Mindfulness – Western Misinterpretation

People talked about the BBC News, featured about the Meditation (which I didn’t know).

And it seemed, BBC used a word [Mindfulness] to explain [Meditation]. —– What ?

Meditation is to sitting in [Mushin = 無心] = not having even a notion of Mindfulness.

—– Why such kind of mix-up is taking place in the west ?

So that, I first ever saw Wikipedia [Mindfulness] 😀 and discovered the situation. (it explained me why

a talking about Zen with western Zen Practitioners are often end up in confusion. 😀 )

I’ve been long suspected that the understanding of [Mindfulness] and [Meditation]

in the west was wrong.

Simply because of the academics or the scholars of the Buddhism scriptures are arguing about the

meaning of the WORD in its semantics. (Word is mere indicater of a notion = not the notion itself. And

even the notion couldn’t necessary able to describe the meaning.

Such as “Ride” a bicycle = to find the use of this [Ride] in the time of Donkey and a Cart wouldn’t make

any sense about an application against a modern bicycle. And the understanding of the word “Ride” is

nothing to do with how to ride a bicycle. You only know it actuarially master to RIDE it. 😀 )

So, it became clear. To know the meaning of a term in Zen, you got to do the Zen.  And to know

the meaning of the word wouldn’t make you able to to know the Zen. This is the very reason why

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples “Don’t take the words of mine or others, but think yourself.”

[]

Zen had spread from China, and to Japan. (then from there to the west)

Lord Buddha’s teachings were re-discovered in there through the practice which

Lord Buddha taught direct to his followers.

By following those practices, Chinese monk who translated Scriptures and Mantras, managed to find the

meaning of the word in Sanskrit, Pali or Tibetan and assigned the word to a Chinese character

[念(nien in Chinese, nen in Japanese)] to the word now (miss) used in the west, as [Mindfulness].

The Chinese character [念] has the meaning of deep thought or even a kind of feeling stacked in the depth of

mind which is distinctively different from the temporally conscious thinking [考].

One of the most observant people in the human history = Chinese, created the character to each different

level of mind-activities in the brain.   Such as [考], [思],[慮],[念] and [懐].

[懐] is a word to describe a feeling, “I feel it is there though, hard to describe, and I can’t get lid of it” kind =

such as latent fear or one’s positive, negative mood. ( They are the matters of the hormone level in the body)

Above this, a bit more clear level of Mind is [念] = which indicates “whether you intentionally

think or not, it is always there and you aware of  it” kind of  focused tendency in the mind.

This  [念]  is the Mind what ancient Chinese monk who translated the scriptures, found to

be the best suited to describe [sati (Pali)] or  [smrti (Sanskrit)]. —– As this is the mind

reside,  deeper beyond the person’s intentional manipulation, try to think something to

concentrate, is nothing but the misunderstanding.  = Mindfulness will bore out from the

situation and the attitude of the person. —– It is the result,  not other way round.

Think, you are a journalist, walking through the ground near Melt-down Fukushima Nuclear site.

As you were allowed to walk there, it was regarded to be safe though, the mud could have invisible

radiation hot spot. Which makes you very cautious, hence choosing dry clean point to step-on.

Every steps —–. This detailed attention you are unconsciously and constantly paying to

everything, every moment, —– this is what [Mindfulness] really meant.

You were programmed to walk the most careful manner while watching all the signs and the left over

rubble of the Tsunami.   In the same time you have to observe what and how workers who removing the

contaminated soil are doing, or the situations how the strayed pet animals are surviving and so on, which

was the purpose of you to be there.  Mindfulness is not an intentional mind-set but when

you faced the serious situation, (or you take it serious) its naturally set in, as Dharma works.

(This is the reason why Tea Master says “Make a tea as if it is the only an occasion in your whole life” )

[]

If you are riding a bicycle everyday, you just ride it.

You don’t need to think “I’m riding a bicycle”,  you ride it as to ride a bicycle, not a motor-bike.

Because, your body, your brain knows “You are riding bicycle, unconsciously = you have been

programmed through the practice to ride a bicycle.

To program your subconscious and your motor-region of the brain, how to ride, where to pay attention etc

has been done through the practice. = so, as the result, you can do it almost routine = automatic. =

automatic mean, you can do it without thinking, hence efficient and smooth.

To apply same principle to all the aspects of the life is what

Lord Buddha had found and taught = Life without useless thinking (delusion etc), hence

able to live in peace.     This is What Buddhism all about.

[]

At the Wikipedia [Mindfulness] you may read (Zen criticism) the quote of  Muho Noelke of Antai-ji saying

“Don’t be mindful, plase !  When you walk, just walk. — Let the walk, walk. — let the sitting sit”

it seems, his words are the most closest to the Zen among the many Zen sites.

—– Even though, he was stop short of noticing that it was in fact, the matters in one’s subconsciousness,

at least, he knows and doing the Zen —— Able to do the Zen, he doesn’t need to give a damn whether it is in

the subconsciousness or else = When you DO, just do.  (But my role is to analyze and see the structure of

the Zen = This is the reason why I didn’t became a monk, even though I’m a son of  Zen priest)

—– Forget the word, Mindfulness , Mushin, Jizai = they are just different naming of the same

mind.  As they are in fact just one, hence having Oneness = Ichijo, and this is what Dharma is.

___/\___

—

ZAFU — What ?

Some time ago I encountered a Zenist blog complaining that somebody stole

his Zafu (Small cushion), because of this, he couldn’t sit and meditate.

He said ” It was a jealous conspiracy, obstructing  me to get enlightenment ”

—– Whoa ! ! !    😀

I

I think after I’ve read this, I wrote a post saying “ Don’t bother Zafu,

you can sit anywhere and practice Zen in any manner”   😀

And after I wrote previous post [Water bowl Zen] I got an image of

Buddha walking with his disciples —– m m m ?

Without any reason,  suddenly I imagined that if they are all carrying

their own Zafu. —– Ha ha ha 😀

—

So that the photo right is [ Shariputra who got his Zafu under his arm, asking a question

to Buddha]. —– of cause, I’m kidding. —– you know how funny it is.  Of cause there wasn’t a Zafu on the

time of  Buddha,  as no body needed it,  since they don’t sit in a style of Lotus posture.

Can you imagine a group of bhikku, posses nothing,  yet carrying a Zafu for comfortable sitting ? 

—

I wrote somewhere “So-called image of Buddha meditating” was a mis-representation of

Buddha just having a break and taking  rest.  Like all the Indian, Asian people, when they sit and

having a rest,  they just sit (so-called half Lotus),  not twisting the legs.

The iconic Lotus posture was a later invention which even needs a Zafu to keep body balance, which mean

it is not a natural way to sit. —– Buddhism had gone too much posturing.

It is not a way to follow the Dharma,  or  the Nature.

—

So,  Shariputra carrying a Zafu was a sheer joke.  😀

In fact the wire figure was originally made as a Royal Guard of the Emperor’s Palace.  🙂

It’s good to have a joke some time  😀      ( Zen Buddhism is not for having  grumpy life )

___/\___

—

Mindfulness – Mushin – ICHIJO

In past ten days, there were quite a bit of talking with my friends and they gave me a suggestion, that

a part of the script in my last post seems to be the most simplest but crucial explanation

of the Zen Mind, and said, having those few lines of explanation, half of my blog would

become redundant.

Great ! Thank you very much —– should I feel grateful or sad ? ? ?

( Anyhow, this blog is the ongoing report of the DIY ZEN, try to figure it out and see its notion in

a perspective = its got to have a progress and the refinement )

—– so, the following is the notorious script;

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——————

In metaphor, Mindfulness is to eliminates all another thoughts —– say, when you got to

do [A],  to eliminates any thoughts other than about [A] is Mindfulness.

Then eliminates the very thought about [A] is the Mushin. ==> While doing [A], if no thought

is there at all, how the job [A] can be done = it is done by the Dharma.

Therefore, it is far better than “Done by yourSelf ”   ! ! !

( Quite convincing isn’t it ?    )

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—– It seems that instead to use two words,  it is better to use one word Ichijo.

(Oneness = a mind and a subject are fused together as one Dharma,  hence the Self and the

subject itself are no longer exists as the separate entity, or seen to be exist) —– therefore,

the matter of whether one’s mind is there or not (about Mushin) or the subject which needs

to be fully concentrated (So-called Mindfulness ) is there or not, all become irrelevant.

( May be the first person who translated the notion of Zen into English didn’t know what the Zen really mean

—– good in English doesn’t necessary mean having good understanding in Zen   )

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It’s true, in the notion of ICHIJO,  all the teachings of Zen resolved into

an infinity of the DHARMA.

The best of all, it is cheaper to practice only one ICHIJO, instead of Mushin, Mindfulness and Meditation.

—– you can get all three in one practice of DOING anything. — Ha ha ha, it’s suits to a humble man  

—– And this is exactly what the Dharma mean.— Totality is the Dharma.

___/\___

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PS :  In the above script  [when you go to do [A], ] = this DO mean actual action not a meditation.

—– As I’ve been saying [ Just Do ] from the beginning,  Zen effect only comes with ACTION,  because

—– it is coincided with the seclusion of a neurohormone Selotonin which gives the contented feeling

—– and calm your mind down. —– This is the reason why, all the Buddhism practice is a simple

—– repeating action. —– Once anyone master this,  then the same technique can be applied to

—– any action or no-action alike = Being contended in calm while do nothing  😀     Peace !

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How Mindfulness and MUSHIN exists in the same time ?

This question seems to haunt a Zen novice for ever, as I’ve been asked again and again.

One of the reason, why it is hard to understand is —– because the person is trying to understand it

in the head, as one of the thinking process.

Zen is a very simple PRACTICE but not a kind of practice to be understood or comprehend.

(Think, riding a bicycle — you don’t need to understand the theory or to know the how to ride. You just need a practice on youe body.)

Understanding is the process in the higher legion of the brain / conscious thinking process,

but Zen is the state of the subconscious —– hence it can not be handled consciously.

Without your conscious control, to move forward right leg, then left leg, this is how you walk.

As it was all done in subconsciously, you don’t need to know, in order to move your right leg,

which muscle to contract or so on —– everything done in automatic. —– You walk in Mushin = Without thinking / awareness / conscious. 

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As the Zen is a PRACTICE, you got to practice and master it, or simply just do it. While doing it, you will

get used it and soon or later you master it = you don’t need to understand.

Once you mastered it, as it will be processed and carried out in your subconscious = you do it just as a

routine or a habit = you do it in MUSHIN.    (Very simple and clear isn’t it ?)

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And Zen is the state of the Mind behind of those action, in any or all sorts of the action —– hence

Walking Zen, Lemon Zen, anything can be the Zen — put all together, everything LIFE in Zen.

(When total Life became Zen, it is a step before the Enlightenment 😀 )

Because of the people misconceived that the Sitting is Zen, it made the matter confusing.

Sitting is a relaxed posture, taking a rest = have a break = do nothing hence most of the time even

the brain is in idle.   (but deep in your mind, some thing might come and go —– sometime new idea might come-up)

—– therefore, some say, it is the MEDITATION (deep thinking), others says its got to be

in Mushin = No-thinking.   But, sitting is only one of the action (or rack of it ?) and

the state of the Zen is not confined in this posture.

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When you are in action, —– if you have been doing it routinely, you are able to do it in Mushin, —– but

can you DO two things in the same time ?     I don’t think so.

When you DO, you do only one thing.   The brain can think many things in the same time or rapidly

scanning many thoughts, hence you feel, many thoughts are in busy traffic.

Not only many thoughts are running, the situation is rapidly changing = only a measure is, to deal

one thing at a time, in fact that is only we can do without making a mistake.

(Only a thing you can do in the same time is to do something while walking on a flat road as an exception.

You can test it.   Still, thinking can run parallel —– but, it would be a destruction, that is why it’s need to

have a concentration = eliminates any another thinking = this is what Mindfulness really mean)

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People thinking and imagining, try to figure it out —– by way of thinking.   That is the reason why it is hard

to imagine, the state of the mind / fully concentrating to the subject on front = (so-called Mindfulness ) and

the Mushin (Mind of No-Mind / not thinking) can exist in the same time.

It’s co-exists only in Practice,  or because of when it is Practice, it is co-exists.

(may be the use of two words made it complicated,  like an electrical phenomenon, Current and the Voltage

—– phenomenon itself is only one phenomenon = just a dynamism of the Electron.   In order to observe

its phenomenon, when we put a meter in series = meter shows the current.   And if the meter was connected

in parallel = meter shows the voltage.   But the electron has no intention to express anything.

They just move when it is possible to move —– man created two separate notion and made it looks complicated.)

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In metaphor, Mindfulness is to eliminates all another thoughts —– say, when you got to

do [A],  to eliminates any thoughts other than about [A] is Mindfulness.

Then eliminates the very thought about [A] is the Mushin. ==> While doing [A], if no thought

is there at all, how the job [A] can be done = it is done by the Dharma.

Therefore, it is far better than “Done by yourSelf ”   ! ! !

( Quite convincing isn’t it ?    😀 )

non

—– It seems that instead to use two words,  it is better to use one word Ichijo.

(Oneness = a mind and a subject are fused together as one Dharma,  hence the Self and the

subject itself are no longer exists as the separate entity, or seen to be exist) —– therefore,

the matter of whether one’s mind is there or not (about Mushin) or the subject which needs

to be fully concentrated (So-called Mindfulness ) is there or not, all become irrelevant.

( May be the first person who translated the notion of Zen into English didn’t know what the Zen really mean

—– good in English doesn’t necessary mean having good understanding in Zen   😀 )

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It’s true, in the notion of ICHIJO,  all the teachings of Zen resolved into

an infinity of the DHARMA.

The best of all, it is cheaper to practice only one ICHIJO, instead of Mushin, Mindfulness and Meditation.

—– you can get all three in one practice of DOING anything. — Ha ha ha, it’s suits to a humble man   😀

—– And this is exactly what the Dharma mean.— Totality is the Dharma.

___/\___

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When you ride a bicycle, you don’t carry a banner of “Thinking how to rid” “Riding in MUSHIN” “Full concentration in riding” “I’m the man of riding” —– in fact, all those Notions were created by “Somebody else who observed the Matter in riding”. = The situation was the same in ZEN = “Mindfulness” “Mushin” “Awareness” “Consciousness” “Thinking” “Meditating” etc etc, all those notions or idea were the debris of the useless thinking (about ZEN) —– ZEN is only a ZEN = it may not even be a notion or name = It is a kind of state of the mind (?). A person was just riding a bicycle while being a state, nothing else of riding = was observed / analysed by the others, and “Its state was categorised / named” as “In the mindful state” —– but other saw it in different angle and named “In MUSHIN” and the other said “Without the consciousness” and “Without a thinking” —– in the same way, [This ZEN master saw it in this way, and started to say in that way then taught in this way = which was called “*** school / sect” etc, etc.

The funny things were, the ZEN is only one and it may not be anything different from just a life. (It seemed, somebody trid to be looks clever by saying in different way.)

Order in Disorder (2)

Before the Buddhism evolved into Mahayana, the followers try to understand the existences in each

definition, in order, such as described in the Abidharma Kosa, and tried to fix the rules,  so that,

in effect,  made the person into the orderly ideal TYPE.

Then, the Buddhists realized that there is no such things like an orderly type nor

orderly existences —– no order is the order.

Like the nature, even a Hurricane or a Tsunami are also a part of the Dharma, not mention a Death.

Try to impose an ideal TYPE or the imagined ORDER and branding anything else are evil,  is

the human invention, and such thinking is nothing but the delusion.

In contrast to [see the Dharma as it is ], — [try to impose the idea over the Dharma ] is

the fundamental difference between Mahayana and Hinayana.

Accept the Dharma as it is, accept the human as human not an ideal TYPE,  was

the starting point of the Mahayana Buddhism.

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From his earliest period, Buddha’s teachings consists of the Four Noble Truth, in which

Buddha defined that the Life is suffering, getting ill and getting old then to die —– far from any

ideal TYPE of the life. —– but this was what Buddha did find.

And it took 500 years for the followers to realize what it’s really meant.

Still, if the situation of the life is confined only to this,

Buddha wouldn’t have taught his enlightened wisdom of —– how to deal with

this apparently hopeless situation.

The Buddha’s answer was,  against this disorderly situation (Samsara),  to live the life

in Mushin (which can be acquired through the practice)  would open the way to live without

fear or negative thought,  and away from any negative effect of ego and the delusion.

—– therefore lead to the peaceful Nirvana.

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Only the rules what Buddha found was the Rule of the Karma though, as he also explained the

constantly changing nature of the Dharma (which include ourself),  this Rule still having unknowable

hence,  no-order again.

Yet still,  strangely you might think,  this uncertainty still retains the overall direction of the Karma.

(Which is the direction of the Dharma) —– situation constantly changes,  occurrences seemed random,

still we pick up what the one should pick up = on the end the one goes to certain direction.

Only the matter is, to pick up right one. —– To do this, its need to have clear eyes

and absolutely calmed, exposed sensory. —– here, the Buddhist’s practice comes in.

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To the absolutely opened eyes and the mind of no-mind = Mushin,  even a minute sign of

something happening will be seen.    And as the mind is open, usually an out of scope kind

of irrelevant matter (which can be crucial to one’s  life)  may also be seen.

Stereotype,  self-imposed casting always limiting one’s perception and cause wrong thinking.

But, creative, progressive idea and the direction is over this barrier —– why you find this ?  why you ?

is the indication of [ because you were assigned to do this] —– this is what the direction mean.

To the outsider,  the nature / the Dharma looks No-Order though,  to the open mind = Mushin,  it looks no

problem —– since he could see the direction and be in contended as in the right direction.  He stays calm.

Non

– – – “ Oh, C’mon, can’t you see, the World is disintegrating”

“Yes I can see, its true.  But because of that, somebody has been assigned to work hard and dealing with it.

So, if he asks your help.   Help him.   If not, don’t interfere him, or worrying about it yourself.

If the Dharma in deed had the intention for the World to sink,

the Dharma didn’t assign him to solve the problem”

Put faith on the Dharma.  🙂

___/\___

—

PS :  It may look nicer to shout against the Nuclear Power or multi-national Capitalists etc. while pretending

to be a conscience of Planet Earth though,  I don’t think it is not necessary a typical Buddhist’s attitude,

unless the one was born to be a campaigner.    Because, the Buddhism is not stand on the mouth but practice.

Before open the mouth,  better stop wasting energy, electricity etc,  stop buying bottled water,  fizzy drink,

give up the car etc etc.   Those practices may be in your hand but, —– ? ? ?  how many people in the world

can stop the Nuke ?  —– the drive to change the policy of some country to give up Nuke was not by the

campaign,  but by an accident in Japan which costed hundreds of billions of money.  Money speaks louder.

In emotion, everybody feel ” What a hell, Japanese government is doing (or not doing !)”  though, it need to

think what an emotional shout can affect the actual policy there  —– yet, on the Election, they vote to the

well-known TV characters or comedian —– ? ? ?    (What’s  going on there)

—

Anyhow,  no-one’s conscience or emotion would give a halt to earthquake or tsunami  😀

(To the Planet Earth, it was a small wobble to release a tension (so, it was a rational adjustment.  Not a

disorderly passion ) though, for us, minute human being, it was a devastating quake) we are utterly powerless.)

—– but this is what the nature / Dharma is.

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Order in Disorder (1)

Reflecting back my own life, I myself often amazed, or even bemused,

how I’ve been coming through chancy life.   I wouldn’t say I was anything casual or irresponsible,

because if there was anything due, I did my bargain in my best.   But beside this, I put even more effort for

something else which is not necessary I was expected to do. —– but in the hind sight, I’m wondering

whether it was my choice or just happened to be there, and I just picked it up ?

—

When I was small, my interest was the Nature, insect or plant kind.    But it was not my choice.

Soon after the war ended, Tokyo was a burnt down city, not much other than a wild field to go around and

no sports facility or game kind there.     (My hobby of electronics was definitely my choice. And to get the

components, I needed to take a journey to Akihabara where ex-Korean war junk was sold — and those

mechanical-electronical components  such as variable condenser, vacuum bulb’s intricate, futuristic

structure fascinated me ! )

—

For me to turn my eyes to human life and its psyche was happened when one of the (bad) boy in the

secondary school incited me to read a book of the notorious suicidal novelist, Osamu Dazai.

(so, I became bad boy too —– and became a rebel )

And to start to go to mountain other than for chasing the insects was, simply the class teacher organized an

out of school activity club and I joined it.    (Since I was familiar with walking on the hill or in the woods)

And this activity continued while getting heavier and heavier even to winter rock climbing level.    (Its mean,

I did this, one of the physically, mentally hardest training from 12 years to 27 years, up to 1/3^rd of the year

in the mountain)

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For me to take the subject of  Industrial Sociology  in my Uni’ was also a sheer coincidence.

A Professor of Industrial Sociology asked me to help his project, and I got involved deeper, that’s all.

But I personally learned from him, how to observe and analyse the man and its society.

(Visualize somebody’s life and give an insight “If I were the man in there, how do I feel

and behave”—– this approach gave me great insight, and the way to see the human life

—– instead of imposing the view or criteria of observation, not to take superficial

observation of one’s behaviour, but to see the situation from the person’s psyche and his

stance, was the crucial attitude I learned from him)

—

And while in my Uni’ I spent most of the time  (well, while I was not in the mountain)  in the Herbalium in

the Science dept’ despite I was studying sociology.    This Makino Herbalium is one of the largest in Japan

having millions of botanical specimen and I was working there, taking photo of plant or making specimen.

It was my part-time work to pay for the Uni’ and to go to mountain or skiing.

While there, I was asked to join 3 expeditions to help botanists as a botanical photographer and an expert of

jungle walking   🙂 —– in fact for those reason I remained in my Uni’ altogether 7 years.

(with annoyance of the administrator, who shouted me  “Are you still here ?” 😀 )

———- but I might have made a mistake to become a photographer   😀

( But if I were not a photographer, I didn’t come and to live here —– it was a necessary

 element in the course of my life —– like a Butterfly Effect / minute change may cause

the drastic difference in the end result —– therefore, there is no regret )

( To deal with close-up photography,  it is necessary to improvise or even specially design the equipments.

Working in a part of the Science Dept’,  I could access the engineering machine in the Technology Dept’ and

having the knowledges of electronics lead me to design even special camera.  It happened, as it happened.

—– was that natural consequence or just a lucky coincidence  —– it’s a good question  🙂 )

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Then I left Japan.  And while staying in England as a photojournalist, suddenly the awkward court case was

started which I had no choice.   I had to deal with the case as a Litigant in Person while learning English Law

overnight —– and I was forced to give up photographic business.   Court case really consume time though,

in the other hand,  if next hearing is months away —- suddenly, too much time but nothing to do.

So that, I got plenty time for reading and thinking —– about  Zen.  Then, suddenly  “ Alas,

now I know,  all through my life,  I was given the hardest training to become a Zen monk”.

I’ve learned Nature. Then my scope was expanded to human existence while dealing with sociology and

working in the mountain as a voluntary keeper,  seeing the people in their edge of  the life.   Hence, farther

into the spiritual fundamental aspects of humanity.

(but didn’t learn how to deal with funeral , so, don’t ask me to conduct a funeral 😀 )

(Since, the Court case was caused by a woman’s explotitation of my immigration status, I was quarified to decrear

” Woman is the cause of nothing but the trouble”  hence I quit to deal with woman.  Literally became a monk  😀  )

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Looks utterly chancy life ––— though, on the end, it converged into one direction.

And yet another coincidence,  I happen to start this Zen blogging.

Before I left Japan,  I was told by my mother who was a psychic, and while she was reading my palm line

“Since you got mission, you wouldn’t be fallen before your task was accomplished. Therefore I wouldn’t

worrying about you at all” —– I don’t know the reason why I don’t get ill (I still have no registered Doctor

while staying in this country 35 years), or in the mountain,  I had falls on the rock 3 times though never

injured.   And I’ve broken 3 skis but never broken any bone   😀

—– It’s hard to tell, whether all of those are just the sheer coincidences, and I was just lucky

—– or something else ? —– there seems to be no order or rational connection, everything

were just occurred,  yet still,  in the hind sight,  there was a certain direction.

( If A hasn’t been there, encountering  B wouldn’t be happened, then at the B, conveniently C

happened —– and so on,  and lead to  Z  on the end = this is the life. )

—?— is this the hidden order ? —– Or the Dharma’s intention ?

___/\___

( To be continued to the next post  🙂  )

—

Bodhi-Tree / Bodai-ju

You believe or not, this is the tree what Japanese believes as the Boddhi-Tree.

My parents believed and explained to me, “This is the tree which Buddha said to have enlightened while sitting under this tree.  Therefore it got the name BODAI-Ju.   Since, a flower blooms as if it is standing in a palm.”

Yes, it looks uniquely strange flower.   So, I believed its story.  Anyhow, I was a small boy —– no argument 🙂

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Not only a boy, everybody in Japan believed that this is the Boddhi Tree,  hence a  German song composed by Franz Schubert  about this particular tree and its title  [Der Lindenbaum]  was translated into Japanese as [ BODAI-Ju ] — of cause, in this case, the tree was a tree known as a Lime tree in the west.

—– (Strangely, this [Bodai-ju] has another name which has Ainu tribe origin [Shina-no-ki] and from its shape of the false leaf under a flower, the another name was [Hera-no-ki] —– so, the name [Bodai-ju] was only after the time when Japanese got Buddhism)

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When the Buddhism was brought to Japan,  the India [Tenjiku] was in the another planet, even to the Chinese monks who travelled over there and studied Buddhism, it was a distance needed to take years of journey.

Hence, to read the scriptures was just a guess work,  let alone to distinguish what was the historical truth or even chronological order among the jumbled scriptures.

Therefore, to have mistaken Lime tree as to the Boddhi tree was not a big crime   🙂

(I haven’t found what Chinese people were understanding about Boddhi Tree, yet.    So, any Chinese reader who knows about it,  please leave a comment herein after)

In comparison,  we now can have amazing amount of informations and even a photo of a real Boddhi Tree ( Ficus religiosa )  while sitting in a room thousands of miles away from India —– still, we are not sure, 

whether we are any wiser than a monk thousand years ago. —– yet still, the reason why we can get the same understanding of the teachings is, Buddhism is not based on the knowledges but on its practice.    Like riding a bicycle —– no one can explain how to ride it, but by the practice you can get to know how by yourself.

( So,  there is no problem whether it was [Boddhi tree] or [Bodai-ju] to get enlightenment  😀 )

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non

Unfortunate History of BUDDHISM

In most of the case, study deep into the Buddhism,  quest to the core of the Buddhism mean

read more books, another Sutra and then sitting 😀

Natural consequence, here, sitting mean, thinking about what was found in the book.

Strangely,  you might have found  a fine print saying  ” Sitting has to be without thinking “ 😀

And somewhere,  ” —– but most crucial teaching can not be taught by the word “.

———- What a hell, where to find the answer ?   —– rightly you might say  😀

Unfortunately, ( especially in the west ) a so-called teacher or a master of a sect or group, did come

through same process. Simply he did it longer than you, hence read a bit more books, met another

master ( who studied in the same way ) and so on —– that’s all.  In fact, non the  wiser than you.

—–

Unfortunately Buddhism is not the matter of the knowledge nor what you learned.

But don’t become desperate and shout  What a Hell, since you are not alone.

This is the inherent trouble of the Paradox in the Buddhism.

When Buddha was in this world and teaching his immediate followers, he showed the way how to live

how to see the things etc etc —– those were the practice,  then time to time he took the rest —– rest mean

rest, hence give a break to the brain.  Naturally, he was not thinking while sitting.

It looked like a meditation, or later people thought and called, it was a meditation.

When the brain was left completely blank, time to time suddenly new idea or

understanding comes out. ( Ref : Blank space —– somewhere in the another post )

Then, Buddha might have told something new understanding, even a joke to such as  Shariputra —–. So that

the followers thought,  Buddha, in his deep meditation he has been in touch with the unknown

truth / Panya Paramita —– though,  Buddha was taking a rest and having a time of no thinking.

Of cause, even Buddha couldn’t show what’s going on in his brain nor disciples could seen it.

We only see the apparent outcome when it came out.  Only the person with very good insight, who had

the same experience, could guess the process in the brain or in the mind.

So, the situation even among the immediate followers was like this ( —– how do I know ?  Ok, tell me any

another possibility you can conceive )—– since, without having the proper understanding of the

Buddha’s teachings, Buddhism spent hundreds of years in the argument of such as  AbiDharma.

And the superficial posture of ” Meditation ”  became idiosyncratic synonym of the Buddhism.

Hence gave a misconception, With deep thinking process, you can get supreme wisdom.

Further trouble in the western Buddhism was emanated from the word  MEDITATION which meaning

imply  deep  thinking ! — even though Buddha was just having a rest.—– It was a Kitkat time  😀

In practice, to practice ” To Do without Thinking ”  the sitting is the hardest sample to try —– it’s mean

only few people who already reached to the advanced level could do it, still how do we know he could ?

Can the person sitting ( without thinking  ) tell ” I’m not thinking ”   —– How funny.  😀

It is the same to a man sitting, supposedly be in silence, declare  ” Yes, I’m not speaking “.

Anyone can pretend and say, I can —– but those impostor tend to preach others, with his glorious story.

This was the history in its reality.  The more glorious, needs to listen with the more sackful salt.

—-

When the crucial matter of the Buddhism is  NOT THINKING / MUSHIN,  cringing stereotypical posture

and its idea of sitting ( in fact it is very bad to the leg —– resulting wheel-chair in the later age —– all

the high priest in the Zen sect had end up in a wheel-chair ) because of it looks authentic,  is

nothing but a vanity.

Throw away all those POSTURE.   Throw away the IDEA of  Buddhism.  Let it go.

Take a break, relax —– in the deep breath, you may find yourself in the blank moment.

Then you are in the void of this mess of the life.

This VOID is the MUSHIN.  You are in the true pathway of the Buddhism.

( When you let it go.  Then you get it as the whole —— What a paradox ! ! ! )

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Let it Go !

In somebody’s blog (apparently a follower of the Zen Buddhism)  I’ve stumbled an interesting  word

” Who stole my  Zafu ( small cushion for sitting)”

—– its mean, without Zafu he couldn’t meditate, hence he couldn’t get enlightenment = somebody is

obstructing him to get enlightened.  And saying, not let it go = not giving away the secret / keep it for

oneself is a greed and envy of others getting the truth.  It is the monopoly of the truth.

I couldn’t stop burst into laughing.  😀  😀   ( But he is a very honest man !)

The person is quoting some words of past Masters, so has read some books and saying ” not let it go—”

indicates he is not a beginner though —– ? ? ? —– I wonder isn’t he aware what he is saying, itself

contradict the logic ? —– If  “let it go”  is the matter,  why he is keep asking ?

Yes, Don’t bother any more “Just let it go” —– do it without Zafu.

—–

Looks funny though, the most crucial question is “let it go — of  What ?   ” Is there anything to let  go ?

A novice and even a (at least the years past) seasoned Buddhist having this misconception —– but the

meaning of let it go is,  Let go such notion itself.

In fact, in order to keep their “authority”, the establishment (and the so-called teachers) are pretending

to hold the Ark though, there is nothing in it, other than the Myth —– in its best, otherwise a deception.

That is why, the past Great Masters who found it, all  described it as a Dog Shit.

Simply because the Truth, only the Truth is the Dharma.  And the Dharma is here already.

But to see the Dharma  (in fact to see anything)  need to see it with clear eyes, without having any

preconception,  deluded idea, Ego,  even the Self itself —— hence need to be in Mushin.

Strangely you might feel, it include the notion of the Buddhism too.

If you having a belief that you are a Buddhist, you are not enlightened Buddhist but the one

only pretending or showing off.

(Don’t ask me, “If it is the case, why my blog is here”.  Please read the earliest post.—– It was my Karma)

—-

So, you may ask,  If it is the case,  What is the point to be a Buddhist ?

Well, the answer is only you can find it out.  It is not a  Sale Item nor fancy gadget.  There is no catalog.

It might come, might not come though, the one thing definitely certain is, as long as you expecting it,

it never come.  Because you hadn’t let such idea go.

———- In my case, it seems the Dharma is keep watching me and keep giving me the sign,

in a form of the number (where ever I go, or do what so-ever — rather annoying) (Ref; 8150 Story)

So far, having quite peaceful life without getting ill —– might be thanks to the Dharma —– or

might be just a sheer coincidence. Who knows.  But what do I need to ask more ?   Neither I care.

( I suppose, I did let any expectation go long time ago —– may be.  I don’t remember  😀 )

The beauty in the Buddhism is its carefree life.  I even don’t need to remember that I’m a Buddhist  🙂

( The secret behind is, the life style itself has been simplified and it is carried out without need to think about,

other than something new and creatively challenging.  So, Just do it. —– I’m perfectly contented ! )

So, be relaxed, don’t bother Zafu.  You can sit in anywhere —– isn’t this, an enlightened freedom ?

___/\___

—-

What is the POINT ?

Somebody who read  Spiritual Sound gave me a question saying

that I’m desecrating the holy spirituality.

On the surface, it may look true.  But it is the main purpose of this DIY  Zen Blogging.

I’m not Desecrating  Buddhism  or any holy belief.

To decipher the mechanism of our mind and invisible psyche in relation to the Zen is

the task what I’m doing and all about this Yoshizen Blog. —— May be I am demystifying the religion.

( I don’t need to indulge  Mythical Dream,  as I’ve been surrounded by too many spooky phenomena.  😀

My task is not pretend to be a kind of medium but to find out the mechanism how it is operating. )

As I wrote in the earliest posts,  the repeating Buddhist’s practice is, in fact, ware-out the mind

and make the practice routine hence make the person able to do it without thinking / in Mushin.

Mushin is a state of mind,  and it is nothing to do with any mythical, glorious religious belief.

To open the mind and the perception completely away from any thought,  we are able to see

and able to know the truth as it is —— is what all about the teaching of Buddha.

To complete his teachings,  Buddha ordered to his disciples  Not idolize him or worship himself ——its

mean, to follow the Buddhist’s teachings, even a notion of Buddha / Buddhism have to be removed.

Because,  Buddha knew it is the pitfall of the teachings —— even a conscious of  I’m a Buddhist or notion

of Buddha would utterly negate the effects of Mushin.

Remove the conscious to be a Buddhist or the name of the Buddha,  is not desecration of the Buddhism.

Since it is the very core of the Buddha’s teachings.

Simply, this is how our mind works.   And this is what the Buddha’s teachings.

——

Buddha taught to remove the own thinkings to attain Mushin, in his explanation, since the basis of

own thoughts = the self is not existing.

To fully understand what Buddha meant took 500 years.  Hinayana Buddhists took this to negate

the self, especially filthy part of it, smelly guts or uncontrollable genitals shouldn’t be there.

Then Mahayana Buddhists realized,  if they shouldn’t be there, why the Dharma gave us in the first place.

(Not to be obsessed with it / Middle way , is a commonsense)

The function and its mechanism of our mind / psyche (dynamics of our subconscious) was designed

or given by the Dharma, and it has been refined and refined (evolved) in past billions of years.

Exactly in the same context to see the effects of the repeating practice,  I described the effects of

the incomprehensible hi-pitched tone —— it makes our mind puzzle and open the mind.

I didn’t ask anybody to listen Hi-pitched tone or Mozart Miserere.  I’ve just shown what is the effect of

us to open the mind and the perception. —– then you might able to touch spiritual world.

Whether this spiritual world is sacred or holy mythical world, is in your belief / Mind —– but

as the paradox of Buddhism is here, as long as you cling its idea, you can not see it.

___/\___

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