Enlightenment under the Bodhi-tree

Lord Buddha’s enlightenment was in its effect, the emancipation from the

wrong teachings he had.

Wrong though, the effects of those teachings has been over sighted —–

without them, there was no enlightenment = that is what emancipation mean

= because it WAS wrong, there was a discovery  and the revelation of the truth

was made, and it was the very enlightenment.

Heavy practices as an austere — or what ever, of which once he believed that it would lead

him to the enlightenment, hence, he practiced it again and again —– those mind-set and

long continuous practice and its effects has to be counted as a part of the pathway.

= In other words, meditation alone has little effect. Practice and the dairy

experiences (and its observation) play the more role to see the Dharma.

[]

Visiting the very tree where Lord Buddha has said to have reached to his enlightenment, and

try sitting under, while hoping any good effects could occur, is in fact a silly wishful thinking =

Lord Buddha himself prohibited to worship him like an idle, because of his teachings were to

see the Dharma not to believe his words, and as there is no mambo-jumbo exist in this world,

there couldn’t be any super natural effect from the tree (let alone, any possibility of that the

same tree could remain 2500 years :-))   Mimicking the surface and expecting to

have any benefit is no different from buying a costume of  Superman and

expecting become able to fly. —– As there is no magic in the Buddhism,

mimic the posture of sitting under the Bodhi-tree, and get enlightened like

Lord Buddha had, is an illusion.  (If it comes, on front of a Bonsai tree would be fanciful, or

sitting next to an empty pot is even better, as it is more economical.  Ha ha ha  😀 )

[]

What Lord Buddha did under the Bodhi-tree was a stock-taking of the past,

the experiences he learned from so-called Guru and what he observed in

the nature (or the Dharma) —– hence he came to the conclusion that there couldn’t

be any supernatural power which was often associated with a religion exists,  but

very rational mechanism of the Dharma as the Rules.    So, he returned to

the daily nature of  the mankind which is a manifestation of the Dharma =

hence, he ate the milk porridge offered by a woman of the village.

—– And that was his enlightenment. 

( This understanding opened the way to the Mahayana Buddhism later.)

[]

It is easy to guess, those so-called Guru whom

Lord Buddha has met were no different from today’s dubious Guru, talking big with

conjuring trick to show off a [supernatural] power. 😀

( Incidentally, the former USSR, Russia spent millions of Rubles to find usable supernatural

power such as Clairvoyance to spy and Psycho-kinetic power to cause havoc to the enemy etc.

without any success = even a Totalitarian super power couldn’t find any.

And the former Yugoslavia has had thousand of registered Supernatural-power practitioners

though, there has been no single report of such as coming bomb had ever successfully

deflected even in a life or death situation) 

(Spiritualism is not the same to believe Para-physics or Mambo-jumbo  😀 )

[]

Since having his scientific rationalism,

Lord Buddha has come to a conclusion that there couldn’t be any super natural

phenomena such as a perpetual soul (against the widely accepted Vedic

belief of Atman) and anything beyond of our rational comprehension is

[Unknowable and no use to know] (therefore, he ignored the question).

And with this rationalism, which should be comprehensible to any person, he

ordered to his disciples to think by themselves not blindly believe what was said

or taught. It means his teachings were comprehensible to a normal brain i.e. not

a kind of Religious dogma, such as ” if you believe, it exists”  kind of Metaphysics.

(Unlike other religion, rational nature of the Dharma is a comprehensible fact,

therefore it is not a matter of belief but just become aware and to see it —– this

was a reason why he was given a title [ BUDDHA = Enlightened one] not a

Divine status or to be seen as a Prophet )

[]

The stories of the Devils visited him etc. while he was sitting under the tree, were all later

invention to glorify him. —– only certain was that, he must be very hungry then, by which he

must be convinced that to torture the body lead nowhere, let alone to the enlightenment, still,

without having those stock takings, he couldn’t have figured out  the Truth in

the Dharma and the Karma.

[]

—– It is strange to think, as a fact that the time

Lord Buddha spent under the tree, seven days has changed the world since.

And we have to be grateful to him as the greatest teacher we had in the history,

not as an idle,  but as the greatest fellow human.

Being as a human, he knew what the problem we have, and the solution !

So that, he gave the answer, not the commandments.

___/\___

PS:

As the Dharma is a fact on front of us, even within us = so easy to see.  But so

difficult to see it because of our deluded mind, hence all about the teachings of

Lord Buddha was how to clear our mind and the eyes to see it.

[]

THING(S) — 物から事へ

In Japan, a buzzword used over there in these days seems to be

“ The things to Have” to “the Things to Do” = ( 物から事へ ) as I’ve seen many times

in the opinions of many columnists or writers. —– It sounds well observed, well said though,

wait a moment, in reality, this is only a superficial yet another buzzword to the mass,

who wants to be seen cleverer.

[]

On the beginning, the idea was conceived that “Unlike a function, fixed in a

device, the Apps in the latest gadget would be chosen and used by a consumer

= this is the fundamental change of the character to be a device = device

which is [A THING to be] to [A MATTER what to DO with].

To change a consumer as a mere passive user to active Doer.

—– IS IT ?

[]

In reality, this is yet another sales drive of the manufacturer. = Just a buzzword.

Instead to sell a device with the designated, pre-planed function, but selling additional

so-called App is to save a cost to invent and develop the function by themselves but taking

them from the clever developers all over the world.

Hence, such as iPhone can sell App from their App shop, creating even more profit without

spending their developing cost.

And giving a false impression to the user that they are the commander and a

user to use the device which has unique combination of the Apps.

[]

A Thing, which got value in  itself is a precious metal or precious stone, otherwise

something with sentimental, religious value,  which is in fact a value in the mind.

Other than those, everything else are related to our action, what we do with it.

A stone can drive you to throw it, or use it to crack a nut (even chimpanzee does 🙂 )

Even with a mono-functioned Sound-recorder, some are using it to record music, others

using it for news report. What has been recorded, and its variation is never the same to any

other device.   The evidence of what the one DID, a reflection of one’s life.

The matter is not to have a device but what to DO with it. = the situation is always

the same, not happen today in Japan.   And what caused its “What” is all came from one’s

mind-set.

[]

If any changes in the mass tendency in Japan exists, it was not caused by the change of their

philosophy, but simply they got one already (market has been saturated) or

no more spare money left in their pocket.   As simple as that.   😀

And the simple answer is, whether have or have not, if want to DO, JUST DO.

[]

Folded Bag

I got notoriously bad (or very good = depend on how you see it) habit to picking-up something

interesting on the street or from a rubbish-dump.   It could be a discarded electric device or a

part of machine of which I’ve been looking for years, or something useful in my future projects.

(Sculpture featured in this blog, [Buddha 2009] was made by the discarded aluminum pipes,

kinetic piece [Cupidon] in my Youtube (kinetorori) is powered by a motor from a cooling-fan

I found road side and the motors rotating [Virtual Woman] came from Micro-wave Cooker, not

to mention a nude figure [Suppon-pon]  😀  😀

Virtually everything, but few exceptions were such as Chinese Toys I bought for £1  :-))

In order to carry it back, I always have some spare bag stashed in my pocket or

in my back-pack. —– may be three bags in the back-pack, one or two in my jacket’s pocket.

It’s the same idea to a motto of the Boy Scout “ Be Prepared” 😀

[]

To stash a plastic bag, they got to be neatly folded like the one in the photo.

In one occasion, when we Japanese friends went to a park and try sitting there, we noticed that

the ground was a bit wet.   So I handed my bags to those friends to sit on it.

Among those friends there were young women and one of them screamed

“Oh dear, it’s folded”.

[]

—– Now-a-day, statistics showed that about 20% of male population in Japan chooses not to

marry. —– Everything become very easy to carry-out the daily life without having a wife.

Just heat-up a pack of pre-cooked meal using a microwave-cooker in a Convenient-store.

—– Even a convenient Sex is available everywhere whether it was paid or not.

Those kind of conveniences may be more expensive though, on the end, the total cost would

be less than to have a wife, not mention able to avoid the troubles comes with marriage, hence

in average, the number of kids is less than two = reducing the population further.  (Of cause,

the life is not just a matter of cost. —– but this is the situation there.   Which caused the

other is a point of argument though, I don’t think Packed food was the cause of single man  :-D)

= in obvious consequence, the counter-part, women had to face this situation.

—– So that, there are lots of Magazine articles, Net advices, how to find a man to get marry

and what point to look at. = Good sign and the sign of the man, better avoid.

—– A kind of Psychological profile said, better not to chose a man who fuss about principles,

tidiness, cleanness etc. = “He would make your life in Hell while complaining your laziness”.

—– So that, a young woman cried (implying, I can’t take care of this sort) 😀

(So does, some can fold an umbrella neatly but others not, saying “Anyway it has to be open on

the next rain, why bother” = If this is the rhetoric, we don’t need to bother the life

or happiness because anyhow we will die soon or later. = it’s a choice)

[]

To folding a bag may not takes more than a minute and not much skill is needed

though, it need to have a certain mind-set. 

It’s a mind-set aiming it better or ultimately a perfection.

[]

A bag photographed here came from a Chinese Food-shop when I bought a bag of rice, may

be 6 months ago.   It’s mean this bag has been used to carry a shopping repeatedly 6 months

(and folded again.)   And it is an essential item needed to do a shopping such as in the Lidl who

doesn’t give a free bag. —– Financially, I may not be much rewarded to have own bag

though, the matter is not to save a couple of pounds in total but, I don’t like to carry their bag

which is showing too conspicuous logo 😀   Anyhow, we are getting too many bags on shopping

such as when we buy loose vegetables etc.   Too much already, and the situation is bad enough.

[]

To fold a bag is a way of  Zen.   Whether it has any merit or not, leave a bag in a

messy state is messy. Why not to make it a bit tidy.

Why spend a minutes ? —– if not, could we ever utilize that minute for

anything more productive in the life ? —– I quite doubt it.

A person, even wouldn’t bother to fold a bag couldn’t pay enough attention to the life.

(But, don’t ask me, “By folding the bag, why I didn’t become a millionaire or Prim-minister ?”

= it’s a matter of another mind-set.  Aiming to become millionaire need to take care of million

more factors, not just for one bag.   Folding a bag is only a start.  😀 )

[]

Zen only deals with its moment. = When see an empty bag => Do something = the best

is to fold and put it in a pocket. — When a moment which need to use a bag comes, just use it.

But not to walk on a street expecting to find something to pick-up.  When it comes, it has come.

—– though, no fixed obligation to pick it up. 

(But if you interested in, pick up at once = When you go back next day,  it’s gone already   🙂 )

= Zen decision has to be made on its each moment. (On its moment, the existence of

spare-bag was known to subconscious, hence to conceive [pick it up] was a viable choice. 

And why you were interested in was, because your subconscious knew that you need it.

= no need to dither like “I want to pick it up, but how to carry this back or not to pick up ?”

= ( having a bag increased the flexibility of this decision making  😀 )

[]

After awhile, the accumulated “Folded bags” became bag-full, and got to go for recycle =

recycling people might think “What a waste of the time. Why this guy didn’t just put them

straight to the bag ? Otherwise, he could have used the time more productively” 😀

—– It comes down to a mind-set of the Life. = To live tidy life is a life, still

live in a mess is also a life. = We can chose as we like. The matter is,

to know, which ever we chose, the consequence do comes accordingly.

(The troubled consequence of my habit is, the junk I’ve picked-up became a mountain =

“one day I’ll create something out of this junk” might be a wish-full thinking or

delusion = a curse to live as a kinetic sculptor.   Ha ha ha 😀 )

___/\___

[]

YOU or Potato ?

Have you ever seen a bean or maze seed dropped to the garden, sprout.

Or did you ever planted vegetable such as potato, even a carrot in a soil and see them

shoot up. — Yes they are alive in deed.   Still, we do fly, boiled alive and eat them.

Don’t make an excuse, they don’t have a sense, intelligence or feel pain = who knows.

(Have you ever been a Potato to make a first-hand report of being cooked alive. 😀 )

[]

We are all living on a margin of thin blue line of compromise and

dependency.  We are just be here on borrowed time on probation.

So, don’t preach others with smug face, for conservation or environment what so ever.

= (Before preach, get rid of your cotton pants which was made by forcibly cultivated,

harvested and processed cotton flower,  and stop eating vegetable which was grown for

money in a field where tree has been uprooted. )  = Guilty party keeps mouth shat  😀

In other words, there couldn’t be any quiet peaceful life = life is inherently noisy and

filled with all sorts of bothersome trouble.  That’s what the life in Samsara is.

[]

Zen wouldn’t make you noble.

Zen teach you how to cut onion, potato (not mention Lemon :-)) efficiently without any

hesitation or wobble.  (So does to do the business.  Make you Just Do It.  🙂 )

And the Buddhism teachs you who you are = no different from a potato, yet still very

unique one.   (I didn’t say you ARE Potato if not very close — a man of half potato must

be genetically very very unique = I never seen one though.  :-D)

Therefore, Buddhism makes you absolutely humble and absolutely confident to be YOU.

(as one of guilty party which is natural.)  No one is perfect or innocent = What’s wrong?

Wrong is, to imagine you are right, while wearing cotton pants and live in this world

still believing that you are right,  is only in your imagination which is called delusion. 

—– By the way, I didn’t say if it was a sheen nylon French-nicker, it would be OK,

though I don’t mind to see one.  (As I’m one of the guilty)    Ha ha ha  😀

(To live in Samsara is heavy enough, yet still, how heavy unnecessary load called Pretense we are carrying.

Still, some people preaching, wearing a mask of Pretense is they called Decency, and keep Pretending it  😀 ))

Let all those heavy load to go, is what Buddhists call  [Enlightenment] !

(Its mean, if you are a Potato, DO live a life of proud POTATO

IS the Enlightenment ! ! !

= Even a Potato can get Enlightenment,

why not an ordinary man on the street.

___/\___

[]

Sea-Otter’s Valentine Heart !

I just found this photo in the Net.  He is (or said to be = I didn’t ask him) an Alaskan Sea Otter

called Yu-tan lives in the Sea-Paradise of Hakkei-island, Yokohama, Japan.  When a keeper

gave him a Heart shaped ice, he just carry it on his chest while swimming as they do as their

natural habit. —– What a performance !  Cute.    

I like this joke.  (Though, some may say It’s a bad-joke — I like Bad-joke = I don’t want to be

pretending decent man. Anyhow I’m not such noble man but killing vegetables boiled alive )

It’s THE good imagination of the keeper !

—– So, if you plan good fun in your Valentin,  have words  ” Even an Otter has his fun”  😀

(Photo from Jiji-Press  =  http://www.jiji.com/jc/p?id=20130209164425-0014024070&j3  )

[]

Growing Ideas Exhibition

There is a small exhibition titled  [Growing Ideas]  at  272 High Holborn WC1V , LONDON

(it’s  UAL building) which will run until 4th April.

It is a nice place to pop in and take a rest  🙂    And PV will be 14th Feb’ evening = to have a

drink or two served in a edible sugar Glass (or Cup ?)

(I guess, the slower you drink, it’s taste becoming the sweeter  🙂 )

Exhibited works are mostly salable Product Designs and “Make things” video, ETC and

“Interactive Communicative Telephone” (I think this was what Telephone designed for  🙂 )

(I modified the Phone to work with computer system for the artist Francesco Pastori )

(I suppose to download their flier and post here but what was copied was only those two lines)                                                         

“The evening includes free cocktails served in Sugar Glasses by exhibitor Fernando Laposse

and music by exhibitor BeatWoven.”

—– So, come and have a fun on their party.  🙂

[]

Hut Albireo in YASHIGA-MINE

Gosh, I found the Web-site and a photo of the Hut Albireo （八子ヶ峰ヒュッテ，アルビレオ）

(When I searched in English before, I couldn’t find —– I got Japanese typing program only few years ago )

Hut Albireo (its name from a star in the Cygnus )  was a sister Hut of a mountain shelter Takami-ishi Goya (高見石小屋) in Kita-Yatsu-ga-take（北八ヶ岳）, in japan.

—– (Until now I didn’t reveal the name of the mountain shelter I talked, because of my stories often goes too far, I thought, unless the people can verify it with the first-hand independent source, I didn’t like to do name-dropping).

[]Both Takami-ishi Goya and Hut Albireo were originally built by Mr. Satta but later they were taken over by the another hotel, Honzawa-Onsen.  And the Hut Albireo was bought by one of keeper, Mr.Kaji who was the chief volunteer of us.  In fact it was in a financial mess  we keepers were involved in a nightmare as Mr.Satta lost a lots of money in betting.   (Not very mountain like peaceful stories  🙂 )

( So, I learned a man’s life’s up and down entwined with a silly money affair, rather early stages of my life, fortunately or unfortunately. —– Since I hate money and gamble  :-D)

[] To build the Hut Albireo, we keepers were also worked hard from digging the ground works, to carry-up the building materials  (all worked for free though  😀 )  —– coming to the age of stock takings of the life, and looking back to those life I spent in the mountain (from 15 years to 27 years), I convinced that it formed my base of  Zen Buddhism.

In fact, I’ve learned the Buddhism in hardest way in the harshest condition   😀 After all, the matter is just do the work regardless even if it is for others. =  No Ego required.  So, I’m very grateful I did it.  Ha ha ha  😀  —– (Such as a work in a building site in Okinawa while I was a drifter, the work in 30 m high was not too high for a rock climber, and the work was paid ! = In comparison to the unpaid work, such as carrying  the 50 kg of fire log 20 times everyday (its mean one ton everyday and continued one week ) any other work is easier =  who complains =only thankful to be alive = this must be the best lesson and the contemplation for one’s life.  Ha ha ha  😀 )

[] So that, to find the Hut Albireo is still there, and the same owner Mr.Kaji is still alive, was the greatest news to me.  (He was the keeper who carried 15 ton of log together every year. — the question is whether he became a Zen Buddhist or not  ? ) = I need to phone him ! —– Since then, what I found through phone was a bit spooky story that the volunteers, worked together with us (me and Mr.Kaji) around the same time, me and Mr.Kaji are the only surviving member now = rest of 5 were all dead.  What ? ? ? —– (I don’t miss them. Any how they didn’t work for cutting log, or carrying up the food staff = all the heavy work. — They did just disappeared.  😀 )

( Incidentally, when I had my wedding, the Ceremony was conducted in the Shinto Shirline  Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社) and we had wedding party in this very Hut = it was my biggest folly of my whole life.   😀 ) 

［］

Capricorns Ball

Last night, there was a party [Capricorns Ball] held in a Pub in Brixton.  In fact this party

started as a birthday party of the Capricorn people among the staffs or ex-staffs of the

Fridge Night Club,  and as a regular I was invited every year —– in the past 15 years or so !

May be an excuse to get together and get drank or annual reunion of the people who had

their youth in the Club  (I mean, while working —– I was only dancing though)   😀

And all the photos here were intended for the guest to download and copy,  if they want.

It’s nice to see the old faces, even though everybody is getting a bit older and having

different kind of life. (It’s really amazing, I acquainted many of them 20 years ago ! ! ! )

As a party in a pub,  Pub-quiz is in a menu—– this time, about the Capricorns  🙂

( I didn’t know our Emperor, I mean Japanese, is also Capricorns.)

And a birthday cake  🙂

The top two Quiz winner received Trophy = they are ecstatic with a joy  😀 

The each candle on the cake was blown by each Capricorns one by one.

Then, live gig. (Not necessary my kind of music —– still it’s OK )

I think it’s a nice photo !  (or, at least they think I’m a nice man. —– mind you, the camera

was only 10″  away from their faces)

The Capricorn Short cake was made by a young lady and the piece here said to be an

art installation created by another young lady = happen to be a Japanese though, too

young to know what the Fridge Club was  😀

This is not intended for a self portrait but a demonstration of how the lighting of those

photos were done. (Hand aimed bounce lighting).  By the way, something hang  from my

neck is one of my Disco Pendant = Sound-activated Flashing Pendant, I made 20 years ago

and been used in the Club almost every week. (I’ll talk about this design, in here soon)

Then, let’s dance  🙂

Despite the London having quite a snow and pretty cold though, number of people turned up. 

And it was a fabulous joyful night. 

Thanks to the Ex-Fridge Capricorns, work hard to organize this.

[]

Ikkyu story (2)

Ikkyu Sojun (一休宗純) was the most famous Zen monk in Japanese history,

especially with his hundreds of quick witty stories to deal with the situations or gave an

answer though, as so many books has been written much later, we don’t know which story

was true and which one was a fanciful invention.

—– I read this story in a cartoon comics when I was a child, so that it could be a nice

invention of comic writer, still, this story had such a drastic twist of rhetoric

therefore showing quite Zen like jump of wit, this one could be a real story,

if not, it might be written by another accomplished Zen monk.

[]

The Abbot of the temple where Ikkyu was staying, had a secret pleasure to lick a honey

kept in a jar.   When young novice asked him what is it, the Abbot told him that it is a

medicine of wisdom though, as it is so potent, only a learned elderly person can take.

Otherwise, it is deadly poisonous to a young brain. But novices, Ikkyu and others did know,

it was a lie and what in the jar was a honey.

[]

One day, when Abbot was out for a day, Ikkyu gave his drastic answer.

He took an old ceramic vase, which the Abbot was most treasured, and smashed it to the floor.

Then took the honey jar, and started licking honey with other novices.

Soon, the honey was emptied.

When Abbot came back in the evening, he found all the novices were in the crying state.

When he asked what has happened, Ikkyu replied that while cleaning the room,

they accidentally drop the vase and it was completely smashed.   As the vase

has such irreplaceable value, there was no way else to repay but with own life.

“So that, in order to commit suicide, all of us took that poison in your jar.

But, even after swallowed all the poison, we still couldn’t die and this is why

we are so ashamed and feel dreadful. ~ ~ ~ cry cry cry !”

—– Abbot had no word to return.

[]

😀 😀 this was the revolution. Face to face, asking the truth what is in the jar —– is

a democratic approach of dialogue   (provided if the Abbot treats them as equal and tell the

truth) though the Abbot was just a tyrant = there couldn’t be any fair negotiation => only

insurgence is the remedy = revolution, hence some casualties were unavoidable.

The ceramic vase could be worth million though, Ikkyu didn’t gave even a hint of hesitation.

= He just smashed it.   On the end, his revel exposed the fraud in the temple =

Abbot lost his credibility and the priceless ceramic vase —– even honey too 😀

But, what Ikkyu and the novices got — not much, just a taste of honey and a good laugh.

—– most of Ikkyu stories are for good laugh, not much else.

(Anyhow, they were aimed to the children )

[]

Still, real Ikkyu was a serious Zen monk.

As one of his Short-Poem (Kyoka 狂歌) for New-year said ;

門松は，冥土の旅の一里塚 (Kado-matsu wa, Meido no Tabi no Ichiri-zuka)　

馬，かごも無し,宿も無し(Uma, Kago mo nashi, Yado mo nashi)

New-year’s (Ever green) Pine branch is a mile-stone to the Nether world.

No Horse or Palanquin (for the journey), even no inn (to stay for a night).

= there is no celebratory mood at all.      Ha ha ha 😀

That was quite Ikkyu-san.   (He had no illusion to the life, neither to New-year,

though in reality unlike any other meek monk, he had very active eventful life,

all because of his completely liberated mind and the eyes. 

No illusion mean no emotional blockage neither  = This is the Zen )

___/\___

[]

Nattou (納豆) = Japanese food, others dread !

 

(Photo left ;  Nattou I found in a Japanese food shop = £1.5 for 3~4 packages. 

It comes with light colored soy-source and mustard. 

Photo right ; Mixed all together with added spring onion = just in a minute, it’s ready to eat  )

You know, Nattou is the most popular food in Japan —– still, so far, I never seen

any westerner ever eat,  let alone liked it.  😀

Nattou is a fermented soy-bean.  To make it, soy-bean was just boiled and placed between a

straw-mat and kept overnight, that’s all, nothing else.   No trick, no additive, even no need to put

yeast kind of bacteria = in fact, the bacteria  [Bactillus Subtilis var. natto] naturally comes from the

straw or any kind of dried grass hence fermentation will be naturally taking place.

( —– though, today the production was automatized in the factory where no straw

in sight = using cultivated pure bacteria instead, still some enthusiast making it

in traditional way   )

[]

In nature, bacteria are everywhere, include inside of our body and some are doing pretty good

job helping digestion etc, but others are not necessary so, and cause illness.

Some are working to decompose the milk to make it a cheese, or to make a wine etc etc =

as long as it works useful to us, it is called fermentation otherwise called rotten.

So, fermented soy-bean is = to Japanese, it is a great fermentation but to rest of

the world, it is nothing but rotten. 😀

Rotten, because it smells like rotten and the bean became covered with sticky slime.

(In the same context, many of cheese here smells nothing but awfully rotten to the Japanese)

[]

To eat Nattou, Japanese are mixing it with soy-source, generally with mustard

and finely chopped spring onion — some people even prefer to add raw egg-yolk

to make it more slimy. (how delicious !  😀 )

As the protein of soy-bean has been decomposed by the bacteria, it is much more digestible and

nutritional value is much higher than just boiled soy-bean. = Hence, Nattou is an indispensable

part of healthier Japanese food life.

And an interesting point is, as Japanese are familiar with slimy Nattou, they also

eat many slimy food such as Okra, name but few.

—– You may not think,  Okra is slimy food because you eat them boiled.

But, Japanese eat it raw by cutting it into thin slices and mixed with dried fish flaks and drip of

soy-source = if you cut, you will notice, it got slimy mucilage =this texture is what

Japanese are after.   ( I’ll write about this kind of cooking more on a coming post 🙂

[]

Incidentally, Okra is a sister of Hollyhock or Marshmallow, and a cousin of

Hibiscus = all in the same Malvaceae family hence if you clash those plant between your

fingers you will feel it has slimy texture inside = using this slimy mucilage property,

a soft sweets  [Marshmallow] was originally created, as its name suggests.

(But today’s Marshmallow is an almost artificial sponge made by substitute) 

And using its slimy substance as a fiber-bonding glue, Malveceae plants has been used for the

paper making —– you believe or not 🙂 )   As a matter of fact, lots of food such as cheap

Ice-cream couldn’t keep its soft creamy texture without having those slimy additives.  

So, you may read a name of  Zantan-gum on a food packages, it’s a slime created

by the rotten Cabbage ! —– horrified ?  — Or you accept your unavoidable fate,

and start eating Nattou ? 😀

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—– thanks to its pure vegetarian contents, Nattou is very popular in the

Buddhist’s temple menu hence if any westerner had a chance to stay in a temple

= it would be a real dread as well, to face Nattou.  😀

But, I know, to get know to eat Nattou would be rewarded by really healthy life.

To open your mind (and the Mouth), it is the Zen —– ? —– really ?

Yah, —– may be. —- Ha ha ha 😀

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