Mushin / Peace of Mind – How To ?

In the past week or two, I’ve been heavily involved in talking to people who have trouble in mind.

(Hence, nothing new has been posted in this blog – I’m not by profession an agony-aunt.

I can’t mass-produce crap advice = one subject at a time = that’s as much as mindfulness can handle.)

(Total cop-out!)

One person beautifully described having a sort of escape-walk in the woods

and watching the flow of water in a small river.   She said, that this solitude seemed to

be only her escape = but, she knew of course that she had to go back to the mess of her life

disturbed by an agonizing regret.

Mmm ? ? ?

What a shame. The kind of the advice which so-called psychiatrists are giving nowadays would recommend

regressing to the source of the person’s trouble, hence re-experiencing the agony again and again.

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Unlike these so-called psychiatrists, Buddhism has been handling the matters of the mind for

thousands of years, so it is clear to Buddhist eyes that the solitude which this

woman found was, in fact nothing but the state of No-Mind = Mushin in the Zen term.

Unless this particular person was a botanist, knowledgeable as to the name of every plant, there wasn’t

much for her to think about in the woods and hence her environment out there was just an environment,

nothing more.   And the flow of the river with its faint song would have no meaning for her = outside of

any intellectual brain activity.

Let’s suppose this woodland had been visited many times by her = so that there was no new stimulation,

nothing to cause an alert of any kind.

If this had been the case this person could have had complete peace of mind in solitude without

any thinking-processes. Expecting nothing.  Projecting nothing. 

Her mind absolutely open, completely remote from any thought-disturbances.

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Well, as she had already found the state of No-Mind / Mushin, I advised her to follow a particular practice,

to just lightly shake her head, and at the same-time, visualize the scene of the woods with

the running water. 

And I instructed her that when she did this, her mind would become empty, distant from all useless thought.

Afterwards, when the simple practice was over, she could then start to do what ever she needed to do,

the work, the daily chores, even sitting on a toilet. 

And in daily life,  she should do this like a ritual, when ever she saw a sign of bad thoughts coming-up.

Shaking or wobbling the head once, visualizing the running water and emptying the mind does

actually work.  This is the right process to get rid of trouble-in-mind.
Following this advice, I sent her a few emails explaining how our mind works, describing the structure of the

brain etc etc = rather boring stuff = to make her fed-up of dealing with Mind-matter

and just concentrate on the work = Life.

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Just a week later, I received an email in which she explained that she was now free from useless thoughts,

or more precisely, she was fed-up with being bothered by such thoughts.

She felt that now she could just get on with her work; she has no time to waste on useless thoughts.

(Well done! )

This is a sample to apply state of Zen Mushin to the dairy life.  (and get rid of the useless thoughts)

Any practice by which a person can experience the Mushin, can be connected to this sample and

this was the reason why I’ve been writing about such as Lemon Zen, Walking Zen etc etc.

Like in this case, visualization and to shake the head was a trigger to go-into the state of Mushin

= conditioning of the mind.   Once this practice became a routine in the brain, actual action to

shake the head can be minimal (invisible).

In the Lord Buddha’s story, a woman called Kisa Gotami said to have achieved this, in one day.

Still, this person achieved this in one week ( plus priory walking in the woods) wasn’t too bad.

This person may not become knowledgeable to  Buddhism stories and its spiritual artifacts though,

what she needed was to get on her life without the disturbing thoughts = peace of mind.

___/\___

Note :  The photo = Magnolia Grandifloria —– from Wikimedia

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Aluminium-Panel Sculptures / Suppon-pon and O-Shiri

Even though many people still looking for the Dragon image, I rather like to put much more

warm-blooded human-like figure of which I just found an old photo of them when they were made.

( In fact, I’m getting bored with the Dragon images which has been requested by the readers. 😀 )

If you object its part of anatomies = it’s a sign of your mind has been stacked with it = it’s all

in your mind = relax, take easy and have a fun-loving mind, instead.   After all, it’s just a dented

aluminium panel, isn’t it ? —– Nothing more than that, and harmless.    Ha ha ha.  😀

In fact, Full-frontal figure named [Suppon-pon] (after Japanese slang) above was a challenge, how

simple drink can sculpture can be made realistic figure,  and the right, named [O-shiri] was made as

a kinetic sculpture which wobbles its bottom with motorized mechanism, though within a day, its metal

cracked and broken = it needs to be made by the good spring steel with a proper heat process.

Because, the matter in the Zen is, a Zen practice on practice ! —– Let’s Just Do It !

How Zen it is, you will see.  (and see the fun)

I’ve been telling the people, who asked me how those aluminium figures were made = I made them

by just pressing a thin metal, like Shiatsu. ( but, quite laborious endless pressing =

hence, it was a Zen practice ! ) as you can see the photos above, they were just a drink can.

Simply, if a thin metal was pressed, metal will be bent = to cut and bend the metal piece to a shape

wanted is, what all about the aluminium panel sculpture.

If you like to make it as a nude figure, make its shape as a nude figure, as simple as that.

So, when you got flat metal out of drink can, place it on a half soft surface and press it with something

round tipped stick or your finger = you can have  the effect. ( = here, you will see the result of

pressure = how unmistakably correct,  the Buddhism teachings are.   😀 😀 )

If the base was too soft, metal may not be bent but just sink all together. You need to try and find the

best suited material = I found, a cork place-mat has right softness. (and a Telephone book as well !)

The size of a round tipped stick to push the metal panel may need to have several different sizes

—– here the photo of the use of the tool I’ve improvised and made for this purpose.

Observe and use your common-sense and try and try again.  The solution can only be found by doing.

Thinking makes no result, but only the action does.   And only the result counts.

If the resulting shape was not what you wanted = make it from the scratch again (and again).

If you run-out of a can, you don’t need to drink another beer = look around the street, you will find

another can  (can be tons of them.   😀 )

(Obviously, this practice (Art ?) cost nothing = Zen and Spirituality is absolutely incompatible with money)

The more you try, the result you get will be the better.  Don’t be impatient.  And keep doing.

Just sweep the garden, Churi-pantak (Shuri-bantoku) needed 10 years of practice to get it perfect.

In fact, behind of my pieces (as the best so far, in the photo) I’ve made many failures which I’m not

showing to you. 😀 —– It was just a process to get it right = might be called as a Pathway.

To get the best out of one’s life is what the Buddhism was intended for, 

not for sitting idol and talking empty mambo-jumbo.

The tools had its own history of the evolution = from a round bottom of Fizzy drink CO2 Gas bomb

to a Bearing’s ball mounted shaft (for smoother fine movement).   And, the roller disks which would

make furrow or smooth curved line.  Utilize anything with the creative approach.

The better designed tool would give easier work and the better result.

—– Of cause, I know you would say “What all those fuss for ?”— nothing.    What’s wrong ?

Do you think, Do I needed to have a purpose,  such as to become famous and rich with those works ?

Oh, c’mon.  Don’t be greedy.  It’s just a beer can. = Utterly useless things.    ( Priceless ?  😀  )

I wouldn’t ask another technician to make Diamond studded Skull for greedy money-making scheme =

In here, to make it or its effort itself was the purpose.  Therefore, I’m making

everything myself, for myself.  = (Selfish ? —– I don’t think so.  I’m just dealing with this piece, which

is nothing to do with anybody else.  I was just seeing this piece of metal getting its own shape. = work for

something purposeless  for the sake of its own sake, is nothing but the selfless act = Act for act.

So, this is my Zen.   ( If you couldn’t understand why this is the Zen, think why

Master Boddhi Dharma opened Shaolin-Temple using martial art as a teaching tool,

and why the Tea-making is a Zen. —– Convinced  ? )

___/\___

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Mindfulness – Western Misinterpretation

People talked about the BBC News, featured about the Meditation (which I didn’t know).

And it seemed, BBC used a word [Mindfulness] to explain [Meditation]. —– What ?

Meditation is to sitting in [Mushin = 無心] = not having even a notion of Mindfulness.

—– Why such kind of mix-up is taking place in the west ?

So that, I first ever saw Wikipedia [Mindfulness] 😀 and discovered the situation. (it explained me why

a talking about Zen with western Zen Practitioners are often end up in confusion. 😀 )

I’ve been long suspected that the understanding of [Mindfulness] and [Meditation]

in the west was wrong.

Simply because of the academics or the scholars of the Buddhism scriptures are arguing about the

meaning of the WORD in its semantics. (Word is mere indicater of a notion = not the notion itself. And

even the notion couldn’t necessary able to describe the meaning.

Such as “Ride” a bicycle = to find the use of this [Ride] in the time of Donkey and a Cart wouldn’t make

any sense about an application against a modern bicycle. And the understanding of the word “Ride” is

nothing to do with how to ride a bicycle. You only know it actuarially master to RIDE it. 😀 )

So, it became clear. To know the meaning of a term in Zen, you got to do the Zen.  And to know

the meaning of the word wouldn’t make you able to to know the Zen. This is the very reason why

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples “Don’t take the words of mine or others, but think yourself.”

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Zen had spread from China, and to Japan. (then from there to the west)

Lord Buddha’s teachings were re-discovered in there through the practice which

Lord Buddha taught direct to his followers.

By following those practices, Chinese monk who translated Scriptures and Mantras, managed to find the

meaning of the word in Sanskrit, Pali or Tibetan and assigned the word to a Chinese character

[念(nien in Chinese, nen in Japanese)] to the word now (miss) used in the west, as [Mindfulness].

The Chinese character [念] has the meaning of deep thought or even a kind of feeling stacked in the depth of

mind which is distinctively different from the temporally conscious thinking [考].

One of the most observant people in the human history = Chinese, created the character to each different

level of mind-activities in the brain.   Such as [考], [思],[慮],[念] and [懐].

[懐] is a word to describe a feeling, “I feel it is there though, hard to describe, and I can’t get lid of it” kind =

such as latent fear or one’s positive, negative mood. ( They are the matters of the hormone level in the body)

Above this, a bit more clear level of Mind is [念] = which indicates “whether you intentionally

think or not, it is always there and you aware of  it” kind of  focused tendency in the mind.

This  [念]  is the Mind what ancient Chinese monk who translated the scriptures, found to

be the best suited to describe [sati (Pali)] or  [smrti (Sanskrit)]. —– As this is the mind

reside,  deeper beyond the person’s intentional manipulation, try to think something to

concentrate, is nothing but the misunderstanding.  = Mindfulness will bore out from the

situation and the attitude of the person. —– It is the result,  not other way round.

Think, you are a journalist, walking through the ground near Melt-down Fukushima Nuclear site.

As you were allowed to walk there, it was regarded to be safe though, the mud could have invisible

radiation hot spot. Which makes you very cautious, hence choosing dry clean point to step-on.

Every steps —–. This detailed attention you are unconsciously and constantly paying to

everything, every moment, —– this is what [Mindfulness] really meant.

You were programmed to walk the most careful manner while watching all the signs and the left over

rubble of the Tsunami.   In the same time you have to observe what and how workers who removing the

contaminated soil are doing, or the situations how the strayed pet animals are surviving and so on, which

was the purpose of you to be there.  Mindfulness is not an intentional mind-set but when

you faced the serious situation, (or you take it serious) its naturally set in, as Dharma works.

(This is the reason why Tea Master says “Make a tea as if it is the only an occasion in your whole life” )

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If you are riding a bicycle everyday, you just ride it.

You don’t need to think “I’m riding a bicycle”,  you ride it as to ride a bicycle, not a motor-bike.

Because, your body, your brain knows “You are riding bicycle, unconsciously = you have been

programmed through the practice to ride a bicycle.

To program your subconscious and your motor-region of the brain, how to ride, where to pay attention etc

has been done through the practice. = so, as the result, you can do it almost routine = automatic. =

automatic mean, you can do it without thinking, hence efficient and smooth.

To apply same principle to all the aspects of the life is what

Lord Buddha had found and taught = Life without useless thinking (delusion etc), hence

able to live in peace.     This is What Buddhism all about.

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At the Wikipedia [Mindfulness] you may read (Zen criticism) the quote of  Muho Noelke of Antai-ji saying

“Don’t be mindful, plase !  When you walk, just walk. — Let the walk, walk. — let the sitting sit”

it seems, his words are the most closest to the Zen among the many Zen sites.

—– Even though, he was stop short of noticing that it was in fact, the matters in one’s subconsciousness,

at least, he knows and doing the Zen —— Able to do the Zen, he doesn’t need to give a damn whether it is in

the subconsciousness or else = When you DO, just do.  (But my role is to analyze and see the structure of

the Zen = This is the reason why I didn’t became a monk, even though I’m a son of  Zen priest)

—– Forget the word, Mindfulness , Mushin, Jizai = they are just different naming of the same

mind.  As they are in fact just one, hence having Oneness = Ichijo, and this is what Dharma is.

___/\___

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Higgs Boson and the Buddhism

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm[ Photo —- Peter  Higgs  / from  BBC News  ]

The scientific world was stirred by the news of the tale of the tail of a sub-atomic particle =

dubbed as the God Particle = Higgs Boson. —– Gotcha !

Higgs boson may not even a particle but just a remnant ripple in the invisible field.

—– Like a ripple on the still water gives off a signal, where the surface of water is, and you may notice

the existence of a clear glass panel, only when it shows a scratch mark.

—– Higgs boson is a tell-tale sign of the invisible, undetectable energy field = Higgs field which said to

give a mass to the existence.

—– When you stir a honey in a jar, you feel heavier resistance on the spoon than in a water = it would give you

heavier feeling of the same spoon. = this resistance or impedance effected on the particles (and its compound,

atoms) are called as a mass. (conventional expression of this mass in relation to the gravity is called weight =

less body weight on the Moon because of less gravity is there).

( But don’t ask me why a sub-atomic particle Neutrino can have no mass and able to move even

faster than the light. —– I don’t think even scientists does know this yet 😀 )

Still, we human seemed to discovering the relation and cause of the phenomena next by next.

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Those scientific stances are perfectly in line with the Buddhism.

In the Lord Buddha’s teachings, those relation and the cause behind of the phenomena and the existences

is the Karma, and they, all together is the Dharma.

(Hence, Dharma is all the Existences and its mechanism and the rules behind)

As the dynamics of the phenomena and its momentary appearances are time dependent, so that nothing can

stay the same or permanent. —– Therefore, no perpetual soul kind = Atman can not exist.  Hence no SELF.

The reason why Lord Buddha took this stance, instead to contributes the cause of occurrences

and existences to an imaginary supernatural power = Godly existence was, because of

Lord Buddha’s mind-set was more of the scientist not a man of religion.

Religion is the matter of the belief to a particular ideological myth = not necessary to the

factual truth, therefore,  he defined such Myth as a delusion.

—– This was why,  he was called Buddha = Enlightened man,  not a divine figure or prophet.

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But, what made Lord Buddha different from just a physicist was his observation towards the

invisible depth of the  human psyche (now we call as subconsciousness) and found a way to

reprogram this subconsciousness through the practice.

Practice to make a person able to do the things or to live, without useless thinking (in Mushin /

Mind of No-mind) and ultimately able to see the invisible part of the Dharma. (and lives with it).

Even the most advanced science still having left quite large unknown part, we human still couldn’t able to know

what ourselves are. —– Yet, the Lord Buddha’s insight was reaching to this area.

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—– In the dawn of the cosmic science, scientists imagined a medium which should fill the space of the vacuum

by which the light-wave can travel,  was the Ether.

The existence of the Higgs field could be parallel to this idea of Ether, as Higgs field fill all the space = from cosmic

space down to the internal space of the material which spread between the sub-atomic particles.

Therefore, this ultimate universal field is the invisible part of the Dharma.

—– I suspect, there could be a possibility, — this universal medium = continuous energy field

( Higgs field ) was the very medium which is contributing the way of the psychic communication,

and this is the ultimate meaning of the Dharma, 

which Lord Buddha called [Panya Paramita].

If this is the case, of cause, the Dharma is everywhere and as it immerse all the existences

= “Everybody posses the Dharma within” !

—– This is what we Zennist are aiming to see, with our practice.

___/\___

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WRONG ? — or Just don’t LIKE it ?

While fallen leaves are disappearing from the street and the trees are getting naked,

I encountered the Cherry blossoms in a small green space.

Since this unusually warm autumn, many reports saying the flowers are opening

as they mistook it as this is already a spring.

In a normal condition, when the flowers open, many honey bee etc. are there

to pollinate the flowers, hence the fruits and the seeds would be developed.

But this is a dark, cold November. Even a single creeping insect is not in sight.

It’s mean all the energy and the effort to produce the flowers would be wasted.

—– presuming, the flowers are there only for the reproduction of the species.

Is it true ?  In fact, many garden variety of the Cherry tree having their flower in the winter time.

In Japan, they are called  Kan-zakura (Winter cherry) and quite few famous tourist spot to see the blossoms

even in February.  As they don’t have cherry fruits, they are propagated by grafting.  It’s mean, they

couldn’t exist without having human intervention = not natural =  is it wrong ? —– I’m not sure.

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Value system is a human invention.  To appreciate cherry blossom in the winter is one view and judging

it unnatural is the another. —— Once we go into this area, it would open a can of worm = as we human created

so many [not necessary natural practice] —— such as sexuality, even a religious practice etc.

( Just think about the stance of the Afghan Tariban and the women’s right there)

Then give a thought or two —— [Normal] or not, is a matter of statistic = though, larger number doesn’t

mean they are right.  [Right] or wrong —– WHO said so and in WHAT context.  [Rational] or not, still having

uncertainty = even the science doesn’t know whole truth yet.

—– so, we settle most primitive and cheapest mean [Like or Not] = emotion and instinct based judgement.

This judgement is the most reliable judgement to the person though, in the same time it is

notoriously easily biased, and often confused with wishful thinking.

That is why, the Buddhists are saying [see it without the Self] = [eyes of Mushin] = absolutely

detached objective view though, if only you can do this.

(Trouble is HOW do others know and convinced,  that the person did it in Mushin )

If you are a Buddhist, try this and think ” Was it any different from Just Like it ? ” )

I myself is doing this, because it is easiest and quickest.  (I’m lazy to think too much,

hence giving no second thought though, others often complain   😀  )

___/\___

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ZEN in Car Accident

A person who read previous post made me a question, saying

“How detached, emotionless mind can be compassionate in the same time ?”

“As I said, you can not understand it because you are thinking while you are sitting”

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—– away from the situation, not on the MOMENT, and thinking = brain is in the pure

thinking mode = all the data and the notion is just borrowed data from the memory bank.

Therefore, everything is individual abstract data = having no reality or its real connection =

in other words, they don’t have its entirety.   This is the limit of its ability of the THINKING.

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We human invented the tool, language for the convenience of the expression, communication

and for thinking process.    And each word is the representation of each categorized notion.

A word RED represents million of reddish color hue in one notion.

To explain Orange (color), we may say “It’s the color between Red and Yellow” eventhough, there are

million of different Orange.   (Still pretty simple and convenient isn’t it  🙂  )

But when it is more complicated and vague notions such as Detachment  or  Compassion, they are just

conveniently made-up notions and the words.   What is Detached, how far is Detached —– ? ? ?

Actually they are not more than a kind of metaphor to describe a kind of state of the mind.

That’s why, it is impossible to describe precisely a state of the mind in words.

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A man who had run into  34 cars pile-up on the M5 accident, described the situation

“When I saw the situation, it was an autopilot. I jumped out to help the other people.

A woman in a crushed car asked “My baby, my baby, take my baby”  I took the baby out”

In the pile-up, other cars, petrol tanker are on fire,  he himself could be in danger too .

Even another car may further crushed into his car —– yet,

regardless of such consideration (consideration itself may not there in that moment) he just

acted what he needed to do. —– (did he needed ? —– didn’t he needed just run away for safety ?)

How he knew what to do ? —– Was he a fire brigade and familiar with car accident ? —– I don’t think so.

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Suddenly involved in a car pile-up, fire, explosion, still not overwhelmed by its horror and fear

of own life, able to grasp the situation is nothing but the [Selfless], [Detached Eyes and the Mind].

And this very detached eyes saw the urgent needs of the other people, hence, he acted “autopilot”.

This was certainly the manifestation of the [Mushin].

And as he is a human, he instinctively knew what he got to do, and he did it in his best

in fully minded concentration = [Mindfulness].

This is what Buddhist call manifestation of the [Dharma and its wisdom].

In fact, there was only one mind. = All those selflessness, detached mind, mushin, mindfulness are only the

different aspects of the same mind = actually there was No-Mind = only the Dharma was.

Compassion was not from his emotion, but the Dharma’s expression.   Dharma autopilot him.

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I don’t think this man was a Buddhist. —– But this is the real virtue and its universality of the Dharma.

Everybody (Buddhist or not) is a part of the Dharma, everybody is having the nature like him.

Buddha saw this fact, and found the way and the practice to develop this nature to apply all

aspects of the life.  (not only in a situation like an accident or disaster —– still, it works best in such

moment, that’s why Zen asks the mind-set to face the situation,  “as if it is the moment of life or death” )

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( In reality,  we are sensing far more information on the spot,  far more than any AI program able to anticipate,

without having any signal compression or abstract categorization = RAW data from all the sensors in the body.

With those moment to moment, up to date information,  we are assessing,  judging what to do —– but all

done in the subconscious level = which we call the spontaneous response.

Because of this process is invisible,  and the RAW data containes even genetically inherited ancient information,

Buddha attributed this supreme process to also invisible Dharma. )

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—– So, this post clarified how detachment and compassion are in the same mind in the same time.

And it must be clear, it couldn’t be understood while you are sitting.    (When you are sitting, you can deal

with the matter of sitting —– this is what [Live in the Moment] mean.)

( Convinced ? 🙂 )

___/\___

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Can Monk get MUSHIN ?

Can Monks get Mushin, let alone Ichijo and Jizai ? —– I don’t think so. Or it may takes 50 years.

Even worse is, so-called Buddhism Academics.

How many Japanese Zen Monks can speak English, and how many of them wrote Zen book in English ?

—– This is the situation, what western people reading the Zen. = No wonder it is hard to understand

let alone able to learn Mushin,  not mention ever get Enlightenment.

What monks learning is, their trade = the business how to run their Temple.

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Most of Japanese monks become monk, just happen to born as a son of priest = had to take over

temple business.    Naturally some of them might be good in English though, it is not necessary useful skill

in running the temple as virtually all of their customers are the Japanese, and most of the case they are

the old people.  So, what the trade skill to run temple ?

It is, to carry out the ceremonies which required immaculate posture, performing, chanting some mantras,

above all friendly but solemn facial expressions !

( No customer ever ask about the meaning of what they are doing   😀 )

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To be qualified as a monk, —– as a formality, they have to learn Buddhism theory and its history in their

sect’s university.   Though it is in most of the case, yet another boring study.

And yet another formality, spend few months in their main temple as a novice —– except exceptionally few

exception, most of them are then ordained as an “enlightened monk”.

So, where they can learn Mushin ? (few months in the temple, cleaning the floor ? —– joking)

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Buddhism Scalars are likely came from Philosophy back ground or Religious History. Naturally, they are

good in logics and semantics and may able to read ancient Pali, Tibetan and Sanskrit etc,

and must have read millions of the words.   On top of this, may have met many priest, monks while visiting

or even staying the temples —– though,

has they got time to lean what the Mushin is,  let alone to master it ?

Now, the medical science can observe the activities of the Schizophrenia’s brain by PET scan and able to

analyze what chemical effecting it and so on. Yet still, non of them able to know what is going on in the mind

of a Schizophrenia.  To treat it, doctor doesn’t need to learn to be a Schizophrenia.

But to talk about Mushin,  it is necessary to get Mushin  by him/herself first.

Able to read the ancient description about the Mushin and able to compare this script and others, doesn’t

mean they know what the Mushin is, therefore,  they are not necessary able to know what would it be if looked

by the eyes of Mushin. —– They know the words but not the meaning and its effect of changed perception.

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So, this is the situation what has been written about the Zen Buddhism.

Even worse, the Buddhism is having too many conflicting notions in the same instance,

such as how detouched emotionless eyes can be compassionate eyes in the same time.

—– it is hard to complehend on the words or in thinking,  but only able to experience it

in Mushin in the situation.

To experience mean, you got actualy do it,  not by trying to understand it while sitting in a cauch.

Utterly contrary to the popular belief, Buddhism is not a religion of understanding / Meditation

but the practice of the practice. —– It wouldn’t take you to the heaven (as no such things exists)

but help you to live everyday’s life,  as you have to practically do the

endless continuous practice as your life.

( After all, life is not what you think, but what you do.   🙂 )

___/\___

—

How KARMA Works

When Buddha explained the mechanism of the Dharma which is the system of the existences

and the relations between each existence and the rational of the occurrences, each action and

the consequence which shows the rules.

The rule and the reason why a wood burns = wood was made of a compound of the matters.

The matters such as C, H, O,N, Mg, Ca, K, S, P, Fe —–. And each matter such as H, Hydrogen was made of

subatomic particle, Proton, Neutron, Electron —–.

The number of Electrons define which matters are tend to combine, such as  H, C  with  O,  in order to

gain the more stable / balanced / harmonized state to a molecular like  H2O or CO2.

With the existence of those matters preconditions an occurrence of Fire, which occurs when

somebody or something put a fire = by a match or lightning etc —–.

All those observations are the basis of his understanding of the Karma, cause and the result.

Existence of  Hydrogen, Carbon, Oxygen etc are the cause, somebody light it up is the cause too.

The fire is the result.  Still, there is far more ramification such as the produced CO2 —– with huge scale

burning of the jungle, contributes even the change of climate and on the end, small island may disappear

with rising sea level, causing the misery to the people living there, and so on.   All those links are the Karma.

This is, in fact, the approach with the science ( whatever it was  primitive on the time ).

To see the Karma need to have the detached clear eyes, open mind, and the deep insight.

The reason why Buddha approached in this way was, nothing other than to eliminate the

uncertainty caused by the idea of the Atman which said to carry effects of  former life.

To deny the imaginary existence of the perpetual soul, so-called Atman was the starting

point of his philosophy to elucidate the truth of the Dharma.

non

In today’s approach in science, the attitude is the same.

To eliminate uncertainty, make the variables to the clearly defined minimum.

Such as in the clinical medical science,  make the condition the same as much as possible.

And to eliminate the bias caused by the most unreliable factor of human eyes and the mind,

use the double-blind test and so on.   The so-called Clinical Detachment = Selfless eyes is the must.

The Buddha’s approach with [Selflessness] was not a coincidence.   It was the must to deal

with the Truth,  not only for the sake of promoting the idea to deny Atman.

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Even in a today’s clinical trials, such as try to establish the effect of a medicine, use double-blind test involving

as many as possible number of guinea-pig in two groups, one for a counter test with placebo —– still, there

could be a funny coincidence.

Looks almost the same and complying the same condition in the pre-examination, yet still one of the group

may consist the people who got certain tendency.  Hence, there could be a certain bias toward the result.

Nobody could predict such coincidence. —– Still, it could happen.

This is still the Karma. —– invisible part of it.

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Somewhat invisible hand acted to cause this bias, as the part of the Dharma is invisible.

Sometimes it acts toward the better direction but sometimes not. Yet strangely, to

somebody toward one direction and to others opposite direction.

To pay attention to this fact and contemplates the existences of this invisible hand is the

spiritualism.

This spiritualism was called as the Panya Paramita in the Buddhism which was not clearly

explained even by Buddha himself. —– In fact he said to have kept silence.

As Buddha kept silence,  this is the part of the Dharma,  human-being shouldn’t

touch = leave as unknowable.  ( Still, strangely it is noticeable to somebody)

An attempt to decipher this unknown was the Tantrism.  Though, as it is unknowable,  it wouldn’t work.

Otherwise thousands of Tantra Superman could have been ruling the world —– but didn’t happened.

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What I’ve observed so far is,  it seems as long as we live in mushin away from greed and ego,

the Karma is kind to us.   This is the reason why the millionaire become philanthropist in their later life.

(at least avoid to have a premature miserable death) —– Late is still better than nothing.

They buy a time.    Good on them. 😀

___/\___

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Conflicted view to Steve Jobs

Some people pointed out that my view toward Steve Jobs in two previous posts are conflicting.

Appreciate him in respect of his Zen influenced attitude but in the same time showing an

almost a hatred toward him. —– this is true in certain extent.

There is a very clear reason. From the beginning I didn’t like Apple at all as I’ve described before.

Then, I learned a life history of him and his background —– born as a child of Syrian father

and an American mother, but as their marriage was not accepted by their parents, Steve was grown up

in the adopted family, Jobs. —– those conflict embedded in his psyche lead him to seek the Zen

which gave him an ultimate confidence to be HIM and the mental strength.

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People having a stereotype towards the Buddhism that it is a teaching of peace and harmony.

Though, as I wrote long ago in a Post [ Third aspect in Zen ] there is yet another aspect =

Zen as a technique of Mind Engineering.   How to reprogram one’s mind and give a confidence.

The most famous Sword Master Musashi Miyamoto who wrote [ Book of the Five Rings ] was an accomplished

Zen Master too. —– Still, he was a killer of 30 odd people — (said to be, as I wasn’t there 🙂 ).

And lots of opponents who fought with him were also Zenist.    Being a Zen Buddhist doesn’t mean they

avoid the fight and settle peaceful draw.   One has to die.    The matter in there was only how to kill

in the most efficient way.  Live as a Samurai, death is a part of their Karma and the contemplation.

This is nothing but the Zen Buddhism.

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Zen can give completely open eyes of Mushin,  hence the reaction or decision-making is

the reflection of the Dharma, thus the result would be the most appropriate and the best.

In this aspect, Steve Jobs has accomplished the task what he needed to Do.  Which

he conceived the idea with his open-minded way ( having no dithering to the conventional

thinking or hesitation to others ).

I appreciate this, in relation to the Zen. —– though, I hate the way how Apple exploited the others.

Dharma did give him the best idea of the product design, though I quite doubt of the

well thought-out (second thought driven by the greed) business model to enslave the

consumer = too much tactical thinking and the greed subjecting others was excessive. 

Zen will make a person to perfects the task,  but to harm others

would lead to the repercussion of the Karma to him.

I give certain appreciation to the products, though I wouldn’t make myself to become

a slave or their colony.

My freedom is more precious than few hundreds pound gadget   😀

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Bowl of Water Zen

When I was talking about Zen practice with others, someone mentioned a BBC news which

showed a group of Chinese Zen monks are walking while carrying a bowl of water

as their Zen practice. —– “ Oh, what a good idea. It’s a good practice to learn Zen Mind “

—

( It’s easy to try this.  Fill the water to the top of bowl about 8″  big and holding it to your chest high and walk.

By doing this,  you can observe your state of the mind,  how steady and calm your mind is.

Strangely you may find,  the more you concentrate and gaze the water the more it shakes  😀

—– when your mind is almost detouched from the water or whole action,  then the water become still and

make no drip while you are walking —- then you can fill even more water reaching to the edge.  It’s a fun !)

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In this blog, I’ve been talking that any action could be a Zen practice, hence in one post I talked about

[Lemon Zen] and the other post, [Walking Zen] in fact I also mentioned about the effects of even riding

a bicycle or typing —– any repeating action could have the same effect to reach

a state of the Mind of No-Mind or Mushin.

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In fact everybody is doing the action of walking in Mushin = nobody is thinking when and how to move

the right leg after left leg has moved. —– It’s all done unconsciously.

So that, the practice of Mushin ( and the Mindfulness of cause — if a part of the brain is not fully engaged

for the walking, we can not automatically adjust the leg movement following the slight change of a condition

of the road surface) is not necessary an exotic funny action.

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Then inevitable question arose —– if the walking is the practice of Mushin which everybody is doing,

why not everybody is an accomplished  Zen Master.

Here is a funny but fundamental paradox of the Zen Buddhism.   When the Mushin in walking is the

Zen, it is the Zen. —– but otherwise it is just an unconscious action of walking.

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Buddha didn’t perform any fancy or peculiar action. It was just a simple ordinary daily life, yet

as it was repeated every day, each action was almost identical every time.

This simplified and fixed way of each practice is the requisite condition of [the Life in Mushin].

Buddha’s life style was the text-book and the disciples were learned and copied those action, and in the process,

disciples learned the Mushin ( or the state of the No-Mind  was developed  in them).

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Because of the state of the mind can not be learned by the word, but only by the practice ( like any

emotion,  unless a person has experienced it,  the description of feeling couldn’t make any sense )

and this is the reason why non of the ancient scripture was actually talking about No-Mind, but only No-Self.

( No-Self = No-Mind —– still able to live as a person is because there is the enough program in our

Subconsciousness which is invisible —– like what I am talking here, is a new interpretation after Freud invented

a notion of  Subconscious = which was not exists in the ancient time )

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And there is yet another paradox in the Buddhism.

To live the Life in Mushin is what all about the Buddhism though, no-mind, no thinking, BUT unless it

was  understood as the Buddhism,  it wouldn’t become the Buddhism.

Anybody can carry a full of water in a bowl, and time to time the one may need to do it.   Just carry a cup of tea

happen to be full to the edge, from kitchen to a table —– some may succeed it while making no single drip, yet

some may make a mess.  What makes a difference ?

Calm mind, hence a steady hand is the crucial point here = a kind of thought “ Oh, I’ve put

too much. I’m silly. I would spill a mess on the floor. etc. “ would make a hand even more

wobbly and the tea would drip here and there   😀

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A person can practice this and acquire better coordination on the hand, so that it will be programmed into

the motor legion of the brain and may become a routine movement.   But, that all.

BUT, if a person practised this, under a file name of the Zen Buddhism, the file become

accessible in any moment when it need to have a calm mind in your life.

Carrying a full of water as Zen, it become the Zen with its effects.

Once a person acquired this file with the attachment of the notion of Zen and its spiritual implication,

the file would be applied to any action and any situation in the Life, hence, walking is the Zen, cutting a lemon

is the Zen, and even facing Tsunami Wave could be handled in a calm mind and able to act in the best way

or see the fate with calm clear eyes.   (Sorry to the victims of Tsunami)

With this Paradox ( has to live without thoughts, preconception etc, still needs to organize its notion of

Mushin as the practice of Zen Buddhism) Buddha has asserted “ There is the way, which is to be

pursued as the way of Buddhism “ since in his earliest teachings as one of the Four Noble Truth.

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This notion makes the difference between Mushin to just to be an ignorant thoughtless.

Though, the notion itself is nothing complicated = just to be aware [to carry a bowl of water is for Zen]

—– with this awareness, just Do It and keep doing it —– then suddenly you will find that you can do it without

spilling a single drip of water, and realized while doing it you didn’t need to think anything = Just Did It !

———-

Then observe yourself, while doing even other things, are you just doing it as well, without having any

useless thought ? (You may achieve this in few weeks or may be taking few years. Just carry on. —– then you

might be noticed, you have been having no upheaval in your life and strangely, quite unexpected

or too good to be true kind of coincidences has been happening, yet no one can tell why

—– Just carry on with your LIFE without questioning. ) —–This is a Zen Buddhist’s LIFE.

___/\___

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