Singing Bowl
After the post of Wind-Bell I got a call from a person who said that she got
genuine Japanese glass Fuurin. “Oh, marvellous!”—– It’s said to have come
from a Net-shopping with a help of her Japanese friend.
“The sound is exquisite, its ethereal resonance suck you into the infinite depth
of space!” “How extraordinary!”— and she said that she got a singing bowl
from Tibet too which sound even deeper and draw us into deep meditative state.
—– though, —– What can I say ? ? ? —– should I say “Congratulation” for her
able to get hold genuine article ?
Or should I praise her keen effort to seek a genuine sound ? —– ? ? ?
Or should I flirt her that her spirit will reach higher awareness soon.
[]
It may not fare to write here like this because soon she will read this and might feel
offended though, this is not just her personal phenomenon but this is the wide-
spread misconception among those who, so-called “spiritually awaken” — or
New Age kind of people.
As a matter of fact, it is not easy to see what they are after. (Fashion ? Snobbism ?)
Are they really believing that they can get hold the Cosmic Power through a
Crystal they bought ? —– Are they believing that to keep a particular article, made
her to posses its myth and the understanding ? (It’s called Fetisizm Sir/Mme !)
[]
In this area, there are three levels of misconception.
1) Believing that the object has its own power. (Like a Crystal power)
2) Or believe the function of its object would solve the problem.
(Like an exercise machine — the matter is not what the machine is but your act.)
3) With its object, the one can imagine that he or she suddenly acquire the truth.
(Like a “Special Mantra” “Book of ancient wisdom” kind. Chanting O~~~~~rm !)
(— like seeing a film, made a person to believe “Be force with ME” ? )
Unfortunately, none of those kind are in the world. If anybody selling, it’s a fraud.
[]
Yes, I did said that the sound draw a mind into meditative state and this IS the
state of Void. This is true, — you try test = what you found? Did your brain
configure any notion out of tinkling sound ?
I don’t think so = nothing there because nothing else of pure sound is there.
But in this Void what could be discovered ? It is the question to be a Buddhist.
—– To a non Buddhist, Void or a sound of Fuurin or Singing Bowl wouldn’t make
any meaning other than A sound. Though, to a Buddhist who seeks nothing,
this Void opens the eyes to see the Void. (I said, “seeks nothing”)
[]
—– How come ? = our brain takes High-pitched tone as a sign of danger, hence
our brain activities were suddenly silenced and all the perceptions were
concentrated to pick-up further sign. — even though our higher brain did know
that the tinkling sound was mere Wind Bell and nothing to worry about at all, still,
the emotional region / limbic system and all the sensory receptors were tentioned.
= This combination : completely blank-out Thinking activities and the
completely open / absolutely passive perception is very close to the state of Zen,
and it was the base of the Clear Eyes. (Then, to see WHAT is depend on the person
— some will see the enlightenment, but some see nothing.
— you can buy Singing Bowl but not necessary the Enlightenment.)
And this is THE Singing Bowl ! —– yes it sounds more or less the same to Tibetan
Singing Bowl.
(It’s my cooking pan. = the handle was just unscrewed that’s all, and still sound nice !
— cooking pan wouldn’t make any rice sound. But it would sound just Gong ! :-D)
—– What’s wrong with this ? Do you still clinging to the Tibetan Bowl ?
___/\___
[]
Poetry Contest (2)
Not necessary having a thought, I suddenly realized that the story of the Poetry Contest of Huineng and Shenxui was not right. Its contest was the 5th patriarch, Hongren try to find who should succeed him and become 6th patriarch of the Zen. Unlike the other sect of Buddhism, Zen does their learning without rely on the words. = the action in the practice or a thing or phenomenon trigger the understanding.
So, the founder of Rinzai Zen, Rinzai said to have uttered that, “On the way, (may mean Pathway) when you saw the scriptures, through them away. When you saw the monks kill them or met Lord Buddha, kill him too.” —– (this advice was meant be getting rid of any notion, and empty the mind.)
[]On the said Poetry Contest, for the answer to the Hongren’s request to show the Zen mind, well-learned top-rank monk, Shenxui wrote “Mind is like a mirror, I polish the mirror diligently for no dust to settle on it” —– opposing to this, one low rank monk, Huineng wrote “Since Mirror is not exists in the first place, where could dust settle”
—– Hongren found that Huineng has much deeper understanding in Zen, he chose Huineng to be his successor.
[]Zen teaching was started by Bodhidharma on 5th century. Though, as a matter of fact, there were numerous legend and myth about Bodhidharma but little historical facts were known, therefore any story has to be treated with a pinch of salt.
—–When Bodhidharma wanted to choose his successor, there was a similar story. He asked his disciples “Can each of you say something to demonstrate your understanding ?”
Dao Fu stepped forward and said, “It is not bound by words and phrases, nor is it separate from words and phrases. This is the function of the Tao.”
Bodhidharma: “You have attained my skin.”
The nun Zong Chi stepped up and said, “It is like a glorious glimpse of the realm of Akshobhya Buddha. Seen once, it need not be seen again.”
Bodhidharma; “You have attained my flesh.”
Dao Yu said, “The four elements are all empty. The five skandhas are without actual existence. Not a single dharma can be grasped.”
Bodhidharma: “You have attained my bones.”
Finally, Huike came forth, bowed deeply in silence and stood up straight.
Bodhidharma said, “You have attained my marrow.”
Bodhidharma passed on the symbolic robe and bowl of dharma succession to Huike and, some texts claim, a copy of the Lankavatara Sutra.
Bodhidharma then either returned to India or died. (This story from Wikipedia)
(There was the conflicting stories, —– He might returned to Persia. Or even killed in the mass execution at Heyin in 528.) []
My doubt was that why Shenxui, studying under Hongren did have such poor understanding ? (While Huineng who was working in the kitchen could still pick up the Zen understanding from overheard conversation of other monks.)
And the same question goes to the colleagues of Huike too. = they were no ordinary monks, THE direct disciples of Bodhidarma. As they lives together, they must have lots of discussion even arguments. —– still keep maintaining such variety of idea = quite logical and full of blah blah, but where the “Teachings of the Master” which was supposedly on the principle of Void and abhorrence to the words, has gone ?
And, what was the 5th Patriarch, Hongren’s understanding and the teachings of “mind” ? —– (Was he thinking, “There is Zen Mind” ? )
— Who recorded those stories ? — Was that came from the diary of Hongren ? — weren’t those stories made-up to glorify each Huineng and Huike ? ? ?
While making others looks fool = makes stories interesting. And this kind of practice was behind of all those compilation of “Sutra” or scriptures. It’s mean, we need very critical sharp eyes to distinguish what was the true teachings. 🙂
___/\___
[]
Dale’s Studio
——– (Note: Photo above by Zeiss 18mm lens for Nikon = Virtually no Distortion ! )
Yesterday, I went to the studio of Dale in the east London who also run the Cafe,
Small White Elephant to help a documentation, photographing his paintings.
As always, when I go out to take picture, it was a sunny blue-skyed day. = Almost
like the first spring day of this year.
(In fact, I’ve told him “If the weather was like this rainy, it would be a sign of
that the Heaven doesn’t like you” as the day before was rainy.)
As always, the studio was in a disused big industrial building,
some walk from the Bromley by Bow station. = Real East End ! —– the area
“was” really a derelict, disused industrial land though, in the past few years,
suddenly new development was started. = would become posh town soon ! ?
Utterly out of my guess, Dale’s paintings were the riot of colors with tons of paint.
— paint was not painted but more likely, deposited on the canvas. (= so that,
even after few years, some paint was still not completely dried yet.)
I only say ” Wao, Amaaaaaaazing”. and then, I realized the connection, why
he interested in Zen = those process to dripping the paint without having
much of pattern or figure = almost endless work of Mushin (Mind of No-mind
= Do the task without needing to have the Thinking.) —– And the result
—– it showed nothing or it is the everything ! (色即是空,空即是色 = like what
Heart Mantra said ) —– He was not trying to copy a style of Zen painting
but “Do the Zen” in action.
And, for the next step, for exhibition and for a publication, he needed
to have his paintings digitized.
When we finished the shooting, his friends came to the studio with cans of beer.
In most of the case, the studio of the artist never be tidy —– so, looks like this
pile of mess = was not a mess = it was a collage of the doodles or a draft of plan
etc etc. in his past (= said to be. 🙂 )
Therefore, I wouldn’t make any question “What is this ?” to an artist.
(with obvious reason. 🙂 )
So, I even didn’t have an attempt to guess what they are — why the blobs of
the paint was kept and treasured ? ? ?
In some distance, over the Bow Creek, landscape of the East End.
The life is there as usual. (of usual kind. 🙂 )
(Camera used was: Nikon D810 with PC Nikkor 35mm F2.8 and
Carl Zeiss 18mm F3.5 for Nikon)
[]
Fun from a broken Camera
Often when a camera of my friend or a friend of friend has broken down,
that camera was brought to me to have it repaired or for me to have a fun.
But a compact digital camera, Canon Powershot G9 was dropped in the muddy
water and beyond the repair = so, I had a fun ! (and beyond. 🙂 )
The inside of the camera had, not only a water but also a lots of sand too,
hence like a lens barrel got stuck etc — rather hard to even disassemble
(not mention the rusted and stucked screws) — still, some of the parts were
survived well and still functioning ! The photo above was a 16 MP image sensor
and its left, pale green grass was a filter to remove the effect of Infra-red ray.
I think, this sensor is still usable though, what for ? —– Make yet another
imaging device ? = nothing creative = just buy a security camera would be cheaper.
This was an interesting device = rather early design (this camera appeared
on the market 2007) of the Image-stabilizer.
As you might know a projected image is upside down. So that, when the camera
was shaken down, the image would move upward. Therefore, if a part of the optics
in which carrying the image, which was already upside down was shaken down,
its movement cancelling the shake. = With this theory, Canon designed an
Image-stabilizing optics with rather heavy magnets and the driving coils.
—– The whole unit was suspended by 3 springs therefore, it’s bounce with
camera shake to the opposite direction = but as I said, the projected image was
upside down, the camera shake was cancelled. = It was a clever design though,
as its bounce was affected by the gravity, it wouldn’t be consistent with the different
positioning of the camera (holding the camera vertical or horizontal, or aiming
up or down may affect to sense the direction and a strength of the movement. )
In the device, orange colored mouth (eye ?) shapes were the electric coils to control
the movements of the magnets. (on the photo left, it was heavily rusted ) On the photo
right, round shaped component was a stepping motor to drive an Iris (F-aperture)
and this motor and Iris was working, I’ll use it somewhere on future.
The photo left, this is the back of the Image-stabilizer, and it’s showing
two drive unit for the shutter and the built-in ND filter.
And the center and right photos, they shows the last (4th) optical group before
the image sensor and this optics might be a focusing unit which was driven by
a stepping motor with a screw movement.
(I’m planing to make something with its fine and precise movement.)
The photo left, this was the first group of the optics or the front lens, and as a convex
lens, it would be used as a simple single glass lens. (Somewhat, 55 mm F2 lens. 🙂 )
The center photo was the second group of the optics which is acting as a concave lens,
creating zoom effect though, it seemed, those 2nd and the 3rd groups move together
with very complexed movement, it was not easy to say how zooming was done.
The photo right shows the grooves on the barrel, by which how each group of
the lens moves. (Small pin on the plastic barrel moves in those grooves = you see,
how those lenses were flimsy and fragile = one drop would destroy the camera and
it is cheaper to buy another camera than to repair (by replace the lens all together.)
[]
One broken camera provide quite useful components and the opportunity to
think “What could be designed and made out of those components” —– the game
of the creativity. So, it is a fun. ( —– without the cost !)
[]
Ai Music — What ? ? ?
This music said to have composed entirely by a computer. It’s mean, a computer
(its program) had its mind how to compose a music, in other words it was an
Artificial Intelligence to be a classic music composer in Bach’s style.
—– It’s pointless to talk about the music without listen it first. (So, ask your ears.)
Sound somewhat a part of J.S.Bach’s clavier collection —– though, what did you
find of this composition ? — In my feeling, I found this, very irritating to listen.
So that, it convinced me that how the man who composed the original
Well Tempered Clavier, Book one = J.S.Bach had human mind and a sensitivity.
I think, the mind was conceived phrase by phrase such as “I like this flower”,
“A is equal to B” or “As A was equal to B, therefore A plus B will be the amount
of twice of A” kind. So, the music expression has more or less the same structure,
whether it has a poetical dialogue inside of the composer or the description of the
landscape etc, in any case, each phrase, description etc is a complete packet.
They never drug the argument endlessly, as they ought to settle somewhere.
Yet, this “so called, Ai composed Music” has no such packet structure, but just
continuing on and on for the sake of making it to the length. How irritating !
[]
—– My guess is, that the man who programmed this so called Ai, just made an
algorithm “What most likely choice of a note after the note, according to the
statistical tendency of J.S.Bach” not the artificial emulation of Bach’s Mind.
Music is not a permutation of the note, but the emotional phrase induced by
a musical language. —– Language need to have a structure and the words.
They are not an endless line of alphabet.
I don’t mind if this music was played to a computer, but human ear is not a machine.
If you like to follow this Ai story, the link was :
[]
Hoben (方便) / Upaya — (2)
Most of the books I refer to, are I brought from Japan and unless I need to find
the English word, I do not look into Wiki kind. —– So, I tell you the truth,
until few days ago, I didn’t know that there a Sanskrit word for Hoben (方便), Upaya
existed. In Japan Hoben is a widely used word spread out of the Buddhism,
which has an extended meaning of “convenient mean” or “easy alternative” kind,
and the original Buddhist context was masked by those common usage.
Lord Buddha’s witty teachings, which was timely and suit to the occasion, or to
the person speaking to, is a well known stories, hence those witty talk style has
been adapted by the Zen talk, or even by the children’s comic book “Ikkyu-san”.
As its casual use became so common, we almost forgotten it had a Buddhism origin.
—– So that, to find this word, “Upaya” really surprised me, not because of its
meaning but the attitude, the ancient monk did created a dedicated nickname for
Lord Buddha’s talking style, yet still, they couldn’t find the meaning of
Lord Buddha’s silence.
[]
Do you talk about the prostitute or prostitution in public ? I don’t think you do.
It’s a dirty talk and officially, it’s not exist in your life. And if it’s not in the society,
neither a word prostitution exists. It’s mean, even if anybody asked about it, you
can not understand what it mean nor able to answer.
To Lord Buddha, talking about Atman or Self never happened, because no such things
of the Self exists and to talk about a thing which is not exists was nothing but a
delusion and it is a dirty talk. Because of it is not exists and as he doesn’t have, it was
no use to make a question about the Self or its reincarnation to him, because
he wouldn’t answer anyway, since even no word, no notion was there.
= This was the reason why, to those questions, there was no answer from
Lord Buddha at all.
[]
And when the teaching was related to the Self, there was no explanatory words
but to show the practice which would lead to the “Selfless State of the mind” —–
or just to give a smile, otherwise (if you can’t get it), the excommunication.
(This was the reason why no explanation of “No Self” was in the scripture.
—– either it was omitted because of the conflict with the Hinduism or it couldn’t
be written down because, no such things like a Self exists.)
(In Buddhism, especially in Zen, there is nothing between Yes and No.
Yes mean 200% commitment but if it was No, even a word No itself is no longer exist.
= it is not a denial or even an argument but a total erasure = the subject, the matter
is completely disappeared. = hence no psychological conflict.
When no-self, there is even no subject, who is thinking the matter.)
___/\___
[]
HOBEN (方便) / Upaya — in Buddhism
In one before previous post, “Why live”, the author of the book Dr. Ogoshi was
saying that the Hoben (方便) (upaya = Sanskrit) = the mean or way (to lead others to
the Enlightenment) as the vital part of the human relation therefore that makes
the Reason to live.
[]
Among the religions, the only one asking the followers “to understand (the matter)”
is the Buddhism. All others need just believe what was said or written.
With this reason, only the Buddhism having a notion of Direct transmission or
Hoben/upaya and the Pathway. All those are just the mean and the process. —–
Why those mean or process was talked about, but not the goal itself was = that
because, the goal couldn’t be explained, even if anybody knows. Because, it is Void.
Indeed, it’s a funny religion and the strange deal = on the end, you may get the Void
at its best. If it was short of best, you get nothing. Get nothing, yet even if you did
the best, get Void ! —– How Fantastic ! ! !
( at least the another religion is promising the heaven or paradise kind of good deal!
— whether it was fraud or not in the eyes of Advertising Standard Authority.)
[]
In the famous Kisa Gotami story, what she was instructed was to obtain the
mustard seeds from the house never had bereavement. — After knocking all
the doors in the village, and running all the day, she was convinced that the
bereavement is the truth of human existence. —– The advice of
Lord Buddha, “To save the dead child, it need to get the mustard seeds” was not
necessary true though, the action she took, definitely brought her the enlightenment
and helped her to overcome a sorrow of the lost child. —– And to give such a good
advice and lead the person to get enlightened IS the Mahayana Buddhist duty.
(It must be much harder to enlighten the other. Who got the brain of
Lord Buddha, in this world today ? ! )
___/\___
[]
PS: In the mainstream Buddhism, Kisa Gotami’s story
was understood only as a sample of Hoben shown by
Lord Buddha. But, what I’ve been talking about is, its contributory effect of
“Repeating Actions” (running and knocking all the doors next by next) to her
brain function. = (Repeating input to the brain lead the apathetic response =
input would be handled emotionally detached = this is all about
the Buddhist’s practice and the VOID in the mind.)
[]
Why Live ? ? ?
[ —– 以上のように、名越さんはご自身が仰るように仏教の專門家ではない「門外漢」ながら、
お坊さんでも避けがちな問題に正面から取り組み、行や瞑想を実践することで気付いた
大乗仏教のあり方にまで思索を及ぼしています。大きな問いを掲げ、その具体的な
解決方法を述べつつも、最終的には身近なところからの方便の実践に尽きるという結論は、
お寺やお坊さんの社会貢献の必要性が叫ばれる現代において、非常に大切な視点であると
思います。ぜひ本書を手に、まずはとにかく簡単な行や瞑想を試してみて、そして少しずつ
方便ができるようにチャレンジしてみてくださいね。 合掌
http://www.higan.net/book_review/2015/01/whylive.html?utm_source=mm&utm_medium=245
[]
I’ve come across a small book review (as it was so small, I should say “introduction” )
of a book titled “Why live as we are going to die anyway” on a Buddhist’s website
called Higan-dera. Its article is small and only minute portion of the book was
quoted, (and I haven’t read the book itself) I may not to have enough source to talk
about —–still, what I noticed was, that despite the “review” was written by a
Pure-land sect monk, and the book was written by a psychiatrist/alienist doctor,
their understanding of the Buddhism were so casual and romanticized. =
May be the indication of the social/spiritual situation of Japan today.
= So much (too much) information of everything, hearsay they-say, stereotypical
idea (not necessary correct) saturating the society yet, non of the correct,
systematic understanding of the Buddhism was upheld.
[]
The author of the book, Dr.Yasufumi Nagoshi was deducing how individual was
connected to the human-network from a mandala drawing —– what a fancy idea !
Mandala was a symbolic depiction of the Buddhist’s idea of the world, created
2000 years or so ago, — still, long before any Mandala was drawn, human being
has been living in their network/society. —– or Nagoshi was try hard to make a point
“Human relation HAS to be in the Buddhist’s context” — was he ?
[]
It seemed, Nagoshi didn’t give the answer to the question “Why live” but telling that
the Buddhism is providing the Rules, the Practices, the Guidelines for the daily living
and through this daily life, we can connect to the others, and this vital helping network
makes the people to live and make their life living-worthy.
—– and a Pure Land monk, Jokun who gave this review seemed to have very impressed
by this view, as this human network is the way of the Mahayana Buddhism. —– sound
sweet though, still it didn’t make the answer. Obviously they two were talking about
“How to live” but didn’t aware, or know how and why we exist here.
Otherwise, the burst majority of the world population is living without good cause or
living-worthy reason. The reason why we live is not dependent to the romanticized
Buddhist’s idea but by the hard rational.
[]
So, Why live ? ? ? — the answer, which they should have given was, that We are having
the life which was given by the Dharma. (Mind you, since Dharma runs the Universe, it
covers non Buddhist as well. = Same as the gravity affecting anything any people.)
We didn’t ask or chose to exist. We exist neither by accident or random occurrence.
Our existence came from all the cause in the moment of the conception and all the
preceding condition of which the Buddhist calls Karma. So that, the one exists here,
was made by those cause and the condition = it was a rational consequence almost like
a direction. This direction can be seen almost like a will or the plan of the Dharma and
the reason why such direction created the Person WAS that there was a needs of which
the person to fulfil. = This on-going total system IS the Dharma. Law of the Universe.
—– It’s mean, we were here to fulfil the role. = it was not our free choice, neither we can
refuse or escape. Therefore we live, = we have to.
—– (So that, actuary to undertake the project, “to be me” = we need to find “who me”
and the role to play. This was the reason why “Self awareness” became crucial to be a
Buddhist — though, don’t mix-up with the “self conscious Ego”. —– the
difference is, the detached eyes to see the self or the self imposed imaginary self.)
___/\___
[]
Blinds and Elephant
Among the millions of metaphors human culture has, the one such as
“Moon and Pointing Finger” was known to be associated with Zen Buddhism.
A story of the Blinds and Elephant was too widely known and seemed to have
lost its origin. But this story/metaphor has Buddhist origin too, and this
metaphor was exactly about the Buddhists themselves, was forgotten.
[]
There are tens if not hundreds of the descriptions to explain Buddhism. Such as
Mushin, Void, Mindfulness, Middle way, Clear-eyes, Detachment, Impermanence,
Ichijo, Compassion, Dharma, Karma, Delusion, Contemplation, Enlightenment,
— etc etc. So that, the people whether believer or the outsider, they think that
there are many aspects, or the elements in the Buddhism which necessitates to
master next by next — though, it is the utter misunderstanding or misguided idea.
[]
Since those Notion and the Words were used to describe a state of the mind,
people were made to believe that such each state IS exists. = Just same as
one blind man told while touching its flapping ear saying “The Elephant is a
soft thin disk just like a nan bread” and the other said “Oh, it is a very thick
rubbery hose, like a vacuum car’s hose” etc etc.
—– The trouble to deal with Buddhism was, that the most of its phenomena,
state of the mind are in the subconscious of the person, hence it is invisible to
the people, even to the person himself. Inevitably, all those descriptions were
nothing but a guess work of the person, mixed with the hearsay. —– It’s mean,
a person who couldn’t even see the own mind speaking about the Buddhism, let
alone whether he himself had reached to the level to know what the Buddhism is.
[]
Typical sample of it in these days is, the fashion of “Mindfulness” even in a kind of
business lecture ! The most funny things about this word “Mindfulness”, there is
NO Japanese or Chinese word of this notion exists. = It was a western invention or
made-up —– probably, a sham doctor selling miracle portion kind of “Zen monk”
had used the word first, while having a misunderstanding that the Zen is “a kind of
concentration of the mind”.
If you know about the Zen Buddhism a little bit, you may know the word “Mushin =
Mind of no-mind” —– sound somewhat opposite of “Mindfulness” though, as a state
of the mind, those two is in-separable one. (and nothing like a concentration at all =
Zen is a completely relaxed, open, detached mind = hence No-mind / Void = in fact,
all those different explanations were about the same state —– the person who said,
didn’t know the real situation / state in his real experience — came from hearsay )
= So, it is clear, the person who is using a word “Mindfulness” is a person who is
pretending to know the Zen Buddhism, (and telling “It’s a hose of vacuum-car”) 😀
[]
—– A funny story in Japan is, one of the big University, Waseda Uni’ has a
student group called “Mindfulness Society” = obviously following a book (or two)
written by the westerner. —– Or, they might have learned that “Mindfulness is no
longer the Buddhism but New religion” = Cool western religion !
— What a hose. 😀
___/\___
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