Mermaid in the Flood
A photo I found in the internet —– Mermaid in the flooded city ! (Photo KEITH K NRT Thailand)
Forget the useless talking, whether it is appropriates or politically correct while millions of the lives were
devastated and hundreds of the people lost their lives etc —–.
Blame the government ? Curse the heaven ? Complain the misfortune ? —– regardless, the water is rising.
Instead of becoming desperate, be glad it was not a killer Tsunami —– at least the sky is blue.
Thanks goodness, at least still alive and kicking !
Open the eyes, see the bright side because anyhow dark spot may be everywhere.
[]
So, think how to deal with the situation. Normal business was completely out of question.
Yet still, what people can do in their best here in the water ?
This might be the occasion only once in the life !
—– Ah, to take this opportunity, why not reborn to be a Mermaid.
This is the contemplation at work. —– With a touch of fun and ingenuity. 😀
This is the life of good Buddhist ( particularly fun-loving variety ) in their best resilience.
(—– But, I don’t know. She could be good Christian. —– Is it a matter ? 😀 )
Life is to live. Not for wasted to be in grumpy.
Anyhow, even a flood was brought by the Dharma.
If you can’t beat, join it. Being with it, is the better choice. And live in its Moment.
(in this instance forget the talking of man-made climate change kind, blah, blah)
___/\___
Panda Babies
Oh, Cm’on, you got to be joking. —– No no, they are REAL Panda Babies. Not soft toys 🙂
Born in China and hand reared by personal attendance, even when a baby they are the well behaving
Confucius Pandas ! 😀
They are the precious baby (hence not cub, and sleeping on the Futon mattress) of Panda, in
the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Base.
When I found this photo in a Japanese news site, I couldn’t stop to join this fun.
It’s definitely make anybody smile. And everybody ought to join the circle 🙂
Have a happy smily day.
( The original news site < http://www.jiji.com/jc/p?id=20110928090039-1443782&j3 > )
___/\___
—
ZAFU — What ?
Some time ago I encountered a Zenist blog complaining that somebody stole
his Zafu (Small cushion), because of this, he couldn’t sit and meditate.
He said ” It was a jealous conspiracy, obstructing me to get enlightenment ”
—– Whoa ! ! ! 😀
I
I think after I’ve read this, I wrote a post saying “ Don’t bother Zafu,
you can sit anywhere and practice Zen in any manner” 😀
And after I wrote previous post [Water bowl Zen] I got an image of
Buddha walking with his disciples —– m m m ?
Without any reason, suddenly I imagined that if they are all carrying
their own Zafu. —– Ha ha ha 😀
—
So that the photo right is [ Shariputra who got his Zafu under his arm, asking a question
to Buddha]. —– of cause, I’m kidding. —– you know how funny it is. Of cause there wasn’t a Zafu on the
time of Buddha, as no body needed it, since they don’t sit in a style of Lotus posture.
Can you imagine a group of bhikku, posses nothing, yet carrying a Zafu for comfortable sitting ?
—
I wrote somewhere “So-called image of Buddha meditating” was a mis-representation of
Buddha just having a break and taking rest. Like all the Indian, Asian people, when they sit and
having a rest, they just sit (so-called half Lotus), not twisting the legs.
The iconic Lotus posture was a later invention which even needs a Zafu to keep body balance, which mean
it is not a natural way to sit. —– Buddhism had gone too much posturing.
It is not a way to follow the Dharma, or the Nature.
—
So, Shariputra carrying a Zafu was a sheer joke. 😀
In fact the wire figure was originally made as a Royal Guard of the Emperor’s Palace. 🙂
It’s good to have a joke some time 😀 ( Zen Buddhism is not for having grumpy life )
___/\___
—
Tiny LIFE
( What I casually called Mayfly here was in fact Green lacewing / Chrisopidae )
Some days ago, short floss like thing standing on the edge of the book, caught my eyes ? ? ?
At second glance, I realized, it was an egg of the Mayfly. Then I remembered a
Mayfly was flapping around the table lamp a night or two before. = so, she laid an egg ! ?
While looking around —– I found four more those eggs
here and there. —– And I found a dead Mayfly too.
—– M m m m # ? # ?. What a hell ! What should I do ? ? ?
non
I don’t like it. Absolutely not welcome at all.
Even if those eggs hatched, there is no food for its larvae
—– simply I can’t take care of them.
—– and if I pick and throw them out, the eggs will be
eaten by other small creepy crawlies.
—– In any choice, those small life would be doomed —– isn’t there any alternative ? ? ?
non
So that I decided to take picture of them = at least, Mayfly could contribute something to
the world —– ( really ? —– for what extent ? ) —– Don’t ask me, it’s a sheer excuse.
But, to take picture of such minute subject is not easy. As my macro photo system has been
disappeared somewhere I decided to make it using cheap Chinese Micro-scope Lens.
( Using wide-angle lens with reverse adopter could make large magnification though its big
shoulder prevent to access small corner to take picture of this kind of fixed object )
So, I wound a wire around the screw mount of the microscope lens (and partly soldered / Photo above left )
then glued this ring on top of a splay can which happen to have suitable diameter ( Photo, middle ) and
put LED focus light —– here the Macro Photo Adopter for Canon EOS.
( can was mounted on a Canon body cap —– with a cut-out hole in the middle, of cause 🙂 )
What a hustle you might say. Yes it was a hustle in deed. To holding a wire ring in the dead centre
of a mouth of can while keeping it exactly parallel (well, sort of 🙂 ) and filling the 2.3 mm gap around
of it, using Araldite glue etc. etc, a lots of work.
non
But don’t forget the life of a small Mayfly —– she unfortunately end-up her life in this room though,
at least she did her best, surviving few days without drinking any water (may be — I know not) and
laid the eggs which was her duty in her life.
At least, I have to respond to the encounter with this life —– it is the duty to be a Buddhist.
Squeezing the brain and find the way to solve the technical difficulties and achieve ( at least in the
acceptable standard 🙂 ) the necessary objective —– is the Zen ( in action ).
This is what I’ve been saying “ Do It “ not wasting the time thinking.
—– Um m, the result seems not too bad. ( I think —– for an almost cost nothing hand-made device 😀 )
( Quality of the images is not as good as Zeiss apo-chromat lens I used to use, but think about the price 😀 )
___/\___
PS : The stem or egg supporting rod (?) is nothing but a wonder of the nature. How the secluded liquid
—– can instantly harden and able to hold the egg on top. —– If anybody know the scientific research of
—– this, please let me know. (Incidentally, the rainbow color on top photo was created by the optical
—– diffraction of the transparent membrane of the wing. —– it’s mean, the thickness of this film is as thin
—– as a wave length of the light ! — isn’t this incredible ? Man’s technology is still behind of the nature )
PPS ; After many years of having had their visit here, this year I came to the resolution, how to deal with
—— them. = When ever I saw them flying under the light, catch them and throw them out of window.
—— Watching them fly or take rest on somewhere —– might be amazing or interesting and giving a water
—— or piece of fruits etc. may seems to be an act of friendship or what so ever. IT IS our arrogance
—— and on the end, it would do nothing good to them. They don’t belong to this room and there is no
—— prospect for them to have their fruitful life here. Throw them out where they belong = NATURE.
—— It is the most kind and friendly things we can do to them.
It is often the case, without giving a help and leave a person in their own device could be
the most kind things to do to the person’s life.
—
Clockwork DHARMA ?
I just found a good metaphor to explain [What is Dharma] !
It’s a huge gigantic machine ! (No, this is no a joke 😀 )
Gigantic, as its mechanism extend as far as to the end of universe.
And as it is working and ticking, it’s keep moving, hence, no same moment ever exists.
But this machine is invisible, except some end-device connected to its mechanism.
Its mean, all the visible existences are the part of this machine.
This machine exists since the start of the universe, long before human kind appeared on the earth.
Therefore, no written specification, operational manual in any language exists, yet still, some part of its
mechanism and the function has been observed and deciphered as a science and chemistry.
As it is a viable working machine, there is certain tendency and the rules of the way how it works,
though, as it is so gigantic and too complicated, it is beyond the capability of the human to know whole function.
—– except Buddha.
Non
While observing the phenomena and its occurrences, Buddha noticed that, this world is a kind of system
which is affecting and reacting to each other. ( This intertwined connection is the Karma )
He found it as the system of infinite size which contains ourselves as a part.
And as it is constantly adjusting and reacting, there can not be a single moment of stillness
—– nothing stays the same.
And as it is a system automatically working like a machine, it doesn’t have human like Ego or its own SELF
—– and the human is its part of mechanism, human has SELF neither.
And this system exists before human and not designed to serve for human, its operation is not necessary
for the benefit of human, therefore to live as a part of this system, occurrences are not centred for human
nor kind to human. —– Hence life is harsh.
—– with those contemplation, Buddha found the wisdom to deal with this system or to live as a
part of the system with minimum aggravation, hence in peace and the harmony.
And the teaching is —– to know how the mechanism of the system and the mechanism of ourself works.
Only the way to find the function and its internal rules of the unknown mechanism is —– to observe
and find it by oneself.—– (Finding it, is the Enlightenment)
As the system is working automatic, disregarding the human ego or emotion, to impose or try to understand it,
with human-like mind is pointless —– because the system itself has no such mind.
( You can’t deal with machine with your emotion — you have to do it like handling a machine 😀 )
As the system (include ourself) is operating without the mind, try to think or explaining it with words is
useless. It needs to observe its function and the results = deeds. Hence, talking, thinking has no place.
—– This is what the Dharma is.
non
You may not like this description 😀
Especially the western people got used to think the God as a personified figure, as it was imagined as a
super-human, though, no such things in the Universe.
Nor so-called great soul, like Brahman or Atman. ( Romanticized idea appeals to the emotion, but
romantic idea is far from the Truth )
The Dharma is the system much more like a huge machine.
That’s why it is operating dispassionately / in Mushin ( Mind of no-mind).
( Financial panic may caused by the fear of speculators which some Buddhist may say “It’s only in the mind”
though, resulting rise of interest will affect all others like a mechanical precision and the force)
In fact, human mind is always causing a destruction and a mayhem to the system.
—– that’s why the Buddhism says Mushin, Taoism says Woii —– do nothing intentionally = let the natural
mechanism to take its own course.
( I found this metaphor is the clearest explanation —– in words 😀 —— Convinced ? )
___/\___
non
Hydrangea Otaksa

Early summer or before a summer starts, Japan has a rainy season
(middle of June to middle of July) somewhat akin to the monsoon.
Every day is a rainy day. And under the rain, it is the time to appreciate
pale blue Hydrangea flowers = 紫陽花 アジサイ.
There are many famous Hydrangea Garden arround Tokyo, especially
in Kamakura city (one hour from Tokyo), Meigetsu-in Temple, Hase-dera
Temple, Jyoju-in Temple are only name but few.
Why Hydrangea in the Temple is because of its meditative blue color.
Buddhist monks are the sombre people. 😀 — I’m just kidding. 😀
non
You might have heard that the Hydrangea flower originated from
Japan. It was brought back to the Netherlands and spread to the
Europe in late 19th century and since then many horticultural
varieties were created especially in England.
The person who introduced it to the west was a German Doctor working
in the Dutch mercantile, in Nagasaki, Philip Franz von Siebold.
( In fact, he came Japan twice, and for the second time he acted as a
foreign affair adviser for the Shogun )
While he was in Japan, along side working as a doctor and teaching
western medicine, he studied Japanese Flora and Fauna, and collected
vast amount of botanical specimen as well. From this study and the
research, worked together with a Botanist J.G. Zuccarini, a book
[Japanese Flora] was published. In this book, one of the native plant
was named as Hydrangea Otaksa. ( though, it has been renamed to
Hydrangea macropylla (Thunb) seringe f. macropylla )
Shy Siebold himself made an excuse that the name Otakusa came
from local name though, a Japanese Botanist, Tomitaro Makino
later traced back its origin to his Japanese wife Otaki-san.
The name he put, Otaksa came from non other than his Japanese wife
Otaki-san in deed. (Incidentally, a daughter he made to Otaki-san,
the Oine = 楠本イネ, became the first female doctor, gynecologist in the
Japanese Medical history.)
He must loved her so much, as he even taught his Parrot to repeat her
name “Otaki-san” —– and a funny story was that since then it became
a custom to teach a Parrot to call the name ”Otake-san” in Japan.
( Similar to a custom in Japan, a lots of dog has their name “Pochi”
—– originally it was copied from the call for a dog “Pooch” in
English or American.) 😀
nonBotanical research institutes in the world exchanges their collection
each other. When I was in my Uni’, my part-time work was taking
botanical photos and making the specimen in the Makino Herbarium=
牧野植物標本館 (a part of the Science Dept’ )
One day, the Herbarium received a parcel from the Science Dept’ of
the Leiden University, Netherlands.
It was the very botanical specimen which Siebold had taken to
the Netherlands. And 110 years later, they were returned to Japan.
As I happened to have best dexterity, I was asked to stick those old
fragile specimen onto the card paper, then labelling them.
It was an extremely delicate work. Not only the specimen were
completely dry old plants, but the paper base is not solid board.
Any bending force to the base paper would crumble the specimen.
Hence the binding tape need to have some margin of gap to allow
the specimen to move, while securely holding it.
The specimen itself were nothing special —– they are quite
common (to Japanese eyes) plants, such as cherry blossoms etc.
(though, Hydrangea wasn’t included) but the matter was its
association with historical figure Siebold who taught the Japanese
herbalists to sort the plants in real scientific way first time.
Non
While making those specimen I’ve put a plank — I wrote my name
under the label with thin pencil. It is not visible though, if anybody
see through the label against the light, the name may be seen.
( This is the first time I revealed such mischief to the others.) 😀
Few years ago, I heard from a retired Professor of Makino Herbarium,
the portable specimen dryers powered by mobile electric generator
which I designed and made for the Ogasawara expedition ( I made its
metal work in the Technology Dept’s work shop) were still there and
nearly 40 years later they are still working !
— its funny to think the staff of the herbarium might be wondering
to see the name on the dryer’s label “Who the hell, this guy ?”
(A facility in a big institute show no personal name as a manufacturer)
And in the Japanese practice, the photos taken by the staff doesn’t
show the photographer’s name. So, my name only remains on member
list of the expedition and behind the labels of Siebold collection.
—– it’s a hidden joke. 😀
PS: The Hydrangea in the Photo above is rather primitive type
( I couldn’t find the exact name of it though) unlike the common
types, this flower showed the real flower in the centre of sepal.
The common horticultural variety has atrophied flower (in fact,
it is not a flower but just the sepals)
I rather like to see the flowers in its natural form than in
an artificially created “gorgeous” style.
*****

Hydrangea Otakusa / Makino / Ogasawara Expedition
Bodhi-Tree / Bodai-ju
You believe or not, this is the tree what Japanese believes as the Boddhi-Tree.
My parents believed and explained to me, “This is the tree which Buddha said to have enlightened while sitting under this tree. Therefore it got the name BODAI-Ju. Since, a flower blooms as if it is standing in a palm.”
Yes, it looks uniquely strange flower. So, I believed its story. Anyhow, I was a small boy —– no argument 🙂
non
Not only a boy, everybody in Japan believed that this is the Boddhi Tree, hence a German song composed by Franz Schubert about this particular tree and its title [Der Lindenbaum] was translated into Japanese as [ BODAI-Ju ] — of cause, in this case, the tree was a tree known as a Lime tree in the west.
—– (Strangely, this [Bodai-ju] has another name which has Ainu tribe origin [Shina-no-ki] and from its shape of the false leaf under a flower, the another name was [Hera-no-ki] —– so, the name [Bodai-ju] was only after the time when Japanese got Buddhism)
Non
When the Buddhism was brought to Japan, the India [Tenjiku] was in the another planet, even to the Chinese monks who travelled over there and studied Buddhism, it was a distance needed to take years of journey.
Hence, to read the scriptures was just a guess work, let alone to distinguish what was the historical truth or even chronological order among the jumbled scriptures.
Therefore, to have mistaken Lime tree as to the Boddhi tree was not a big crime 🙂
(I haven’t found what Chinese people were understanding about Boddhi Tree, yet. So, any Chinese reader who knows about it, please leave a comment herein after)
In comparison, we now can have amazing amount of informations and even a photo of a real Boddhi Tree ( Ficus religiosa ) while sitting in a room thousands of miles away from India —– still, we are not sure,
whether we are any wiser than a monk thousand years ago. —– yet still, the reason why we can get the same understanding of the teachings is, Buddhism is not based on the knowledges but on its practice. Like riding a bicycle —– no one can explain how to ride it, but by the practice you can get to know how by yourself.
( So, there is no problem whether it was [Boddhi tree] or [Bodai-ju] to get enlightenment 😀 )
___/\___
non
SPIRITUALISM — ? ? ?
It was a light conversation with my neighbours.
What a beautiful day. How beautiful the sun shine isn’t it
Yes, in deeeeeed !
By the way, you remember, before William’s wedding, every day was a bright day, but only
on that day was a cloudy day. How come, Yoshizen ?
Oh, don’t ask me. Ha ha ha. 😀
You took notice because you are spiritualist. It’s your mind-set.
What is the difference between spiritualism and to be superstitious ?
Superstitious take it just good or bad. Spiritualist take anything with a breath of thought. Not
necessary judging it good or bad, but open the mind and try to listen, is there anything ?
non
To see anything but the cloud, created by a moist air mass from the sea encountered with cold air,
hence created cloudy front line, and made a cloudy wedding day — is a Physicist’s explanation.
But they don’t go beyond, why it happened particular day, since it is not their business. 🙂
And the person who thought, the wedding day wasn’t too bright and hot, was better for the people
standing outside long time, preventing heat stroke —– is an Opportunist’s view.
The person who thought, William was not lucky to have blue sky for the wedding — is a Pessimist.
non
So, how did you think , are you an Opportunist or Pessimist?
Photographer’s view was, it’s easy to take picture without too much contrast, but it was a bit dull.
Zenist’s view was, I don’t care because I wasn’t there, anyway. We don’t think too much.
So, Zenists are not spiritualist ?
We might just be a spiritualist, but we are not aware nor think to be a spiritualist.
I only see I’m here who I don’t care what the name this one was.
Yoshizen was just happened to be my name. That’s all.
And when I see such beautiful sun, I enjoy it.
Why not ? 🙂
___/\___
—
MODIFIED APE ? ? ?
As I’ve written “ Artificially modified Ape “ I received pretty strong contention. ( as anticipated )
I didn’t intentionally try to create argument though, I knew there must be a lots of contention.
Not mention the Christian Creationists, but even the ordinary Evolutionists couldn’t agree.
To my eyes, the changes occurred to even the physics of the Human, which were triggered by the
active Human selection, which changed or resulted the condition of existence is artificial.
MMM
Among the animals, such as the exuberant horn of Deer or the feather of Peacock were the result of
the breeding competition. The more prominent, the more attraction to the females, hence the Gene
of bigger horn had become dominant. This is a natural selection and the shift of the size of horn
would be regarded as a process of the Natural Evolution.
But, in the case of the size of Human boobs is quite questionable. When our far ancestors started
to walk biped, genitals became inconspicuous and male and female sees each other, face to face,
guessing the appearance of the others, with dark skin and hairy body, it may not very easy to appeal
“Look at me I’m a female “. So that, the female who happen to have larger boobs had taken more attention,
hence she had more opportunity to produce the offspring —– and the Gene to make larger boobs were
established. —– yet, big boobs is not actually contributing to the fertility nor good supply of the
mother’s milk, because it was made of useless fat.—– It is just for a psychological display.
In other words, it was the matter of the male imagination. Nothing to do with physical evolution.
( Selective breeding is not a natural evolution. It is a reflection of man’s Ego and Arrogance)
MMM
The more drastic change had happened in the Human history, when our ancestor gained and figured
out their stable life, and became more than just a hunter gatherer. —– Probably with some domestication
of the animals and the primitive agriculture or knowledges to keep particular plants as the staple food.
Hence able to alleviate a hardship cycle of plentiful and the starvation in the cold.
This stable life, away from the effect of the season, had the same effect of the domestication to
the Human animal.
—– With the (self) Domestication, Human lost the seasonality of the breeding, and the females
started to ovulate out of season. It was a change of the physiology lead by nutrition and the psychology.
( I couldn’t find any explanation Why Human lost a chemical trigger / Pheromone or sensitive nose 😀 )
All over the world there is a peculiar artefacts of so-called Venus Figure
with exaggerated body.
They are always in the early stone age. —– and only limited on that
period, and never continued. This fact suggests what had happened,
a woman in the colony had first ever bore the babies twice in a year,
which astonished the people, hence she became a symbol of fertility,
Mother Goddess. Though, gradually all the women started to show the same,
worship of the Goddess became pointless, hence, the Venous Figure was
no longer produced. ( This is totally new theory 🙂 )
(Photo above = Venus of Willendorf / Naturhistorisches Museum / Vienna / Wikipedia )
MMM
This physiological change was a result of the change of Human Life Style, generally called Culture.
And this change of the Culture was the results of the Intellectually lead Human adaptation.
It hadn’t occurred naturally. In another word, it was an Artificial Change.
—– Subsequently there were many side effects, consequential changes had occurred in the Human
history. Namely, such as the Brainization ( Imagination lead ) sexual behaviour —– hence resulted
even a development of sexual obsession. —– This is not a natural evolution at all, but a destruction.
(Without Pheromone induced sexual imperative, a sexual drive has to come from one’s MIND )
—– Big BOOB may not have any physiological value, still it would give you quite an
Imagination. Imagination always strays away. ( How exiting. Ha, ha, ha 😀 )
MMM
Thanks to the Human Intelligence, Humankind invented many new psych and the idea though,
they are too often far remote from what we started and originally designed by the Dharma.
This is the reason why we have two separate SELF in us.
The one is our Self-conscious (the One, thinking), and the other is in our subconsciousness.
The more we became conscious, we alienate our true Self which we only subliminally aware of.
This is the reason why Buddha taught,
“The Self in the thinking is a Delusion “ “Look at the Dharma without thinking “
Without thinking, is what Mushin mean. (in another sect, this is also called Detachment)
The Buddhism is to become aware, and to regain What We are.
___/\___
===









2 comments