Reverse Engineering of ZEN
As I often wrote before, my approach to Zen Buddhism is a
way of reverse-engineering = disassembling a product to
analyse the structure and components etc. to find the reason
why it was designed in such a way, for what purpose and for
what advantage.
Then able to see even a philosophy behind of it.
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In a case of Zen, to see what sort of practice in such as
Tea-making or Martial-art etc. which were well known to be
a part of Zen culture, and see what is the common factor and
common philosophy, how they are related to Zen teachings.
—– from those observation, it was
easy to see that the key-word was the [Mushin], and
to attain, it was achieved by the years of repeated practice.
—– But, what repeated practice to do with [Mushin] ?
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For me, it took many years of search until I connected it to
the neurological phenomenon, which is the threshold of the
perception rose against the same repeated signal, and
become immune to it.
It was almost an Eureka moment to me. —– With this,
how the emotional tension decay after while, or how we get
used and overcome a fear, even become apathetic, all became
clear and able to make straight connection to the Zen.
Then, I realized that this is the reason why all the Buddhism
sects are using the endless repeating practice as a part of their
teachings. (whether chanting the same or banging the drum,
walking round and round etc etc —–
Lord Buddha said to have used the way of breathing as a practice)
—– All for getting the state of [Mushin]. —– And I realized
that the continuous action such as cutting the log in a mountain
shelter, or even Disco-dancing which automatically reflect to each
element of music I did, had in deed having had the same effects.
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Mushin is not only to abandon the thinking process
but more importantly, it disconnects perception
(coming signal) to the emotion. = This is exactly what
Buddhism says [Detachment] which is behind the
[8 Right path]. (I wouldn’t presume that, it included a
Disco-dancing though. 😀 )
And as a neurological fact, detached emotion cause a
detachment even from a conscious of Self and the own belongings.
= Detachment from primordial Instincts, Ego and
Greed, is exactly the State of [Selflessness] and not
attached to any fixed tendency is the [Middle-way] =
Hence, all the peculiar phenomena in the Buddhism became clear.
(In fact, all those [Mushin], [Selflessness], [Middle-way] even
[Mindfulness] are all created by the [Detachment] of the nerve
signal from the Emotion = actually they are the same one
phenomenon, but named it seeing from different angles.)
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As all those phenomena was the core of
the Buddhism teachings, it’s mean,
Lord Buddha did know all those mechanism in our mind
though, to trace back all those to his teachings in the scripture
is not straight forward, such as metaphor and his real wording
may not been correctly recorded and translated.
—– A description in the Vimalakirti Sutra “If you have a mind
that you are giving, it is not true giving” or in a typical
Mahayana expression “Giving as not-giving is the giving” are
in fact all meant “Giving in Mushin or in Selflessness”
(without conscious of action).
—– All the religion require the active mind-set, “Complete
attachment to the Belief which was written” but only the
Buddhism teaches [Detachment] = this is the very
distinctive point though, to describe something
which is not there = [Empty mind] is very difficult.
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The trouble of the Buddhism is, virtually no reliable written
record exists. It’s a pile of hearsay after 10th, 100th of Chinese
whisper. 🙂 And seemingly, the person, good in writing may
not be the person who actually reached Mushin or Selflessness
— otherwise such as Abidharma-kosa was never been written.
And on top of this, even though the matter is all in the depth
of murky subconsciousness, there was no understanding of
psychology neither a notion or word to describe was existed then.
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In such an environment, to pretend to be a Master and boast,
creating yet another Mantras was very easy, but to disprove
it was difficult. = all came down to the political power game of
the sects. Winner takes all and justify their righteousness,
regardless of its authenticity —– hence, created utter
mixed-up-Buddhism (in fact, it was a Tantra mixed Hinduism
with some idea from the Buddhism)
for a sake of populism and a commercial success. =
(It’s easier to sell, “This God would save you” than “Need to
know, Suffering is not exists” —– after a death nobody ever
came back to complain “God wasn’t there”= So, its sale’s point
has never been disproved and able to keep assume that the
dead are in Heaven. 😀 )
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Obviously, it is necessary to re-examine and to see what was
the original teachings, even though it might be yet another
guess work. —– Still, my approach, which is based on the
neurological mechanism, can explain all the Buddhism
phenomena. —– If not what else could explain it ?
(Leaving the matter to mythical unknown power and
its blessing ? —– Joking ! We are in the 21st century ! )
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This neurological, psychological response is common to
all human being (hence it was described that everybody
born with it) it is applicable to anybody and many area of
human activities. (In fact it has been used a lot.)
And it will prove that the Buddhism has a tangible substance.
(unlike any other religion, which is based on a fantasy which
is only exists if it was believed) —– As the Buddhism is based
on the tangible substance, not on the imagination or belief,
it was often classified as a philosophy not a religion.
___/\___
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Flow-Chart of Buddhism Teachings
Flow-Chart or the Steps in the Pathway
1) Do anything which has a fixed pattern.
2) By doing it repeatedly, 100s, 1000s even million times =
3) Because the nerve signal dealing with its action has
the same pattern, our Perception and Emotion’s threshold
level rose, hence the significance of the signal will be
lost and disregarded.
4) As the action has been repeated, its pattern will be
programmed into Motor-region of the brain and the action
become automatic routine.
5) As the effects of 3) and 4), the action can be carried-out
without thinking, even out of one’s conscious.
6) In the same time of 5), the one doing the action without
one’s conscious mean, it is in the Selfless state of the mind.
7) Once the one is in its Selfless state, the things become
distant objects as if it is somebody-else’s matter, =
Detachment = the one’s Ego or Greed wouldn’t be triggered.
8) To apply the same state of mind to other aspects of the
life, the one can see everything in distance = objectively
= Clear eyes. (Gradually, the one acquire this, and once
mastered, it become free to control, if detached or not,
or which one to concentrate or ignore.)
9) And the one can see even the Self detached, objectively,
as if it is one of public, the social action start to follow
common-sense, not self-centred. (Centring self isn’t there)
10) And able to act or help others without Ego and do the
things as much as possible. (Strangely, we instinctively do
it better ! Even if it is not in competition with others and
even to useless things, it’s mean, it’s not for Ego or Greed.
—– Fundamental Pleasure ? 🙂 )
11) From those aspects, it is rational to conclude, Ego itself
is not one’s imperative, so is the Self. = Self is not naturally
exists but a product of one’s imagination or thinking.
12) Without having the Self, Ego and Greed which tend to
creates trouble and discontent = could any suffering be left ?
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It must be clear from this chart, all the process is pretty
natural as it follows the natural mechanism inherent to
our brain which is common to anybody, so that
Lord Buddha concluded that the Dharma which
rules us is Selfless and as it is common to anybody,
in other words, all of us has it within and Selfless.
— And it become clear, the so-called Rules of “Do this and
Don’t Do that” had been written by the person who hadn’t
actually done the practice to reach Selfless state by himself
hence, didn’t have a knowledge how the human mind
naturally works. (Real selfless person need no instruction,
nor such instruction would stay in the mind. 😀 )
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It must be clear. —– Is there any argument ?
___/\___
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PS : Though, in addition to this Chart, applying the context
of “denial” not only to the Self and suffering life, but to the
“Idea of Denial” itself, therefore, instead of being enlightened,
“being suffering” seems to be more natural = and this idea
became the stance of Mahayana Buddhism. —– Hence, Zen
says “To see NO enlightenment is the Enlightenment”
= (Anyway, no Self, what’s the matter ! )
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Tablet ZEN
Last night there was an essay read by a philosopher Julian Benjamin
on BBC Radio 3. In it, he talked about how our attitude had changed
during the rapid advancement of the technology.
And he typified it in the situation to use a gadget such as a Tablet
saying “Matter of Familiarity taken over the Understanding
or Comprehension” —– we may no longer able to understand
how those quantum theory is working behind the electronics and
its design neither need to be, but have to become familiar
with its touch-pad operation and each function.
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He found an interesting talking point though, his thought didn’t
go deep enough that in fact the situation has been always the
same even in the time of our ancestor, Hunter Gatherer’s day.
I don’t think even a good archer did know a theory of
Aerodynamics or effect of air resistance etc yet, as long as familiar
with the use of Bow and Arrow, he could have a good hunting.
= And that was what THE matter for them.
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You believe or not, this is exactly the point what
Lord Buddha taught, hence this is the Zen Buddhism.
Even though some of the people loves and attached to their gadget,
say a Tablet so much, and using it all day long for everything, still,
funny to say, virtually all of them are completely detached from
the questions of what this Tablet is and why such thing exists.
They accepted it almost granted as a part of their life.
—– Except the programmer working for App design, very few of us
know the code of its OS, even fewer people know it in the hardware
level, let alone the theory behind of all those micro electronics.
Instead, we just accept it, as it is and just concentrating practical
aspect and try maximise smooth operation and the efficiency,
in order to have own life fulfilled.
To be a master of Tablet, we needed to become a machine
to operate it. = even finger moves automatic,
without conscious !
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As I said, this is not a Tablet phenomenon, but derived
from our inherent processing system in the brain ! =
This is the System to maximise the efficiency of our life.
—– The way to extend and apply this Operating System
to all aspect of the Life, was what
Lord Buddha taught as the Buddhism.
—– (Bemused ? ! Just open your eyes and see it. 😀 )
___/\___
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Three times BUDDHA
There is an interesting story in the Agama Sutra
(of Buddhism ! = there are many.) —– one day,
Lord Buddha met a horse trainer (other versin said Village Chief).
Then asked to the horse-trainer “How to teach a horse ?”
Horse-trainer replied that there are three ways to teach horse.
Gentle way, Hard way and Gentle / Hard mixed.
Lord Buddha asked him further “If all three ways failed,
what do you do with that horse ?”
The trainer answered “Kill the horse” and he asked back
“How you teach your follower ?”.
Lord Buddha answered him, “There are three ways to teach,
Gentle way, Hard way and Gentle / Hard mixed, but if all
those teachings failed, kill him”.
Hose-trainer was horrified and shouted “You been telling us Don’t kill,
how dear you kill the follower ?”
Lord Buddha smiled back “Well, I just stop talk to him.
Completely stop talk, is the same to deny his existence,
same as to kill him, isn’t it ?”
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This episode sound like just a casual funny story though,
this was the episode which gave the most important clue to the
so-called “Unanswered Questions” You must be realized that
Lord Buddha’s No-answer was not just a rack of word but it
was the massage as strong as to kill the person !
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There is an often used phrase in Japanese “Even Buddha tolerates till
three times” (Hotoke no kao mo sando made. 仏の顏も三度まで)
—– I didn’t know, this phrase was in deed, originated from the Scripture.
—– And this story showed rather realistic attitude of
Lord Buddha, contrary to the popular belief, he was not a
bottomlessly gentle and kind teacher. As once a hard-core
austere, he was not an optimistic person, as he defined what
the life is, such as in the Four Noble Truth.
From here, in a process to idealize and idolize him, even worse,
to fabricate many so-called Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism,
( in fact, it was the mix-up with Tantrism and Hinduism )
crux of the original teachings was lost.
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What Lord Buddha himself taught was, to have the Detached Eyes.
Detached Eyes mean, detached from the Mind / Emotion, hence there
was neither attachment to the subject or person. In other words,
there was no attachment even to his followers. Hence, as long as
Lord Buddha committed to give guidance to the person, he was in deed
committed it to 100% (and try to teach in three different ways) though
if it was failed, he literally ex-communicated the person.
Once excommunicated, the person became invisible.
Even visually saw the person, it wouldn’t connected to any
emotional memories, hence there were no anger or feeling of
disappointment etc. —– Because of there are nothing to cling
past Mind / Emotion, only the matter is what on front of eyes,
on its very Moment. (This IS the very Zen mind-set)
(After you practised long enough, and gained this condition / Mind-set
then you know what Detached Eyes and Detached Mind can help you.)
(And how to practice to gain Detachment, please read the post under a
category of [Lemon Zen] in the right column.
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You may feel, it’s sound very cruel and not-Buddhist like,
it’s because So-called monk or teacher is not really understood, or only
making diplomatic smile and pretending to be friendly, in order to
sell to the mass.
Because of this confusion, one of the greatest novelist, Soseki Natsume
described it in his book, [Mon (門) / Gate], when a priest of Zen temple
has told to him, “Mind of Zen is Hijo (非情) / No Emotion” he felt even
alienated. —– (To describe Mushin (無心) / Mind of No-Mind, this
priest used more realistic word Hijo in stead, because he knew the
Zen Buddhism deeper, and didn’t mind to sell it to the mass.)
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Load Buddha didn’t give his teachings to give false optimism,
or fancy dream but the Truth.
In this aspect, he was quite harsh. Telling the followers to get rid of
their possessions even their family (little consideration to an agony of
the family left behind, not mention to his own Royal lineage).
(This was the reason why
Lord Buddha bared the women to join his follower’s sanga.
Since, to a woman, to abandon the child is out of question in the
first place = woman may have conflict to follow his teachings.)
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—– Still, with detached eyes and the mind, there wouldn’t be
any matter left to worry about, because the psychological
source of worry = emotion itself had been already detached.
The mechanism to feel any suffering has no longer exists.
= Peace of mind ! 😀
—– though, I’m not an enlightened man, hence mixed with
failed person and teasing them or teased by them are fun.
This is what the Life is. Ha ha ha 😀
___/\___
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Huineng vs Shenxui — Poetry Contest
Provably the most well known Zen story was a contest to became
6th Patriarch of the Zen.
For the contest, the most respected top monk in the monastery,
Shenxui wrote a poem as the answer to the 5th Patriarch, Hongren
who request to show the Zen mind,
“Mind is like a mirror, I polish the mirror diligently for
no dust to settle on it”
When an illiterate low-rank monk Huineng who has been working
in the kitchen of the temple heard this, he asked friend monk to
write his poem contesting Shenxui’s,
“Since Mirror is not exists in the first place,
where dust could settle”
Hongren saw Huineng has much deeper understanding of Zen,
he chose Huineng for his successor.
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This story showed what all about the Zen and its pathway
in amazing clarity.
Shenxui was a well educated, well learned monk, hence he must
have read hundreds of scriptures and understood the attitude to be
a good Buddhist. (in this extent, his answer / poem was quite
appropriate and correct though, it was more like a posture of
Theravada monk, still on the way to the enlightenment, in other
words, he hadn’t broken the barrier, or gone to the other side yet. )
In contrast, Huineng had showed exactly what the notion
of Void in Zen Buddhism.
— How Huineng could get this, while working in the kitchen.
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As a son of peasant, Huineng had no education and illiterate hence,
he had no chance to read and study Buddhism other than just pick
up the words, what other monks were talking about.
Anyway, he had to work every day as a casual labourer in the temple,
still, those every day’s continuous repeating work gave him to gain
the essential mind-set to be a Zen Buddhist = Unconditionally
accepting (humble) to be a lowest working monk, hence there
couldn’t be any possibility left to have desire or even an Ego.
And as day by day, the same work continues, the mind
became empty = just the hand repeating the work.
Yet still, by keeping eyes clear, he could see the crux of human
existence = how the Life exists = what the World and the Dharma is.
And he was able to make the straight connection of his state of mind
and the observation, to each notion. In effect, he had mastered the
Zen in DIY. Zen doesn’t need to be literate but to have clear eyes to
see inside and outside, with the direction of few key-word.
(This straight connection is behind of
“Sudden Enlightenment” and the “Direct Transmission” )
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And this observation lead me to see an amazing parallel in
the history of Buddhism.
Founder of Zen, Master Bodhi Dharma had to establish the way
of Zen in DIY, as there was no text book exist then, even worse in
foreign country. And the situation was more or less the same, when
Lord Buddha started his own teachings = NO Buddhism
textbook at all, of cause, let alone whether even Vada was
available to the public in written form. 😀
Shen[]
But this is what the Buddhism is.
Since, it is the matter of one’s mind-set and the programming of
one’s subconscious = the one has to do it by oneself.
It is literally Do It Yourself / DIY = A book might give a hint, still
the one has to DO the work (practice with good insight) =
Book wouldn’t do the work on behalf. 😀
(Put Buddhist book in a memory of “Automatic Voice Generator”
and make voice out-put of script, wouldn’t make
the Machine enlightened — very fancy though. 😀 )
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—– Whether the stories (given in the Platform Sutra) has true
historical fact or not, to make the story in this way itself, was the
reflection of their understanding then = and expressing
supremacy over other sect of “Just reading scripture and sitting”
Illiterate Huineng was THE very typical sample in Zen.
___/\___
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PS : Still, there are many questions left. Zen understanding could
be gained without words, since it is not knowledge based intellectual
understanding but to customising the perception and behavioural
pattern in the subconscious level though, whether to compose
a stanza without having enough knowledge of lexical pattern is
possible or not ? And the script telling the story, “Platform Sutra”
was written long after with a lots of diviating history.
—– Yet the fact is, the mummified body of Huineng has been kept
in the monastery till today and still sitting there !
(you can see the photo by Googling it) —– If he was not such a
great Master in real life, no such things could ever have happened.
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Line-Drawing = Precursor to Wire Figure
Somebody asked me how I got the first imagination to create
a Wire Figure like “St. Lucia”.
In fact there is a Spanish painting (by Zulbaran ?) of a woman who was hit
by the Good’s revelation. The design or her posture was after this painting.
But to make it as a wire figure there was a long accumulation of practice to
configure human body into simple contour lines.
(It was not came from Manga drawings) 😀
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Those line-Drawings were created around 1993, soon after my court case
for which I had to sell most of my professional cameras and lenses =
it’s mean I became out of business. (I fought this case up to the Court of
Appeal without lawyer, since I didn’t know I could get Legal Aide and
didn’t need to sell livelihood. = demerit of DIY. Ha ha ha. 🙂 )
Out of business mean I got plenty time but not much money.
So, I did quite a lots of drawings which costs virtually nothing.
But before this, there was an interesting discussion with
other photographers
“How we can figure out dark faint image or just a contour to
particular object ?”
“How do we know a curved one line to such as woman’s front
body or back ?”
“Is it a pattern recognition or intuitive creativity
to make-up an image ?”
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—– so, I experimented to draw the line, simplified to the limit,
no longer recognizable to any meaningful figure.
Or figured out the minimum, still able to convey the meaning.
And found that the same line could be seen in the different meaning
or can be seen as other part of the figure.
—– strange discovery was that even if it is utterly illogical,
as long as it contain the recognizable parts, our brain
accepts it as what we normally understand as a pattern.
May be because our brain is not necessary seeing the things
(or drawing) as it is, but reconfigure it as we understand.
Our thinking or even first-hand perception is never free
but always “Wishful” !
= We see the things as what we wants to see.
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So, the drawing above center, [Two headed woman] = our brain
accepts it as “One woman is facing front with her left hand swing back
and other woman stretching her right hand front” =
our brain never reject it all together with a reason of its
irrationality, but try to process each woman independently.
Because, we are not familiar with two headed woman, the brain
ignore the conflict and stick to see it is two different woman
just happen to be in the same place, while try to think,
“She twisted her front body completely backward”.
—– So, it is a joint operation of our eyes and the brain =
the eye’s detailed vision is only the centre of our vision, about 20 degree
and the peripheral area is rather vague. = very similar phenomenon to
selectively listen the voice among the other noise.
(Please test it yourself 🙂 )
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The drawing right was my challenge (in the matter of imagination,
not a drawing or painting skill :-)) to Bosch who showed surrealistic
image in the hell, still never go to this kind of illogical confusion. 😀
—– Even Dalli couldn’t go beyond a crèche.
(May be from a religious restriction, God’s creation shouldn’t have
such freak.) If you see only a part of this drawing while hiding the rest,
your eyes accepts the image. —– One line could be a line of the hand
but it is also the line of the thigh etc.
Our brain ignore the part which is not taking part to configure one
image. ( —– And this is what all about the Rorschach Inkblot Test =
pick up the pattern in a part, and make up familiar image in the brain.)
= this function creates a monster from a vague image of a tree
in the woods. = we only pick-up the element which is enough to
configure monster and disregards the rests so, we see a monster.
Seeing is believing — is it ?
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Some of you might see the top drawing as a kind of Hindu Goddess,
hence may be accept this image straight. It looks strange though,
if you hide one side, it may not so strange. —– (She supposedly
sitting on a lotus flower though, I have not finished it yet.)
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With those (in fact 300 of ) drawings behind, to conceive and
configure the wire figure was not far away.
And to draw 300 drawings in the same approach, it has to
get somewhere. = Zen would say
“Even rain drops can curve a rock ” 🙂
—– Drawing was done and each line was adjusted by way of copying
it on the light-box again and again until it become perfect (well, sort of)
so that those 300 are not 300 different images but lots of slightly
different same pictures. = It was a process of step by step Kaizen.
If I were a real master of drawing, I could have done perfect drawing
straight though I wasn’t, I had to take slower process.
— May be draw a perfect circle looks much more like a Zen Master
though, I needed to know human perception, not a holy pretence. 🙂
And this approach gave me an opportunity to analyze how
we feel different if the line was slightly different or
the same line could be seen in different context.
So, it was really interesting and a fun. 😀
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Machine in MUSHIN — Where KAIZEN came from ?
The people who read the previous Post [Zen is DO —- ] feed me back
“It explained the Zen mechanism extremely clear, — then the question is,
you wrote Zen also liberate the mind and the creativity — How a
Machine like mind can have a creative idea in the same time ?”
—– I knew this question would come soon or later. 🙂
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A Japanese working practice called [Kaizen] (改善) is now even in the English dictionary
(but not in this spell-check yet. :-)) = It was translated “continuous improvement”which is
widely practiced in the Japanese work-front.
Japanese worker’s almost machine like accuracy, consistency and the
dedication toward their work is notorious to the west. = Their work ethics
is nothing but the traditional Zen which forms the basis of the Japanese
psyche. = Hence, they work like a machine = in Mushin.
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But, to have [Kaizen] is yet another feature on their work-front. [Kaizen] is, to have
better adjustment of the way of production to a modification of the machine, even a
production line’s configuration —– in fact anything, for the sake of better quality,
productivity, or for the safety of the working environment, which was conceived or found
by the workers who has been doing particular job. (Hence knows it best.)
If its adjustment is not too big, it could be done by themselves. Otherwise the modification
may be carried out by the expert engineer, who follows the proposal. (of cause, proposal
should be studied by the senior engineers first, or even management level discussion.
I’ve seen this process in the Honda factory in Suzuka by myself.)
—– So, machine-like worker is still capable to analyse the situation and
able to find the better adjustment or alternative approach.
This is a proof of “Machine-like Mushin” and “Open-minded free thinking”
can exists side by side, in the same time.
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As a matter of fact, to create the Samurai Sword, and to push its quality to
a level of the technical limit has been achieved by the endless efforts to work
better, hence make the Sword stronger. —– It’s mean a man-machine with
a hammer, work in Mushin still has the eyes and an active brain to analyse
and find the better approach.
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Being in Mushin, hence having no useless thought or a thought anything else
of the work-on-front, mean the mind is completely filled with the subject
—– say, the Sword-Making. = Zen described this
“the Sword Master is in Ichijo (Oneness) with Iron and a Fire”
—– (a western (a bit wrong) translation in “Mindfulness”)
Still, the hands are working exactly like a machine, perfect accuracy and the consistency
thanks to the perfectly programmed Motor-region of the brain.
Superficially, we calls it Mushin because of no conscious thinking is there,
instead we do it without conscious, so, the brain is not blanc or idle, far
from it, unconsciously the brain is working with full conviction.
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While walking on a street, we never consciously think how to move each foot.
Because the whole movements and to keep the balance of whole body has been perfectly
controlled by the Motor-region of the brain, like the most advanced self contained machine.
While leaving its walking business to the autonomous machine, we can have a freedom for
watching nice bottom etc or pay attention to traffic, even find a philosophical answer.
Likewise, while Sword-Maser hitting the iron, even if the hands moves
automatic, his eyes can see the minute details of the work-piece. = any
short-coming should be noticed. As, all the process were handled
subconsciously, this minute detail were observed in the at-most silence of the
perception. Any noise, useless brain activities would mask this minute sign.
= The matter is, to open this subconscious perception by eliminates the noise.
Lord Buddha called this Clear eyes.
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If you take the meaning of Mushin as just [empty the THINKING] you miss
the part, concentration of your subconsciousness = Mindfulness.
(In fact, Mushin and Mindfulness are not separate notion or psychological phenomenon =
those are just different words.) Because of subconsciousness is invisible, it is impossible to
objectively manipulate, or discuss in words, let alone to teach others.
(remember, how to learn to ride a Bicycle. 🙂 )
This is the reason why Buddhism, Zen teaches the people by the repeating practice. Unless
you learn and become able to follow this subconscious mechanism, you can’t learn Zen.
And that is why, talking or reading about Zen is utterly useless.
Only the way to experience and to learn is by Doing.
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Crucial point in Doing is, unlike imagining or having fantasy, to find a way of
improvement, it got to be rational and technically feasible = even an intuitive
idea, it never be mambo-jumbo, but quite scientific. No body imagining that to
sprinkle a holy water from a church could solve a malfunction of the machine.
Even in the darkness of subconscious, our mind is very rational and sane.
(Well, in most of the case, among most of the people. 😀 )
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So, let this subconscious to see, listen and perceive = as this perception is
completely open, therefore, able to see almost invisible, inaudible = we
can see the better solution. Or conceive the idea, which has been blocked
by the idiosyncratic thinking. This is the liberation of the Mind, in Zen.
= And this is the mechanism behind the creativity or [Kaizen].
___/\___
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Zen is DO — NOT sitting Idol
Life was not made by what the one (wishfully) think (most of the thinkings
are to find a justification, excuse) but by the deed, what the one did and
do on the moment.
It is the matter of how to deal with the situation. The situation shows what to DO.
We only need actually DO. When the situation forced us to respond, in most of the case
it is not our choice but the MUST = hence we have to DO unconditionally = and very
little chance to indulge with own EGO = in other words, be in SELFLESS.
We become almost a machine to carry-out the task. —– This is in fact,
what the Zen is. Zen is not a fancy mind-game.
It is the systematized clarification and the direction of what and how
we have to DO, and to live.
So that, to follow the way how to make a tea could be a Zen. How to fight with a sword
could be a Zen too. —– Found a Cherry blossom, and to try a “Why not” kind of
approach to shoot, and struggle to DO it, is also a Zen. Ha ha ha 😀
[]
— Who said, Zen is to sitting and meditate = meditate in Mushin ? Joking.
All the Indian religion takes Meditation as a traditional practice though, do nothing and
sitting is not a Zen. (Such as Yoga Meditation is said to be aiming to have a harmony
with the soul of the universe = to fuse one’s Atman to Brahman. Though
Lord Buddha himself denied very existence of such Atman.)
So, the idea of Zen Meditation must be invented by very lazy monk to excuse his work.
—– “Don’t be lazy, do something” “Yes, I’m busy sitting” ! 😀
[]
—– Do something in Mushin will increase the efficiency of the work,
therefore able to achieve more productive life.
In contrast, Do nothing and in Mushin mean Body is idol, the Brain is empty,
it’s just a rug-doll isn’t it ? Still the Mind is wishfully believing, such practice
could make the person “noble” and reaching to higher consciousness (Really?)
Isn’t it strange ? If it was Buddhism, the Mind supposed to be empty, yet still
having such wishful thinking is a self contradiction.
It is nothing but a delusion. 😀 😀 )
[]
Zen is to grasp the situation and clearly see what the task on front.
And carry-out its task without any quibble or hindrance
as if nothing else is on the table.
With a clear awareness, that no-one-else would do on my behalf, and no-one
but myself can do, kind of confidence and the determination.
And DO it as if it is the only and the last chance to DO in the whole life —–
to a task, even if it is yet another daily chore.
—– Sound very heavy isn’t it ? Though, there is a knack, to make it so easy,
just DO it in Mushin.
[]
= When you face its task straight, there is nothing else you can conceive,
because there is no thinking of alternative, or escape, hope of help from
others, even a notion of next-time, because of Mushin.
Since, the task was carried-out almost machine like accuracy and the efficiency, it will be
cleared without having even a time to have a complaint, therefore, what you feel is
only a sense of achievement and a satisfaction. =
Having a sense of fulfilment and relaxed peace.
This is the Zen. Having the life all through with this sense of fulfillment
and the satisfaction, on the very end, what can you complain ? =
There only be a peaceful Nirvana.
—– This is the Buddhism of what
Lord Buddha taught.
___/\___
[]
Is Science, Belief System ? / Is Zen, Belief System ?
Lord Buddha ordered his disciples, [Don’t believe, think Yourself].
It’s mean if anyone thinks, the answer will be found by themselves.
And it’s mean, it doesn’t need to be any special person or special brain = Answer is within
a reach of anyone’s common-sense and comprehension.
[]
There is no fancy mambo-jumbo in the
Lord Buddha’s teachings. Everything is obvious fact. Like The Four Noble Truth, who
can deny it is not true. Life’s sufferings, illness, get old and die, are the hard facts.
And his observation, there are cause of those troubles, is nothing strange view at all.
If anything happened there must be a cause. Then, there is the way to overcome those
sufferings —– could be true, because that is exactly what
Lord Buddha found and taught which is applicable and effective to to anyone.
The most crucial matter is, that the way to overcome sufferings is not by a
fancy belief and its placebo effect, but an actual change of the mind-set
through practice, which is not a trick but an extension of existing mechanism
of the brain activity, such as to extend our unconscious action of the body.
[]
Like a physical phenomenon, such as Gravity, whether you know the theory, or understand
its mechanism or not, at least you know the effect which you can easily observe.
Whether you imagining (and believe) small green man pulling invisible string, or resorting
with hypothetical particle Graviton causing Gravity, the phenomenon itself exists as a fact,
hence, the science has been accepted as the truth and it is not in a belief system.
[]
In the same context, Zen is a system to utilize a mechanism of the brain
carrying out the action without having a thinking process, and such action
is ubiquitous observable fact. (Zen calls this [Mushin] )
Whether you are aware or not, we are walking without noticing which muscle is contracting,
or reading this blog without aware of your eyes are capturing the pattern of the letters,
even without having a conscious of that you are reading this = Until you start to think and
become conscious, consciousness of the self is not exists. = (Self is our invention by thinking)
Those function of neurological mechanism is the fact and far beyond the belief system.
And a mechanism of our brain, which tend to ignore the repeating signal,
hence we can be apathetic to the signal, is an existing phenomenon,
therefore it is not in our imagination. Fact exists long before the belief.
And the practice which enhancing those mechanism to deal with a cause of
the problem was what uniquely proposed and taught by
Lord Buddha.
[]
Lord Buddha’s view that we could live on those unconscious mechanism
in the brain, and as those unconsciousness has no self-conscious, we could
live selflessly, was his theory.
As the water is running down because of the Gravity is an observed fact. Hence, this
running water can be used as a power source is a theory. As everybody knows, this theory
has been successfully implemented in a water mill or electric power generator. Likewise,
Lord Buddha’s theory has been implemented as the Buddhist’s practice and
actually it works. This practice and its effect is not relying on the placebo effects or belief.
It actually trains and changes the way of the person processing the signal,
hence changes the perception towards such as a cause of fear, even a death.
[]
Therefore, the effect of Zen practice is a real fact.
Not in a belief or in an imagination.
This is the reason how Zen practice has been used even in the sports training.
Zen is not imaginary fancy story but a practice which brings a tangible effects.
Key is Just try, Just DO, and see What happens in your Mind and on your Life.
___/\___
[]
ZEN Practice ?
Following the discovery of my old climbing boots, I found something amazing (to you)
out of packed up boxes I’ve stashed, may be 25 years ago. 🙂
Some of readers, even a keen Zen practitioner may be horrified to see this 😀
Then, some might ask, What this to do with Zen. Or, to be a Zennist, does it necessary to do it
in this extent ? —– There is no rules or requirement. All up to the person. —– Some might
be taking easy to sitting or could be walking, even cutting a lemon. Why not stitching. 🙂
But, I didn’t do this thinking of Zen. (It was long before I even become aware of
the meaning and the effects of repeating practice in the Buddhism) = I just did it
as I got too much time in a winter mountain shelter or in a tent while imprisoned by the snow
blizzard. What else to do then ? (Other than this, I curved fire log into such as a spoon.)
Still, it was only me doing like this and I never seen anybody else
did the same, then and ever since.
(And many years later, I realized that it WAS effectively a Zen practice.)
[] []
Mountain woolly socks couldn’t last for ever, of cause. Soon or later, thread would be getting
thinner and break. But if we threading it with another woolen thread to reinforce
the part, it extend the life = pretty obvious = So, I did. 😀
(The socks photographed here had been worn, I think more than 8 years or more while using
it about 100 days a year. The heel part seemed to have 3rd ~ 4th generation of the
thread, and 40 years later, it is still usable !)
—– If you don’t know how to do the same, just look at how knitted thread runs.
Then just follow the existing thread, go through the loop alongside. And keep doing it to cover
all the part necessary to reinforce. (Use the thread partly doubled to make it even stronger.)
(My mother was very good making Kimono (of cause by hand stitching) hence by watching
her to do the work, I learned some sewing technique though, when my mother and sister saw
my re-threaded socks, it frightened them = so, it was not a common practice, and out of
imagination even to the Zen monk’s family. 🙂 )
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If this is a practice for Zen, provably this is the most humble yet easy to do
practice you ever heard of, still not such a labour than to sweep the street.
And on top of it, it would save some expense on your pocket too.
= You must be very grateful. So, have a try, when you are not too busy. 😀
[]
The kernel of the Buddhism is to do and to live unconditionally.
(So, if there is a thinning hole appeared on a heel of socks, just mend it.
= simple and straight. No need to think at all. 🙂 )
Therefore, Buddhism is not to search or ask something but just live.
Anyway there isn’t any answer. —– Hence,
Lord Buddha ignored the question, on this reason.
Since living and doing unconditionally in the first place, there couldn’t be
any hindrance or doubt. (Doubt was CREATED in the mind)
Hence, even going through the sufferings, it will be passing away without
causing any mind to buckle, even without taking notice. Therefore, even
when the death is arriving, there couldn’t be any stir in the mind.
This is the Nirvana. And this is what
Lord Buddha has taught.
___/\___
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