WHAT to Eat and HOW to Eat

I spent most of my youth in the mountain (rest of the school time).

Especially in a mountain shelter as a voluntary keeper (小屋番)

—– in a hind sight, I was very lucky to have this kind of life as it has shaped my

life-style and its backbone = and made me physically and mentally indestructible.

(save some cuts and bruises. 🙂 )

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Another aspect, what I’ve gained there was the opportunity to deal and observe

literally ten of the thousands of people, often in the condition of their limit.

When people face their limit, it expose the core of their disposition in harshest way.

Some are become utterly an animal of Ego and Self-preservation.   Some were

completely lost.    Still some can maintain the human spirit and the wit.

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An interesting observation we made was the eating habit of the people,

and a kind of consensus among us was that the people who are not

eating enough good food in their daily life, tend to make a complaint. 🙂

The shelter situated 2300m high in the mountain where the water boils 85 degree

centigrade.  Naturally the boiled rice is far from ideal or might say only edible.

Hence, the person who complained about it never had own experience to cook the rice

in such high mountain.    And the others complained the poor ingredient such as not

much meat in the Cary-rice is rather poor looking, gray-skinned person.

In contrast, a person who just eat contented was always having good skin-tone and

well-fed, healthy looks type and often high in social scale.  🙂

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Because of eating is the most fundamental element to form ourselves,

WHAT to Eat determine who you are.    And it reflects one’s back ground of

up-bringing (cultural and family, more than a personal preference).

But HOW to eat, reflect the personal disposition.   (In the same family,

same food still, each one eat their own way — one might eat rather messy and so on)

Therefore, to observe HOW the person eat, we can see what this person is,

and what sort of mind-set the person possess.

Eating messy with chewing noise is the worst.   Waste the food is a disrespect to the

food producer and the whole nature who provided the food for us, and the life itself.

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What you can eat is also restricted by the situation.

To understand the situation and environment of the mountain shelter, where all

the materials were brought up by the shoulder of the volunteer keeper, no wonder

it is far from ideal hence easy to complain, yet still, some are just accept what

was offered, and eat contented. — This mind-set shapes the person’s whole life.

As eating is the basis of the life, it is parallel to the life, numerous phrase, metaphor

using the food, such as “Eat humble pie” “Cold turkey” “Scrape the life” etc etc. =

HOW you eat is synonym of HOW you live.

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And what you were given on a dish has exactly the same meaning as what

you were given on your life.   You may complain, or you may eat it contented

= result is to end up grey-skinned frustrated man or positive man with nice shiny-skin.

—– A funny joke I heard before said “Have you ever seen healthy looking

staff in a [Health Food Shop] ?” the people fussing about the food too much,

such mind-set = a delusion makes the person even more unhealthy. 😀

(I wouldn’t imply junk-food obesity has nicer shiny-skin.

It’s need to be judged by seeing whole body. 😀 )

—– Don’t fooled by a buzz-word “Hungly-Spirit” —– Its meaning is not

just ASKING more.    Now the Millionaire Richard Branson had eaten a

poor meal yet in full in each moment, while building up his business.

That is where very energy came from.

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A Buddhist’s term “Live in its moment” mean, when you were given even

meager meal, “The food on front” is the food you have to eat in full.

Take it and swallow it as there is nothing else, which could be the last food in the whole

planet.    You will not have any another choice, another Life.

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So, all of us, the volunteers had witnessed and learned, a man who couldn’t eat even a

meager food contented, wouldn’t reach any better food all through the life, as the

self-centered Ego is just stacked in the mind.

Under one’s Ego and Greed, any food is not good enough.

Don’t waste the time for complaining.   The time is limited.

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But if you cook, it is a totally different story.    Don’t cook bad meal.

Spend the same time and the cost, it could be a good meal but could be bad meal too.

Cook bad meal is the waste of the food material and the time.

Even worse, it may not give you enough energy and the health.

—– So, be mindful, when you eat, or cook. =

It lead you to have mindful, fulfilling LIFE.

___/\___

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Japanese Multi-function Knife / 十徳ナイフ

This is one of my longest serving mountain tool, multi-Function Knife.

Japanese name, Jyuttoku Knife (十徳ナイフ) literally mean 10 function Knife

though, most of this kind were having 4~6 functions.    (Otherwise it become too big to use comfortably.

= While using one function, rest of 9 tools of bulk and dead weight are still in the hand. 🙂 )

So that, I never seen the one which got 10 or more functions ever.

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You must be familiar with well known Swiss Army Knife though, they only started to come

to Japan after 60s.    Before it, Multi-Function Knife in Japan meant this type, and as far as

I know it was designed soon after great war and said to be one of the clever export item to

American in 50~60s. —– Before electronic goods or car, this kind of cheap cottage industry

products were the export items from Japan.   (And must have item for mountain life though,

I’m not sure they are still sold in Japan now.)

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I bought this knife when I joined my Hi-school Alpine Club.

Since then, this knife has been always with me in the field or in the mountain.

Not only that, this knife is in daily use as well in my kitchen as a small-knife and a can-opener.

In fact this is the only can-opener I ever had in my life. 🙂    As this one works perfect and

I’m quite contented, I didn’t need to buy anything more.

—– So, I would say, I’m a humble minimalist.  😀

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When western friend saw this, all of them said

“Why knife and fork are in the same hand ?  :-)”

“It’s a western view. Sir” “We don’t eat a steak on a plate in the mountain” 😀

—– Some of the people may chose a life in an ideal settings while possessing ideal goods

though, it’s their life.  I don’t care others, neither I would brandish Buddhist’s Dogma kind,

and never say use the same can-opener 50 years is anything to do with Zen,

but to say this is my life.

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Some of you might think, the one’s confidence is proportional to the amount

what the one can spend.    It’s utterly wrong.  

Spend nothing is also from one’s confidence.

Life is not what you can buy and possess but what you are doing and have done.

___/\___

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Machine in MUSHIN — Where KAIZEN came from ?

The people who read the previous Post [Zen is DO —- ] feed me back

“It explained the Zen mechanism extremely clear, — then the question is,

you wrote Zen also liberate the mind and the creativity — How a

Machine like mind can have a creative idea in the same time ?”

—– I knew this question would come soon or later. 🙂

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A Japanese working practice called [Kaizen] (改善) is now even in the English dictionary

(but not in this spell-check yet. :-)) = It was translated “continuous improvement”which is

widely practiced in the Japanese work-front.

Japanese worker’s almost machine like accuracy, consistency and the

dedication toward their work is notorious to the west. = Their work ethics

is nothing but the traditional  Zen  which forms the basis of the Japanese

psyche.  = Hence, they work like a machine = in Mushin.

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But, to have [Kaizen] is yet another feature on their work-front.   [Kaizen] is, to have

better adjustment of the way of production to a modification of the machine, even a

production line’s configuration —– in fact anything, for the sake of better quality,

productivity, or for the safety of the working environment, which was conceived or found

by the workers who has been doing particular job. (Hence knows it best.)

If its adjustment is not too big, it could be done by themselves. Otherwise the modification

may be carried out by the expert engineer, who follows the proposal. (of cause, proposal

should be studied by the senior engineers first, or even management level discussion.

I’ve seen this process in the Honda factory in Suzuka by myself.)

—– So, machine-like worker is still capable to analyse the situation and

able to find the better adjustment or alternative approach.

This is a proof of “Machine-like Mushin” and “Open-minded free thinking”

can exists side by side, in the same time.

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As a matter of fact, to create the Samurai Sword, and to push its quality to

a level of the technical limit has been achieved by the endless efforts to work

better, hence make the Sword stronger. —– It’s mean a man-machine with

a hammer, work in Mushin still has the eyes and an active brain to analyse

and find the better approach.

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Being in Mushin, hence having no useless thought or a thought anything else

of the work-on-front, mean the mind is completely filled with the subject

—– say, the Sword-Making. = Zen described this

“the Sword Master is in Ichijo (Oneness) with Iron and a Fire”

—– (a western (a bit wrong) translation in “Mindfulness”)

Still, the hands are working exactly like a machine, perfect accuracy and the consistency

thanks to the perfectly programmed Motor-region of the brain.

Superficially, we calls it Mushin because of no conscious thinking is there,

instead we do it without conscious, so, the brain is not blanc or idle, far

from it, unconsciously the brain is working with full conviction.

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While walking on a street, we never consciously think how to move each foot.

Because the whole movements and to keep the balance of whole body has been perfectly

controlled by the Motor-region of the brain, like the most advanced self contained machine.

While leaving its walking business to the autonomous machine, we can have a freedom for

watching nice bottom etc or pay attention to traffic, even find a philosophical answer.

Likewise, while Sword-Maser hitting the iron, even if the hands moves

automatic, his eyes can see the minute details of the work-piece. = any

short-coming should be noticed.    As, all the process were handled

subconsciously, this minute detail were observed in the at-most silence of the

perception.  Any noise, useless brain activities would mask this minute sign.

= The matter is, to open this subconscious perception by eliminates the noise.

Lord Buddha called this Clear eyes.

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If you take the meaning of Mushin as just [empty the THINKING]  you miss

the part, concentration of your subconsciousness = Mindfulness.

(In fact, Mushin and Mindfulness are not separate notion or psychological phenomenon =

those are just different words.)   Because of subconsciousness is invisible, it is impossible to

objectively manipulate, or discuss in words, let alone to teach others.

(remember, how to learn to ride a Bicycle.  🙂 )

This is the reason why Buddhism, Zen teaches the people by the repeating practice.  Unless

you learn and become able to follow this subconscious mechanism, you can’t learn Zen.

And that is why, talking or reading about Zen is utterly useless. 

Only the way to experience and to learn is by Doing.

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Crucial point in Doing is, unlike imagining or having fantasy, to find a way of

improvement, it got to be rational and technically feasible = even an intuitive

idea, it never be mambo-jumbo, but quite scientific.  No body imagining that to

sprinkle a holy water from a church could solve a malfunction of the machine.

Even in the darkness of subconscious, our mind is very rational and sane.

(Well, in most of the case, among most of the people.   😀 )

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So, let this subconscious to see, listen and perceive = as this perception is

completely open, therefore, able to see almost invisible, inaudible = we

can see the better solution.    Or conceive the idea, which has been blocked

by the idiosyncratic thinking.   This is the liberation of the Mind, in Zen.

= And this is the mechanism behind the creativity or  [Kaizen].

___/\___

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Zen is DO — NOT sitting Idol

Life was not made by what the one (wishfully) think (most of the thinkings

are to find a justification, excuse) but by the deed, what the one did and

do on the moment.

It is the matter of how to deal with the situation.   The situation shows what to DO.

We only need actually DO. When the situation forced us to respond, in most of the case

it is not our choice but the MUST = hence we have to DO unconditionally = and very

little chance to indulge with own EGO = in other words, be in SELFLESS.

We become almost a machine to carry-out the task. —– This is in fact,

what the Zen is.   Zen is not a fancy mind-game.

It is the systematized clarification and the direction of what and how

we have to DO, and to live.

So that, to follow the way how to make a tea could be a Zen. How to fight with a sword

could be a Zen too. —– Found a Cherry blossom, and to try a “Why not” kind of

approach to shoot, and struggle to DO it, is also a Zen. Ha ha ha 😀

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— Who said, Zen is to sitting and meditate = meditate in Mushin ?  Joking.

All the Indian religion takes Meditation as a traditional practice though, do nothing and

sitting is not a Zen. (Such as Yoga Meditation is said to be aiming to have a harmony

with the soul of the universe = to fuse one’s Atman to Brahman.  Though

Lord Buddha himself denied very existence of such Atman.)

So, the idea of Zen Meditation must be invented by very lazy monk to excuse his work.

—– “Don’t be lazy, do something”   “Yes, I’m busy sitting” !   😀

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—– Do something in Mushin will increase the efficiency of the work,

therefore able to achieve more productive life.

In contrast, Do nothing and in Mushin mean Body is idol, the Brain is empty,

it’s just a rug-doll isn’t it ?  Still the Mind is wishfully believing, such practice

could make the person “noble” and reaching to higher consciousness (Really?)

Isn’t it strange ? If it was Buddhism, the Mind supposed to be empty, yet still

having such wishful thinking is a self contradiction.

It is nothing but a delusion. 😀 😀 )

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Zen is to grasp the situation and clearly see what the task on front.

And carry-out its task without any quibble or hindrance

as if nothing else is on the table.

With a clear awareness, that no-one-else would do on my behalf, and no-one

but myself can do, kind of confidence and the determination.

And DO it as if it is the only and the last chance to DO in the whole life —–

to a task, even if it is yet another daily chore.

—– Sound very heavy isn’t it ?   Though, there is a knack, to make it so easy,

just DO it in Mushin.

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= When you face its task straight, there is nothing else you can conceive,

because there is no thinking of alternative, or escape, hope of help from

others, even a notion of next-time, because of Mushin.

Since, the task was carried-out almost machine like accuracy and the efficiency, it will be

cleared without having even a time to have a complaint, therefore, what you feel is

only a sense of achievement and a satisfaction. =

Having a sense of fulfilment and relaxed peace.

This is the Zen.   Having the life all through with this sense of fulfillment

and the satisfaction, on the very end, what can you complain ? =

There only be a peaceful Nirvana.

—– This is the Buddhism of what

Lord Buddha taught.

___/\___

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Zen in Action (2)

When I got New Window fitted in my flat, apparently builders has made a lot of mess which

has not been cleared.   Those mess, wood chips, fragments of concrete pieces etc. went into

the drain pipe and blocked the rain water then created a puddle on the balcony.

= I’ve tried to unblock the drain pipe by a 2m rod without success therefore I contacted them.

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So, I’m waiting them to come and clear the problem.

Though, I’m not expecting everything rosy and perfect.   Their men might be prepare to

deal with drain pipe blockage —– but may not anticipating the 3” deep water which could

cause a mess to my floor. => I prepared a cardboard and a door-mat on the floor.

This is the Zen in action.   (You believe or not — read further and see)

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Zen is a way to respond the situation on front.   Which is directly relevant

to our life.   Get upset or angry is very remote from the Zen.  It’s need a cool

detached mind, and never imagine or expect others do more than reasonable.

(though, drain blockage is their responsibility and it is beyond my capability).

Still, their wet boots will cause dirty foot-marks inside of my flat = is definitely my problem.

Anticipating the situation down to a detail = is the Mindfulness of the Zen.

And give an insight what those people most likely do, in real situation. 

Therefore, expecting too much is nothing but a Selfish Ego and the Greed.  

And to expect others too-much will creates only a frustration =  better not.

This is the way to have trouble-free life and the peace of mind.

= Zen is neither escape into imaginary world and indulging a useless puzzle, 

but to live a real LIFE in a better way.

Samurai Sword was created by the Psychological Vector = endless aim to get

the job done better and stronger, by one step further, which took hundred of

years to reach to the level of the strongest sword in the human history.

So, they come —– but they did most of the work from the other end of the drain pipe.   😀

= Suddenly, within few minutes, all the water has gone !

Grateful to the professionals who knows better than me. = I’m humbled.   🙂

—– You see, this is the Zen = in Action.  Peace of mind has to come from the

peace in trouble-free Life, not by escaping into imaginary green forest kind.

Neither, it is a way to curb mind-set and blur the vision, but take tangible action.

If the Zen was just sitting and talk abstract,  the Zen quality Japanese products, 

let alone  Samurai Sward were never be created. 

The reason why Zen has been misconceived in the west was, that it was taught by 

monks who got no skill to do anything but just sitting, yet able to speak in English. 

Zen is to DO and to LIVE, not for a subject for a talking shop or spiritual fantasy.

Convinced ?  —– Have a tangible nice day.

___/\___    🙂

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Chichibu yo-matsuri / Zen Ethos

Those are the Photos I found in a photo blog Tokyobling.

Tokyobling is reporting from Japan very actively with quite vivid nice photos

and those are from Chichibu yo-matsuri (秩父夜祭) of Saitama (埼玉) =

next north to Tokyo.

Virtually all the traditional festival in Japan is for the local Shinto God.

Hence, Chichibu Yo-matsri is for the Guardian God / Chichibu Daimyojin (秩父大明神) who

said to be the abater of the wolf in Chichibu mountain.

Because of the Wolf God, the festival held in the night, hence Yo-matsuri

( yo or yoru mean night)

Being as a Mountain God, Chichibu Daimyojin is the guardian of the mountain people /

Matagi (またぎ) and Sanka (山窩) all over Japan, who’s occupation was hunting and

wood-crafts, and their descendants too. (Matagi and Sanka remained only in the legend now

still, all the shoe makers and leather crafts men said to be originated from the Yoshino (吉野)

mountain, behind the Nara city.  As they’ve been the supplier of the foot-ware and the parts

of armories to the Nobles and Samurai alike thousand of years as a tradition.

When I did (or helped) a research of the Industrial Sociology study, I met a group of the

construction workers who was the Sanka from Chichibu mountain.   In the site, they live

according to their religion, wearing their own white uniform and praying their God everyday

= they had their own shrine of the Chichibu Daimyojin brought with them ! )

In this stone-age, I have no idea how many people is worshiping

Chichibu Daimyojin now, still in the photographs, I found pretty strong Ethos

is clearly remaining and prevailing.

See the head band of the grandfather holding a baby in the photo.

Head-band was extremely neatly tied.  —–Then, see the other’s.   Not as neat as the

grandfather, still, all of them tied their band in the same style. = All the people sharing the

same Ethos therefore even a cheeky computer-gamer start to behave in a discipline of a

traditional young man without him even noticing it.  (It’s a spirit of the Matsuri.  🙂 )

(Hence, Carl Jung called it Collective Unconsciousness)

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To tie a head-band in THE occasion, is a strong Japanese tradition.

It is not only tie a hair or stop the sweat getting to eyes, it is to tie the MIND.

For a determination or concentration of the SELF, but also to declare or display it to others.

We tie a head-band with the Determination to go with the fate.

In this reason, even the Sward Master Musashi Miyamoto (said to be) tied

a head-band when he fought with his arch rival Kojiro Sasaki. (and Musashi won)

Because of its Samurai and Military connotation, western people has a kind of fear toward

Japanese tie their head-band though, it is not so far from a Hindu people tie a string on

their wrist. —– Normally, a head-band was tied on one’s back to prevent its loose-end

sagging down to block eyes.   So that, tie it up on front may be a Shinto tradition

( in a Matsuri, it is always on front) though, what grandfather’s head-band impressed me

was, its neatness.    Functionally, it may be the same though, as it got to be tied in anyway,

do the better.   It wouldn’t take more than extra one minute yet the difference is clear.

This is the mind set of the Zen.  (Zen is a Mind-set to concentrate and DO the

task better, what ever it may occur in the Life, its mean any body’s any Life,

regardless whether it was a Shinto practice or Christian’s job.

DO the things better and achieve better Life is the Universal Aim of the man.

This is the reason why Zen was often regarded to be Atheist or Non-religion.)

(And this is the reason why Japanese products were often over quality and hard to

compete with cheap copy in its price.  😀 )

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What so ever the life, you live and die.   In anyway, it would be more or

less the same.   STILL, aiming the better and do the best, regardless whether

it makes any difference or not, is the way of the Zen.   DO it and DO the BEST.

(down to the minute details, keep DOING its best, this Mind-set is the matter,

not necessary the result, since it is a Pathway to aim the goal =

but not the goal itself — goal / Nirvana would BE given by the Fate or Dharma)

By doing so, you wouldn’t loose a bit.   Since, you couldn’t possibly loose anything because,

you yourself is not exists in the first place.   Hence, you don’t need to afraid of ANYTHING,

even a death. The person lives here isn’t you but the Darma (Rule of the Universe),

hence you can live with full confidence to be the Dharma or a part of it.

This is what [Selfless] really mean (not sacrifice the self  by own idea) and What

Lord Buddha taught. —– or What he revealed,  What the Dharma is.

___/\___

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ZEN Practice ?

Following the discovery of my old climbing boots, I found something amazing (to you)

out of packed up boxes I’ve stashed, may be 25 years ago.  🙂

Some of  readers, even a keen Zen practitioner may be horrified to see this 😀

Then, some might ask, What this to do with Zen.   Or, to be a Zennist, does it necessary to do it

in this extent ? —– There is no rules or requirement.   All up to the person. —– Some might

be taking easy to sitting or could be walking, even cutting a lemon.   Why not stitching.  🙂

But, I didn’t do this thinking of Zen.  (It was long before I even become aware of

the meaning and the effects of repeating practice in the Buddhism) = I just did it

as I got too much time in a winter mountain shelter or in a tent while imprisoned by the snow

blizzard.   What else to do then ?   (Other than this, I curved fire log into such as a spoon.)  

Still, it was only me doing like this and I never seen anybody else

did the same, then and ever since.

(And many years later, I realized that it WAS effectively a Zen practice.)

[] []

Mountain woolly socks couldn’t last for ever, of cause.   Soon or later, thread would be getting

thinner and break.  But if we threading it with another woolen thread to reinforce

the part, it extend the life = pretty obvious = So, I did. 😀

(The socks photographed here had been worn, I think more than 8 years or more while using

it about 100 days a year.   The heel part seemed to have ^3rd ~ 4^th generation of the

thread, and 40 years later, it is still usable !)

—– If you don’t know how to do the same, just look at how knitted thread runs.

Then just follow the existing thread, go through the loop alongside.  And keep doing it to cover

all the part necessary to reinforce.  (Use the thread partly doubled to make it even stronger.)

(My mother was very good making Kimono (of cause by hand stitching) hence by watching

her to do the work, I learned some sewing technique though, when my mother and sister saw

my re-threaded socks,  it frightened them = so, it was not a common practice, and out of

imagination even to the Zen monk’s family.  🙂 )

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If this is a practice for Zen, provably this is the most humble yet easy to do

practice you ever heard of,  still not such a labour than to sweep the street.

And on top of it,  it would save some expense on your pocket too.

= You must be very grateful.  So, have a try, when you are not too busy. 😀

[]

The kernel of the Buddhism is to do and to live unconditionally.

(So, if there is a thinning hole appeared on a heel of socks,  just mend it.

= simple and straight.  No need to think at all.  🙂 )

Therefore, Buddhism is not to search or ask something but just live.

Anyway there isn’t any answer. —– Hence,

Lord Buddha ignored the question, on this reason.

Since living and doing unconditionally in the first place, there couldn’t be

any hindrance or doubt.  (Doubt was CREATED in the mind)

Hence, even going through the sufferings, it will be passing away without

causing any mind to buckle, even without taking notice.  Therefore, even

when the death is arriving, there couldn’t be any stir in the mind. 

This is the Nirvana.  And this is what

Lord Buddha has taught.

___/\___

[]

My old and last Mountain Boots

The building where I live in a flat having renovation work and to vacate the space,

I’ve been sorting my possessions in the boxes of which some of them I haven’t

opened it more than 20 years. — In one of the box, I found my old mountain boots.

The reason why I didn’t throw this away straight and put it into a box was, I thought

I should take picture of this before let it go. —– was that because of its

sentimental value ? —– I guess not.  

But because of it got rather funny history.

(Without a photo, nobody would believe the story. 😀 😀 )

[]

I bought this boots from charity shop priced £5.   In order to make the bots fit to my

foot, I soaked it in the warm water then put it on and had a long walk —– as I did all

of my previous boots. —– unfortunately, this looks decent mountain boots was a

fraud.  = Despite it having looks proper construction and the good leather with

Vibram Sole, the sole was not been stitched = simply glued to the upper.

Hence, while walking, the boots was disintegrated. (It was a hell) 😀 😀

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Then a crazy story began. = After it was completely dry, I’ve stitched and

glued the sole using the shoe making thread from shoe repair shop and a thick

nylon thread for industrial use. —– As a sort of experiment, I did to the Right

boot using a shoe repair glue and the thread.  And to the Left, I used a tie-up

thread for electric construction and glued the sole with Araldite epoxy.

—– If one method found to be better, apply it to the both side.

(You may think, if a shoes disintegrating, it is THE END though, as a

shoe-maker is making a shoes step by step, a sole can be attached in a

way they are doing. If somebody a same human can do, why not to try.

= It is an opportunity to try and learn.

(And save a money £5 !  😀 — If it is to save £1,000 it is a greed ) 

And the stitch by stitch kind of work is a good Zen Practice.

————- (Left is the Mid-Sole with yellowish industrial thread I used for stitching )

Since when I have repaired, the boots lasted over 3 years while used

everyday, without showing any difference between Left and Right.

Then one day, when I went to a hill walking and had a heavy rain, when I slipped

and tumbled, the water drenched boots was split open outside-toe. While later,

a gap opened to the other boot as well, and the foot were swimming inside.

—– days later I found, it happened because of the upper leather itself was tear-off

not by the broken stitch = leather was aged and rotten inside.

(I remember, somewhere I got a film photo of the boots under stitching work )

—– After that, I’ve been forced to buy a kind of shoes I hate. (though, I didn’t buy

another mountain boots, or so far, I haven’t found another £5 boots yet) 😀

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Nothing last for ever still, second-hand £5 boots lasted over 3 years

wasn’t too bad. 

Believe or not, I was wearing this boots even in a club and dancing.

People judges others with its looks = hence the best of all, nobody seek a trouble

with a man wearing heavy boots.    And may be because of this, the cloud in the

Fridge Club has mistook me as a kind of special security man with martial art. =

nobody want to be kicked by this kind of boots. 😀

—– (during 5 and half years, while I was a regular, there wasn’t a single violence

ever occurred in the Club. = it might be the another reason why the manager

gave me free entry :-))

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People may not like to ware heavy boots, still once it was well fitted,

it is surprisingly comfortable and give a feeling of quite solid stance

especially on a slippery ground.  One day you may try  🙂

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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” 😀

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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”.

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—– 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)

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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.

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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.

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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.  😀 )

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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  😀 )

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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 😀 )

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Being Natural or Be Artful Perfection — Which is Zen ?

—— Left Mug is the one I’m using now.  Right is the one I brought from Japan 33 years ago

and served me till 1992 and since it got hole on the bottom, it became a pen stand  🙂

Once, my tea drinking was a kind of Art = as I’ve been drinking 1.5 ~ 2 liters

(3 ~ 4 pints) of tea everyday, to make it, was not just a daily routine, it was

a refined flow of the action.

To begin with, the way to put a water into a kettle ~ ~ ~ to pour the tea into a cup then

drop one or two slices of the lemon etc etc.

As all the actions has been repeated everyday (I don’t know how many thousands times

I did ) naturally each action has been rationalized to the most efficient smooth manner.

So that, once a person who observed this process summed up, “It’s formalized to the

almost tea ceremony like process isn’t it”. Of cause, it was not intended to be a ceremony

but just doing it in quickest and smoothest way. As it is always the same action, it has

no dither or need any thinking, let alone any emotion.

May be this is the way what Master Dogen (道元 / Founder of the Soto-Zen)

has taught = to become perfect to be “who I am and what I’m doing”.

(= Nobody else.  Nothing else = this is what Mindfulness meant !)

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Sound so far so good isn’t it ?   But wait a moment —– ?

To be “WHO I am” = the very one who has been born under own Karma, hence grown-up

according to the occurrences given next by next.

The result is the only one, “me” = To be my own is nothing but to be Natural

(but not necessary perfect), still, “to be perfect” mean the person has to be

refined to be pure = eliminate all the imperfection and the foreign substance

(imported idea or pretense).

This is quite an artful existence isn’t it ? ? ?

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Making and drinking my tea, I’ve refined its process to the art level though, one-day in

the last Summer, I couldn’t bother to make a tea as I was too thirsty, instead

I just filled my cup with a tap-water and a slice of lemon. ————

Since then, I stop to make a tea but just drink a tap-water. (I don’t buy any bottled drink).

—- Am I lost an art and the mindfulness, while becoming lazy ?

OR, was that an Enlightenment ? —– Good, good question 🙂

To drink a water instead of tea —– It is obvious, which is simpler and natural.

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Tea-making started in the Rinzai Zen temple as Master Yousai (栄西) brought it from China.

Hence, Tea-making is a part of Zen teachings. In comparison, Soto Zen tend to remain much

humble and simple. ( = So that, I’m a simple poor man 😀 )

Therefore, isn’t it to drink water instead of Tea, is more Soto Zen ?

Not lazy isn’t it ?

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My answer is = I don’t care. As long as something to sip in the cup, it’s enough.

(with its consequence to drink 2 litres of water and going to a toilet every 2 hours =

flushing out any toxins in the body = no need to have doctor or any medicine

—– it may be true :-))

As I don’t need to bother buying tea any more, this is even more peaceful Life and the Mind.

(and cost less 😀 ) —– After all, I don’t think I was born for tea making.

This is my Zen as I’m nobody else of simple yoshizen 😀

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In fact, here lies very interesting question.

The ideal early Buddhists were the one who forsaken all the ordinary life to

pursuit Enlightenment, namely Bhikku and Arakhan though, the Buddhism

took the direction to more inclusive Mahayana = while living in the ordinary

life, still maintaining the Mind-set to be a Buddhist = more Natural life style.

My position is, the matter is not a superficial life style but the Mind-set since

the  Mind-set such as Mushin, Ichijo, Mindfulness , Selflessness are naturally

in our subconsciousness, in other words Natural Life-style is not a hindrance

to achieve its refinement, ultimately to reach Enlightenment.

(By the way, me doing something utterly useless, is for fun = Do something on

the hand and creating something new with good laugh is better than just

being passive, such as watching TV or Inter-netting.  😀 )

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