This episode clearly showed the essence of the Buddhism,

hence it become clear, how unfortunate the followers

of especially Zen Buddhism today.  = Knowing that

the Zen is to get Mushin etc. brah brah, it is 

completely opposite to get Mushin, let alone Zen.

If the one has a conscious of “I’m in Mushin”, it is not

Mushin at all.   It is the same to tell “I’m doing the sitting

in silence” (—– If so, shut up.   Just sit ! :-D)

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To master the Zen, you may need to be thrown into a

situation, where you were forced to do something utterly

boring repeating work (as a volunteer ?)

—– after you became able to do the work almost like an

automatic machine (while knowing, it’s useless to complain)

—– then need to realize “Aha, this the Selfless state

of Mushin” ! = So, it is even better if it looks most unlikely

set-up to do Zen, which would prevent to hold any pretence.

(In my case, it has happened while I was working in a

mountain shelter, cutting log, and in Disco dancing. 😀

= I was lucky, similar to Huineng who was placed to work

in the kitchen of the Monastery.)

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—– In fact, sitting in a temple to learn Zen is the worst

setting to learn, since such conscious of

“I‘m doing Zen” prevent the person to get rid of

such notion and the thinking.

It’s exactly the same irony = try to get cured in a hospital

where all sorts of infectious germs, viruses has been

brought in and more concentrated than anywhere else.  😀

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—– And in the same context, what I’m writing here

could be quite harmful to a novice, as I’m revealing the

trade secret,  while analysing mechanism of

the psyche in the Zen, utterly contrary to

Lord Buddha’s silent smile, aforesaid —– still, this

may be help the people who is studying psychology.

= So, it may need to put a health warning.

“Experienced Adult only” 😀 )

But this is what this Blog is, using my own mind as

a guinea-pig to figure-out what the Zen is. !

(Try to see Zen, objectively is not in Ichijo in Zen,

therefore the most remote from own Enlightenment.)

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(And that was why master Kogetsu damned me, that I

can get no Enlightenment ! — but, What’s wrong ? 😀

Get an enlightenment may help mere one person,

but to those millions of the people, who has been

mislead by a mixed-up-Buddhism, to open their eyes

could be a crucial matter.

and that must be the will of

Lord Buddha and the Dharma.)

___/\___

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PS :  Friend asked me at once “So, is it useless and

hopeless to attempt to learn ZEN at all now ?”  

“Not at all. Don’t try ZEN but just clean your

room or kitchen.  🙂

Make it perfectly clean and do it everyday”

And read this post.(link)

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Reverse Engineering of ZEN

As I often wrote before, my approach to Zen Buddhism is a

way of reverse-engineering = disassembling a product to

analyse the structure and components etc. to find the reason

why it was designed in such a way, for what purpose and for

what advantage.

Then able to see even a philosophy behind of it.

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In a case of Zen, to see what sort of practice in such as

Tea-making or Martial-art etc. which were well known to be

a part of Zen culture, and see what is the common factor and

common philosophy, how they are related to Zen teachings.

—– from those observation, it was

easy to see that the key-word was the [Mushin], and

to attain, it was achieved by the years of repeated practice.

—– But, what repeated practice to do with [Mushin] ?

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For me, it took many years of search until I connected it to

the neurological phenomenon, which is the threshold of the

perception rose against the same repeated signal, and

become immune to it.

It was almost an Eureka moment to me. —– With this,

how the emotional tension decay after while, or how we get

used and overcome a fear, even become apathetic, all became

clear and able to make straight connection to the Zen.

Then, I realized that this is the reason why all the Buddhism

sects are using the endless repeating practice as a part of their

teachings.  (whether chanting the same or banging the drum,

walking round and round etc etc —–

Lord Buddha said to have used the way of breathing as a practice)

—– All for getting the state of [Mushin]. —– And I realized

that the continuous action such as cutting the log in a mountain

shelter, or even Disco-dancing which automatically reflect to each

element of music I did, had in deed having had the same effects.

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Mushin is not only to abandon the thinking process

but more importantly, it disconnects perception 

(coming signal) to the emotion. = This is exactly what

Buddhism says [Detachment] which is behind the

[8 Right path]. (I wouldn’t presume that, it included a

Disco-dancing though. 😀 )

And as a neurological fact, detached emotion cause a

detachment even from a conscious of Self and the own belongings.

= Detachment from primordial Instincts, Ego and

Greed, is exactly the State of [Selflessness] and not 

attached to any fixed tendency is the [Middle-way] = 

Hence, all the peculiar phenomena in the Buddhism became clear.

(In fact, all those [Mushin], [Selflessness], [Middle-way] even

[Mindfulness] are all created by the [Detachment] of the nerve

signal from the Emotion = actually they are the same one

phenomenon, but named it seeing from different angles.)

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As all those phenomena was the core of

the Buddhism teachings, it’s mean,

Lord Buddha did know all those mechanism in our mind

though, to trace back all those to his teachings in the scripture

is not straight forward, such as metaphor and his real wording

may not been correctly recorded and translated.

—– A description in the Vimalakirti Sutra “If you have a mind

that you are giving, it is not true giving” or in a typical

Mahayana expression “Giving as not-giving is the giving” are

in fact all meant “Giving in Mushin or in Selflessness”

(without conscious of action).

—– All the religion require the active mind-set, “Complete

attachment to the Belief which was written” but only the

Buddhism teaches [Detachment] = this is the very

distinctive point though, to describe something

which is not there = [Empty mind] is very difficult.

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The trouble of the Buddhism is, virtually no reliable written

record exists.   It’s a pile of hearsay after 10^th, 100^th of Chinese

whisper.  🙂   And seemingly, the person, good in writing may

not be the person who actually reached Mushin or Selflessness

— otherwise such as Abidharma-kosa was never been written.

And on top of this, even though the matter is all in the depth

of murky subconsciousness, there was no understanding of

psychology neither a notion or word to describe was existed then.

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In such an environment, to pretend to be a Master and boast,

creating yet another Mantras was very easy, but to disprove

it was difficult. = all came down to the political power game of

the sects. Winner takes all and justify their righteousness,

regardless of its authenticity —– hence, created utter

mixed-up-Buddhism (in fact, it was a Tantra mixed Hinduism

with some idea from the Buddhism)

for a sake of populism and a commercial success. =

(It’s easier to sell, “This God would save you” than “Need to

know, Suffering is not exists” —– after a death nobody ever

came back to complain “God wasn’t there”= So, its sale’s point

has never been disproved and able to keep assume that the

dead are in Heaven. 😀 )

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Obviously, it is necessary to re-examine and to see what was

the original teachings, even though it might be yet another

guess work. —– Still, my approach, which is based on the

neurological mechanism, can explain all the Buddhism

phenomena. —– If not what else could explain it ?

(Leaving the matter to mythical unknown power and

its blessing ? —– Joking !  We are in the 21^st century ! )

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This neurological, psychological response is common to

all human being (hence it was described that everybody

born with it) it is applicable to anybody and many area of

human activities. (In fact it has been used a lot.)

And it will prove that the Buddhism has a tangible substance.

(unlike any other religion, which is based on a fantasy which

is only exists if it was believed) —– As the Buddhism is based

on the tangible substance, not on the imagination or belief,

it was often classified as a philosophy not a religion.

___/\___

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Flow-Chart of Buddhism Teachings

Flow-Chart or the Steps in the Pathway

1) Do anything which has a fixed pattern.

2) By doing it repeatedly, 100s, 1000s even million times =

3) Because the nerve signal dealing with its action has

the same pattern, our Perception and Emotion’s threshold

level rose, hence the significance of the signal will be

lost and disregarded.

4) As the action has been repeated, its pattern will be

programmed into Motor-region of the brain and the action

become automatic routine.

5) As the effects of 3) and 4), the action can be carried-out

without thinking, even out of one’s conscious.

6) In the same time of 5), the one doing the action without

one’s conscious mean, it is in the Selfless state of the mind.

7) Once the one is in its Selfless state, the things become

distant objects as if it is somebody-else’s matter, =

Detachment = the one’s Ego or Greed wouldn’t be triggered.

8) To apply the same state of mind to other aspects of the

life, the one can see everything in distance = objectively

= Clear eyes.    (Gradually, the one acquire this, and once

mastered, it become free to control, if detached or not,

or which one to concentrate or ignore.)

9) And the one can see even the Self detached, objectively,

as if it is one of public, the social action start to follow

common-sense, not self-centred. (Centring self isn’t there) 

10) And able to act or help others without Ego and do the

things as much as possible. (Strangely, we instinctively do

it better ! Even if it is not in competition with others and

even to useless things, it’s mean, it’s not for Ego or Greed.

—– Fundamental Pleasure ? 🙂 )

11) From those aspects, it is rational to conclude, Ego itself

is not one’s imperative, so is the Self. = Self is not naturally 

exists but a product of one’s imagination or thinking.

12) Without having the Self, Ego and Greed which tend to

creates trouble and discontent = could any suffering be left ?

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It must be clear from this chart, all the process is pretty

natural as it follows the natural mechanism inherent to

our brain which is common to anybody, so that

Lord Buddha concluded that the Dharma which

rules us is Selfless and as it is common to anybody,

in other words, all of us has it within and Selfless.

— And it become clear, the so-called Rules of “Do this and

Don’t Do that” had been written by the person who hadn’t

actually done the practice to reach Selfless state by himself

hence, didn’t have a knowledge how the human mind

naturally works. (Real selfless person need no instruction,

nor such instruction would stay in the mind.  😀 )

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It must be clear. —– Is there any argument ?

___/\___

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PS : Though, in addition to this Chart, applying the context

of “denial” not only to the Self and suffering life, but to the

“Idea of Denial” itself, therefore, instead of being enlightened,

“being suffering” seems to be more natural = and this idea

became the stance of Mahayana Buddhism. —– Hence, Zen

says “To see NO enlightenment is the Enlightenment”

= (Anyway, no Self, what’s the matter ! )

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Tablet ZEN

Last night there was an essay read by a philosopher Julian Benjamin

on BBC Radio 3.   In it, he talked about how our attitude had changed

during the rapid advancement of the technology.

And he typified it in the situation to use a gadget such as a Tablet

saying “Matter of Familiarity taken over the Understanding

or Comprehension” —– we may no longer able to understand

how those quantum theory is working behind the electronics and

its design neither need to be, but have to become familiar

with its touch-pad operation and each function.

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He found an interesting talking point though, his thought didn’t

go deep enough that in fact the situation has been always the

same even in the time of our ancestor, Hunter Gatherer’s day.

I don’t think even a good archer did know a theory of

Aerodynamics or effect of air resistance etc yet, as long as familiar

with the use of Bow and Arrow, he could have a good hunting.

= And that was what THE matter for them.

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You believe or not, this is exactly the point what

Lord Buddha taught, hence this is the Zen Buddhism.

Even though some of the people loves and attached to their gadget,

say a Tablet so much, and using it all day long for everything, still,

funny to say, virtually all of them are completely detached from

the questions of what this Tablet is and why such thing exists.

They accepted it almost granted as a part of their life.

—– Except the programmer working for App design, very few of us

know the code of its OS, even fewer people know it in the hardware

level, let alone the theory behind of all those micro electronics.

Instead, we just accept it, as it is and just concentrating practical

aspect and try maximise smooth operation and the efficiency,

in order to have own life fulfilled.

To be a master of Tablet, we needed to become a machine 

to operate it. = even finger moves automatic,

without conscious !

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As I said, this is not a Tablet phenomenon, but derived

from our inherent processing system in the brain ! =

This is the System to maximise the efficiency of our life.

—– The way to extend and apply this Operating System

to all aspect of the Life, was what

Lord Buddha taught as the Buddhism.

—– (Bemused ? !    Just open your eyes and see it.  😀 )

___/\___ 

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Huineng vs Shenxui — Poetry Contest

Provably the most well known Zen story was a contest to became

6^th Patriarch of the Zen.

For the contest, the most respected top monk in the monastery,

Shenxui wrote a poem as the answer to the 5^th Patriarch, Hongren

who request to show the Zen mind,

“Mind is like a mirror, I polish the mirror diligently for

no dust to settle on it”

When an illiterate low-rank monk Huineng who has been working

in the kitchen of the temple heard this, he asked friend monk to

write his poem contesting Shenxui’s,

“Since Mirror is not exists in the first place,

where dust could settle”

Hongren saw Huineng has much deeper understanding of Zen,

he chose Huineng for his successor.

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This story showed what all about the Zen and its pathway

in amazing clarity.

Shenxui was a well educated, well learned monk, hence he must

have read hundreds of scriptures and understood the attitude to be

a good Buddhist. (in this extent, his answer / poem was quite

appropriate and correct though, it was more like a posture of

Theravada monk, still on the way to the enlightenment, in other

words, he hadn’t broken the barrier, or gone to the other side yet. )

In contrast, Huineng had showed exactly what the notion

of Void in Zen Buddhism.

— How Huineng could get this, while working in the kitchen.

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As a son of peasant, Huineng had no education and illiterate hence,

he had no chance to read and study Buddhism other than just pick

up the words, what other monks were talking about.

Anyway, he had to work every day as a casual labourer in the temple,

still, those every day’s continuous repeating work gave him to gain

the essential mind-set to be a Zen Buddhist = Unconditionally

accepting (humble) to be a lowest working monk, hence there

couldn’t be any possibility left to have desire or even an Ego.

And as day by day, the same work continues, the mind

became empty = just the hand repeating the work.

Yet still, by keeping eyes clear, he could see the crux of human

existence = how the Life exists = what the World and the Dharma is.

And he was able to make the straight connection of his state of mind

and the observation, to each notion.   In effect, he had mastered the

Zen in DIY.   Zen doesn’t need to be literate but to have clear eyes to

see inside and outside, with the direction of few key-word.

(This straight connection is behind of

“Sudden Enlightenment” and the “Direct Transmission” )

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And this observation lead me to see an amazing parallel in

the history of Buddhism.

Founder of Zen, Master Bodhi Dharma had to establish the way

of Zen in DIY, as there was no text book exist then, even worse in

foreign country. And the situation was more or less the same, when

Lord Buddha started his own teachings = NO Buddhism

textbook at all, of cause, let alone whether even Vada was

available to the public in written form. 😀

Shen[]

But this is what the Buddhism is.

Since, it is the matter of one’s mind-set and the programming of

one’s subconscious = the one has to do it by oneself.

It is literally Do It Yourself / DIY = A book might give a hint, still

the one has to DO the work (practice with good insight) =

Book wouldn’t do the work on behalf. 😀

(Put Buddhist book in a memory of “Automatic Voice Generator”

and make voice out-put of script, wouldn’t make

the Machine enlightened — very fancy though. 😀 )

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—– Whether the stories (given in the Platform Sutra) has true

historical fact or not, to make the story in this way itself, was the

reflection of their understanding then = and expressing

supremacy over other sect of “Just reading scripture and sitting”

Illiterate Huineng was THE very typical sample in Zen.

___/\___

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PS :   Still, there are many questions left.   Zen understanding could

be gained without words, since it is not knowledge based intellectual

understanding but to customising the perception and behavioural

pattern in the subconscious level though, whether to compose

a stanza without having enough knowledge of lexical pattern is

possible or not ?   And the script telling the story, “Platform Sutra”

was written long after with a lots of diviating history.

—– Yet the fact is, the mummified body of Huineng has been kept

in the monastery till today and still sitting there !

(you can see the photo by Googling it) —– If he was not such a

great Master in real life, no such things could ever have happened.

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Line-Drawing = Precursor to Wire Figure

Somebody asked me how I got the first imagination to create

a Wire Figure like “St. Lucia”.

In fact there is a Spanish painting (by Zulbaran ?) of a woman who was hit

by the Good’s revelation.  The design or her posture was after this painting.

But to make it as a wire figure there was a long accumulation of practice to

configure human body into simple contour lines.

(It was not came from Manga drawings)  😀

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Those line-Drawings were created around 1993, soon after my court case

for which I had to sell most of my professional cameras and lenses =

it’s mean I became out of business.  (I fought this case up to the Court of

Appeal without lawyer, since I didn’t know I could get Legal Aide and

didn’t need to sell livelihood. = demerit of  DIY.  Ha ha ha.   🙂 )

Out of business mean I got plenty time but not much money.  

So, I did quite a lots of drawings which costs virtually nothing.

But before this, there was an interesting discussion with

other photographers

“How we can figure out dark faint image or just a contour to

particular object ?”

“How do we know a curved one line to such as woman’s front

body or back ?”

“Is it a pattern recognition or intuitive creativity

to make-up an image ?”

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—– so, I experimented to draw the line, simplified to the limit,

no longer recognizable to any meaningful figure.  

Or figured out the minimum, still able to convey the meaning.

And found that the same line could be seen in the different meaning

or can be seen as other part of the figure.

—– strange discovery was that even if it is utterly illogical,

as long as it contain the recognizable parts, our brain

accepts it as what we normally understand as a pattern.

May be because our brain is not necessary seeing the things

(or drawing) as it is, but reconfigure it as we understand.  

Our thinking or even first-hand perception is never free

but always “Wishful” !

= We see the things as what we wants to see.

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So, the drawing above center, [Two headed woman] = our brain

accepts it as “One woman is facing front with her left hand swing back

and other woman stretching her right hand front” =

our brain never reject it all together with a reason of its 

irrationality,  but try to process each woman independently.  

Because, we are not familiar with two headed woman, the brain

ignore the conflict and stick to see it is two different woman

just happen to be in the same place, while try to think,

“She twisted her front body completely backward”.

—– So, it is a joint operation of our eyes and the brain =

the eye’s detailed vision is only the centre of our vision, about 20 degree

and the peripheral area is rather vague. = very similar phenomenon to 

selectively listen the voice among the other noise.   

(Please test it yourself  🙂 )

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The drawing right was my challenge (in the matter of imagination,

not a drawing or painting skill :-)) to Bosch who showed surrealistic

image in the hell, still never go to this kind of illogical confusion. 😀

—– Even Dalli couldn’t go beyond a crèche.

(May be from a religious restriction, God’s creation shouldn’t have

such freak.) If you see only a part of this drawing while hiding the rest,

your eyes accepts the image. —– One line could be a line of the hand

but it is also the line of the thigh etc.

Our brain ignore the part which is not taking part to configure one

image. ( —– And this is  what all about the Rorschach Inkblot Test =

pick up the pattern in a part, and make up familiar  image in the brain.)

= this function creates a monster from a vague image of a tree

in the woods. = we only pick-up the element which is enough to

configure monster and disregards the rests so, we see a monster.  

Seeing is believing — is it ?

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Some of you might see the top drawing as a kind of Hindu Goddess,

hence may be accept this image straight.   It looks strange though,

if you hide one side, it may not so strange. —– (She supposedly

sitting on a lotus flower though, I have not finished it yet.)

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With those (in fact 300 of ) drawings behind, to conceive and

configure the wire figure was not far away.  

And to draw 300 drawings in the same approach, it has to

get somewhere. = Zen would say

“Even rain drops can curve a rock ” 🙂

—– Drawing was done and each line was adjusted by way of copying

it on the light-box again and again until it become perfect (well, sort of)

so that those 300 are not 300 different images but lots of slightly

different same pictures.  = It was a process of step by step Kaizen.

If I were a real master of drawing, I could have done perfect drawing

straight though I wasn’t, I had to take slower process.

— May be draw a perfect circle looks much more like a Zen Master

though, I needed to know human perception, not a holy pretence. 🙂

And this approach gave me an opportunity to analyze how

we feel different if the line was slightly different or

the same line could be seen in different context. 

So, it was really interesting and a fun. 😀

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WHAT to Eat and HOW to Eat

I spent most of my youth in the mountain (rest of the school time).

Especially in a mountain shelter as a voluntary keeper (小屋番)

—– in a hind sight, I was very lucky to have this kind of life as it has shaped my

life-style and its backbone = and made me physically and mentally indestructible.

(save some cuts and bruises. 🙂 )

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Another aspect, what I’ve gained there was the opportunity to deal and observe

literally ten of the thousands of people, often in the condition of their limit.

When people face their limit, it expose the core of their disposition in harshest way.

Some are become utterly an animal of Ego and Self-preservation.   Some were

completely lost.    Still some can maintain the human spirit and the wit.

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An interesting observation we made was the eating habit of the people,

and a kind of consensus among us was that the people who are not

eating enough good food in their daily life, tend to make a complaint. 🙂

The shelter situated 2300m high in the mountain where the water boils 85 degree

centigrade.  Naturally the boiled rice is far from ideal or might say only edible.

Hence, the person who complained about it never had own experience to cook the rice

in such high mountain.    And the others complained the poor ingredient such as not

much meat in the Cary-rice is rather poor looking, gray-skinned person.

In contrast, a person who just eat contented was always having good skin-tone and

well-fed, healthy looks type and often high in social scale.  🙂

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Because of eating is the most fundamental element to form ourselves,

WHAT to Eat determine who you are.    And it reflects one’s back ground of

up-bringing (cultural and family, more than a personal preference).

But HOW to eat, reflect the personal disposition.   (In the same family,

same food still, each one eat their own way — one might eat rather messy and so on)

Therefore, to observe HOW the person eat, we can see what this person is,

and what sort of mind-set the person possess.

Eating messy with chewing noise is the worst.   Waste the food is a disrespect to the

food producer and the whole nature who provided the food for us, and the life itself.

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What you can eat is also restricted by the situation.

To understand the situation and environment of the mountain shelter, where all

the materials were brought up by the shoulder of the volunteer keeper, no wonder

it is far from ideal hence easy to complain, yet still, some are just accept what

was offered, and eat contented. — This mind-set shapes the person’s whole life.

As eating is the basis of the life, it is parallel to the life, numerous phrase, metaphor

using the food, such as “Eat humble pie” “Cold turkey” “Scrape the life” etc etc. =

HOW you eat is synonym of HOW you live.

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And what you were given on a dish has exactly the same meaning as what

you were given on your life.   You may complain, or you may eat it contented

= result is to end up grey-skinned frustrated man or positive man with nice shiny-skin.

—– A funny joke I heard before said “Have you ever seen healthy looking

staff in a [Health Food Shop] ?” the people fussing about the food too much,

such mind-set = a delusion makes the person even more unhealthy. 😀

(I wouldn’t imply junk-food obesity has nicer shiny-skin.

It’s need to be judged by seeing whole body. 😀 )

—– Don’t fooled by a buzz-word “Hungly-Spirit” —– Its meaning is not

just ASKING more.    Now the Millionaire Richard Branson had eaten a

poor meal yet in full in each moment, while building up his business.

That is where very energy came from.

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A Buddhist’s term “Live in its moment” mean, when you were given even

meager meal, “The food on front” is the food you have to eat in full.

Take it and swallow it as there is nothing else, which could be the last food in the whole

planet.    You will not have any another choice, another Life.

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So, all of us, the volunteers had witnessed and learned, a man who couldn’t eat even a

meager food contented, wouldn’t reach any better food all through the life, as the

self-centered Ego is just stacked in the mind.

Under one’s Ego and Greed, any food is not good enough.

Don’t waste the time for complaining.   The time is limited.

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But if you cook, it is a totally different story.    Don’t cook bad meal.

Spend the same time and the cost, it could be a good meal but could be bad meal too.

Cook bad meal is the waste of the food material and the time.

Even worse, it may not give you enough energy and the health.

—– So, be mindful, when you eat, or cook. =

It lead you to have mindful, fulfilling LIFE.

___/\___

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Japanese Multi-function Knife / 十徳ナイフ

This is one of my longest serving mountain tool, multi-Function Knife.

Japanese name, Jyuttoku Knife (十徳ナイフ) literally mean 10 function Knife

though, most of this kind were having 4~6 functions.    (Otherwise it become too big to use comfortably.

= While using one function, rest of 9 tools of bulk and dead weight are still in the hand. 🙂 )

So that, I never seen the one which got 10 or more functions ever.

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You must be familiar with well known Swiss Army Knife though, they only started to come

to Japan after 60s.    Before it, Multi-Function Knife in Japan meant this type, and as far as

I know it was designed soon after great war and said to be one of the clever export item to

American in 50~60s. —– Before electronic goods or car, this kind of cheap cottage industry

products were the export items from Japan.   (And must have item for mountain life though,

I’m not sure they are still sold in Japan now.)

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I bought this knife when I joined my Hi-school Alpine Club.

Since then, this knife has been always with me in the field or in the mountain.

Not only that, this knife is in daily use as well in my kitchen as a small-knife and a can-opener.

In fact this is the only can-opener I ever had in my life. 🙂    As this one works perfect and

I’m quite contented, I didn’t need to buy anything more.

—– So, I would say, I’m a humble minimalist.  😀

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When western friend saw this, all of them said

“Why knife and fork are in the same hand ?  :-)”

“It’s a western view. Sir” “We don’t eat a steak on a plate in the mountain” 😀

—– Some of the people may chose a life in an ideal settings while possessing ideal goods

though, it’s their life.  I don’t care others, neither I would brandish Buddhist’s Dogma kind,

and never say use the same can-opener 50 years is anything to do with Zen,

but to say this is my life.

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Some of you might think, the one’s confidence is proportional to the amount

what the one can spend.    It’s utterly wrong.  

Spend nothing is also from one’s confidence.

Life is not what you can buy and possess but what you are doing and have done.

___/\___

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