Lettuce and Spinach — its Origin

One of the most unique Photographer / Artist, Karen showed her stunningly beautiful

photos of Canada Lettuce seed in her blog “Draw and Shoot” it awaken my memory that

I had the photo of this (or the one, closely related) plant — The seed-pod in her photo

looks very much like a Dandelion’s, as you can see.  = In deed, this plant is a cousin of

Dandelion and as its name suggests, it closely related to the Lettuce.  

Or the Lettuce was descended from this kind of Plant, namely

Luctuca of Asteraceae (Compositae) Family.   When I found that this plant was the

ancestor of the Lettuce, I was shocked —– as it was completely out of my imagination.  

( Not only it looks so different but also I’ve never seen it in an open field and flowering.)

A book, I saw said that  “to eliminate its bitter tasted white sap, it took 200 years” though,

Wikipedia says Lettuce has been cultivated since ancient Egyptian time.  So, the English

local farmer might have had their own approach, instead to import the established

variety from Mediterranean.

Something similar stories are in Spinach.

The photo left is a plant belongs to

Spinacia in Amaranthaceae family.

The Spinach was created from this kind

of plant, and this weed is also edible.

(Though, this plant contains Oxalic acid,

thus if eat a lots, it would cause an ulcer 

on the mouth.)

The cultivated variety is not only to eat

leaves but also there was a variety to eat 

thickened stem, called “Poorman’s Asparagus”. And other was called Lincolnshire Spinach. 

—– In deed, we human being is very resourceful — or used to be so poor to scrape the life ?

Still, there is a very funny situation. Despite increased world population, therefore needs

lots more food and in deed great number of the people are starving,  in the same time,

we are said to be wasting 1/3 of food. (couldn’t sell in the super-market, due to a blemish.  

Or made them rotten in a fridge due to too much shopping.) —– Something wrong isn’t it ?

[]

Reflection on a pond

Those are the simple straight shot of the reflection on a water.  

If only it was not simple, was they were shot by 500 mm lens.

Please see the photos in large size by clicking the photo (and again.  😉 )

Long telephoto lens mean, it was in fact just in a small corner of the water.   😉

[]

Google Search

It seems that from the eyes of Google, I may fallen into a category of the least useful

data in their business.    Despite the fact that the owner of WordPress (is Google)

putting quite big companies AD into my blog and making money, still my own  “Profile”

and ID are useless such as my Mail address, user name on Youtube, not mention this

very Yoshizen couldn’t be congregated to one ID.

To define the ID can make the Person (with all the associated Information, even oversaw

history of search record, the contents of Email) as a clear target of AD = convincing

profile to target an particular AD to a potential buyer of their product.

Not only my ID but also the theme or contents of this blog is too wide-spread = hard to

define the main subject, not just peaceful Buddhism, not necessary the Art, or simply a

Photography —– and why the strange Cooking here ? ? ?

[]

Until a year ago, to find my post by Google Search was very easy, just type search-term

such as  [Tree of the Life],  [Bodhi-tree] etc. would lead to my post on the first page of

Google list, if not on the top, reflecting the number of hits of which people has made.

(It was automatically done by their Search-engine algorithm.)

Then Google has changed it, and [Tree of the Life] [Bodhi-tree] were disappeared and more 

commercial items such as selling books or an AD of a Tour visiting India got the priority.

It seems, [Cooking Daikon Zen] is still coming up on top of Google-search though,

the other one such as  [Cooking aduki-bean Oshiruko]  which used to came on top too

had almost completely disappeared while showing thousands of other items which got

just a single word [aduki] or [oshiruko] even contain just [Cooking].   Otherwise, only

searching by  [Cooking aduki-bean Oshiruko Yoshizen blog]  will show my post.

Read a screen shot above “ No results found for Cooking Oshiruko Yoshizen Blog”  looks

very funny isn’t it = their automatic search algorithm couldn’t see the title of my post.

— Really ?   (What sort of manipulation behind here ?)  😀

—– Is this because of they thought I’m not a profitable customer (who isn’t very cooperative

for their business term.) ?    Regardless, a quality of the information of which my post got.

(Please read it = How do you think — and try to test the  Google-search  by yourself =

you may see,  next target could be you.)

[]

Funny fact was, when I found that the Google Image was showing the miner picture of

[St.Lucia] laying on the sand (?) instead of the main figure which was receiving lightning,

I mocked them “Haven’t they got the eyes to see the Art ?” and posted the photo on Google+

(as I suspected that the people who didn’t join G+ may be getting a raw-deal )

—– then the post [St.Lucia] started to came-up on the top page of 13,700,000 items on their list.

—– Why funny wire figure came above much more important picture of the religious paintings

of the old masters’ in the museum.

This signified the fact that the Google listing was not operating neutrally by the

automatic algorithm like what they says, but by the people who got a certain intention.

Google might be aiming to become the force in the “Big brother’s System” = The Ruler

though, it is a direct confrontation with the Dharma / Law of the Universe or just

obvious common sense.  

Who do they think they are ?    Are they thinking, they are the auditor of the world ?

[]

PS :  Yet more funny story was, after I’ve put this post, my friend who tested this, found

that my post  [ Cooking Oshiruko]  came back to the top page again.  😀 —- Who is watching ?

[]

The company who cross the line to become too greedy seemed to get a punishment of the

Dharma.   Such as a company even I, a small man on the street disliked because of their

over-stepping business practice,  get their own cause boomerang-back.

10 years ago I really hated Microsoft. —– Then, they tumbled down, being accused of their

monopolizing business practice.   And the Apple who I really hated, saw the same fate.

( remember what happened to Steve Jobs.)   It seems this is the turn of the Google —–

I’m very very interested in to see what would happen to them.   😉

(It may not necessary come from the front door straight to their business tactics such as

from the rival businesses, but it could come even from the back.)

(PS:  Funny coincidence —– I just found this article in the Wall Street Journal =

Yahoo tops the net traffic over Google) = When I think, everybody think the same too !

[]

In principle, the Dharma should be the all the existences which is in the invisible “Void”

without having Self or its own mind.

It is like a huge machine operating in rational interaction, —– though, in its invisible

unknowable part of the Dharma still seems to have a will to determine our fate.

Though, this “Will” kind is not whimsical or impartial, but simply tells wrong is wrong,

right is right —– to the larger and longer term extent and to the balance of whole Universe.

Because we human-being is too small to know whole extent of the mechanism of the

Universe, we have to leave it as unknowable still, simply it is “Yet we know the whole”.

We are discovering more and more, still we never found anything irrational =

everything down to the sub-atomic particles to our mind mechanism still keeping its

rational cause and the effect linkage. = nothing bore-out from nothing miraculously.  

So, simply, when we (even a company) did something wrong, it creates a distortion in

a balance of the Dharma ===> causing repercussion which we called Punishment.

This mechanism is the System Principal of the Cause and the Effect,

the Linkage mechanism which was called Karma and they are the very Teaching of  

Lord Buddha.

___/\___

 []

Photos in Tone

Nature has its own tone, under rather subdued light, it’s shows subtle shade.  

Shape and its 3D structure may not as clear like the image under the direct light though,

we are not necessary need to see such detail.  

Subtle shade seemed to show more of what they are as it is.

Just see and appreciate as they are, without imposing my view is in fact less tiring and

able to relax.  After all, the photos here are not for any scientific or reference purpose.  

They are just what they are today as I’m here on this moment.

[]

Cuckoo’s Spit

I think the plant is Lavender, and every year, it seems a lots of Cuckoo came here

and have a spit fight.   (Some says it was not Cuckoo but a snake  🙂 )

Still, inside, the nymphs of  Frog-hopper ( Cercopoidea)  called Spittlebugs are growing

while sucking the sup from the plant, and making a bubble foam to hide. 

May be strong taste of Lavender repel another insects.    The photo, center shows a

Frog-hopper  just left a froth home, then the body color darken.  (right photo)

This insect is, despite its minute size, ( you believe or not) a cousin of  Cicada, hence

they are a miniature version of their cousin, and having the same habit to suck a sup.  

(Though, I don’t know how this insect coming back next year —- egg stays somewhere

(inside of plant ?) or the female pass over a winter ? —– Does anybody know ? )

Nature’s system and it’s life cycle always fascinates me.  — Even such minute fragile life

has their own system to weather the element and manage the continuation of species

—– for millions of years !   Has they got wisdom let alone a brain ?   Or all in their GENE ?  

How those GENE has been programmed ?

—–  So, the Buddhist calls it the Dharma.   System and the governing rules.

[]

Eucalyptus and Bumble Bee

Eucalyptus are very common in this country still not well known with it’s flowers.

This one bloom every year on their hedge of one of neighbours.  And when it bloom,

the Bumble Bees are frantic, literally as busy as bee.    Never pose to a camera.   😀

Eucalyptus only came from Australia.  In the same extent, Protea only came from

South Africa. —– Still, such as Tree fern or Cycad can come from both countries.  

Because those living fossil plants spread all over one big continents called  Pangaea  

which was separated to Africa, Australia, America etc. together with their plants.

(then their own peculiar plants evolved separately).

( Plants on Pangaea didn’t have flower —– where is the origin of flowering Gene ? ? ? ) 

—– So, it’s interesting, why the honeys from those plants are still the same ? ? ?  🙂

[]

Beach Rose

I don’t think I need to show whole plant of this Rose as you can find them just round

a corner of street — with a sweet fragrance but having such dense sharp prickles. 

I thought this rose, Rosa rugosa is a common rose in any sea coast in the northern

country though, it seems it was originated from east, and once introduced to the west,  

it spread everywhere since,  even they were classified as “Invasive plant” in the US.

[]

The reason why I thought they are common was that I was thinking their seed pod 

(some people calls them “Sea tomato” ) was carried by the sea stream and spread

to other places.  —– When I saw them first time in the northern Japan, where people

call them as Hamanasu or Hamanashi,  I was overwhelmed by its impenetrable bush 

spread on a sea  side as far as I can see.  Then,  its sweet fragrance was embedded to my

subconscious alongside a Song “Shiretoko-Ryojo” (知床旅情／A memory in Shiretoko)

Since, I was on the way to Shiretoko Peninsula with the botanists who wants to see an

unique species of Violet only grow in a remote corner of that Peninsula.

[]

So that, when I saw this rose again on the shore of  Helsingor, Denmark,  just outside

of Kronborg Castle  (famous for Hamlet)  33 years ago, its smell instantly took me

back into its old memory.  ( Sigh !   How far, we have drifted —— 🙂 )  

Though, in reality, her ancestor didn’t come riding on the wave, but travelled in a box.

( Not so romantic.    How shame.   🙂 )

[]

Zen Sound of Fuke Shakuhach

There was a funny chain of connections.  It was started a word “Kuwa-no-mi” 

(桑の実 / Mulberry) in a post by a prolific blogger Tokyobling, in which he talked about it

with the photo of tree in Tokyo. —– I’ve put a comment  “80% of Japanese may not 

know what the Mulberry tree is, still 99% of them knows the Word

 “Kuwa-no-mi” because of a song “Aka-tombo” ( 赤とんぼ/ Red-Dragonfly) which

was dubbed as the Second National Anthem of Japan.

[]

May be with my emotional attachment to this song which strikes Japanese psyche and

my associated memory, (—– Aka-tombo only appears on the end of summer which

meant us the end chapter of all the sweet and bitter memory in that summer

(and our youth) —– (you must remember, when you were young and small, how one

summer was long and eventful which was engraved deep into your subconsciousness =

You know, we only had 10 or so summers in the whole life to grow into an adulthood !)

And I’m very conscious about this Mulberry tree and the distinct taste of its berry.

So that, since when I accidentally found this tree in a town called Hitchin, I made my

annual ritual to visit there every year and eat the berry, until I found the another tree

in south London.       (I talked about this tree in one of my post.)

[]

As an answer to my comment, Tokyobling sent me a link for a song-video of

“Aka-tombo” in Youtube.

—–> while listening a song, I found another Japanese old folk-song as well, which was

accompanied by a traditional Japanese bamboo wind-instrument called Shakuhach (尺八).

—–> as usual in Youtube, many related or similar kind are listed next by next.

—–> and I stumbled this viz, which plays “Fuke Shakuhachi” (普化尺八)

[]

Fuke-shu (普化宗) is in fact, one of the Zen sect unique to Japan, and

there is a temple called “Fuke-dera” (普化寺) in south of Kyoto.

(I hope it still exist though, many years ago, it was said only 9 monks left

but in this viz the monk was from Mukai-ji temple, there might be more monks in

another temple —– incidentally, why he is hiding his face is a symbol of  No-Self )

(Composer Toru Takemitsu’s “November Steps” is the most famous adaptation of

this sound to Contemporary music.  It’s worthwhile to listen ! )

—– This sect is using the sound of Shakuhach to teach what the

Dharma, and the Enlightenment is.

[]

But in practice, just to make a sound out of this instrument is hard enough because,

there is not much structure to make sound = one end of bamboo was just cut in angle

and having small notch to blow (that all 🙂 )= it is the matter of the way to blow in

certain angle.  —– ( for me it wasn’t too difficult as I had an experience to blow sound

out of Peruvian Quena Flute which got somewhat similar structure)    Still to play

good sound, let alone to master Kaza-iki etc. must takes 10,20 years of practice.

And THE result is —– just as it is = the sound you can hear but just the sounds,

nothing more than the sound neither Bamboo changed to the Gold.  😀

= still, if it is good, it’s good and in deed, it shows (or sounds) the Dharma, 

—– or you may hear it, as a sound of the nature or its reflections.

[]

This is in deed, touches the hardest part of the Zen teachings and the deepest

human psyche which could interact or communicate with the Dharma.

(I wouldn’t imply, Dharma would talk to you though —– we might only feel, passively. 🙂 )

For this, please read those posts;   [Harmony in Dharma] / [Aaaaaa~~~~~]

[]

Still some of you might say, So what ? —–

Nice tone which sound no apparent pattern or rhythm, hence it refuses

our mediocre comprehension, and its high tone makes our perception

sunk deep into the spiritual state (or totally open minded blank state).

[]

I met quite few professional Shakuhach players as most of Japanese traditional music

regularly needs to have them.  Of cause, a player, able to play and able to make

beautiful sound doesn’t needed to be an enlightened Zen Buddhist, let alone Fuke monk.

And not necessary beautiful sound makes the people to get enlightenment.

[]

Yet still, to a person who actively seek an enlightenment, start from making

Shakuhach out of raw bamboo by himself, and try to achieve the best sound,

is the typical (endless, repeated) Zen practice.

—–> on the end, no wonder, the one could achieve and reaches to the state

of Ichijo = player, bamboo pipe, the air, the sound, all become one = as what

the Dharma is.    Still, this is nothing but the state of blankness, Mushin

= the mind was sublimated into infinite Void.

[]

—– Because it is blank or Void, there isn’t much of use, hence it is a Dog shit.

And only there is a blank, what left in your life is, Just carry on, be who you are.

(expecting anything else is nothing but one’s Greed and Pretentious Ego and it is nothing but

a Delusion.   Since, Void will not hold anything in it —– though, Mahayana

understanding is, because of it is Void, everything is in, since it would make no difference

at all = So, your life is your only life.)

Never mind, as long as the sound is good, it’s good.   

___/\___

[]

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.

[]

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] ?

[]

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.

[]

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.)

[]

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.

[]

The trouble of the Buddhism is, virtually no reliable written

record exists.   It’s a pile of hearsay after 10^th, 100^th 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.

[]

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. 😀 )

[]

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 21^st century ! )

[]

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.

___/\___

[]

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 ?

[]

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.  😀 )

[]

It must be clear. —– Is there any argument ?

___/\___

[]

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 ! )

[]