Think Yourself (2)

Gosh, it was the February of last year when I talked about this in a post  [ Think yourself ].

On that time I wrote the reason why Buddha ordered his disciples not just follow his words but

think it by themselves,  was,  let the Buddhism to evolve by taking new thinking according to

the change of the world. —– This is true. — And the Buddhism did it,  in deed.

Then after I wrote previous two post about will-power —– I realized there was also a hidden meaning in

the Buddha’s words “ Think yourself “ —– he must be thinking the other effect in the brain when

people think about the subject again and again.

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You might remember when you were a child, you asked a rather silly question to your parent and

annoyed them such as why we can’t get a stars in the night sky,  I want to have one   🙂

We grown up and know more and better ( how far the stars are ),  and also we tired-out to think about

such question = effect of the brain fatigue and the acclimation to the same signal.

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There are two different kind of the results you can get out of a question, say what is the answer of

[ 1+1 = ? ] —– with straight arithmetic, it is [ 2 ] but when you tired to question again and again = the question

itself would ware-out.  ( may be not 1+1 kind but pretty awkward abstract notion such as

where we came from for what purpose and where are we go after life. etc etc )

When the question disappeared, no problem left = just carry-on your life.    Ha ha ha 😀

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Despite your expectation Buddha didn’t give any of those answer, he was silent = famous

roaring sound of silence.   But ordered to think yourself.

By doing so, you will get the answer of Ha ha ha 😀 :-D.

After all this is the very answer you need to have to live your happy life.

Leave the question to a Philosopher who was born to be a grumpy philosopher.

You don’t need to have grumpy life.  —  This is the Buddhism.    Ha ha ha 😀

Have a nice day 🙂

___/\___

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How to reach ZEN MIND ?

Someone asked me “ Hey Yoshizen, I read your [Will-power] post and understand what

ZEN MIND is,  —– the question is HOW to reach there ?

Well, this is the question worth one’s life.

It costed Master Bodhidharma who started the practice of ZEN,  for his 9 years sitting, and costed me just

to have a glimmer of idea, 3 years Disco Dancing.   😀    And yet another 20 odd years more of experiments.

And I’ve written many times before, but repeat it here referring the last post.

> > Buddhist has completely different psyche —– there was no will at all,  hence those

—– Masters got enlightenment  !  ( Buddhist doesn’t intentionally pursuit the goal by will

—– but to set the goal as the default = if nothing else is there, what else can we wish for ? )

—– When (to his eyes) no chocolate is there, why want to eat chocolate —> once this kind

—–of mind  became the norm,  do something by the will doesn’t need a chocolate  

MIND or the information process in the Brain has distinctive tendency, If the same signals are repeated,

the response becomes routine or the signals will be completely ignored in order to save the energy

by short-cut or shut-out.  This is an acclimation ( acclimatization) process of the brain and the physiology.

If you eat chocolate all-day, ton of it, soon you will fed-up with it ( it’s a metaphor don’t try this in home and

I wouldn’t presume any responsibility of its consequence ) = you become immune to it.  Even hate it.

Or if you love your partner, love a lot, a lot  for 7 years equivalent amount (Well, some says 2 years these days)

she ( or he ?) become either part of yourself or invisible.  In both case she or he no longer bother your Mind

(= hence brain can save energy) = life just goes on as it is.  —– It’s a Peace !

—– If he wants to do [A],  Just Do [A] —– anyhow nothing else is in the scope.

—– But to choose [A] out of 26 and try to do, it may need to think and use a will. 

—- —– But if nothing else is there, it is only a thing he can do.

So that, if you think and try doing it [A] all-day, next day, repeating million times = it become routine.

Then, You become able to do it automatic = without thinking.

Strangely, once you master this, by doing [A],  you are able to use the same mind-set to any other subject

in any moment at once.  The fundamental OS (operation system) of the brain changed to Zen Type.

Non

Buddha had been doing this in his daily life (life was simple, handling only few same things

everyday = routine, as he went through the life of austere already, he didn’t need much)

—– the followers copied his action and later realized the hidden effect as it is the way to get

the State of Mushin (Mind of No-Mind) = routine work without thinking.

Since then, all the Buddhist’s sect having a simple repeating act in their Buddhists practice.

Especially the Master Bodhidharma was the one who used the effect of repeating action as

the main tool to get the state of Mushin and the Enlightenment which is known as ZEN.

Therefore, repeating or bombarding the brain with the same signal ( as long as it is the same

stimulant = thinking or action) the brain reacts the same —> either it became routine

or immune.

Then once this tendency was established, the brain become able to handle any signal, either

completely ignore it or automatically reacts with full concentrated force. — This is the ZEN.

It is obvious, if anyone did [A], million times, he must become an expert, and able to do while eyes closed,

without thinking, but with exactly same precision.

Yet strange phenomenon is that the person who mastered to do the thing without thinking, also become able

to see (or concentrate) only the subject and able to [not to see] others. Then, if necessary not to see anything.

Since the brain become more efficient, not waste energy or time, it able to see something new

or its wider implications = hidden meaning and the truth.

And, some become able to see which is invisible to others. (Literally, third eyes, or Hyper vision = able to see

such as a high-speed movement in slow-motion) —– all by the training of sensory.

(It is rather well-known phenomenon, a person encounter such as a car-accident or explosion

seeing the moving scene in slow-motion.   This is the Hyper-vision) —– ZEN is only using

natural body and brain capability, but just enhancing it. —– no fancy magic or placebo effects.

( That’s why the past Masters described it as ” Dog Shit” as it was nothing special or miraculous.   😀 )

___/\___

—

Glucose Level and the Will-Power

There are some internet information and the blog talking about the tendency of human behaviour,

in relation to the blood sugar level.

A blog talking about the influence of sugar (glucose) level to one’s will power quoting an article

in the New York Times which says depleted sugar level lead to the person indecisive. (postpone the decision)

This full 7 pages article is in deed the test of one’s will power to read through 😀

It’s talking about this research and other research and so on, and the observation connecting glucose

level to decision-making appeared in 5^th page.  ( Better jump to the page,  if you are busy)

—

Somewhat interesting observation though, this research having a fatal flaw.   Its observation is

based on a statistic of the decision-making of a Parole Board —– which application was passed in the daily

schedule in relation to the time of the day. (Possibility of a Parole given to criminals are much higher

soon after the lunch break, but later afternoon seemed to be very few) — this statistic came from official

document, but conclusion wasn’t based on the blood sample taken from the members of the Parole Board.

Hence speculating its tendency that it was contributed by the glucose level was nothing but a guess work

speculation. —– There could be hundreds more psychological factors.

—

The activity of the brain can be seen as a graphic image of PET (Positron Emission Tomography)

scanner.  PET image shows how the energy consumption (Oxidation of the glucose) is taking place.

—– If depletion of the glucose is there = no emission = no bright image = shadow.

Even a person under observation, who was taking heavy brain taxing work,  PET image never shows a shadow

= brain is keep working.

The sugar level in the blood is as crucial as the oxygen level, hence the blood circulation and the controlling

mechanism of the sugar level has been evolved in the past million years of evolution.

I don’t think the human kind who didn’t have a chocolate handy in their daily life suffered with

poor decision-making due to the glucose depletion.   (Otherwise we have been extinct long ago)

—

And the another article I found was a kind of statistic made by a marriage adviser (?)  Mary. J. Hungerford

of California (though, I couldn’t find the original article) which said that 3/4 of the divorced couple were

having sweet tooth and she speculates it must be caused by the higher level of the

Adrenalin which was associated with the higher level of glucose in the blood.

Higher level of Adrenalin makes the person aggressive hence argumentative —– which lead to the

break down of the relation and end up in divorce.   (Really ! ? )

—

—– Very funny contradicting fact is [ What about Diabetic ] it was caused by higher level of

the glucose in the blood.  Does it creates an aggressive man of will ?  Quite opposite isn’t it ?

—

PS :  After I’ve put this post,  I Googled [Glucose level,  Will-power] and realized this idea was not novel,

—– but rather popular idea.   Then I gave a thought  [what I was eating in the Eihei-ji temple ] —–

—– A bowl of rice porridge (of cause not with milk,  just boiled in a lots of water) and pickled vegetable for

—– break fast.  In the evening, a bowl of rice,  a dish of such as boiled vegetables, tofu etc, and miso-soupe.

—– Strangely I have no memory of lunch —– may be it wasn’t there.

—– I think, to anybody’s eyes and a mouth,  it was not a kind of  food  to energize the Man’s Will-Power   😀

—– Despite such poor food,  the Monks even ordinary visitors stay there to spend the time of nothing  !

—– There was no restriction to leave, if anyone wish.   So that, to stay there may need to have a will-power.

—

—– Think about the heroic story of the sheer Will-Power,  like Shackleton’s Polar Expedition etc.

—– Did he has a luxury of daily portion of chocolate to keep his will  ?   I don’t think so.  😀

—– I don’t think the will-power of what people talking about here and the explorer’s or mountain climber’s

—– will-power is the same kind.—  Neither any Zen Master’s will.

—– Buddhist has completely different psyche —– there was no will at all,  hence those

—– Masters got enlightenment  !  ( Buddhist doesn’t intentionally pursuit the goal by will

—– but to set the goal as the default = if nothing else is there, what else can we wish for ? )

—– When (to his eyes) no chocolate is there, why want to eat chocolate —> once this kind

—–of mind  became the norm,  do something by the will doesn’t need a chocolate   😀

—– If he wants to do [A],  Just Do [A] —– anyhow nothing else is in his scope.

—– To chose [A] out of 26 and do it needs to think and the will.  But if nothing else there,

—– it is only a thing he can do. —– This is the ZEN.

—– ___/\___

—

Future Cinema in Dockland

Last weekend,  there was a cinema event in the Dockland,  near Canary Warf.

My friends in the production team of the organizer Future Cinema  invited me to see it. 

As it was setup in the theme of Holy Wood films it must be a fun.

Lots of audience ( participant ? ) came with their guise of film character.  A cute girl, said to be 11 years old

attracted the eyes of the others — A guy in commando style asked her ” You are under-age girl aren’t you ?”

” Under-age for what ?  I’m not here for sex or drink.  Ha ha ha ”

They are my friend Francesco / stage designer’s gang / DJ,  Audio engineer etc etc.

—– thanks goodness,  they are pretty decent people.  (so far)

In fact,  it is a party —– have a good time,  booze,  chattering —– film screening was just a pretext.

So, —– What’s wrong ?

And this is the pretext = film screening —– though,  I don’t care the film whether the Boy was

lost or not —– anyhow it is just a film,  not in reality.  (sorry about  😀  )

I was more interested in the huge 35mm film projector.

As everybody has seen the same film before,  we went to a bumpy-car ride.  It was much more fun.

( Especially for the people of [the Italian Drive] )

Then took a merry-go-round,  round and round, round.   It is the tendency of the creative people,  they

are the hyper-active jokey people (in another word naughty) —– thanks goodness they were not drunk.

So,  it was a fun-full day (and evening  🙂  )

Peace  !  ( Yes, in deed )

—-

Equipments used here :  Canon 5D  Mk-2  /  Nikon Fish-eye Lens 16mm f3.5   /  Pentax  15mm f3.5

Manual focus with F-aperture Priority ( AV ) setting ( with exposure compensation)

—

Tiny LIFE

( What I casually called Mayfly here was in fact  Green lacewing /  Chrisopidae )

Some days ago, short floss like thing standing on the edge of the book, caught my eyes ? ? ?

At second glance, I realized, it was an egg of the Mayfly.   Then I remembered a

Mayfly was flapping around the table lamp a night or two before. = so,  she laid an egg ! ?

While looking around —– I found four more  those eggs

here and there. —–  And I found a dead Mayfly too.

—– M m m m # ? # ?.  What a hell ! What should I do ? ? ?

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I don’t like it. Absolutely not welcome at all.

Even if those eggs hatched, there is no food for its larvae

—– simply I can’t take care of them.

—– and if I pick and throw them out, the eggs will be

eaten by other small creepy crawlies.

—– In any choice, those small life would be doomed —– isn’t there any alternative ? ? ?

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So that I decided to take picture of them = at least, Mayfly could contribute something to

the world —– ( really ? —– for what extent ? ) —– Don’t ask me,  it’s a sheer excuse.

But, to take picture of such minute subject is not easy. As my macro photo system has been

disappeared somewhere I decided to make it using cheap Chinese Micro-scope Lens.

( Using wide-angle lens with reverse adopter could make large magnification though its big

shoulder prevent to access small corner to take picture of this kind of fixed object )

So, I wound a wire around the screw mount of the microscope lens (and partly soldered / Photo above left )

then glued this ring on top of a splay can which happen to have suitable diameter ( Photo, middle ) and

put LED focus light —– here the Macro Photo Adopter for Canon EOS.

( can was mounted on a Canon body cap —– with a cut-out hole in the middle, of cause 🙂 )

What a hustle you might say. Yes it was a hustle in deed. To holding a wire ring in the dead centre

of a mouth of can while keeping it exactly parallel (well, sort of 🙂 ) and filling the 2.3 mm gap around

of it, using Araldite glue etc. etc,  a  lots of work.

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But don’t forget the life of a small Mayfly —– she unfortunately end-up her life in this room though,

at least she did her best,  surviving few days without drinking any water (may be — I know not) and

laid the eggs which was her duty in her life.

At least, I have to respond to the encounter with this life —– it is the duty to be a Buddhist.

Squeezing the brain and find the way to solve the technical difficulties and achieve ( at least in the

acceptable standard 🙂 ) the necessary objective —– is the Zen ( in action ).

This is what I’ve been saying “ Do It “ not wasting the time thinking.

—– Um m, the result seems not too bad. ( I think —– for an almost cost nothing hand-made device 😀 )

( Quality of the images is not as good as Zeiss apo-chromat lens I used to use, but think about the price 😀 )

___/\___

PS :  The stem or egg supporting rod (?) is nothing but a wonder of the nature.  How the secluded liquid

—– can instantly harden and able to hold the egg on top. —– If anybody know the scientific research of

—– this,  please let me know.  (Incidentally, the rainbow color on top photo was created by the optical

—– diffraction of the transparent membrane of the wing. —– it’s mean, the thickness of this film is as thin

—– as a wave length of the light ! — isn’t this incredible ?   Man’s technology is still behind of the nature )

PPS ;  After many years of  having had their visit here, this year I came to the resolution, how to deal with

—— them.  = When ever I saw them flying under the light, catch them and throw them out of window.

—— Watching them fly or take rest on somewhere —– might be amazing or interesting and giving a water

—— or piece of fruits etc. may seems to be an act of friendship or what so ever.  IT IS our arrogance

—— and on the end, it would do nothing good to them.  They don’t belong to this room and there is no

—— prospect for them to have their fruitful life here.   Throw them out where they belong = NATURE.

—— It is the most kind and friendly things we can do to them.

It is often the case, without giving a help and leave a person in their own device could be

the most kind things to do to the person’s life.  

—

Chrysanthemum and Sword

While ago I came across two peculiar quotations both from the same book

“ The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” written by an American Anthropologist Ruth Benedict.

One was made by the ousted Japanese PM Kan saying  [Culture of Shame] out of the book.

Other was,  in reference to my description somewhere [keep one’s place and to do the job which was given]

—- one of my friend asked me “Is that the same, what Ruth Benedict said in her book ?”

non

—– What made me surprise was that this book is not yet dead and still read by the people 🙂

It seems this book is still a distinctive reference when people try to learn the Japanese culture though, shame,

it was hastily written on her misunderstanding of the culture and people’s psychology.

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As Ruth Benedict’s coined notion of  [Japanese Culture of Shame] against [Western Culture of Sin]

are both based on her miss-observations of both cultures —–

*  If  her observations had even a shred of truth, the fact such as [ 90% of the lost money totalling

£23 millions, found in the disaster zone of Japan, has returned to the rightful owner ] ! ! !

could ever happened.  While nobody was watching, why they bothered to take the money to the police  ?

And why no police man put the money into his pocket,  even in the time of utter chaos  ?

*  And, there were so many excuse or justification of the Riot and the Looting happened in

this country,  expressed even in the comments to my Blog.    Why ? ??

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The notion of the [Shame] in the Japanese culture is not against other’s eyes but to

the Eyes of the Heaven —– therefore, no escape or excuse.

And this feeling has been so deeply sublimated, even Japanese themselves doesn’t know Why = it is almost

a chemical effect,  like a feeling of  loathe a filth. —– (This is the Ethos originated from the ancient Shinto )

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In the western culture, the Right or Wrong = Morality is based on the Commandment written and

given by their Judea Christian God —– therefore, how to read it (and how to interpret ) is

depend on the case.

As the God was designed like as a person,  he use the same language and may answer you and

the matter may be negotiable with a sacrificed offering.

So that, with an excuse there is no absolute Morality.   Wrong may be easily changed to Right.

Worse still,  when the influence of the religion evaporated,  there is no basis of  Morality left.

—– yet still, Ruth Benedict thought that the western Morality is absolute and Japanese one is relative   😀

( In the same shoddy eyes,  she couldn’t see the fundamental pattern of the Japanese Ethos is the Zen —– but

she mistook it as the Confucianism)

—

Why TALK, Why Blog ?

It is the most fundamental contradiction in Zen Blog.   Which I’m well aware.

Zen is after all, [in practice] how to live.   Not a system of thinking or idea.  Nor dubious magic at all.

Therefore, if any notion or thinking of even an idea of spirituality or any religious notion is there, it is

not the Zen but mere pretence.

In Zen, because of no preconceived idea or thinking is there (or no longer there) it is described as Mushin

and having the eyes to see the subjects without preconception, it is fully opened clear eyes by which

the one can see the object as it is, hence, there couldn’t be any barrier between

seeing and be seen = it is the Oneness / Ichijo.

Seeing and be seen are no longer there as the separate entity, hence no Self could exist

—– all those are not a logical conclusion or answer,  but just a state of the brain.

( Brain is not only for thinking   🙂 )

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State of the brain ( In fact, the balance of hormone,  Dopamine  and  Serotonin  etc)  will be

reflected to one’s feeling and the actual action,  so does to the results  ( hence to the one’s Karma)

not as a revealing words.   ( Because, Zen is not a word game but real dairy life )

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This is the Buddhism of which Buddha taught.

To learn this,  the followers literally followed

Buddha and copied what he does,  down to the minute details,  since

Buddha himself was the teachings itself.  And as

Buddha did practice his own dairy life according to the Dharma,

and himself was a part of the Dharma too,  his actions or practices were the Dharma.

( So that the recordings of those teachings were also called as Dharma,  and those practices has been reflected

into the Zen Buddhism,  such as in the Soto Zen,  there is no verbal communication but just follow the practice,

and through practice,  the learning could be achieved and even sudden realization could be occurred,

which was called Direct Transmission )

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—– this is the reason why I feel deeply paradoxical to talk about Zen,  let alone blogging.

In the so-called Buddha’s biography, there was the story of

Buddha’s hesitation to teach what he found in his Enlightenment, which was needed a persuasion of

the Brahman to start.

(So far I couldn’t find the origin of this story in the Scripture —– the author of the biography must have

really deep understanding of the Buddhism and had the insight )

Buddhism having inherent trouble refusing to be explained by the words.

Understanding or so-called enlightenment may just come while practising.

So that,  I can definitely say,  Just Do it.

___/\___

—

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   😀 )

non

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.

___/\___

non

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.)

Is MUSHIN same as Thoughtless ?

Well, it is not about a Justice / Punishment from the heaven but about the mind-set.

Non

These days our topics were often related to the Riot, and there was an interesting question.

“Wasn’t the mind-set of [senseless] [thoughtless] behaviour, same to the Zen

Buddhist’s [Mushin]. —– What makes the difference between them ? ? ? “

—– in fact, someone who put a comment to the previous post had the same thinking.

And this question has so many implication and the facets.

—– Once, Pablo Picasso said “ Keep drawing like a child is the hardest things in the Art”

—– Then, “what is the difference between [Innocence] or [Ignorance] to the [Mushin] ?  “

May be the easiest answer to this question is, just whack the person shouting “Idiot” —– really ?

non

There was an interesting story among the legend of the Sword Masters.

In the Samurai era, top sword-man was roving around the country seeking the contest-match

against each other, in order to achieve the record / reputation. ( And the winner was invited to

give a lesson to the local Lord receiving good reward)

Then, someone got an idea of plank, dressed up an ignorant peasant as a respectable

samurai, claiming that this is the supreme sword-master, and challenging top local

sword-master.

On the match, the peasant was just standing facing real master just having his sword down.

As the peasant had a slightest idea of what the sword-mastery is, he was just standing still.

The challenged was the master who knows everything —– but as the opponent seemed to

standing utterly defenceless —– almost like an idiot (in fact he was an idiot) it made the master

utterly confused.  —– no such things could happen here.   Otherwise it must be a ploy to make

the master wrong-foot = this man must be a real sword-master and able to kill him instant.

—– it was what the master felt.  (To his eyes, the peasant’s utter ignorant appearance, not even

recognize him was seen as the ultimate Mushin only possessed by a supream sword-master  😀 )

Then, the master throw his sword away, and kneel down for begging his life.

—————

The pair prankster succeeded all the contest-match in the same way.

But, after a while, the peasant started to wonder why those famous masters just give up and

kneel down to him.   And interested in to use the sword, as he mistook that he is in deed a

strong sword-master and able to kill the opponent.

So that, on the next match, peasant break a stillness and showed a slight sign of intention.

Then, the challenged sword-master instantly reacted to this sign, sway the body to other

direction and cut the peasant into two pieces.    (The End   😀  )

non

It is true, even a Zen Master has used a metaphor of the mind of small child

to describe the Mushin and a state of mind of Jizai.

And in the Buddhist’s arguments about the universality / inclusiveness of the Mahayana stance,

this matter —– What is the distinction between [Innocence, Ignorance, Senseless,

Thoughtless] to the [Mushin] is some time mixed-up.

As a matter of fact, when it is convenient, this kind of metaphor has been often used though,

[The Mushin] is a very specific, peculiar state of the mind, nothing similar to any of

those mind.  Not just the matter of inclusiveness of the Mahayana, but also the confusion of the

[ What is the Buddhist’s mind] ( before this, What is the Buddhist ? —– there are all sorts of the

Buddhist exists —– Such as to enjoy the life having the eyes to appreciate peaceful nature which

gave a feeling of the liberated mind = could be perfectly the life and the mind of a Buddhist)

—– it has been left out of strict argument.

Non

But in strict term, the Mushin is the state of the mind, which only occurs when our

brain ceased to operate to categorising and reconfiguring the notion. —– yet

able to react to incoming stimulant.

—– In practice, this state of mind can be reached only through the long long repeated

practice which wear out those active, intentional activities of the brain

= thinking process.

And very similar to the treatment of an allergy, those practice also wear out the basic

desire and the emotional reaction = So that, the state of the Mind [ Mind of No-Mind]

= [Mushin] is only strict to [Purely the state of No-Thinking and No-Emotion]

= Dispassionate.

(but not akin to senseless or thoughtless —– because in those cases,  senseless / thoughtless

mind is, in fact occupied by another sorts of mind = such as an anger, greed or

overwhelming fanaticism = ideology or madness)

non

=== this definition must have cleared the confusion.

=== the mind of childish, senseless, thoughtless Rioters were definitely, utterly

no way near to the Buddhist’s Mushin.

[ If it was done in Mushin,  it got to bring the GOOD outcome.  This is what the

Karma mean. And if it brought bad outcome — because,  it has done not in Mushin]

—– You may say this is out of rational logic and say ” Why”,  but this is what I found and true.

And this must be the reason why the Buddhism is existing.   🙂

___/\___

non