MEANING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

body movement and has no meaning at all.

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

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

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

There is no meaning.  = But Just Do It.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Only dealing with this, is what called Mindfulness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

( Disciples were expected to have fully understood those teachings )

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

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

___/\___

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Creative Zen Mind

What can you see in the photo ?

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

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

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

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

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

necessary be a rubbish = They are the stereotypical preconceptions =

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

an arrow- head out of a stone.

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

———- Did you get it ?   😀

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

only in the mind ? = good question 😀

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

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

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

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

an invisible = it can be a Truth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the person is facing up front.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

___/\___

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Zen Practice on the Desk

If you think, that the Zen is to twist the leg, you are wrong, it is just a posture.

The matter is in the mind = how to vacate the thinking and to get a state of the Mushin is

what the Zen mean.

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This is the easiest practice to gain a state of the [ Mind of No-Mind / Mushin ]  instantly.

Yes, instant, just by closing your eyes (even only a second = as the trigger of the Mind-set)

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If you are sitting on front of a desk to write anything, —— Close your eyes, and pick-up your pen

and put the pen on the paper where you are going to start writing.

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To do this, you have to fix the position of the pen (or what ever) on the desk, always exactly the

same place. And sit on the chair exactly the same position facing the desk in the same distance.

—– Sit on front of the desk. Take one deep breath and look at the blank paper on the desk.

Memorize the picture and close your eyes.

While visualizing the picture in your mind, put your hand straight to the pen and pick it up and

put the point of the pen on the starting line of the paper.

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Try this as many times until you can do this as smooth as possible with natural flow of the movement. Just do it.

On the beginning your finger may reach to a bit away and needed to wobble a bit to touch the pen.

But, soon or later your fingers would come to the exact position you should grip the pen.

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Every time when you sit before the desk, do this = and make this to a habit.

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Soon, you will be realized, when ever sit to the desk and take deep breath, your mind is focused

to the paper and the pen = nothing else is in your sight, and when you closed eyes, the picture

you are visualizing is the paper and the pen, nothing else.

In Zen term, this is called Mindfulness = nothing else is in your mind.

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As the practice became routine, you become able to do this automatic like a well tuned machine.

It’s mean, you become able to do all the body movement without having any thought.

In Zen term, this is called Mushin.

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This practice can be improvised to a key-board. To type a word such as [calm] if you like in Italic.

And if you like type it in the center of the screen while the eyes closed. (You may become an expert

of the timing, how long the Space-bar should be pressed down. 😀 )

Or you can do this with your Smart phone or Tablet kind.

How to access one particular program while eyes closed.

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Once you mastered this practice, take deep breath and close the eyes will lead your mind to focus

and able to eliminate any thought.  Hence, just think this practice would soon become

enough to bring your state of mind to the Mushin = deadly calmness.

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It may not looks like a mythical Zen practice though, Zen is not a pretense, but able to get

the mind-set of Mushin is the matter.

And what you need is just do this. (Further readings are in a Category [ Lemon Zen ]

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Mushin / Peace of Mind – How To ?

In the past week or two, I’ve been heavily involved in talking to people who have trouble in mind.

(Hence, nothing new has been posted in this blog – I’m not by profession an agony-aunt.

I can’t mass-produce crap advice = one subject at a time = that’s as much as mindfulness can handle.)

(Total cop-out!)

One person beautifully described having a sort of escape-walk in the woods

and watching the flow of water in a small river.   She said, that this solitude seemed to

be only her escape = but, she knew of course that she had to go back to the mess of her life

disturbed by an agonizing regret.

Mmm ? ? ?

What a shame. The kind of the advice which so-called psychiatrists are giving nowadays would recommend

regressing to the source of the person’s trouble, hence re-experiencing the agony again and again.

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Unlike these so-called psychiatrists, Buddhism has been handling the matters of the mind for

thousands of years, so it is clear to Buddhist eyes that the solitude which this

woman found was, in fact nothing but the state of No-Mind = Mushin in the Zen term.

Unless this particular person was a botanist, knowledgeable as to the name of every plant, there wasn’t

much for her to think about in the woods and hence her environment out there was just an environment,

nothing more.   And the flow of the river with its faint song would have no meaning for her = outside of

any intellectual brain activity.

Let’s suppose this woodland had been visited many times by her = so that there was no new stimulation,

nothing to cause an alert of any kind.

If this had been the case this person could have had complete peace of mind in solitude without

any thinking-processes. Expecting nothing.  Projecting nothing. 

Her mind absolutely open, completely remote from any thought-disturbances.

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Well, as she had already found the state of No-Mind / Mushin, I advised her to follow a particular practice,

to just lightly shake her head, and at the same-time, visualize the scene of the woods with

the running water. 

And I instructed her that when she did this, her mind would become empty, distant from all useless thought.

Afterwards, when the simple practice was over, she could then start to do what ever she needed to do,

the work, the daily chores, even sitting on a toilet. 

And in daily life,  she should do this like a ritual, when ever she saw a sign of bad thoughts coming-up.

Shaking or wobbling the head once, visualizing the running water and emptying the mind does

actually work.  This is the right process to get rid of trouble-in-mind.
Following this advice, I sent her a few emails explaining how our mind works, describing the structure of the

brain etc etc = rather boring stuff = to make her fed-up of dealing with Mind-matter

and just concentrate on the work = Life.

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Just a week later, I received an email in which she explained that she was now free from useless thoughts,

or more precisely, she was fed-up with being bothered by such thoughts.

She felt that now she could just get on with her work; she has no time to waste on useless thoughts.

(Well done! )

This is a sample to apply state of Zen Mushin to the dairy life.  (and get rid of the useless thoughts)

Any practice by which a person can experience the Mushin, can be connected to this sample and

this was the reason why I’ve been writing about such as Lemon Zen, Walking Zen etc etc.

Like in this case, visualization and to shake the head was a trigger to go-into the state of Mushin

= conditioning of the mind.   Once this practice became a routine in the brain, actual action to

shake the head can be minimal (invisible).

In the Lord Buddha’s story, a woman called Kisa Gotami said to have achieved this, in one day.

Still, this person achieved this in one week ( plus priory walking in the woods) wasn’t too bad.

This person may not become knowledgeable to  Buddhism stories and its spiritual artifacts though,

what she needed was to get on her life without the disturbing thoughts = peace of mind.

___/\___

Note :  The photo = Magnolia Grandifloria —– from Wikimedia

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Aluminium-Panel Sculptures / Suppon-pon and O-Shiri

Even though many people still looking for the Dragon image, I rather like to put much more

warm-blooded human-like figure of which I just found an old photo of them when they were made.

( In fact, I’m getting bored with the Dragon images which has been requested by the readers. 😀 )

If you object its part of anatomies = it’s a sign of your mind has been stacked with it = it’s all

in your mind = relax, take easy and have a fun-loving mind, instead.   After all, it’s just a dented

aluminium panel, isn’t it ? —– Nothing more than that, and harmless.    Ha ha ha.  😀

In fact, Full-frontal figure named [Suppon-pon] (after Japanese slang) above was a challenge, how

simple drink can sculpture can be made realistic figure,  and the right, named [O-shiri] was made as

a kinetic sculpture which wobbles its bottom with motorized mechanism, though within a day, its metal

cracked and broken = it needs to be made by the good spring steel with a proper heat process.

Because, the matter in the Zen is, a Zen practice on practice ! —– Let’s Just Do It !

How Zen it is, you will see.  (and see the fun)

I’ve been telling the people, who asked me how those aluminium figures were made = I made them

by just pressing a thin metal, like Shiatsu. ( but, quite laborious endless pressing =

hence, it was a Zen practice ! ) as you can see the photos above, they were just a drink can.

Simply, if a thin metal was pressed, metal will be bent = to cut and bend the metal piece to a shape

wanted is, what all about the aluminium panel sculpture.

If you like to make it as a nude figure, make its shape as a nude figure, as simple as that.

So, when you got flat metal out of drink can, place it on a half soft surface and press it with something

round tipped stick or your finger = you can have  the effect. ( = here, you will see the result of

pressure = how unmistakably correct,  the Buddhism teachings are.   😀 😀 )

If the base was too soft, metal may not be bent but just sink all together. You need to try and find the

best suited material = I found, a cork place-mat has right softness. (and a Telephone book as well !)

The size of a round tipped stick to push the metal panel may need to have several different sizes

—– here the photo of the use of the tool I’ve improvised and made for this purpose.

Observe and use your common-sense and try and try again.  The solution can only be found by doing.

Thinking makes no result, but only the action does.   And only the result counts.

If the resulting shape was not what you wanted = make it from the scratch again (and again).

If you run-out of a can, you don’t need to drink another beer = look around the street, you will find

another can  (can be tons of them.   😀 )

(Obviously, this practice (Art ?) cost nothing = Zen and Spirituality is absolutely incompatible with money)

The more you try, the result you get will be the better.  Don’t be impatient.  And keep doing.

Just sweep the garden, Churi-pantak (Shuri-bantoku) needed 10 years of practice to get it perfect.

In fact, behind of my pieces (as the best so far, in the photo) I’ve made many failures which I’m not

showing to you. 😀 —– It was just a process to get it right = might be called as a Pathway.

To get the best out of one’s life is what the Buddhism was intended for, 

not for sitting idol and talking empty mambo-jumbo.

The tools had its own history of the evolution = from a round bottom of Fizzy drink CO2 Gas bomb

to a Bearing’s ball mounted shaft (for smoother fine movement).   And, the roller disks which would

make furrow or smooth curved line.  Utilize anything with the creative approach.

The better designed tool would give easier work and the better result.

—– Of cause, I know you would say “What all those fuss for ?”— nothing.    What’s wrong ?

Do you think, Do I needed to have a purpose,  such as to become famous and rich with those works ?

Oh, c’mon.  Don’t be greedy.  It’s just a beer can. = Utterly useless things.    ( Priceless ?  😀  )

I wouldn’t ask another technician to make Diamond studded Skull for greedy money-making scheme =

In here, to make it or its effort itself was the purpose.  Therefore, I’m making

everything myself, for myself.  = (Selfish ? —– I don’t think so.  I’m just dealing with this piece, which

is nothing to do with anybody else.  I was just seeing this piece of metal getting its own shape. = work for

something purposeless  for the sake of its own sake, is nothing but the selfless act = Act for act.

So, this is my Zen.   ( If you couldn’t understand why this is the Zen, think why

Master Boddhi Dharma opened Shaolin-Temple using martial art as a teaching tool,

and why the Tea-making is a Zen. —– Convinced  ? )

___/\___

—

Cooking Adzuki-beans and Make Oshiruko お汁粉

The culture of growing and eating beans in Japan was originated from China, such as

Soya-bean and its derivatives/ Soy-source, Soyabean-paste, include Aduki-beans.

Unlike western and some African cultures, eastern people doesn’t eat beans as their staple food and most

of the case, cook them as a kind of sweets or its basis.

(Inside of famous Chinese Moon Cake, you can see the heavy Adzuki-bean paste mixed with Walnut and the oil

which makes it even heavier or richer = to celebrate, the taste richer the better for them to feel rich  :-D)

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Many years ago, at the party held by Thai students, I cooked (supposedly) Japanese Sweet Dish of Oshiruko,

then Thais pointed out “Hey Yoshi, this is not Japanese, it’s our cooking”.

So that, when I visited their country I realized that almost identical cooking called in Chinese name,

Hon Tao Shui (紅豆水) was served every tea house, even a street corner which the Red-bean or Adzuki-beans

was cooked and made sweet soup with Rice-powder dumplings in (and often, some  ice-cube as well = which

we call [Koori-Adzuki] in Japan) And I noticed, the situation is the same wherever the Chinese people lives.

I guess, a lots of western people encountered a Japanese sweet [Yokan], Adzuki-bean Cake with rather revolting

feelings “Yack, What’s this”(since, westerners never expected to eat the bean other than in a savory taste =

same situation of easterners tasted a Green Tea or the Rice with added sugar) 😀

Not necessary in China, but in Japan, adzuki-bean is regarded to be an auspicious food, because of its

red color, especially when it was cooked with a combination of white, such as rice or rice-cake.

Hence, any festive occasions, Japanese cook [Sekihan]赤飯 (Red-colored rice = Glutinous rice with

Adzuki-beans) and [Oshiruko] = (Rice-cake in Adzuki-bean soup) simply because its got red and white  🙂

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Because of this, Japanese adzuki-bean got festive value.   It’s carry 3x more price, but pretty high quality.

—– though,  bean is the bean, it is more or less the same as ubiquitous Cowpeas  (top photo).

To make [Sekihan] it’s better to use Japanese bean but,  make Oshiruko can be done with poor-man’s choice.

To make Oshiruko for 4~5 people use 1.5 cup of bean and put it into 7” big pan, start with 2 cups of water

to boil. (Only a shortcoming to use cheap bean is, they got many stones and insect infested bean = you need to

sort them out, before start cooking)

And when the pan started to boil, drain the water and flush the bean with fresh water to clean it.  🙂

Then real cooking start with 4 cups of water. —–> While boiling, the water will disappear.

So, you have to put more water. ( You need to top-up the water 3~4 times and the bean increase the bulk 3 times

or more = till here you may need to boil 3~4 hours ! —– or, if you have slow-cooker it might be a better choice

for an overnight cooking)

When the bean was cooked and became soft, then put plenty brown sugar (rather annoying amount of almost 1kg !

—– this is what sweet meant   😀 )

Then, put 1/3 teaspoon of salt = never put too much,  and leave the pan to quietly boil another 1 hour.

And put Rice cake to boil yet another 2~5 minutes. (Rice Cake made out of Glutinous Rice powder in my-way

should be OK to boil longer but, a Japanese Rice Cake [Kiri-Mochi] 切り餅 which was made of  mixture of regular

rice powder, would be melt and disintegrates)

Then Oshiruko is ready to serve.

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—– I don’t think you have eaten up all the sweet Adzuki soup yet (may be another 5 portions still left) =

boil further to reduce it become sticky paste = it became to [Anko] and can be used to make many

other Japanese sweets, such as [An-Mochi], [Mizu-Yokan]

—– put this [Anko] onto a piece of bread ! = it’s not too bad.   😀

Heavy [Anko-paste] can last a week in a fridge, or it can be frozen for next time, if not till next New Year.  😀

—– So, I’ll put another post to make those [An-Mochi], [Mizu-Yokan] etc. near future.

Enjoy your sweet teeth 😀

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Japanese New Year’s Cooking = Ozoni

In Japanese New Year, eating Ozoni (rice-cake in soup) has almost ceremonial importance.

Though, the meaning of its name Ozoni (お雑煮） is unceremoniously humble = Jumble soup.

As Japanese staple diet is rice, anything else is accompanying dishes and a soup, since the rice got its own

taste, it has to be individually appreciated = it’s mean, put the rice together with something else is looked

down as jumble, such as Zousui (rice in the soup. —– Put a rice into Miso-soup was called Ojiya and this word

was used to describe a things in a mess = even a design which got few contradictory concept together would

be mocked as  “ It’s an Ojiya”   😀 )

So, to put a (or two) rice cake into a soup is Zoni. (put O to Zoni is a bit more polite expression).

To be a Japanese, it is [the must have cooking] though, there is no fixed style, and the

ingredients of the soup vary a lot, region to region and a family to family. —– nobody knows

the reason why, but in the western Japan (Kansai)  Zouni is based on a Miso-soup and the east of Sekiga-hara,

Zoni is the Kanto style, on a Soy-source based clear soup = Smashi-jiru.  (It’s a fun to know, in the

western Japan,  people makes Ozoni with  round shaped Rice Cake (made like a dumplings)   🙂

As I grown up in Tokyo, my style is Kanto-fu, and this is Yoshizen’s adaptation to make it in England  🙂

The ingredients, photo above are, (from the left) ;

*   Dried Shitake Mushroom, from a Chinese food shop. (from Taiwan seems to be the best )

— (Don’t buy so-called fresh Shiitake grown in this country under artificial light = they are tasteless.

— Shiitake got to be grown and dried under the strong sun light = Hence they are very rich in Vitamin D)

*   Dried Kombu (Kelp sea-weed) from a Chinese food shop.

*   Lime fruits. ( Yes, Lime —– substitute of Japanese Yuzu Lemon)

*   Glutinous Rice Powder from a Chinese food shop (Must be Glutinous ! )

*   Mangetout Beans (or can be a bunch of Spinach —– to add a green color  🙂 )

*   Onion (one medium size for 4~5 people)

*   Japanese Soy-sauce (Can not be a Chinese Soy-sauce.  It never be the taste same )

*   Chicken (I’m buying Chicken thigh to cut it into small pieces)

Preparation and cooking for 4~5 people ; ( see the photo above)

*   Make Rice-Cake according to the post [Make Rice Cake in 15 minutes] (Please click here)

— (Hardest part is to take cooked cake out of a plastic container — cover them with potato starch)

*   Quick flush 5 Dried Shitake Mushrooms under running water, then soak them in the 2 cups of water in a small

— pan and heat them ( but not boil —– to soften them.  Keep this water as Dashi !)

*   After well washed, put two of 4 inch square Kombu (Kelp) into 7 inches pan with just enough water to

— boil them once.  Drain the water, then put 2 cups of fresh water into the pan and boil.

*   Take softened Shiitake out and cut each of them to 4~6 strips, then put the warm water which the Shitake has

— been soaked, into the pan where Kombu has been boiled (now the pan got 4 cups of water).

— Boil the Shiitake and Kombu, then put sliced onion too, for another 30 minutes.

*   While Kombu, Shiitake, Onion are boiling, cut the Chicken (2 pieces of thighs) to small pieces and add to the

— boiling pan. If you like thick rich taste, use the skin of chicken as well, otherwise remove the skin.

— (Of cause, it can be done without Chicken or alternatively, use Fried tofu is an idea for a vegetarian.)

— Then boil yet another 10 minutes.

—– As those ingredients acted to make the Soup Dashi as well, the soup is now very tasty.

*   Then put the Soy-sauce according to your taste (in fact a lots,

— may be 100 ml ? = 1/10th ~ 1/15th of the amount of the soup)

*    Put prepared Rice Cake (3×2 inches size)  one for each person

—-and Mange tout Bean, then boil further 3 minutes.

*     Make small cut pieces of Lime skin (see the photo left) and

— sprinkle them into the soup. (10 pieces like photo is enough)

— Then the Ozoni is ready to serve.  🙂

(Everybody must be amazed the tiny amount of the lime skin

Changed the taste so good  !  = this is the Japanese Art of cooking)

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 ( A sort of Health warning )

Never eat Rice Cake in one big chunk —– as they are very chewy and sticky, never attempt to swallow in

big chunk.  It will stuck in your throat (every year tens of the Japanese people died with suffocation)

Otherwise, enjoy an Ozoni  and  have a Happy New Year  🙂

—-

Tiny Comment — How Master Kogetsu got angry

If this is the first time for you to stumble this blog, you might be puzzled

as this blog is the most not Zen like place.

In here, there is no pretentious word game or glorious myth were told.   Especially,

if you have a romanticized idea of Zen as something intellectually hi-class culture,

you will be disappointed.  Zen is not an exclusive special culture nor peculiar practice.

Even so-called Enlightenment, Nirvana is NOT the hard to come-by

awkward commodity.  It is right there sitting next to you.

You just not see it because you believe, it must be the other side of the river, long way

beyond the Pathway, hence looking somewhere wrong place.

Far from it, it is nothing afar.   In this blog, I’m showing how Zen and Enlightenment is

ubiquitous and in fact, right inside of you.

It was not my opinion but simply this is what

Lord Buddha told, therefore what the Zen is.

Zen can be walking, can be cutting a lemon. In deed,

being yourself is the Zen and Enlightenment.

I show it to your eyes,  what I’m doing here.

non

When I faced Master Kogetsu in the Eiheiji Temple and told him that I was a

photographer, what he uttered was “What a hell, why a photographer kind of person

wondering the Zen Temple.  This is exactly the indication of that you couldn’t settle

and be diligent in your own life” “As you are a photographer, do the best photography

and become the best photographer. It is where your life is”. — In return I replied to

him “Wait a moment, why photographer can’t search the truth.   Have look, even

Lord Buddha himself did forsake the life of Royal prince and became a seeker.  Why not me ?”

“What? —– What a preposterous word you got, comparing yourself to

Lord Buddha is unforgivable”  (though, he didn’t hit me with a stick which was in his side.  :-))

non

Master Kogetsu was one of the highest Soto Zen priest ( wearing brown ), who was the

head of the Suzuka-dera Temple and visiting, serving fellow of the Eiheiji Temple.

(In fact, leaving the dairy chore to deal with dead man for the hand of young monks and

have a break, come to chat together with another priests in the Eiheiji Temple  🙂 )

Naturally he knew the Zen Buddhism back to back.   Hence, what he meant was, as he said,

the Enlightenment to a photographer is to live totally as a photographer.

There is no fancy myth or abstract enigma there.

As the Life itself is total already, 

Zen wouldn’t make it any more complicated,  simply Life is the Life.

To see as it is and to live as it is,  Just Do It which is due, is the Enlightenment.

non

Just like a lotus flower, being as the flower is the Dharma,

a photographer being as the photographer is the Dharma.

Being with Dharma mean, when the time comes it is the Nirvana.

(Photographer being as a photographer needs no pretence or thinking =

being in Mushin = his camera, his technique, his eyes and the subject,

all become one = Ichijo —– what the one needs more.

(in this instance, forget pretty model—– What model ?    😀 )

This was the way, how Sword Master perfected his skill, how Sword Smith

created his unbreakable sword —– even a Tea Master perfected his tea making.  

It was the Zen.  

Zen is not in the sitting posture, but in the every day’s life,  moment to moment.

non

When the historical Great Zen Masters got their Enlightenment all of them uttered

“It’s a Dog shit”

Yes, it is as ubiquitous as a dog shit, as the Master has been with himself all through his life.

No fancy or enigmatic mumbo-jumbo has been discovered.  The life as it is —– It is there.

(In other words, to invent or cling any fancy story is nothing short of a delusion).

My blog here is talking about this [Zen in action] —– action in everyday life.

___/\___

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Conflicted view to Steve Jobs

Some people pointed out that my view toward Steve Jobs in two previous posts are conflicting.

Appreciate him in respect of his Zen influenced attitude but in the same time showing an

almost a hatred toward him. —– this is true in certain extent.

There is a very clear reason. From the beginning I didn’t like Apple at all as I’ve described before.

Then, I learned a life history of him and his background —– born as a child of Syrian father

and an American mother, but as their marriage was not accepted by their parents, Steve was grown up

in the adopted family, Jobs. —– those conflict embedded in his psyche lead him to seek the Zen

which gave him an ultimate confidence to be HIM and the mental strength.

non

People having a stereotype towards the Buddhism that it is a teaching of peace and harmony.

Though, as I wrote long ago in a Post [ Third aspect in Zen ] there is yet another aspect =

Zen as a technique of Mind Engineering.   How to reprogram one’s mind and give a confidence.

The most famous Sword Master Musashi Miyamoto who wrote [ Book of the Five Rings ] was an accomplished

Zen Master too. —– Still, he was a killer of 30 odd people — (said to be, as I wasn’t there 🙂 ).

And lots of opponents who fought with him were also Zenist.    Being a Zen Buddhist doesn’t mean they

avoid the fight and settle peaceful draw.   One has to die.    The matter in there was only how to kill

in the most efficient way.  Live as a Samurai, death is a part of their Karma and the contemplation.

This is nothing but the Zen Buddhism.

non

Zen can give completely open eyes of Mushin,  hence the reaction or decision-making is

the reflection of the Dharma, thus the result would be the most appropriate and the best.

In this aspect, Steve Jobs has accomplished the task what he needed to Do.  Which

he conceived the idea with his open-minded way ( having no dithering to the conventional

thinking or hesitation to others ).

I appreciate this, in relation to the Zen. —– though, I hate the way how Apple exploited the others.

Dharma did give him the best idea of the product design, though I quite doubt of the

well thought-out (second thought driven by the greed) business model to enslave the

consumer = too much tactical thinking and the greed subjecting others was excessive. 

Zen will make a person to perfects the task,  but to harm others

would lead to the repercussion of the Karma to him.

I give certain appreciation to the products, though I wouldn’t make myself to become

a slave or their colony.

My freedom is more precious than few hundreds pound gadget   😀

non

Bowl of Water Zen

When I was talking about Zen practice with others, someone mentioned a BBC news which

showed a group of Chinese Zen monks are walking while carrying a bowl of water

as their Zen practice. —– “ Oh, what a good idea. It’s a good practice to learn Zen Mind “

—

( It’s easy to try this.  Fill the water to the top of bowl about 8″  big and holding it to your chest high and walk.

By doing this,  you can observe your state of the mind,  how steady and calm your mind is.

Strangely you may find,  the more you concentrate and gaze the water the more it shakes  😀

—– when your mind is almost detouched from the water or whole action,  then the water become still and

make no drip while you are walking —- then you can fill even more water reaching to the edge.  It’s a fun !)

non

In this blog, I’ve been talking that any action could be a Zen practice, hence in one post I talked about

[Lemon Zen] and the other post, [Walking Zen] in fact I also mentioned about the effects of even riding

a bicycle or typing —– any repeating action could have the same effect to reach

a state of the Mind of No-Mind or Mushin.

non

In fact everybody is doing the action of walking in Mushin = nobody is thinking when and how to move

the right leg after left leg has moved. —– It’s all done unconsciously.

So that, the practice of Mushin ( and the Mindfulness of cause — if a part of the brain is not fully engaged

for the walking, we can not automatically adjust the leg movement following the slight change of a condition

of the road surface) is not necessary an exotic funny action.

non

Then inevitable question arose —– if the walking is the practice of Mushin which everybody is doing,

why not everybody is an accomplished  Zen Master.

Here is a funny but fundamental paradox of the Zen Buddhism.   When the Mushin in walking is the

Zen, it is the Zen. —– but otherwise it is just an unconscious action of walking.

non

Buddha didn’t perform any fancy or peculiar action. It was just a simple ordinary daily life, yet

as it was repeated every day, each action was almost identical every time.

This simplified and fixed way of each practice is the requisite condition of [the Life in Mushin].

Buddha’s life style was the text-book and the disciples were learned and copied those action, and in the process,

disciples learned the Mushin ( or the state of the No-Mind  was developed  in them).

non

Because of the state of the mind can not be learned by the word, but only by the practice ( like any

emotion,  unless a person has experienced it,  the description of feeling couldn’t make any sense )

and this is the reason why non of the ancient scripture was actually talking about No-Mind, but only No-Self.

( No-Self = No-Mind —– still able to live as a person is because there is the enough program in our

Subconsciousness which is invisible —– like what I am talking here, is a new interpretation after Freud invented

a notion of  Subconscious = which was not exists in the ancient time )

non

And there is yet another paradox in the Buddhism.

To live the Life in Mushin is what all about the Buddhism though, no-mind, no thinking, BUT unless it

was  understood as the Buddhism,  it wouldn’t become the Buddhism.

Anybody can carry a full of water in a bowl, and time to time the one may need to do it.   Just carry a cup of tea

happen to be full to the edge, from kitchen to a table —– some may succeed it while making no single drip, yet

some may make a mess.  What makes a difference ?

Calm mind, hence a steady hand is the crucial point here = a kind of thought “ Oh, I’ve put

too much. I’m silly. I would spill a mess on the floor. etc. “ would make a hand even more

wobbly and the tea would drip here and there   😀

non

A person can practice this and acquire better coordination on the hand, so that it will be programmed into

the motor legion of the brain and may become a routine movement.   But, that all.

BUT, if a person practised this, under a file name of the Zen Buddhism, the file become

accessible in any moment when it need to have a calm mind in your life.

Carrying a full of water as Zen, it become the Zen with its effects.

Once a person acquired this file with the attachment of the notion of Zen and its spiritual implication,

the file would be applied to any action and any situation in the Life, hence, walking is the Zen, cutting a lemon

is the Zen, and even facing Tsunami Wave could be handled in a calm mind and able to act in the best way

or see the fate with calm clear eyes.   (Sorry to the victims of Tsunami)

With this Paradox ( has to live without thoughts, preconception etc, still needs to organize its notion of

Mushin as the practice of Zen Buddhism) Buddha has asserted “ There is the way, which is to be

pursued as the way of Buddhism “ since in his earliest teachings as one of the Four Noble Truth.

non

This notion makes the difference between Mushin to just to be an ignorant thoughtless.

Though, the notion itself is nothing complicated = just to be aware [to carry a bowl of water is for Zen]

—– with this awareness, just Do It and keep doing it —– then suddenly you will find that you can do it without

spilling a single drip of water, and realized while doing it you didn’t need to think anything = Just Did It !

———-

Then observe yourself, while doing even other things, are you just doing it as well, without having any

useless thought ? (You may achieve this in few weeks or may be taking few years. Just carry on. —– then you

might be noticed, you have been having no upheaval in your life and strangely, quite unexpected

or too good to be true kind of coincidences has been happening, yet no one can tell why

—– Just carry on with your LIFE without questioning. ) —–This is a Zen Buddhist’s LIFE.

___/\___

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