Thought on MARATHON — SUFFERINGS

Tomorrow, tens of thousand of people will run for London Marathon.

Quite few of my friends did it and till some years ago, I was thinking I’ll do too though,

I’m becoming aware, better not.

( I can invent hundreds of the excuse not to do = it’s mean to think about itself is utterly a waste of

time.= So that, in accordance to my Zen Moto [Just do it] => Just think not. Ha ha ha 😀

Therefore, in my peaceful mind — Marathon ?  What Marathon ?   What a nice day !

[]

Why people run for such enduring action which is not even their imperative, which is,

some said useless action.  = Of cause, some are running for the Champion Medal and some are running

for Charity though, bast majorities are running for a sake of just running, or even for a fun.

What is a fun while giving 50 km or so torturing, punishing task to the own body ? —– of cause, as

I used to be a member of the Alpine Club, I know what it is, as we did similar training and above all,

we did pretty similar body punishing long walk in the mountain, often carrying 40, 50 kg of lord on

our back. —– and we mountain climbers were always making joke

“ What silly things we are doing 😀 ”

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Then give a thought or two. —– ? ? ?

Have I, have we ever had an easy life ever ? —– We, the greedy creature, the human,

always assess an action in comparison to the gain though, is this kind of view true ?

For a sake of convenience and to have an quick answer, we Buddhists having a tendency and good

excuse to end the argument, we have pretty nice story to convince ourselves into contented, which

called Enlightenment 😀

—– See this in reverse. = Need to have an excuse to have a peace of mind is,

because it is not in a peace at all isn’t it. 😀

[]

In Lord Buddha’s teachings, life was defined as SUFFERING (how nice). Yes in deed, this is true.

So, a training is the training for this unavoidable enduring life. = training for the Marathon but the

Marathon itself is a training to face a situation in the life.

June in every year, we members of our High School Alpine club had a special stamina training for a

preparation for a summer climb while carrying 40 kg of stones to a 900 m high mountain top,

starting 6 o’clock morning, reaching the top about mid day.

It was on a ridge called Baka o-ne in Oh-yama, west of Tokyo. Why it called Baka o-ne, Nut’s ridge

is, it is just one continuous boring climb, no respite = makes anybody just fed-up.

[]

While carrying 40 kg of utterly useless stones, I cursed every single step “What am I doing.

How silly I am. Ok, on the next step, I’m going to through this stones away and shout to the leader

“ Kill me here, I’m out” — on the end we reached to the top AND came down with empty ruck-sack,

that was all.  (Since many clubs are doing this many years, the mountain top having tens of tons of

round shaped river stones, which makes innocent walkers just puzzled.  “How come ?” 😀 )

( Soon or later, I tired to complain = after all, to join the club and came to the mountain was my

choice.  I’ve gained a kind of contemplation [Just walk] otherwise I shouldn’t have born to this

world. — And I continued this, while keeping Mountain shelter as a volunteer, we had to carry-up

the food staff for the lodgers of up to 300 people a night, without receiving any money, far from it,

we had to spend our own money to get there  Kita Yatsuga-take.)

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Anyhow, the life is the suffering  😀     But, if we have a training while having heavy punishment

to the physics and to the mental strength, we obtain good resilience to a cause of those sufferings.

To over-come the endurance of Marathon, the person gain the proof in the fact, I did.

And this proof gives the person a confidence = I can do, because I have done.

This confidence brings a peace of the mind = Don’t worry too much, it may not

as bad as the Marathon. 😀

So, it is a good news, it wouldn’t be in vain.

Enjoy a running.   Have a good Marathon 🙂

___/\___

[]

Talk with Cats = What is MUSHIN

Somebody said “Hey yoshizen, you are utterly nuts, how you can talk with cats ?”

—– Quite often, when I saw a cat, I call him (her ?) “wu Nya” 😀

And lower my body or crouch and say “Oide, oide” (it’s mean, “Come, come” in Japanese.)

So that, my friend who happened to be with me, say “How this cat understand Japanese ?”

or “Can they understand Japanese ? Hey, don’t be silly ” —– then, those friend

was surprised as he saw the cat is coming to me and having their head scratched.

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So, I said to my friend “Of cause, they don’t know what that Japanese mean.

But, do you know, the cats can read our mind ?” “Oh yes, I know they can”

“So, this is it. It doesn’t matter what language I have used on my rip, but my mind,

in fact deep down to my subconscious level, I’m expressing the friendship message

as the same kin.  Cat understand this message like a mind reading”

[]

If you remember what I wrote in the previous post, you may be confused by this description.

—– “Deal with cat in Mushin”. —– What the Mushin mean here ?

THIS IS the most misunderstood point in the Buddhism and in the concept

of Mushin and the SELF.

Open your mind, don’t think anything, empty your mind, brah brah brah ——.

They are all just the words, only described the superficial appearance and its observation.

Yes it is true. There was no thinking in the brain on that moment, hence it seemed the mind

was empty. —– still, full function of the body is continuing.

Tea Master is making a tea, Sword’s Master is fighting, I was calling the Cat. = all

those actions were carried out in Mushin.

[]

Lots of amateur Buddhists and Sham Monks or so-called Instructors, Practitioners are believing

and teaching that the Mushin is a kind of special mental state occurred only

when sitting and meditating.

—– Forget the Buddhism for a while. (Before talking Buddhist’s mind, you better know what

the ordinarily mind is 😉 ) = Remember what people say “Talk from your Heart”

“It struck our Soul” “Selfless Love” etc ==== You can understand all those words straight,

what it’s mean. = In fact all those words are describing the same psyche in our deep-down mind

= the pure human emotion in our subconsciousness, without any intentional thinking

= away from political, psychological manipulation, self enriching maneuver or egotistic thinking.

People can naturally feel, talk and act without having any those intentional artificial thinking.

—– Where those Thinking come from, and where those psyche described as

Heart, Soul or Pure Human Emotion come from ?

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Complexed highly intentional thinkings are all bore out of our highly intelligent Cerebrum =

large Brain.  But Heart, Soul and Pure Humanistic Emotion are come from our

Old Cortex and Limbic System.

(Which is common, even with cats, hence we can shar the same psyche. 😀 )

Mushin = Mind of No-Mind is the state of the brain, when all those Thinkings in the Cerebrum

were stopped (or suppressed, abandoned what ever the word. And an advanced Zen Master can

stop even the process or Emotion in the Limbic System as well). = Still, some subconscious and

basic function in the Limbic System can be maintained and continue its process.

[]

Likewise, the Self with its Self Conscious Thinking together with its Emotion could

be disappeared, still able to maintain the integration of the body and its function.

= Thinking was stopped still, subconscious is aware the situation.

In fact, subconsciousness knows the situation far better, because Limbic system

is directing and controlling all the data flow in the Brain.  The Cerebrum is only

converting some of those data into the words and to the visible conscious.

(This is why the argument, what is the SELF and whether it is exists or not was started.

And the typical Mahayana Expression [It exists as not exists] was invented).

Consciously conscioused SELF is clearly be seen, but subconscious is invisible. 

You can hear my word to a cat “Oide, oide”, but you can’t hear the signal

in [Z-band] channel hidden there.   (Unless you too a cats person  😀 ).

[]

PHILOSOPHER (Cat’s story – 2)

This is an old story though,  when I got a water flood from a burst pipe of the flat above,

I had to shelter myself to a friend architect’s house in the south London.

Strangely, the garden of this house was a gathering place of the cats around.

Every day more than 10 cats came and go or staying there all day.  The wife of my friend

complained as the cats stomped the flower shoots etc etc, not mention their droppings.

She tried all sorts of tactics to chase-off the cats, but nothing deter them keep coming.

[]

I gave a solution to prevent the cats damage young shoot of the flowers by putting many

sticks standing on the seed bed. (as the sticks sticking out every 4 inches or so, cat can’t walk,

let alone to jump down there from the fencing wall) —– yet still the cats were keep coming

by climbing the tree.

While watching them, I invented the nick name for each of them.

Such as [Wu-he] after a character in a Japanese comics as this cat got a fanny slimly face.

(If you pronounce this, on front of a mirror, you will see your face looks smiling with a bit of

embarrassment = the character in the comics was this kind  🙂 )

[]

The another cat named [Philosopher] was after his habit and he seemed to be a loner,

not playing with others so much, but stay in the garden looking up the bird on the tree.

When he saw a bird, he was making strange noise, like cracking his teeth “ Ka ka ka ka”.

Then one day, I saw this cat actually caught a sparrow and eating it with cracking noise

“Crack, crick, munch, munch” —– M m m ?

There was a sort of say in Japan “Never feed a chicken with bone in it, since broken bone is very

sharp to damage cat’s stomach, causing the cat’s death” — though, if he could eat whole sparrow,

the bone may not be dangerous for him to eat.   So, I tested it by giving him chicken wing.

He eat whole of it while cracking the bones and appreciated very much.  Since then, I kept giving

him a chicken wing every day.  He was waiting me on the garden door every day. (The wife of

my friend hated this and she kicked [Philosopher] out when he walked into the kitchen.)

[]

Then I found a ground floor flat with big garden in the north London and moved to there taking

this [Philosopher] with me though, it was a first experience to him. He seemed to be panicked.

While having second journey to bring other boxes, he escaped through a ventilation hole in the

bathroom. —– what a blunder = I made a lost cat.

Few days later, when I met the friend again, he mentioned that [Philosopher] is

still coming to the door waiting my chicken wing. —– What ? ? ?

[]

My friend didn’t know, I took him to north London, but if the cat is still coming to his house, it’s

mean, the cat managed to go back to the south London within 3 days, while finding

the direction and having 8 miles (13 km) journey !    What an incredible story though,

in the same time, it showed that the cat couldn’t comprehend, I was the one moved out, and took

him to the new flat (while giving him a big trouble) = therefore, no more chicken wing there.

There is another say in Japan that cat never cross a water or river. From the north

to south London, of cause, there is the Themes river. Still it wasn’t a problem for him.

One of the most enduring story of this kind was, a cat in Japan who was

accidentally left behind, did follow the owner who has moved from a

north-western city of Itoigawa to Yokohama, and found the owner, after 2 years

of journey while traveling 600 miles (1000 km).

Nobody know how he could find the direction but simply the cat did.

[]

There are many myth around the cat though, many of them are not true.

It was said that the cat belong to the house not to the owner.   But this is not true.

One of the cat I used to live with, remembered me even after 10 years kept by

others.  (When the cat saw me, he jumped up to my shoulder,  and rubbing

his nose to my cheek.  This is the greeting the animal does each other.

Because my cats thinking me as their same kin, they treat me like another cat).

Something certain is, they got unknown, hence mythical sensory power.

[]

When I talked about this [Philosopher] story to a secretary of a Bank who was one of

my client, she mentioned, one of their staff is asking if anyone can adopt a kitten.

—– So, it was a beginning of my life, living with the cats.

[]

The old part of our Brain, like Limbic System is common with another animal.

In fact we only got add-on of large brain on top.  In other words, the process, the control of

the sensory grands and the basic perception in the Limbic system having the same language.

( Similar to the computer, what ever the operational system and the higher language, still

down to the bottom, they are programmed and operating in the hexadecimal binary cord.)

= by using this channel, we human could communicate with the other animal.

To do this, we human needs to silence the noise coming from the Cerebrum and its thinking.

[]

The stories of the Zen Buddhist communicating with other animal may have

the basis in this phenomenon = silencing the noise of thinking in the Brain

mean, it is to be in a state of  Mushin.

Not in thinking but having a deepest perception of  friendliness in the primeval

Limbic feeling = This feeling is the common language with any living form.

The most peculiar things about this, the cats can sens this remotely.

Often suddenly a cat came out of dark, and asking me to scratch, or tangling

with my foot. —– How they knew me a cat’s person before-hand ?

(But it seems there is a drawback, the dogs often hates me.  😀

—-– So, I’ve been asking many people if I smell fishy ? )

[]

Humming a Song

While having a chats, how we feel about a particular sound,  a friend recalled one of my post

[Spiritual Sound] (click the Link) which he said pretty interesting.

“ Oh yeah,  high pitch tone instantly  take our attention,  and it gives a bit chilly feeling

doesn’t it.   But if it wasn’t a rapid warning sound but slowly moving continuous tone,

strangely it makes us a bit mesmerized and feel something spiritual, because high-tone

alerts our emotion “Be careful” and makes us highly perceptive,  it’s mean, silencing  the

thoughts and open the mind to listen its meaning.  

This completely open passive mind-set is what we feel “Spiritual”. 

Spiritualism is in fact, a matter of our mind-set, not the existence of the God. 

A mind-set which open the perception try to listen and awaits to see its meaning”

” Hum,  sound convincing”

” In fact any sound which gives no meaning or too repetitive and boring,  also makes our

brain to resign the data process and become blank or open-minded state. 

This open-minded state is the essential key to the all the religion”

“ Aha, isn’t it related to the continuous chanting of  Buddhist’s mantra ?”

“ That’s right”

“ It’s very funny isn’t it. Chanting Mantra is supposedly concentrates to their belief and

show their dedication, but in fact, it lead the Mind to fed-up and resign.   Ha ha ha.”

“ That’s a beauty of the Buddhism.   Buddhism is based on this paradox.

The end result to open the Mind is the matter,  regardless the approach”

“ Do you mean, fed-up is the Enlightenment ?”

“ Oh, you are almost Enlightened. Ha ha ha.

Fed-up to chase money-making, Fed-up women’s bottoms, Fed-up to fear the Death.

Then convinced [OK, never mind Life just goes on] is what all about the Enlightenment.”

“ Ha ha ha, it’s really a Dog Shit isn’t it”

“ Yes, Dog Shit are everywhere.  It’s called Universality of the Darma.  Ha ha ha”

[]

Then the other, mentioned “ Oh, there was a TV program.  A scientist  try to investigate

what our brain is configuring the information, he try to learn Tight-rope Walk, and found

a humming a song would help learning the body balance”.

“ Well spotted.  Whether the sound come from external source or from inside, it stimulate

our sensory. But, if it has no meaning, our brain resign to process its data, and became blank.

Still, if he was on the rope, body’s motor region have to control the body balance, but

without any disturbance of noise such as a fear to fall or a conscious of that the TV camera is

watching.   Humming signal chased off all the evil thoughts.  Ha ha ha”

“ Oh I see, was that’s the reason”

[]

“ Oh, do you remember the time, when you had a long walk or doing a boring manual work,

suddenly an old song came up to your mind, and it kept ringing in your mind, or you were

just keep humming it.   I remember when I was having long long walk in a mountain range,

the same song on a loop  all the day, and I walked like an automatic musical toy ”

“ Oh, yeah.  I remember it happened many times”

“ It must be the self protection or a remedy to deal with, otherwise intolerable situation”

“ Sounds not very happy isn’t it”

“ Yeah, but that’s why our brain filled our mind with the same repeating song, and avoided

us to fall into a mind crunch.   Blank mind can leave the body to just carry-on the task.

So that we could survive”

“ May be”

“ No, it’s not may be.   Blank Mind is the Key to deal with the situation best”

[]

In the public perception, the words [Blank Mind] sound not very promising.

So, the Zen Buddhists found better word [Mushin]  🙂

In fact, this [Mushin] can deal with everything better, because even the conscious mind became blank,

still all the necessary data processing are automatically carried out.

While the Scientist was on the rope, his conscious brain was occupied by a humming song and let the

subconscious motor region to control body movement, with no interference from the useless thoughts.

While walking in the mountain, a song in the mind eliminated any thoughts to blame the

situation,  still all the necessary knowledges and the control of the body kept functioning.

When you need to find a new tactics or to be creative, let the mind become blank, hence, no useless thoughts

still all the necessary data of which the subconscious has been storing are available to deal with the needs.

As a matter of fact, they automatically do far better job than ourselves.

[]

So, to resign thinking and put the Mind into the Blank Space,  would bring better judgement and the

better way to live. —– (Time to time, it’s better to hum a song than occupied by worries = humming a

song, may work better than Zen sitting, as it brings [Mushin] straight   🙂 )

And this is the reason why the Musicians are often having very close understanding of the spirituality.

( Except  the case, some times they got the feeling of spirituality mixed-up with the trance by a drug)

___/\___

[]

MEANING

Looking into the Stats page of my blog ( well, it is only a Stats I can access —– unless I ask my

hacker friend to hack into other’s blog site I have no idea what others’ blog environment) —– the most

interesting thing which provoke my thought is what [search term] the reader has used, and end-up here.

As I wrote before, quite few of them are obviously intended to seek porno site, may be because I often use

rather naughty choice of the sexual words. ( my friends said , it is not MAY BE but obvious facts —–

Because, I hate a pretense to be a kind of holy thinker. —– I rather stay to be an old dirty man as

many of us are = sorry folks. ( or you may say, only you are different.)   😀 )

[]

[ Self awareness starts from looking into our own shit ] = to see what has been digested and

what wasn’t —– if you actually do this, you will find that the vegetable you eat raw, comes out as it is

= pretend to be natural, is often having hidden reality = how you lost the weight is not because it is healthy

but simply your body couldn’t digest them = effectively eat less.

Head-big thinking, boasting buzzwords has exactly the same situation.

( A loss of libido may not occurred because of Buddhist’s enlightenment,  but simply because eating

so-called Buddhists humble food which caused Malnutrition.  Ha ha ha  😀 )

[]

Among the search term, what caught my eyes were [Meaning of Lemon Zen] = it’s must refer to

one of my old post [Lemon Zen] —– ? ? ?      But what is the question ?

My old post has explained how a practice (actual body movement) affects our brain activity

= which lead to vacates the thoughts = and lead to have the state of Mushin (Mind of no-mind).

There is no meaning in the practice.   As all the Buddhist’s practices are, the practice itself is,  just a

body movement and has no meaning at all.

So that, in a glance, it may looks silly and useless.

Useless, still you have to keep doing it. = This mind-set is, what was stated in the fundamental

Buddhist Teachings,  Four Noble Truth [ This teaching have to be actively cherished].

There is no meaning.  = But Just Do It.

[]

Virtually all the Lord Buddha’s teachings were, The instruction.   Not the Belief.

Instruction to do. = Because, while doing it, the organization of the brain, especially in the

region of subconscious changes.  (This the aim of his teachings =this change is not occurred

by the intellectual understanding which is in the New cortex in the brain.  

Subconsciousness is in the Old cortex / Limbic system, where the body movement affects)

[]

Lord Buddha’s word [ Don’t believe the words, but think yourself] is, because as he had

been teaching what and how to DO, —– as he, himself as a living sample = think by the

self-observation about what the self is doing and feeling.  = DOING is the stimulus.

Only dealing with this, is what called Mindfulness.

=== Without having this DOING, but — what to think about the meaning ?

—– What is the object or issue to think about. —– In this context, the word of

Lord Buddha = [Think yourself] may be understood as [Grasp yourself].

Lord Buddha meant not abstract thinking ( which many of you might be misconceived)

but the brain activity occurred only in the moment, while DOING it.

Because, the abstract thinking had been already defined as a Delusion.

And the Truth of that there is no fixed situation, had been already taught.

( Disciples were expected to have fully understood those teachings )

[]

So, again, there is no meaning in cutting a lemon. —– Just Do It.

( And have a nice cup of tea = it comes with a peace of mind   🙂 )

___/\___

[]

Creative Zen Mind

What can you see in the photo ?

It is a strip of bras metal from an Art material shop.

In fact it is just a cut-off, left-over of a bras panel, yet sold as a material.

Material for what ?  —– for Art ?  For making small parts of electric device ?

[]

Some may think to utilize it as a book marker or throw into a bin after twisting it for a while  😀[]

But, flat metal doesn’t necessary to remain, as a flat object. Cut-off piece doesn’t

necessary be a rubbish = They are the stereotypical preconceptions =

If we couldn’t go beyond this kind of preconception, our ancestor couldn’t have invented

an arrow- head out of a stone.

[]

If it was a Zen question —– the answer could be even “It is the Universe, Sir ”

———- Did you get it ?   😀

If it is a thin metal, it can be easily cut by ordinary scissors, and easily twisted to make a shape.

It can be anything. (Well, in a theory. 😀 )

—– So, here, one of my attempt. This is a kind of 3D line drawing. = Strip of metal was cut even

narrower strips and twisted.  If this is still a sculpture, how cheap and easy = This is the beauty of it.

And this is all about [What you can see in a strip of metal]

——– (The face shows different expression with different viewing angle —- I’m studying how and why  :-))

BUT, to see it NOT as a strip of metal, but as a 3D figure, isn’t it a Delusion which exists

only in the mind ? = good question 😀

( Here, famous story of Flower Sermon (捻華微笑経) comes = a flower can be the Universe = Dharma.

—– though, why only Maha Kashapa could understood it ?  What other disciples were doing  ?  😀 )

—– Zen has its completely detached eyes, hence see it no more than it IS, but in the

same time, as it posses no preconception = see it in the Blank Space, it can see even

an invisible = it can be a Truth.

[]

But, [What is the Truth ?] —– is the big question.

The Truth, which affect our life ? Or fundamentals of our existence ?

Is the Truth which is relevant to our life, is the Truth ? —– Isn’t it a bit too utilitarian view isn’t it ?

How about Big-bang and Black-hole, are they True, or anything relevant to us ?

( So far the historical fact, therefore the statistical provability showed, that Zennist

didn’t find any important scientific Discovery or earth-shuttering Truth to the human

= thus, most likely, we don’t need to worry about Big Truth.  We are busy enough to

deal with the handful headache in the dairy Life and the matter of the Self.  😀 )

[]

(When Lord Buddha was asked about those Big Truth, he didn’t give any answer. 

Since then, traditionally Buddhists doesn’t talk about those question, which is out of our Life.

After all, so-called Mindfulness is to eliminate any thought other than the matter

the person is facing up front.

—— Even today, the scientists who is seriously dealing with Black-Hole Theory are not more than

handful in the world = it is nothing to do with rest of us, other than an interesting talking piece   🙂

[]

—– the choice is totally up to to you = the matter of who you are

= if you are a person to see it as a bare strip of metal, see it.

Or if you are a person to see it as a figure, go for it = Zen is not a fixed dogma or

an attitude, since [To be who you are] is only a matter !

But this [Who you are] is neither fixed or ideal existence, as time goes, the same YOU

may not be the same person on the next moment = try to act in a fixed face IS a delusion.

[]

So, enjoy each moment.   And enjoy a creative moment when it comes.

When something new idea of figure, or even an enterprising business plan came up to your mind, while

you are in the state of Mushin (Mind was open to Blank space) the idea was a product

of your subconscious thinking  (generally called Intuition, some called a voice of Heart,

the other even calls it as a voice of God = it could be just a random occurence, yet

it could be a result of Karma) = Why not TRY it = Just DO it.

===> Have a fun and enjoy your creative LIFE !

___/\___

[]

Sitting in Mindfulness — What ???

Just imagine a situation [ Boss shouted to the staffs. “ Don’t just sitting there. Do something” ]

Can anybody imagine, a staff shouting back “ Yes boss,  I’m  DOING  sitting” —— 😀

[]

Just sitting is an iconic symbol of Doing Nothing, and in deed, doing nothing.

So, how come [ Mindfulness while sitting ] —— ? ? ?

Can anybody explain what it is ?

( I found hundreds of the people in the cyber space saying in their profile = Mindfulness Practitioner /

Instructor —– there must be someone to come up and explain )

[]

Lord Buddha taught the people, who even not able to speak standard language then, let alone write and read.

All of his teaching got to be based on the common-sense.

Yet still, against the common-sense, there was a wide spread delusion among those uneducated people,

[ A person could be reincarnated into awful animal ]

—– to brake this useless vulgar belief and associated fear, was one of the aim of the

Lord Buddha’s teachings by saying “ There can not be Perpetual Soul ( solid existence of the

Self ) such as in the Vedic belief —– because of the everything exists in relation to the other

existences.

Therefore when the body dies, the soul also cease to exists ”   “ One’s death is the Nirvana”

[]

When Lord Buddha finished a talking, he just had a break = just sitting and took a rest.

So, sitting is just do nothing and take a rest = doesn’t need to even think anything.

When we need to DO something, we may need to use the brain though, if we do nothing

the brain takes a break as well.  You don’t need to put so-called mindfulness to take a rest.

Just empty your brain and the body to relax.

[]

While doing something, we may conceive new idea, new way of doing or another approach by way of

analytical observation. = This is a logical thinking.

But we often, suddenly conceive new idea while do nothing or doing a thing which doesn’t need to think

such as sitting in a toilet or doing simple routine work. = This is a creative conception.

( In Zen term, this state of the Brain and the Mind was called Mushin / Mind of No-Mind )

[]

So that, Lord Buddha, while having a rest or after that, might have told “ Hey, Shariputra, that must be

such and such ” —– which made them to mistake that he must have been in deep thinking.

This was how a misconception and a myth of so-called [ Meditation ] had been created. But,

Lord Buddha was just sitting, having a rest, and of cause, his brain was blank or in Mushin.

[]

Hence, the most fundamental misunderstanding of the Buddhism = [ have to sit in Mushin,

yet still Think something deep and concentrating to this, in Mindfulness ] was created.

Ha ha ha 😀 😀

It is the clearest indication of that the so-called Academics and the Monks who introduced

Buddhism to the west didn’t know what the Mushin is.

[]

So, when you sit, just sit. = It is to have a break and to rest.

Never even think “ I’m doing something holy Buddhist’s practice ” —– while sitting like that, you may tired

to even think about Buddhism = your brain become blank = this is the Mushin = of which you really need.

And never expect, by sitting in Mushin, suddenly should the Glorious door of the Dharma open for you

and show beautiful rose-coloured room.  ( Historically say, you most likely find a Dog Shit )  Ha ha ha 😀

————-

You may realized, —– you can’t see the Dharma in your brain.

But they are right front of your eyes.

Congratulation = this is your Enlightenment.

___/\___

[]

Be in Emotion — or in Detachment

Gosh, it’s exactly a year from the Earth Quake

and the Tsunami in Japan.

After I caught a first short news, it took another

5 hours to know what has happened there in the Japanese

News site. The rest was, I don’t think I need to repeat here.

[]

Having one year anniversary, one of the literally left over

of the iconic land scape of the Tsunami = a Bus body left

stranded on the 10m roof top of the local town hall has

been removed. ( The photo left from the Jiji news.com site )

[]

There has been two opposing opinions among the local

people.  One was, as a historical, iconic monument,

the Bus should be preserved as it is.

But, the other opinion, as it recalls horrible memories = Don’t want to see it any longer, hence

it should be removed, was over whelming.

[]

Everybody has Emotion. It is the basic judgmental response to the stimulus, instantly created in

the old part of the brain, limbic system.   As limbic system also controls the physiological

reaction, an Emotion triggers the seclusion of the Hormone, Neuro Transmitter etc.

Unlike Nerve Signal which is an instantaneous electrical pulse, those chemical Hormone remain the body

system, so that, unlike a momentary come and go Thinking process, Emotion affects a person’s mental

condition and the physiology pretty long time, some time long enough to make a person fallen ill.

[]

This is the reason why and how the Buddhism invented the way to curve the Emotion by its

practice to enable a person to detach from it.

[]

While detached from the Emotion of the disaster —– to see the Bus stranded high-up on the top of the building,

must be really an amazing, unusual experience. —– Hence came to a thought to make it as a historical

monument, could be a good idea = can be only such a monument in the world.

Though, to the vast majority of the local people who have had literally run for the life or lost their family member,

close friend, the memories of the disaster were still too real.   And its memory re-creates the same Emotion,

hence the seclusion of the same Hormone = same reaction of the body, heart beat, blood pressure increase and

even having nightmare, and so on.

[]

In order to keep the compassion to the deceased and the fellow victims, it should be better to keep the memory

afresh, is the one opinion.   Though, to live one’s life in full potential, to keep the memories and to

be imprisoned by the same emotion has to be distinguished.

Time is the best cure for a sad memory —– the old say.

The Buddhism practice is to accelerate this aging process, and make a person to see its memory in a perspective,

in another word, in distance = detached = in Zen Buddhist’s term  Mushin ( Mind of No-Mind ).

By detached eyes, a person can see the situation and the possibility or the alternative, in much

liberated perspectives.   Hence able to make much better judgement in the life.

After all what local people needed was not a reminescence of the disaster, but the mind to look forward to

rebuilt the town and their life.   When a mountain of tasks on front, the emotion is nothing but the obstacle.

[]

How to learn one’s mind detached,  hence able to have turmoil-free calm mind-set is

what I’m talking about in this whole blog.

___/\___

PS : Further reading, how Buddhist’s practice works to achieve  Detachment > >>   http://bit.ly/yG6rph

(This post could be the most crucial post among the others in my blog )

—

Zen Practice on the Desk

If you think, that the Zen is to twist the leg, you are wrong, it is just a posture.

The matter is in the mind = how to vacate the thinking and to get a state of the Mushin is

what the Zen mean.

[]

This is the easiest practice to gain a state of the [ Mind of No-Mind / Mushin ]  instantly.

Yes, instant, just by closing your eyes (even only a second = as the trigger of the Mind-set)

[]

If you are sitting on front of a desk to write anything, —— Close your eyes, and pick-up your pen

and put the pen on the paper where you are going to start writing.

[]

To do this, you have to fix the position of the pen (or what ever) on the desk, always exactly the

same place. And sit on the chair exactly the same position facing the desk in the same distance.

—– Sit on front of the desk. Take one deep breath and look at the blank paper on the desk.

Memorize the picture and close your eyes.

While visualizing the picture in your mind, put your hand straight to the pen and pick it up and

put the point of the pen on the starting line of the paper.

[]

Try this as many times until you can do this as smooth as possible with natural flow of the movement. Just do it.

On the beginning your finger may reach to a bit away and needed to wobble a bit to touch the pen.

But, soon or later your fingers would come to the exact position you should grip the pen.

[]

Every time when you sit before the desk, do this = and make this to a habit.

[]

Soon, you will be realized, when ever sit to the desk and take deep breath, your mind is focused

to the paper and the pen = nothing else is in your sight, and when you closed eyes, the picture

you are visualizing is the paper and the pen, nothing else.

In Zen term, this is called Mindfulness = nothing else is in your mind.

[]

As the practice became routine, you become able to do this automatic like a well tuned machine.

It’s mean, you become able to do all the body movement without having any thought.

In Zen term, this is called Mushin.

[]

This practice can be improvised to a key-board. To type a word such as [calm] if you like in Italic.

And if you like type it in the center of the screen while the eyes closed. (You may become an expert

of the timing, how long the Space-bar should be pressed down. 😀 )

Or you can do this with your Smart phone or Tablet kind.

How to access one particular program while eyes closed.

[]

Once you mastered this practice, take deep breath and close the eyes will lead your mind to focus

and able to eliminate any thought.  Hence, just think this practice would soon become

enough to bring your state of mind to the Mushin = deadly calmness.

[]

It may not looks like a mythical Zen practice though, Zen is not a pretense, but able to get

the mind-set of Mushin is the matter.

And what you need is just do this. (Further readings are in a Category [ Lemon Zen ]

___/\___

[]

ダルマ／法と仏教の構造—Structure of Dharma

これは禅を学んでいる人にダルマ／法とは何かを説明して送った手紙の一節ですが，

実に明解，言い得て妙だと自分で笑ってしまった程で，これはここに再録せむとなった次第。

( In here, I’m explaining  [What is the Structure of the Dharma] )

[]

喩えが悪いケシカランと思う人が居たら，アナタ流の説明をコメントに入れてくれるよう。

－－－奇抜な喩えで，一気に理解させるというのは

釈尊以来，仏教，禅の伝統になっている。

もし，仏教は，禅は高貴なる神秘と信じているとしたらそれはアナタのロマンと高慢。

とまれ，悟りとは犬の糞。

[]

－－－－－－－－－－－

ダルマとは，この全宇宙，物理的全存在とそれを存在させている全法則，その総体のことです。　

解り易い例えで言えば，ダルマ／法とは宇宙サイズの機械仕掛けで，支配原理は神秘的形而上学

でも宗教理念でもなく，合理主義に立った物理学，材料工学，分子生物学，生理学，ｅｔｃ，科学

の総体です。

当然そのサブシステムのである我々もその微小部分の一つであり同一の原理で作動している（ダルマ

を内包する）訳です。

（機械に心は無く（＝無心），黙々と作動してその機能を完遂するのが役目）

このシステムがジャンクのよせ集めではなく，システムであるのは個々のサブシステム間，総システム

との間に整合が保たれ（ほぼ）完璧に機能し破綻が起らないという事です。

[]

ごく一般的，かつ楽天的に見れば，この機械システムは一応恒常性を保ち，全生物は間違いなく

進化して来ている。　人類も一応発展しながら無事命脈を保っている事から見て，性善と考えられ

ている訳ですが，別に人間に好意的とは限らず，むしろシステムの利益，つまり宇宙や地球の

安定的バランスに価値基準が置かれているらしい。　

つまり，個人の利益幸福よりは社会正義，特定社会の都合よりは地球環境の安定の方が重要。

－－－とは言えこのシステムはあまりに巨大かつ複雑な為に大部分は未知であり，

おそらく人間如きにその全容は不可知でしょう。

[]

人間は微小なサブシステムにも関らず，頭でっかちに進化し高度な思考能力，想念とか心を持つに

至った訳ですが，トラブルは，この想念（思い込み）が元々の設計仕様を覆い隠すだけでなく，

仕様からはずれたり（妄念），高すぎる期待値（我欲）を抱いたりする為に，本来の機能すら

全うできなくなる事です。

[]

つまり，元々の設計であるダルマと，思考想念との乖離矛盾が人間の苦の根源と喝破した

釈尊はそうした無要な思考，想念を断って（無我，無心）生きる事がダルマの回復，回帰（一如）

であり，矛盾の解消された悟りの境であるとの教え（仏教）を始めた訳です。　

[例えば季節は太陽の動きに一致し，植物が［規則］正しく芽を出し花を咲かせるように万物が［規

則］＝ダルマを持って存在するするという考えはごく自然に得られるものです。

釈尊もこの伝統的理解を踏襲した訳ですが，彼独特かつ画期的アイデアは，ダルマ理解の中に

カーマ（カルマ，縁，因果＝原因〜結果）の視点を加えた事です。つまり万物は因果の連鎖を

持って存在し，原因なくしては結果も無い。素粒子が無ければ原子は存在し得ず，光が無ければ色

は無いし水が枯渇すれば作物は育たない。－－－この考え方はさらに飢えがあるから，欲があるから

盗みが起るなど，心理や思考／その傾向にまで拡張されていった訳です。

[]　

しかもこの因果の連鎖は網の目のように広がっているから，繋がりのどこかで生起する物事は次々と

連鎖していく。従って万物は依存する条件の恒常的変化（万物流転）の中にあり不変のものは無

い。(諸行無常)

[]

もっとも，どこまでをダルマ（法）とするかは宗派によって異り，禅宗では全存在を　含めて法とするが，

現象の背後にある法則（例えば合理性）だけを法とする考え方，スリランカなどの南方仏教のように，

信者の守るベき戒律だけを法と呼ぶ場合もある。（最も重要な点は

釈尊はこのダルマを概念や抽象的観念としてではなくその存在を客観的に実感し得る実在（全存

在）として把握していたと言う事です　＝　だからこそ他人の言葉（言語化された概念）を信じる

な、己れの直感で体得せよと教えたのです　＝　例えば、事実として己れが無私であるのを経験

する事。

（あなた自身これを読みながら、実は自分が読んでいる、まして眼が文字を拾っているなどと言う

自覚はまったく無かったでしょう　＝　全て無意識の内に処理される）　己れの認知にかか

わらずダルマは存在し無言で機能しているのを知る事。　ところがそれらは直感（潜在意識）で

把えたものであるから、在るとも見えるし無いとも見える　＝　つまりダルマさえも実は無私（空）

であるのに外ならない。）

ーーーーー　

[果たしてダルマに宇宙意志とか，人間界で言うような意図があるのかは議論の分れる所ですが，

僕の個人的経験から言うとやっぱりあるようです。

何故か，ぼこっと幸運に恵まれたり，逆に前述したような思い込みや妄念でストレスを高め己れで墓穴

を掘ってしまうような［極めて理に叶った例］だけでなく，｢これは死ぬだろうな」と言えるような事をやった

人が，突然ころっと死んだり癌になって苦しんだりするのは，やはり運命（ダルマの意図）の配剤らしい。

[]運命というのは，ほとんどがシステムの合理性として説明できるダルマの原理の中に残された不可知

の領域ですが，それでも直観的にピンと来る所が面白い。

しかし運命は運命，無心に（感情的になって嘆き悲しむのではなく）受止めるしかない＝不可知を

知ったからと言って何のたしにもならないという訳で，それについて質問された

釈尊はそれを無視して黙っていた。(無記)　（とのことです＝僕が目撃した訳ではない　笑）

___/\___

 

－－－必読：無着無住とは？　（リンク）

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