禅仏教とは What is the Buddhism
This is the shortest explanation of What is the BUDDHISM, which I made to my friend in Japan.
——————–
これは日本の友人に送ったメールで、仏教とは何かを説明した部分ですが改めて読んでみると、
極度に簡略化した割に要点はちゃんと収まっている。
これは皆に読んでもらうのに手頃では？と、ポストに加えました。
—-
仏教的倫理観では、人間も含めた全存在は実は無限に広がり断え間なくつながった
「法（ダルマ）」であると理解しています。 個人が個人と見え、当人もそう考えているがそれは単なる
見かけで実体の無いもの。 （ましてその当人のエゴだ欲だといったものは当人の幻想、雑念以外
の何物でもない）－－－で、当人は実は全体のー部分、他の人ともつながっているから、ちょうど怪我をした
手の痛みが全身に伝わるように、仙台の痛みが大阪のヤクザにさえ伝わりトラックを駆って現地の救援にと
かり立てる。 それも坊主が説教してかり出した訳ではなく、全く自発的な行動です。
ーーーという事は別に仏教に依らずとも、元々これが人間のモラル、「法」として存在していたという事実です。
当然、救援に向ったトラックで石コロを運んだような馬鹿は居ない。自発こそは「法」であり、英知です。
例の倫理構造図式の、実在、真、正、英知、さらにそこから抽象された倫理意識や、具体的に
何をすべきかは人に言われるまでもなく、まして坊主に説教されるまでもなく誰もが解っている事です。
釈尊はこれを指摘して「法」がいかに全てをカバーし有効に機能しているかを説明しただけで、別に
[法]やモラルを発明して人類に与えた訳ではありません。（僕は単にそれを図式化して説明しただけです）
元々「法」の中に無我も慈善も含まれているのですが人間、我や欲、執着があって素直に「法」を
見る事、従う事ができない。 で、小乗仏教では細かく禁忌義務を列記して、
形の上だけでも「法」に従った、つまり悟りを開いたとされる人間を生産しようとした訳です。
しかし何百もの禁忌を記憶しそれにこだわりつつ生きる事自体が雑念ではないか？となった。
ここから大乗ヘの進化が始まった訳です。
—
「法」は全ての人間に（実は虫けらにも）元々備っていて雑念がそれをマスクしているだけだから
要は無心になれば良いーーーとは言うものの、それ程簡単ではない。
「精々努力しなさい。しかしムリしなさんな」というのが「中道」と言うもの。
極端に執着したり固定観念でタメにするのは別として人が人として自然に着想してやっていく事は
「法」の内と見るのが大乗です。 しかし、それならー流の職人が寝食を忘れて完璧を追求するのは何か？
あるいは連続強姦魔はどうなのか？ーーーなどというタメにする質問が出たら、
質問者をー発ドツケば即解決する。禅は明解です。
—–
面白いのは長年黙々と手作業をやって来た人、全く空しく水面を見つめて来た釣り帥などの中に
しばしば「ムッ、お主できるな」という人物がいる事です。ーーーで、この効果を意図的に再現するように
考えたのが、それぞれの宗派の「行」で、全く何の足しにもならない事を延々と繰り返させる。
初めは疑問や不平があってもいずれ思念を放棄し黙々とやるようになる。意図的に与えられたものでも
無心に遂行する心理、行動様式が定着すると余計な思考や逡巡なく物事を処理できるようになる。
ーーーーー（僕はこれを仏教の持つ第３のアスぺクト＝心理工学と呼んだ訳ですが）
（思念のマスクが取除かれると潜在意識の中にプログラムされていたものが反射的に出る。.しかし、
本人すら自覚していないものが何故そこに在るのか？ーーーだからそれが「法」なのだ、と説明する）
無心とは、一切の構えなく心を開く事でもありますから自由な発想を持つには最適ーーーで、
それをテストする為に僕は色々変なものを発想しては、それを作っている訳です。
実験心理学、実験仏教学と言う所以です。
ーーーーーーーーーー
___/\___ Yoshizen 拝
—–
SELF again ? ! ! !
One of my friend who is a believer of the Brahmanism sent me a link to the site showing a (long )
conversation between a Guru and a follower.
—– www.krishnamurthys.com/profvk/advaitadialoguepage1.html
—————
Gosh ! Is it going on to 1008 lines ?
It’s a good sample of 3~4000 years argument.
My blog having strange conflict about this. And 2000 years still no answer was found 😀
The argument is time-consuming and on the end no answer —– so,
Buddha cut off the time-waster “No such things like the Self ”
—–Though, the obvious trouble is — I’m still here, Who Am I ?
In my Blog, I’m saying True Self is in our subconsciousness but it is not the self but the Dharma.
And the apparent self — Self-conscious is false or self-conceived illusion.
Still, leaving murkiness — When enlightened man sees the ” Dharma let this hand move” and created
something ( by himself ) — whose hands did the work. Undeniably it was the same, very man —– though,
he was working in deep concentration (abandon himself / he was not even aware his eyes were watching
his work )—–there was no Self, as he was in Mushin, state of the Mind of No-mind ).
———- Your Brahmanism, your Guru is talking about abstract definition of the Self —– but
Buddha was talking about mental-state / neurophysiology.
Because, Life is not in your abstract imagination —– but you actually need to DO and LIVE.
And when you can achieve much better result “ Do it in Mushin ” why you need to have
conscious of Self / notion of Self.
When a Bank rend you a good money, you don’t need to think about the financial system behind the banking
operation —– you just invest the money into your business and work hard.
—– Buddhism is the pragmatic answer, the best answer applicable to the real life.
Not for a philosopher. Buddha didn’t need to save the Philosopher / Brahman.
He wanted to save the real people.
—
By the way, those conversation is the long tradition of which even Buddha did it with his disciples, and
the origin of the Rinzai-Zen though, as you too might have found, it’s hard to read 1008 lines without
fallen asleep 😀
That’s why I’m suggesting ” Cut a lemon—> and learn Mushin ” 😀
———- Convinced ? 😀
—–
There is a story of Buddha attending to a man wounded by an arrow.
His disciples were wondering from where the arrow could have been shot, the material it is made of, who
could have shot it etc etc, while the man was dying !
Buddha said ” Gentlemen ! STOP !!! Attend to the man first, before he dies !!!”
This is Buddha’s revolution with respect to Hindu philosophy 😀
—-
I’m well aware except few differences, there is little distance between Buddhism Dharma and
the Brahman / Atman. —– Yet its argument wouldn’t help much to the human life.
So, I would concentrate pragmatic implication ” Just Do It ” 😀
Because we can’t create our life just by imagining it. We have to LIVE, while we LIVE.
___/\___
—-
ZEN in PRACTICE
There was an interesting experience lately.
A Chairman of an Internet Talking Shop asked me to join their mailing-list to invigorate the activity.
It was a small group of University alumni of which the members used to play a sports together, hence
the members consists of their 30th to 70~80th old-boy.
The mailing-list was said to be proposed and set-up by the core member of the group a year ago to
facilitate vibrant communication among the members, as the members live scattered all over the country
over a years, and not necessary knows each other in their different generations.
With a kind of marketing research considerations, I saw the characters of the group and their needs.
I found this is in fact a retired old boy’s talking shop. Since, younger members are too busy
in their job and the family —– they may not have much leisure time left, and busy talking with
their colleagues etc. So that the real aim is to create the environment for the old members to
exchange and join the conversation.
—–
Zen is a way of the life to live the situation in 100% commitment. (So-called Mindfulness )
When the situation required to ply a role or to carry-out the task, to become the Role itself or
the expert of the task, and Just Do It, is the speciality of the Zen.
As my role is to invigorate the conversation, I started to talk as many as possible number of the
members I know before, while inventing all sorts of excuse or pretext of talking piece, in order to draw
them into the forum. Within a month the forum became pretty busy and started to have many new talkers.
As each member has graduated in each faculty and the specialized subject, they got their expert view
and the unique opinion, some time it went pretty deep in its subject and turned out to be a very interesting
exchange of two different view etc etc. While receiving a congratulation mail from the other side of the
world as this member is working over there, which said “It is a great pleasure to see the forum invigorated
which I myself had proposed to set-up”
—–
Journalist ( or Ex-photojournalist precisely ) as I am, I was in certain extent, well suited to the role as I can
deal with many subjects ( like interviewer has to know the subjects, despite every time the subject
could be different ) —– though, the core members who proclaims they set-up the forum started to feel
the forum has been Hijacked by somebody unknown ( since I’ve been out of communication with them
40 years 😀 ). And they started to say this is not YOUR blog site. 😀
Of cause, to draw somebody into the forum, I had to send the mile and when somebody sent a mail
with unfamiliar subject, still somebody has to answer, and many cases it happened me to reply.
When I gave an answer and sent PS: soon after, it was accused “from the same person, enormous
amount of continuous mail occupying the forum” 😀
It was exactly like a Hen’s chorus in the Animal Farm, even a man who congratulated the
invigorated forum, changed his colour and joined the chorus. And a funny opinion to design a special
sports shoes talked by other member which I just responded was still attributed as my fault 😀
When the attack came, it need to hit back like the sword master Musashi was also a Zen master.
But, if this is the situation. That is it.—– I’ve been there to talk not waste the time to argue with.
—–
Zen react to the situation Just as it is, like just handling a small thing, therefore no emotion or
personal interest involved. As there is no notion of possession ( like, this forum is mine or I AM
the man in charge with ) when the requirement or the situation changes, the commitment or
duty evaporate at once as if there was no such things ever existed.
—–
This mind-set, Full Commitment but without Emotional Involvement ( Ego, Greed, Arrogance)
and Instant Dissociate with no mind to cringe, is a typical Zen Practice.
( Fundamentally, member of 150 people’s Talking Shop, most of whom I don’t know and 40 years
out of communication, what anyone can expect from them ? And what to lose by stopping it, if any ?
It is like a chess game on the street cafe table. Once join, still have to use full extent of the brain to win.
Yet it is just for a small fun. Nothing to gain but nothing to lose. Just Do it and Just Stop it.
This is the mind-set of the Mushin which respond to the situation which keeps changing.
—– And this is the Zen in Practice in the real life, not in sitting.
___/\___
—
Self Denial — Self Sacrifice — Duty of Charity — MUSHIN ???
Self Denial – Self Sacrifice – Duty of Charity – MUSHIN ???
This is one of the most misconceived area in the Buddhist’s practice, hence I’ve been asked a
question again and again about the distinction.
Such as like a practice of one of the Buddhist’s sect in Japan, Ittou-en which I had mentioned some post ago,
which member is going around the town, asking household to let them clean their toilet.
This is the practice to learn Self Denial and the Self Sacrifice, and make people’s toilet clean may
seemed it is an act for other’s benefit hence it must be a charity. ( Though it seems quite patronizing )
I can see their point though, in the same time I would rather feel the intention with a pinch of salt.
If a practice to clean somebody else’s faeces could make a person humble and enlightened, the
people in India where particular job has been assigned to one particular cast ( or former cast ) should
have created thousands of enlightened holy man there. ( Never heard of it 😀 )
I’m sure, to clean somebody else’s faeces could destroy the person’s dignity still, not necessary it
destroys the person’s Ego. ( Ego is not dependent on the profession. Arrogance may be )
The more the required practice was dreadful, the more strong will and the determination is needed.
Unfortunately, this strong will, a belief of “ This practice should make ME higher noble person “
and “ I WANT to achieve it, I WANT TO ACHIEVE IT “ is nothing but an obsessive thinking.
Far from it, what Buddha taught was to DO the things without thinking, i.e; in Mushin.
The so-called practice is its formalized form of each sect.—– As everybody has unique grown-up and own
life history, even in the way of learning the same Buddhism, everybody takes different pathway and
as I described, there are three distinctive aspects how people related to the Buddhism, hence to learn
the Mushin, each person would take different approach and the steps.
Hence different expression, explanation were come up, such as Self Denial.
As a matter of fact, Buddha didn’t teach such things at all. What he taught was “ Self is not exist
from the beginning “ ( Since he took a stance against the Vedic idea of Atoman —– he saw it is the cause
of the trouble, as it is the delusion. That is why, he taught the MUSHIN / Mind of No-mind) —– though,
this is one of the hardest part in the Buddhism to understand. ( If anybody has able to achieve
the MUSHIN, it is almost the completion of the enlightenment. )
—–
History of the Buddhism clearly showed this fact, that even Buddha’s immediate disciples are not
necessary understood this. Hence the first few hundreds years, Buddhism have had the time
of Hinayana to Suppress the Self = Denial of the Self = Superficial mimicry of the MUSHIN.
To be in MUSHIN, of cause there is no SELF hence no EGO or Arrogance, Greed.
But try to achieve it from other way round, suppress the SELF first, not necessary works, because of
a thinking of “Deny the self, deny the ego” is there.
———- As you are reading this, only your visual cortex and the brain to configure the word and
their meanings are working = you are not aware the existence of your eyes and
the conscious “I am READING this”. ——- You are reading this in your MUSHIN ! ! !
Buddha also against the practice to torture the mind and the body, therefore the Self Sacrifice is
not in his teachings. It was not the Self Sacrifice but as the ( Enlightened ) person doesn’t have
the Self, the person just react to the situation in the best way or necessary way —– it only happen to
be seen “ the person has sacrificed himself “—– but the person himself was Just Doing It, that’s all.
Same applies to a Charitable act —– “If the one is doing it with a conscious of I’m doing the
Charity, it is not the Charity “ —– so as the Enlightenment. Which occur only in Mushin.
This is the reason why, in the Mahayana Sutras, there are typical expression like “ Exists as not exist “
“Do as not do” hence, do the charity (or help others) without having the conscious of helpingothers.
Without conscious mean, without thinking, without having the
conscious of the Self = DO IT SUBCONSCIOUSLY / SPONTANEOUSLY.
—–
To re-discover the Buddha’s original teachings, Buddhists spent another five hundreds years until
the Mahayana was introduced. And with its new ( or original ) understandings, sacrifice the life
to get Enlightenment as an Arakan ( Arahat ) was rejected, since the matter is not a posture but to
be in MUSHIN, and to be in MUSHIN, anyone and any life-form can get enlightenment as the
Dharma itself is, in its nature. —– But the reason why Buddha remained as a Bhikku ( begger) was
very simple. He was not trained to be a farmer nor any profession, there was no way else to get food.
To have a simple humble life go round the town begging the food was enough for him (and to his followers
together ). It was his simple easiest life style. To live as a Bhikku he didn’t need to think neither. He just lived.
Therefore, to be a Bhikku is not a precondition to get enlightenment, it was just happened to be.
Buddha never accused to be wealthy and had no hesitation to receive their giving of good food and
he ate any food. A funny description in the Vimalakirti Sutra “ You have to mind to receive it from
the poor people as well, in order to give the same opportunity for them to offer the food ( Hence
let them to practice good deed —– for them to attain their Nirvana ) show the situation well. 😀
Buddha’s teaching to those wealthy people to stay modest ( Middle Way ) and the way of giving
in Mushin would lead them to have Nirvana without any danger to reborn to be animal ( Since no such things
of perpetual soul exist ) must be well received by them.
As it was the historical fact, the Buddhism spread and did grow having with the wide support of
the ordinary people. It is impossible to imagine that Buddha asked those people to endure a kind
of practice to sacrifice their life, let alone to clean the faeces in order for them to reach Nirvana,
as Buddha himself rejected the practice to torture the mind and the body.
Simply because Buddha knew, anything can be done in Mushin, and the Mushin has no Ego.
Anything can be done mean, the practice can be anything, hence it doesn’t need to be torturing practice nor
heavy self-denying act. Mushin can be achieved Not What the Practice IS or how to understand it,
but by the Mind-Set = Mind of Just Do It.
—
It is the easy practice, as easy as some late Masters described it as Dog Shit. And as difficult as
non of Buddha’s disciple could understand .
It seemed that Buddha did know the situation, hence he needed to order his disciples “Think yourself,
not just believe what you were taught” in his death-bed.
Its meaning of thinking is, not what the answer they would get, but the process and the effects of
thinking (and effort to figure out in practice) —– “Mushin has no Self, no Ego” was what they had
been taught. And they must have shown well copied practice what they learned from
Buddha. But it was just a copy of the movement, not necessary in Mushin. Buddha must be aware of this.
That was why he needed to give an order to his disciples. —– It was an inherent short-coming of
having the master near you. You can get the explanation easily from him, then you satisfied as you
could understand it (intellectually). The trouble of Mushin is —– you can’t get it with an
understandings or any thinkings. You have to DO it to discover.
—– therefore, many hundreds of years Buddhists monks just argued the definition of Dharma or try to prove
whether the Self is exists or not.
But the situation like this provoked the mind of free-thinker. “What a hell, what are they talking
about ?” which made them aware, that the matter is not whether the Self is exists or not, but it lies
in the phenomenon, that we can do the things without the conscious of the Self, and it can be
done by anybody. ( hence Mahayana ) ! ! ! ” This must be the core, what Buddha had taught.”
This kind of observations never came from the monks who is just sitting and thinking, but from the monks who
are under-taking the chores in the monastery or low-ranking monks walking and begging the food by himself.
That was the reason why, such observation became a noted idea and written-down to the Sutra took long time.
Yet still, they couldn’t go further than the description
of “Do the Charity without having the conscious of Charity” or “Do as not Do”.
Mahayana Buddhists only thought about the DOING side, not knowing how DO changes the mind.
And how this DO came out of one’s brain was completely out of their sight.
—–
To decipher what was the mechanism in the brain / to see the roles of the subconsciousness, took
another 2000 years. ( Until here )
I am well aware and confident, for you to read this post, this 10 minutes opened your eyes to
reach your enlightenment. ( You only need to open your eyes and the mind 🙂 )
___/\___
—–
Review of the Post
One of my friend gave me a review of latest post ” Third Aspect in Buddhism “ and said,
” You did a dissection of the Buddhism, not with a scalpel but using a machete, cut it open and
made its body visibly spread wide.” —– M m m, was it awful ?
Not necessary, but quite drastic, nobody had ever attempted it before kind of action.
But, as it showed the Buddhism graphically spread open, it made the people to position
where they are standing about, and made them to see which direction is the next step to take.
———- It must be true. As soon as I uploaded the post, many Links were made and the access
was just kept growing and growing, and so far made second highest hit among my posts.
And something amazesed me was, a day before I posted
” Burden ??? ” and ” Third Aspect –“, when I had bought top-up
voucher for my Inter-net connection, that notorious 8150 number
appeared in its top-up code. —– Its mean, Buddha did know what
I was going to do before hand, and telling me its importance.
I’m not a vegetated peace-loving Buddhist as I had no hesitation
to use a machete to cut open the confusion in the Buddhism.
But in the same time, I still retain the attitude to bow the mystery of
the Dharma who seemed to watching me.
This is the Aspect, Buddhism as a Religion, and I keep my faith there.
___/\___
—
Third Aspect in Buddhism / in ZEN
If anybody has read my blog all through from the beginning ( thank you very much ) may found
something different tone around the posts about Kisa Gotami and some posts following it.
You are absolutely right. The posts around Kisa Gotami are about one of the main aspect of
the Buddhism —– Buddhism as a Religion. Religion to save the tormented soul. (And also
about the Intellectual snobbism / Philosophy —– this is the Second aspect )
———- Though, I’ve been talking a lot something different, especially in my early posts.
Yes, they are about the Third aspect of the Buddhism especially strongly in the Zen. —– It is the
aspect of the Mind Engineering, and in this aspect, so-called burden, the Self Denial having different
treatment —– since it is not for a salvation of a man but more for the achievement of the person.
—
Third aspect in the Zen is, as the word Engineering suggests, it may remote from the religion
hence it may seem Atheism, hence the person may not end up in the Heaven though, don’t worry
no such things over there. And even if you were reborn to a dog, there shouldn’t be any trouble as
no dog remember the former life or the name. ( I never met any dog telling me his former life, so far 😀 )
To deny such deluded idea of the Perpetual Soul, therefore to deny the same person can be reborn
to a dog, was the starting point of Buddha.
Anyhow, before talking about after a death, to regain the sanity out of tormented mind is the way to
save one’s miserable life —– that is Buddha’s approach.
When a part of a machine was twisted and jammed, whole machine wouldn’t work properly.
So that before imagining what dreamy product the machine could make, repair the parts and
adjust each part of the movement and make it works perfect, is the first thing to do.
Same to this, to re-construct one’s life out of misery, has to start from a part to part, step by step.
Re-adjust the way to operate and the way to carry out the daily life —– and on the process,
to learn the way to see the mechanism, how they work together, in what principle. —– and as
the result, one can operates their machine or life perfect, therefore
able to create perfect product / LIFE.
This pragmatic approach IS the Teaching of BUDDHA.
Hence, in the Buddhism the practice is inseparable as it is the way to learn how to see and
to know the principle operating in there. This principle is the Dharma.
———- So that, the Buddhism’s structured approach to the practice having the most effective
way and the wisdom to DO the Things and achieve the highest standard. ( To see the proof,
have look the Japanese products 😀 —– But don’t ask me why the products from other
Buddhist’s country are not necessary so. —– it’s really a good question 😀 )
—-
To see the way how the approach of the Buddhism ( or Zen ) can solve the question in a field of
to DO something, is the Third aspect in the Buddhism. In here, there is not necessary
tormented soul or miserable life, the precondition of Self Denial having different aspect too.
Such as a case of a sportsman is the best sample, in there, it is the fight against the Oneself.
And its effect or the result doesn’t appear anywhere other than in practice, it got
not much use for an intellectual interest. ” As long as you are thinking, you can’t do it “
—
On the end, the key element in all aspects of the Buddhism is the MUSHIN, mind of no-mind.
Though, anyone who wants to be saved out of misery, needs to get rid of the Ego,
hence needs to have Self Denial first. ( One small sect of Buddhists in Japan, Ittou-en going around and
asking the household to let them clean their toilet in order to have one’s Ego to be denied —– though, the
toilet is a genitals of a house, not open to the public —– it might be better them picking dog shit on the street
than invading somebody else’s privacy, in the name of religion —– still it’s their practice)
To a tormented soul, as the person’s mind had been through the torment and its Ego had been
defeated already, and as long as the person can see the Karma straight ( without twisted view, misdirected
grudge etc which is caused by an arrogance —– so that it need to have personal consultation ) the process
of Self Denial has been done.— Hence the person can go to the next stage while having proper direction.
—
Yet, the one who doesn’t care end up in the hell ( 😀 ) but still aiming highly tuned life and the
freedom of creativity and actuary want to Do it —– gain the Mushin by doing it as a practice.
This is so-called a technique of the mindfulness —– to eliminate any thinking in the brain, even the subject.
It is the process to re-program your subconscious, hence Mind Engineering.
You may find the explanation for each sample and others, in my old post somewhere.
( I should make the Key-word index —– for a moment, seek is your part of practice. Just Do It 😀 )
___/\___
—
Hidden burden in BUDDHISM
Hidden is not necessary appropriate word. To the people who is aware of it, it is nothing new but
because of it is not convenient or sound nice, it has been stashed away or intentionally ignored, hence
it was rarely talked about, —– YET, it is the most crucial element and the steps of which
a Buddhist had to take once in their pathway.
—–
Go back to the Kisa Gotami story, —– What was her Contemplation ?
Was that just an acceptance of the life’s reality and the surrender to a force of the Dharma ?.
What was the meaning “Surrender” to the Dharma ? —– obviously, it is silly to stand against the Dharma,
therefore, it is no point to talk about the general condition of human existence, as man’s
existence is a minute from the beginning.
Superficially the teaching in the story of Kisa Gotami is an acceptance of the life’s undeniable reality= Dharma.
Yet hidden in the story, was her Self Denial —– not just accept the Dharma, but there was much more
personal, strong feeling of the failure, as a mother and a wife.
In fact, it was a rigid patriarchal society where a wife’s role and the duty was to bear a son.
A woman can assert her status only as the mother of the heir. Having her son’s death, she was
facing not only the grief of her loved child but a crisis to be branded as a woman of failure.
—– To accept the emotional trauma of both grief and the feeling of failure in fully minded
depth was, in deed her contemplation.
Discovering the harsh reality and found no possibility to find the seeds to revive her dead child,
psychologically she was stripped naked, left alone in the void of blank space —– she became
a clean blank sheet of paper, well prepared to listen the teaching of Buddha.
And Buddha knew she will reach to this state of mind when she come back. ( That’s why he sent
her out for a journey ) So that, when Buddha saw her come back without carrying heavily deluded
expectation and clean calmed face, he gave her kind consolation and the words of wisdom.
—-
Often forgotten or rather intentionally ignored fact of the Buddha’s life is that,
once Buddha was a renegade of the ascetic holy man’s lank.
In order to soften the blow, this story was changed to rather positive description of that
Buddha found the better way to reach the truth, other than torturing the body and the mind —– though,
the eyes of the society then and to the mind of himself, he knew he was a renegade until
Buddha found his own answer —– real truth and the way to reach there.
In the man’s life, anything has happened was, in fact placed there to be happened.
Same apply to the Buddha’s life as well. —– If he didn’t join the holy man’s lank and learned among them
and then abandon its practice, the Buddhism today is not exists.
In other words, the elements and the experiences Buddha gained while he spent a time among
the ascetics, and above all, the contemplation he got when he became a renegade was a key
to reach the Buddhism.
When Buddha abandon and let such practice go, he was literally a broke. no margin to retain
any ego or arrogance left, and having the deep blank space in his mind —– the mind was
completely open. Buddha was ready to configure his understanding from the deep depth of
his subconsciousness. ——————-> (read again and have enough time to visualize those words)
And Buddha’s blank space in his mind, completely open subconscious inspiration was
able to see the invisible rules of the Dharma which we call Panya Paramita.
Here the Buddhism was born.
—–
It must be clear, it sound not very pretty though, a defeated completely lost mind, or utterly
desperate feeling of failure, —– utterly denied and hopeless ego, utterly powerless feeling
and so on, —– is the key to gain a blank space or completely open humble mind.
Which can be bracketed as a Self Denial.
May be not, not pretty, but sound rather dreadful 😀
But this is the key step to start to receive the teachings. —– hidden and yet another unfortunate
aspect of the Buddhism.
Yet, even The Great Teacher Buddha went through this, how can we avoid to take this step ?
Sound too much ? —– OK, I leave the analysis to the next post 🙂
___/\___
—
Unfortunate History of BUDDHISM
In most of the case, study deep into the Buddhism, quest to the core of the Buddhism mean
read more books, another Sutra and then sitting 😀
Natural consequence, here, sitting mean, thinking about what was found in the book.
Strangely, you might have found a fine print saying ” Sitting has to be without thinking “ 😀
And somewhere, ” —– but most crucial teaching can not be taught by the word “.
———- What a hell, where to find the answer ? —– rightly you might say 😀
Unfortunately, ( especially in the west ) a so-called teacher or a master of a sect or group, did come
through same process. Simply he did it longer than you, hence read a bit more books, met another
master ( who studied in the same way ) and so on —– that’s all. In fact, non the wiser than you.
—–
Unfortunately Buddhism is not the matter of the knowledge nor what you learned.
But don’t become desperate and shout What a Hell, since you are not alone.
This is the inherent trouble of the Paradox in the Buddhism.
When Buddha was in this world and teaching his immediate followers, he showed the way how to live
how to see the things etc etc —– those were the practice, then time to time he took the rest —– rest mean
rest, hence give a break to the brain. Naturally, he was not thinking while sitting.
It looked like a meditation, or later people thought and called, it was a meditation.
When the brain was left completely blank, time to time suddenly new idea or
understanding comes out. ( Ref : Blank space —– somewhere in the another post )
Then, Buddha might have told something new understanding, even a joke to such as Shariputra —–. So that
the followers thought, Buddha, in his deep meditation he has been in touch with the unknown
truth / Panya Paramita —– though, Buddha was taking a rest and having a time of no thinking.
Of cause, even Buddha couldn’t show what’s going on in his brain nor disciples could seen it.
We only see the apparent outcome when it came out. Only the person with very good insight, who had
the same experience, could guess the process in the brain or in the mind.
So, the situation even among the immediate followers was like this ( —– how do I know ? Ok, tell me any
another possibility you can conceive )—– since, without having the proper understanding of the
Buddha’s teachings, Buddhism spent hundreds of years in the argument of such as AbiDharma.
And the superficial posture of ” Meditation ” became idiosyncratic synonym of the Buddhism.
Hence gave a misconception, With deep thinking process, you can get supreme wisdom.
Further trouble in the western Buddhism was emanated from the word MEDITATION which meaning
imply deep thinking ! — even though Buddha was just having a rest.—– It was a Kitkat time 😀
In practice, to practice ” To Do without Thinking ” the sitting is the hardest sample to try —– it’s mean
only few people who already reached to the advanced level could do it, still how do we know he could ?
Can the person sitting ( without thinking ) tell ” I’m not thinking ” —– How funny. 😀
It is the same to a man sitting, supposedly be in silence, declare ” Yes, I’m not speaking “.
Anyone can pretend and say, I can —– but those impostor tend to preach others, with his glorious story.
This was the history in its reality. The more glorious, needs to listen with the more sackful salt.
—-
When the crucial matter of the Buddhism is NOT THINKING / MUSHIN, cringing stereotypical posture
and its idea of sitting ( in fact it is very bad to the leg —– resulting wheel-chair in the later age —– all
the high priest in the Zen sect had end up in a wheel-chair ) because of it looks authentic, is
nothing but a vanity.
Throw away all those POSTURE. Throw away the IDEA of Buddhism. Let it go.
Take a break, relax —– in the deep breath, you may find yourself in the blank moment.
Then you are in the void of this mess of the life.
This VOID is the MUSHIN. You are in the true pathway of the Buddhism.
( When you let it go. Then you get it as the whole —— What a paradox ! ! ! )
___/\___
—
Word – Word – Word or RUN
In my daily life, my radio is always on.
On the beginning of my English life, it was BBC Radio-3 with its classic music.
But past 10 years, it is almost always Asian Radio, hence the languages are Hindi, Urdu,
Tamil etc, and musics are Bollywood, Bangla, Punjabi etc (they rarely play classic Indian music).
It seems, it is an annoyance to a visitor, hence all of them volume down the radio.
(What so ever, it is noisy) In fact I’m not necessary listening it. Any how I can’t understand the languages
and I don’t care the music Still, something there would cheer up the atmosphere.
Best of all, it will prevent the unknown unwelcome visitor to knock the door.
(I’m open minded, but not necessary having open door policy 😀 )
[]
Even though not listening, still I remember lots of Asian popular music and picked up quite
a few of words. So, time to time I asked my Asian friend about the word, what is the meaning
—– then I realized, the meaning of the word is so widely varied in each context and
among the people (even among the same Hindi etc).
Like the words Kia-bate. On the face its mean “What’s going on ?” can be an accusation but also
a praise with unexpected surprise.
[]
So that the words in the Hart Mantra, ” Gate gate ( Bodhi-suwaka)” can be
” So, it went on as Bodhi-suwaka” or “Hurrah , go-on, go-on, Bodhi-suwaka”. (I don’t care though)
—— So, it must be a lots of headache for the academic, authority to translate an
ancient Mantra, —– as we can conveniently see the situation in the Wikipedia, and
compare the difference in the interpretation of such as the Eight fold Pathway ( Just find
which word is correct to describe the Pathway ? —– how time consuming ! )
[]
In the Buddhism story, the story of Kisa Gotami who lost her child, is the
most well-known one.
I knew this story since I was in my 20th though, why I didn’t talk about here before is, the
seeds what Lord Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to find was, in Japan (hence in China as well) it
was written as Poppy Seeds, not the Mustard Seeds as known in the West.
I thought, I should find which one, before I write.
[]
Lord Buddha asked Kisa Gotami to find the Seeds (which one ever) from the
house where no bereavement ever taken place, to revive her dead child.
She went around asking all the houses in the village, but everybody told her
“Oh no, we lost one (or many)” —– on the end, she contemplated that it was an
inevitable and common occurrence and came back to
Lord Buddha with calmly settled, relieved heart.
[]
Lord Buddha knew, she is so desperate ( = Mind was stuck, attached to her child)
= she will seek the seeds in just for its purpose ( Mindfulness), and walk and walk
asking door to door (Repeated Practice) —— soon she become to do it with almost
automatic manner next by next hence get the state of the mind of No-mind,Mushin.
And with Mushin she could see the situation and the fate, with clear eyes and
the mind. —-Hence achieve the Contemplation.
This is a Direct Transmission.
[]
How many hours has she walked ? =It all happened in one day.
With Lord Buddha’s spot on advice, a desperate woman achieved contemplation
and get peace of mind.
Lord Buddha knew, an explanation in the words wouldn’t work.
But the practice (walking, asking around) does. = This is the typical teaching
of Lord Buddha which showing its crucial core of the Buddhism.
In comparison, the people who try to read the words still arguing —– 2500 years ?
[]
So, through your book away, switch off your computer, and go out.
As Lord Buddha said, ” Don’t believe (cling on) the words you were told. Think yourself “.
Have a nice walk. You can see something afresh.
Yes, it is your first step to learn what the real Zen and the peace of mind is.
___/\___
[]
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