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) 😀 😀
[]
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) 😀
[]
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 :-))
[]
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 🙂
[]
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. 😀 )
［］
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 !)
[]
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 ? ? ?
[]
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.
[]
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 ?
[]
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 😀
[]
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. 😀 )
___/\___
[]
Clear the Deck for 2013 / Detach the EMOTION
Blogging, or writing in general, it is the process to convert the idea or notion into a separate object,
thus, enables it to be examined as an independent entity. ( on top of much more common purpose
to express it to others ) = like a Jig-saw Puzzle, we have to find, not only matching the shape of
pieces but also its picture printed on, which we can see the rationality in bird’s eye view.
[]
Thanks to given task of this Blog (yes, I regard this, not my choice but a given task I was assigned
— simply because it has occurred on my life — has anybody else assigned as well ? = if nobody
else there, I have to take care, haven’t I ? 😀 ) at least I managed to record the process what and
how I figured out Zen Buddhism in the past 3 years and 9 months, with over 400 posts.
(since, this is the DIY Zen study)
As it is still an ongoing process, I wouldn’t pretend it had consistent unity = far from it, it deviated
a lots, therefore it often contradicting each other. And not necessary having even consistent
definition of the term, not because of mistake but change of my approach.
So, thanks goodness, I’ve managed to come to much clear picture of which those confusion has
been sorted out (well, more or less 😀 )
[]
My basic approach to the Buddhism is the same from the start, long before even I
started this Blog. —– It was to retrace the way and the process how
Lord Buddha found and came to his conclusion as a normal human being, not a
superman or divine figure.
Human brain is more or less having the same function and the same tendency.
As there couldn’t be any super natural phenomena such as Extra Sensory Power (though, I
reserve the judgement about this point, because there seemed to be something still there ) and
the human common-sense is more or less the same, therefore when we see the same subject, we
are able to deduce to the same conclusion.
[]
While I was blogging, there were two important view point came to my consideration.
The one was a phenomenon in the Neurophysiology, that the threshold of our perception
become higher against the repeating signals = I realized the connection to the repeating
action of the Buddhist’s practice which lead the person to acquire the immunities to the
repeating coming signal or same internal thought, hence higher threshold blocks the signal
reaching to emotional cortex and trigger the hormonal reaction. ( Such as if you see
the same porno photo on the wall every day, the perception was desensitized and soon it loose an
impact to arose you with a seclusion of Testosterone = photo become just another landscape. 😀 )
—– (On the beginning, I’ve been putting more emphasis to an effect of imprinting
by the repeated practice, but [imprinting into subconscious] alone couldn’t explain
the origin of Selflessness).
[]
And the other was a neurological symptom that the blocked connection to the emotional cortex in
the brain of Alzheimer’s case, it cause the loss of cognition to see the SELF and the
own possession = hence, loose the EGO, and the Self-preserving GREED.
Some of you may feel rather disturbing with this, because of the connection to Alzheimer’s though,
despite of it this is the very key to understand the MUSHIN and the SELFLESSNESS as
one phenomenon = the matter is to block the Emotion which is causing all the trouble
in the LIFE such as Obsessive Thoughts, sticky Attachment, EGO and the GREED.
[]
So, thanks to Alzheimer research, the mechanism of our Mind has been exposed.
But, to have this detached mind, you don’t need to wait another 40, 60 years =
while doing Buddhist’s practice, you might realized that you are doing it without
conscious (unconsciously hand was moving or automatically chanting) —– once
you see this phenomenon, practice the same while watching this blank-space in
your brain. —– Then, while having this blank-space in the brain (Being in Mushin)
turn the eyes beyond, and see the world in Mushin. = Soon or later, you will acquire
the skill to have this eyes in any moment and in any situation. = YOU ARE IN ZEN.
[]
In this context, so called Buddhist’s teachings = [eliminate THINKINGS] this Thinkings has to
be understood as [Emotional Judgment] not a logical clear thinkings. =
This is one of the most confusing part in the Buddhist’s teachings.
Lord Buddha ordered his disciples in his death bed
“Don’t believe what you were taught and what others say, but think it yourself ” =
Think logical in clear objective way, and use common-sense, was what he meant.
After all, cool dispassionate eyes = non-emotional, logical thinkings is the key to the Buddhist’s
Mind-set. —– (Without having Emotional conscious, we feel the Brain is blank !
= When we see something in total dispassionate way, we only feel the vision but
not a thought = This is MUSHIN —– still, the brain is working subconsciously )
There is no mythical secret technique which is not achievable to the ordinal mankind.
What Lord Buddha taught was not a kind of Mythical belief but the clear practical solution
—– such as the case of Kisa-Gortami, he didn’t tell her any Mumbo-jumbo such as she could see
her dead child in the Heaven or child would reborn and see her again, but simply made her just
running around and made her to reach logical understandings, that a death is the common
and inescapable truth. = This is the very Key teaching of
[Life IS, to suffer, getting ill and old, and to die].
[And the way to deal with this harsh Life is to learn Buddhism through its repeating practice] which
would eliminate the bad effect of the Emotion, hence able to live in peace of Mushin and Selflessness.
(As I rote above, without connecting to Emotion, the action can be done in
dispassionate way almost automatic = even without the conscious, and without the
obstruction of Ego, Greed and the Delusion)
[]
—– If you give a thought and review all the Phenomena in the Buddhist’s psyche, such as
Detachment, Detached to the Changing world hence Live in its Moment, Has no Fear of the Death,
no Ego, no Greed etc etc you will realize, all those were the manifestation of NO Emotion (and
Emotional Judgement). —–The man who could forsake the pleasure of life in luxury and the feast
of flesh, and able to bluntly define the [Life is Suffering],
Lord Buddha had no illusion, neither gave any sweet illusion to the followers,
especially his teachings were the one, revolutionary idea which against the popular
Vedic idea of Atman = (Perpetual soul, which has no logical, scientific proof) he would have had
no way to fabricate any another fancy stories. = Hence, the Buddhism in its original form is blunt
and straight, because of it was not considered to be popular but stand on the Truth, as it teaches
Own Enlightenment, not dependent on a Salvation which proved to be never come.
[]
Widely misconceived so-called Buddhist’s [Compassion] is not emanated from the tender
Emotion but it comes from the same Mind-set of Mushin and the Selflessness = see
the situation without Emotion and the Ego, hence able to see the needs of others as if it was one’s
own = then able to see what is the best to DO here = effectively helping others as a result.
= If the one still having own Emotion, the own self-preservation comes first.
Selfless act has no Emotion. And this is why it has no notion of [giving to others]
= NO distinction of ME and OTHER. = in this Mind-set, there is even no conscious of Me and even
Animal or Plant. = This is the True Compassion in the Buddhism.
True Buddhist is not compassionate sweet person but he (she) is the person just Doing what he
ought to Do, without having even a conscious of doing or being as a Buddhist.
When the one has NO conscious of SELF, how the same person can have a conscious
of [I’m a Buddhist] —– And this is the true meaning of [There is NO SELF]
___/\___
[]
Stop SMOKING
In England, there was a health campaign held on October, which was
dubbed as “Stoptober” to stop smoking.
—– I was talking with a local man, who remember me used to smoke. As he has been
trying to stop smoking, asked me how I managed to give-up, “Was that thanks to Zen ?”
[]
My smoking seemed to be a mystery to others, long time. = How a Zennist who doesn’t
drink alcohol, never take drug, even managed to give-up woman, still keep smoking ? ? ?
My joke was “I’m perfectly clean Holy-man except smoking. So, if I stop smoking
Lord Buddha wants me to work there. It’s mean, I will be called up straight.
—– in other words, me to stay in this dirty world, I was forced to smoke = if I stop,
I would be just gone.” —– then other friend advised me “If you need one vice to stay
in this world, change smoking to woman. It’s would be much healthier and exciting”
“I know, but to have a woman is much more expensive :-D”
[]
The local man (in fact he is a musician) asked me what sort of mind-set needed to
stop smoking ? —– I answered, there was non. I just stopped. That’s all.
—– people seemed to have a misunderstanding such as
= [To Stop Smoking, it needs a firm determination and lots of efforts] —–
utterly contrary to popular belief, such mind-set has opposite effect.
= People think, [Stop Smoking] is [TO DO Stop Smoking] hence strong will and
the proper mind-set is needed = IT MUST BE a matter of Mindfulness.
—– is utterly wrong. And it is not Zen.
[Stop Smoking] mean, [Smoking is no longer exists] = Just disappeared.
Put a Mind or Effort to a thing which is not exists = is nothing but a delusion.
If you need to DO, you have to deal with it with your Mindfulness and the effort.
But, when you deal with a thing which is not exist = you do nothing
(can you DO anything ? ) = you don’t even notice it.
[]
So that, when I stopped smoking = I just stopped.
The last packet on the desk was still containing 4 cigarettes. (I still remember 😀 )
Technically I could have re-started any moment = anyhow there was no obligation,
nobody watching me still, no such thoughts came up —– because, the notion of
smoking itself had been disappeared = when the target is not there where to put an effort ?
I didn’t need to have such high tension in my mind at all. The harder, it will crack.
= So, it’s better to be relaxed. —– (easy, easy, it’s only about smoking 😀 )
[]
People has been inventing lords of excuse “Not to Stop Smoking” before-hand, such
as it is addictive etc etc. Therefore, when they try to stop, they put so much Preparation
and the “Determination” —– from many Rituals (such as to destroy all the related objects,
ashtray, lighter, etc etc) to Declaration to others — 😀
In reality, the more you put Effort or Ritual kind, they stack to your mind and
remind you again and again = prevent you to get rid of the notion of SMOKING.
As long as the notion of Smoking is in your mind = it IS viable CHOICE to DO.
[]
So, the best tactics is, just stop it, even to take notice of it = when you see a
cigarette —– “What is CIGARETTE ?”
In Zen term, this is Mushin.
= vacates the Mind, not mention any related thinkings.
If you need to stop smoking = JUST DO IT IN THIS WAY
= You will succeed.
___/\___
[]
Can Ordinary Bicycle Rider become Zennist ?
I’ve wrote about many samples of the Natural Mushin, such as the examples,
Typing, Riding Bicycle even ordinary Walking, or through the practice to Cut
Lemon, Put a Pen onto a paper, just watching a Flow of Water, Sea Wave etc.
= In our daily life a Moment when our brain fallen into the state of the No-Mind [Mushin]
is not a rare occurrence, far from it, it is quite an ordinary psychological condition.
—– If so, you might ask, what makes the difference between those
common Moment of No-Mind to the ZEN.
= The answer is in the person’s Mind, or what the person thinks and accepts
[this is the ZEN] = then, it is the Zen or at least it is a start.
[]
While riding a bicycle or cutting a lemon, once you realized that your mind doesn’t have
any thinking other than a mere feeling of “ I’m riding” and the vision “ Land scape is just
passing by” and “ Air is just flowing on my cheek”, or you just see the Knife cutting a Lemon.
—– You need to feel [Oh, this is the ZEN] or feel [I’m in the ZEN] = and
make it a kind of tag bound two together, so that the notion of ZEN is always
stack to the action, Riding, Cutting or Typing what ever be the action.
[]
And you must became aware, the subject you are acting on, and your action is just passing
on or going on, such as the Landscape, shape of the Lemon or the Letters you are Typing,
next by next and moment to moment, like as to see an endless continuing flow.
= As it is the Flow, it never stays the SAME (of cause, that is what Riding, Cutting or
Typing meant to be = otherwise you can’t reach destination, couldn’t make Lemon Slices
and a cup of tea, or finish Typing).
And you must become aware, “ This is what the action meant, or the situation IS”
= YOU just have to DO, hence the SITUATION CHANGES = You are seeing
its flow as if you are just an observer, despite YOU, Yourself is
ACTING and CAUSING this FLOW.
( You have to see and aware this, as it is just a passing phase = but NOT THINK, just see
as if it is a distant land scape) —– And need to be convinced and become aware,
This IS the ZEN scape.
[]
This detached eyes is what called OPEN EYES and the OPEN-MINDED MIND.
= with this, you must become aware YOU CAN DO THE THINGS ALMOST
AUTOMATIC, IN QUITE DISPASSIONATE BUT EFFICIENT WAY.
While DOING this or HAVING this eyes, a landscape even a bottom of a woman become
just another landscape ! (fortunately or unfortunately 😀 😀 )
[]
Ultimately, ZEN is to have this MINDSET and the OPEN EYES (often called
Clear-Eyes), by which, strangely you might think
“ With the detached EYES, I can see the Real Detail more”
Details, hence the Change, in minute Moment to Moment = Hence YOUR response as well.
Because of the open-eyes, you can have more facts, hence you can be much
more PRECISE or less SELECTIVE and more TOLERANT and FLEXIBLE,
(as you can have the More Freedom on YOUR JUDGMENT and the CHOICE)
and able to pay more attention even to the others as well.
This is what the ZEN IS.
[]
When you try this and became able to DO this, go back to the old posts in this blog
= You must be realized Why, and see What is the psychological mechanism behind.
And see, amazingly all those were taught by
Lord Buddha, 2500 years ago already = this is nothing new or fancy novelty.
( In fact, they are the matter of Subconscious =To see and Feel is done by your intuitive
Subconscious — but Reasoning and Rational Sorting etc is done by the Thinking.
ZEN rely on the Subconscious perception and the straight response = hence
eliminates the bias or distortion caused by the intentional Thinking )
= Have a good try or many = it is not difficult as even I hthinkingave done (as DIY).
___/\___
[]
How Buddhism has survived ? / アビダルマを読む？ エッ，マジ？
It was a real history, once there was a time, the Study of the
Abidharma Mantra was the main task of the Buddhist.
If you open and read few pages of such as Abidharma Kosa, you will see the trouble if
anyone has to study those. = they are incredibly complicated, laborious and endless
description of all sorts of definition or the relation of each phenomenon, existences
= which was purported to be the analysis and elucidated structure of the Dharma.
[]
I think, and you can easily see, they were not what
Lord Buddha taught. —– Imagine, if it was taught by him, soon he would see, half of the
disciples are sleeping. = No such non-appetizing or boring teachings were ever given, as
Lord Buddha was not such idiot.
And does anybody think, is any essence or even hint of Buddhism were written in there?
= So, how come, how the tradition or essence of the teachings were
not lost through that period?
—– The secret was hidden in the situation itself.
= If you were a monk then, you were forced to study it.
You got to have strong will to follow the Buddhism. But if you were having strong Ego, you
might be just run away from the monastery. = in another words, if anybody survived its hell,
it was a person having strong will to serve Buddhism but abandon to have any Ego.
Repeatedly read the same book of Abidharma again and again, you must have memorized
everything hence able to recite all the passages = mouth can move automatic and recite the
words though, the Emotion and the Mind is no longer there = NO THINKING.
[]
Our Brain filter out the same signal. If the same signal is coming again and
again, the threshold of the perception became much higher and it will be
processed without involving any Emotion.
Like the same wall on the street, you wouldn’t pay attention twice = you can see it’s still
there = So What ? = Once you know it has no significance (not special or impose
any danger), the visual signal would be ignored. It is the same to a radio CM. = even if
you heard it 100 times, you may not remember what it was saying, because it has no
significance or took your attention with interest = it mean, it didn’t take interest of your
Emotion or no longer appearing to your Emotion.
= all those signal / information became transparent = doesn’t trigger any thinking.
[]
= So, the Study of Abidarma Mantra was not what written in there but it was a training
to get rid of the Ego and eliminate the Thinking ( = reach to Mushin).
= this is what all about the Buddhism study needed.
It’s mean, DESPITE of Abidharma, Buddhism tradition was continued. 😀
( In case, if you like and enjoy reading it —– M m m ? Who the hell you are :-D)
___/\___ 😀
[]
仏教２５００年の歴史の中にはアビダルマ経が教義の主流であった時代が有ます。
パラパラ数頁を読めばすぐ解る事ですが，とにかくしちめんどくさい事がびっちり延々と書かれている。
誰が見ても明らかですがこんな解りにくく退屈なものを
釈尊が延々と説いたとは考えられない。ほんの数例が喩えとして説かれたと言うのがいい所で，延々とやったら
さすがの直弟子ですら居眠りに落ちていたでしょう。
これが全ての存在物，事象それぞれとその関係（因果／縁）の定義で,これがダルマの解明であるという訳ですが
バラしたカメラ部品全ての説明を受けたからといってカメラは元より写真が何かはまるで解らないというのと
同じで,アビダルマ経の全てを読んでも仏教が何であるかは全く解らない。
＝逆に言えば，読んでも足しにならないものを読む事が 主流であった時代を経て来ながら，
どうやって仏教の教えが失なわれる事なく，綿々と受継がれて来たのかと言う疑問が出て来ます。
［］
この答はその当時の現場の情況を思い浮べてみると解ります。
僧院に入った若い弟子は何が何んでもこのアビダルマ経を学ばざるを得なかった
＝無条件に受入れるしか無くエゴの入り込む余地は無い。さもなければ寺を離れる以外に道は無かった。
＝つまり寺に残るのは苛酷な修行に耐えてでも仏に仕えようという強靭な意志と経文をマスターできる頭を持ち
ながら, しかもエゴ／自我を消滅できた少数のエリートであったという訳です。
それに加え，冗長な経文をマスターするには何千回も繰返して読む必要が有り,最後には全てを暗唱できる
ようになっていたでしょう。
人間の脳は繰返し入って来る同ー刺激（信号）に対しては刺激の閾値が高くなり，それを感情抜きで
機械的に処理するようになります。
見慣れた物や風景はそこに在るのが見えていても全く注意を引かない（思考に結びつかない）事と同様の
現象で， 経文を唱えるにも頭はほとんど無意識のまま口は自動的に動いて唱えられるようになります。
これは禅で言う［無心］に他なりません。
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つまり，アビダルマ経を学ぶという事には，経文の内容の問題ではなく，それを学ぶ実践の過程，
その派生効果の中に仏教の核心（無私，無心への到達）が隠されていたという事です。
（もちろんアビダルマ経は仏教用語の用法やその定義を明確にしたという意味でその後の経典作者や
仏教学者に とっての聖典でもありますが－－－アタシャ苦手だね）（笑）
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( Thinking ) in MUSHIN
While talking with people, I found even a person regularly reading this blog still having a
confusion about the subconsciousness and the state of Mushin.
—– giving a thought = It might be caused by my explanations, since I might have used the
term Mushin = Mind of No-Mind, too casually = since it is almost a crèche, I presumed that
the term must be well understood from other books or the sort, so that I just concentrated
to the way [How to reach or experience and learn it].
= Or, may be I haven’t been clearly defined about two different “Thinking” yet.
Mushin Without Thinking might be very deceptive words in deed 😀
[]
“ Mushin without Thinking” = In this “Thinking” mean, Higher level of the brain process
such as categorization and the sorting process = matching to an existing
references, and the conversion to the linguistic expression.
(All those process are the matter of the pattern-recognition)
On the other hand, Sorting is according to the value or its importance.
= this Value and Importance mean Personal Preferences, the Value or Significance
in the Society, Value in the Belief System, above all importance in the scope of the
Preservation of the Self and the Society / Species (Mankind)
= (All those are related to the Survival instinct).
= So, you may think “ How we can survive without thinking”
[]
It is a well known phenomenon that our brain is doing thinking process without us noticing it,
and when we became aware of “I thought”, subconscious has processed it 6 seconds ago.
(This must be measured while observing the brain activity on MRI or PET scanner though,
I wasn’t there = I know not whether it was 3 or 7 second in reality 😀 )
So, the question is, out of our conscious,
what our brain has been doing during those 6 seconds ?
—– As a matter of fact, even in the state of Mushin, our brain is fully working.
Even if the Sword- Master Musashi is fighting in Ichijo with his sword and with the
Rule of the Dharma, his eyes have to see his opponent’s movement and the brain has to
analyze other conditions or situation as well, not mention the control of his hand and the body.
= It is the moment to moment responses.
(Some are really done out of our conscious by the Motor-region of the brain, such as to keep
the body balance —– but to pay attention to such as to the road condition, not to tumble on
a stone, may needs a bit more of the instinctive body reaction = stone has to be seen and take
it into account) It’s mean, even in the state of Mushin, your brain is not blank but
fully committed to the matter what you are committed in its moment
(hence this is called Mindfulness) still without you consciously noticing it
(hence this is called Mushin) while your hand, body, mind, your sword are
all in one unity or in perfect coordination (so,this is called Ichijo / Oneness).
To DO this, or to BE in this condition, you can’t have any noise or unrelated
obstrucing thought, therefore it was described “ Not to have any useless or
intentionally conceived thought”
(hence this is called Mind of No-Mind / Mushin).
[]
Those invisible / hard to describe latent thought or unconscious process in a dark depth of the
brain was bracketed into “Feeling”, and often called Intuition, Inspiration, Spontaneous Thought,
even Spiritual Feelings. = As those latent Proto-Thinkings has yet to be categorized to the
existing type, selected, filtered, or scrutinized against rationality etc, often they are pretty
wild and irrational (just like our dream is ), still showing amazing truth. 😀
Hence, they are also the source of Inventive-creativity, Artistic-creativities
and Open-eyed Free-minded Thinking, Lateral thinkings etc etc. = I described
those Free-Thinking process is taking place in the “ Blank Space” in the brain,
long time ago.
[]
In comparison, so-called (Conscious) Thinking is either HAD been processed and HAS been
converted to legible or translated into linguistic format from those latent feeling or thought
aforesaid, otherwise the information has come externally in the linguistic format. (read a book)
So that, it is always the parallel process in the brain though, as the conscious process needed
additional formatting, it loose the reality (such as, processed words “red blood” doesn’t have a
fresh bloody reality in comparison to one’s experience = actually in the accident) and far slower
than the process which subconsciously done in its moment = Yet, Conscious Thinking is easy to
remember as it has been sorted and converted to the words, still, Original Latent Thought
has much more fresh facts / reality = much closer to the TRUTH.
This Truth is what Zen Buddhist is after = But it needs clear eyes and the Mind.
With clear eyes and the Mind, we can sense the situation in every moment = and
able to respond as it is happening. = This is the Life [Live in its moment].
[]
It must be clear now, the real meaning of Mindfulness, Mushin, Ichijo (in fact, they are
the words to describe the same state of the MIND in different angle)
= “ Without Thinking” has to be understood as “ The Mind has no Conscious
Thinking, still it is not blank but keeping all the perception fully open and
making intuitive up-to-the-moment response, without us noticing it”
= clear eyes and the mind is to capture those intuitive response in the depth of
subconsciousness, without a distortion caused by useless Thinking and Ego.
= This is how ZEN with clear eyes and the mind can lead you to reach truthful
answer or the best judgement, even inventive totally new idea.
And ultimately “Able to reach to the Dharma”
= We might be retaining even ancient, ancient memory of the primeval time
which has been written in the DNA, where we came from, how we been evolved
= the reflection of the rationality in the Dharma = Rules of the Dharma.
To discover and reach this wisdom is the ultimate quest to the Zen Buddhists.
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[]
PS : You might be realized here something is missing
= What is the control of our thinking ?
Conscious Thinking is parallel with Subconscious Thinking and if we can’t escape
Subconscious Thinking which is invisible hence out of control mean,
“ Can’t we escape from wrong thinking ?”
—– If we were imprisoned in wrong thinking down to the bottom of subconscious, there is
a remedy what the Buddhism has been specialized.
Here, Practice of Buddhism come to play their role ! As
Lord Buddha found, the main cause of wrong thinking bore out of the Ego or Self.
Against this, unconditional endless practice of the practice ware-out one’s Ego.
= If one’s Ego is no longer there = no instinctive drive of Self-Preservation = no greed, no fear,
no fear of the death = This is the fundamental change in the basis of thinking = If the basis
changed = upper structure changes as well.
If there is no Self = Nothing to loose = Freedom. (If mortal Self is no longer there,
why afraid to make a failure and own demise or even death. = Anything is
possible though, as neither Ego is there, there wouldn’t be a possibility to
conceive self enriching act or having grudge against others.)
So, Freedom here but not a sign of selfish wrong thinking !
= What a contented, peaceful life. = WHAT you want more.
(This is the reason why the Great Zen Masters having so many extraordinary jokey stories !
= They must have had lots of fun in liberated mind 😀 :-D)
[]
” What are you doing ?”
Somebody, supposed to be a Zen Buddhist teased me
“If you are Zennist, how come, what are you doing in your blog ?”
I answered to him “If you only see it so, your Buddhism is wrong”
[]
The reason why the Buddhism after the Nirvana of
Lord Buddha was formed as known as Hinayana was because the followers just copied the lifestyle
of Lord Buddha (as an Bhikkuh) and kept his teachings. And it took 500 years for the followers to
realize what the real meaning of his teachings were.
—– It is obvious, if all the people in the country become keen Buddhists / Bikkuh,
Who else can feed those Bhikkuh. Who grows the rice to make foods or fish in the river.
(You may give a thought, in a scope of a sustainability of the society = the socio-economical size
= how may Bhikkuh can the society sustain ? —– number is very limited.)
Lord Buddha was not such idiot. Buddhism is not forsake the LIFE, but to live with it.
[]
Zen is a psychological technique / Mind-set to DO the THINGS = to have the
LIFE in the best efficiency without having useless hindrances.
Me to do a photography —– after all I used to be a photographer / technical-writer
= What’s wrong, a man keep doing what he was (a sort of) good at. 😀 😀
DOING all those, I need the Zen (such as so-called Mindfulness, Mushin etc etc, hence I keep
my tools in the best condition, let alone to make them etc etc) and I have, at least, having the
results which leaves no (well more or less) regrets. 😀 — (still, I want to do even better
= this is not a greed as my work is not producing any profit or fame. 😀 😀 )
[]
My approach to the camera or photography which is in most of the case, non-conventional,
quite inventive way would solve and help other’s trouble well, (without costing them :-D)
—– such as, when the camera or Mob-devise was dropped in the sea water or toilet = just
wash under tap water then dry it with Hair-dryer, or jammed, stacked Zoom lens may be
saved with just hitting it in all directions. Or utilizing Chinese toys would save a time and cost,
instead of building a new circuit for electronic controller etc etc. 😀
Life is to live, hence it got be fun, as you can’t avoid — any how.
Make it fun, instead of resenting or complaining.
And by making something would be even more fun. 🙂
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