Magnolia in the Park

When I moved in this area, this park was named as the most derelict park

in London by a popular newspaper.  In fact, this local council was the

most mismanaged council in London.  And for such council, the Park kind

has the least priority in their spending list.

So, it looked more like a disused land with over grown grass and the weed and  

the grown trees showed no order (why this tree was here ?  kind of situation.)

But I liked its wild growth,  much better than the trimmed grass.

Make the story short,  I have discovered a Magnolia Grandiflora in this park

= while coming here over ten years, I didn’t know it was here and blooming.  

Because, the tree was hidden behind the many other tall trees.  

I discoved its flower by chance, from the distance.

To take picture of this big flower (often more than 10″ big = hence the name

Grandiflora) it needs to see the flower from above.  It’s mean, unless having

a flower on a cutted branch,  photographer got to be very lucky.

— But I wasn’t.   😦

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Greenwich Park Flowers

As the instant flower meadow was gone,  I took a journey to

Greenwich Park where ample supply of flowers there.

Those close-up photos following here were taken without the Front Lens.

(It’s mean, just a lens from toy camera) 

In contrast to the almost pan-focus image of Retro-focus two element Lens,

this lens from toy camera shows very clear depth of field and out of focus Bokhe !

Isn’t this Bokhe, fantastic !  🙂

The park got a lots of Cosmos though,  they are a dwarf type

= grow only to 1~1.5′ tall.

—– or, Greenwich Park might be keeping the old taste (to grow Cosmos)  🙂

As a park garden, the flowers here were well kept in order !

It’s mean, when flower was finished, they will be replaced by the other flower.

So the order here was kept by the strict regime.

No luxury to yield a seeds. 

—– though, it’s hard to say, otherwise,  grown to be eaten,  which life is better ?

(So called Human is not necessary acting Humanely = pulled flowers straight

to the compost = buried alive and leave them to rotten !  = hersh isn’t it ? )

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End of Summer Meadow

Since, the time of growth and flowering has more or less finished.

= for that flower patch it was not an exception.   After some strong 

wind and the rain, now the meadow is in their closing stage.

On the other hand, now I got proper front lens for that Homemade

two elements Lens thanks to the kind assistance of HOYA Optics.

(Original lens came from my broken specs and -5 Diopter strength.  

Now I got  -3 and -6 for further experiment. (I would have  -3, -6, -9 to test !)

Unlike 25 year old specs lens, brand new lens is much clearer = less fuzziness.  

To compensates clearer image, I increased the “F-Aperture” somewhat

one-stop (6 mm to 10 mm) = it affected the depth of field as well.   😦

Still, they looks more or less the same  😀

Only (used to be) the meadow looks different.  After a Riot, there

would be inevitable dead bodies and the dried-up carcasses and sticks.

That’s what we human saw the situation though,  for the flowers 

themselves,  looks like a dried-up carcass is their very seed pod etc

= their proof of success in this summer’s operation.  

Don’t make up a drama,  it is just another phase of one cycle.

I’m not sure whether they will come back next season. —– Just wait and see.

Anyhow, I was very much fired-up by their chaos.  

(And created lords of looks more or less the same picture.  😀  😀  )

Still it was a fun !

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Think yourself — Why ?

“Don’t believe what others said. Think yourself” was the most famous last teachings of

Lord Buddha in his death bed.   Buddhism is not a religion to recites the words in the

book (repeat the same words million times makes a man to believe it ) or arguing how 

to interpret the meaning with rhetoric, but just practice and get understanding.

 

Therefore, in this context, the use of the word “Think” may not to be the correct word

= instead, “Feel and Grasp” “Find and Understand” would be better, because as I said,

the Buddhism is not a religion of what you Think and Remember but who you become,

down to the subconscious level.

[]

See a simple situation. Somebody taught you the Walking Zen saying “By walking

round and round, you can get rid of all your thoughts, and get Mushin, the Mind of

No-Mind.   This is the another way of meditation which purifying your mind.”

—– Well, the words must be well remembered and a word Mushin must be stuck

to the mind. ~~~~~ Then, walk round and round —– while a thought of

“Have I got Mushin or yet ?” coming up again and again and haunt you. 😀 😀

(Instructor should have told you just “Follow me”.   It’s difficult to see a quality

of the instructor = well spoken friendly instructor tend to get more attendance.  

It’s a paradox  Sir ! )  😀

[]

When No-Mind, No-Self was the matter, 

teach it by the word is self-contradiction.  = I think,

Lord Buddha didn’t teach it in such a way, but just showed how to do, expecting

that the followers can get the Selfless Mushin naturally through the practice.

(Please read the Post : [Test of Selflessness]) (And remember Kisa Gotami’s story =

She was just made running around without having any explanation ! )

Though, among the followers, someone pretending to be wiser, started to give an

own explanation what was the intention of practice or meaning of Selflessness.

But as I said, to explain it by the word is the Self-contradiction, for instance,

“ Do this without thinking is the No-Mind, No-Self” — though, to have this notion

in the Mind IS against the No-Mind = nothing but a Self-contradiction.

So that, there is no way else to learn No-Self other than “Do the practice

and find it by oneself.” —– (Same situation to learn how to ride a bicycle

 = absolutely no word will help, but to learn it yourself !  —– And once learned,  

you ride it automatic = no thinking is needed there. )

[]

Lexical communication is based on the words which is the categorized, abstract 

notion, hence, it rely on the high-level process in the brain which we call thinking.

Bypassing those thinking process and leave the judgement, or action to the

old intuitive part of the brain called Limbic System, = is

“What Mushin and the Selflessness meant.”

This is why “Don’t believe what others said. Think yourself = Experience yourself and

discover the fact, that the things can be done without thinking = in Selfless Mushin.”

So, if it was Selfless, who did this = It was done by the Dharma !

[]

—– Still, this episode exposed a serious situation then.   In a very last moment, WHY

Lord Buddha had to give such basic instruction to the most closest disciples.

= It signify the fact, that

Lord Buddha did aware that his disciples haven’t fully understood

what his teachings of No-Self was.

(And it explains why the Buddhism have had deviated in such early stage

and mixed up with the Hinduism.)

___/\___

[]

 

Szondi Test

Those few days, here my blog got sudden

spike of twice as much access. Apparently,

the visitors were coming to see the post

“Szondi Test”.

I don’t know why though, my guess was

that somebody might have talked about

the Szondi Test referring to my post,

somewhere on the SNS.

Though, as I don’t do any SNS (because of

No Face****, I can’t click “Like” and my Twitter accounts were  

created by somebody-else, I have No access) = I can’t check what’s going on there.

So, wondering, is there any talking going on ?  —> I Googled and

realized that now there are iPhone App, Android App of Szondi Test exists ! 

People are always interested in Self Psychological Profiling Test = It is a reflection of

strong Self conscious / Ego and in the same time yet another sign of rack of Confidence.

It is a funny paradox, the stronger the Ego, the Psychological Insecurity is even stronger.

(The trouble is, they don’t know who the Self is ! = therefore, interested in

Psychological Test.)   So, in reality, very few people has strong Ego with firm Confidence !

(save the case of utter idiot. 😀 )

[]

When Szondi Test was conducted under well controlled environment, and the person

having the test has no priory knowledge of “the Test” = test will show very accurate

assessment of the personality.   Though, as it is the test to chose the faces of Like and

Dislike, once the person become aware what kind of choice would make what result,

it would be easily biased with a pretense.

Originally, Szondi Test was designed based on the phenomenon that the person can

intuitively know the other person who got the same psychological tendency and

prefer the similar person.  (the words [Like] or [Kind] are typically showing this =

“We like similar kind” hence “Feather gathers” 🙂 )

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Whether it is a looks or an inner “Type” they are created by the Gene configuration.

We are seeing the most typical case over the Identical Twin = they are not only

looks the same but also having the same voice, same way of speaking etc etc —–

even the fate is often the same.

Interesting recent study shows that, the married couple, if both of them got the

same type of Gene configuration, is less likely separates or divorce.

And the most intriguing phenomenon must be the “Genetic Sexual Attraction” =

Brother and sister (often the twin) who has been separated on the birth, growing

up not knowing each other’s existence.   Then in a seer coincidence, encounter

each other, and fallen in love and get married without knowing that they were

in fact, a brother and a sister.

= The same type of Gene configuration strongly attract each other and we know it

intuitively.    (In the US, there is an organization of those hundreds of families.)

So does the Szondi Test, it is based on our intuitive sense to distinguish “Like Kind”, 

because our psychological type is also created by the Gene configuration.

[]

A funny question is, able to sense the other’s invisible Genetic Sign, why the person

couldn’t find who he (she) is ? = Because, the most of us couldn’t assess ourselves

without the Ego and the conscious thinking  (= wishful thinking or self-blame kind

and always try to justify otherwise make an excuse)

= that is where Buddhist’s approach comes in.

To judge the photos of the Szondi Test, there is no information hence, photos has to

be seen purely with intuition alone.

Same to this, to see “Who the Self is ?” the person has to see the self as if it was a

detached landscape.   (I mean, see the self as a visual image, not in a drama of

verbal description = relative position and the posture is more important than the

conversation which has taken place there then — then you may start to see the

pattern of “Who you are” among the thousand of memories.)

Some of the people strongly believe the Free Choice and the dominance of Nurture,

hence against the Determinism though, we all knew, often with almost an annoyance,

how we were caste by the birth = Gene.

We can easily copy or mimic others (as Nurture mean) and speak brah brah, though,

the posture when we try to act still reveal Who I am <— See This !

[]

Still we also know —– supposed to be the same Gene configuration (as it’s from the

same parents) though, how often the Brothers are so different and argue each other. 🙂

[]  

Ghost — Buddha’s Psychological Profile

Can you describe the details of a Ghost ? — how it looks etc, etc. — CAN YOU ?

Imagine, it was a kind of public gathering and somebody started to talk about seeing

a ghost and some others responded and told their own experience or hear-say but

 most of the others didn’t say anything, other than murmuring their doubt.

—– I think this is the general situation and it wasn’t so different in 2,500 years ago

in India, even if more superstitious people was there, still, only very few could say

actually seen it. 

[]

Lord Buddha’s time, when out of Sanskrit / Vedic belief, a new religion, later known

to be the Hinduism was emerging.   Over the Sanskrit belief of perpetually remaining

soul, Hinduism put an emphasis on the reincarnation of each soul which reflect the

previous life = hence, the life in this world is the result of previous life, in other words,

every life was fixed which makes a person’s Cast.

—– This idea horrified the people then = the endless cycle of reincarnation traps the

person, if not make the worst to reborn to be a beast.

To against this idea of endless suffering of reincarnation, (called Samsara)

Lord Buddha was the one offering the rescue, saying “Don’t worry, no such things

like endless reincarnation, because the one supposed to be reincarnated = the Self or

so-called Atman is not existing, therefore when your body dies, it is the total end =

Nirvana” and offering the refuge where there is no notion of Cast or previous life.

[]

Lord Buddha’s this understanding came from the observation of the Karma and

the Dharma.    Everything depend and rely on others in every moment.

Without this inter-dependency, nothing could exists, so as our body and the mind.

It’s mean, when the body goes, the mind which has been imagining the self, also goes.

The self is mere illusion and the cause of all the troubles.     As it was clearly stated 

in the Four Noble Truth, the Life IS nothing but the suffering. —– In this respect,

Lord Buddha gave no illusion.   Very realistic and blunt.   To observe and give an

insight to the relation between the phenomena of the Karma, eyes and the brain has

to be as clear as a crystal or like a critical scientist.  

No illusion, not mention a delusion was in the mind of

Lord Buddha, it’s mean, there was no notion of Ghost existed.  = As such notion

was not exists in the first place, no such image, let alone the word exist there.

No ghost exist, and its source, the Self itself neither exist.   Therefore, not only the notion

of Self, but the attitude to recognize or mind it shouldn’t be there.    Hence, in this respect,

Lord Buddha was very strict, even harsh.   When somebody who couldn’t understand

the imprecation of No Self, made a question “What happens after the person’s death ?”

its question was completely ignored. —– (There was a description in the Agama Sutra

“Completely stop speaking is same as to kill the person” )

[]

To understand this post, please read “Test of Selflessness” as well.

___/\___

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Wash Grapes

Grape is one of the most ancient fruits recorded in the human history 

though, as it is the cousin of Ivy,  I guess,  in the ancient time its

fruits must be as small as Ivy’s berry.   (about 1/4″ — 6 mm big ?)

Any how, the matter here is not a big (or small) issue at all = the way to serve.

—– In my bad boy’s habit,  there is nothing but a pleasure to steal a fruits.

(Fortunately or unfortunately I didn’t grown up to acquire the pleasure to

steal a woman.   😀  —– before read such menu available

I’ve become a monk (?)  —– how shame,  what a boring life isn’t it ! )

[]

To pick  and eat a fruit in the (Somebody else’s) garden, I wouldn’t be bothered

to wash it while presuming that the dirt has been washed away by the rain, and

no human hand ever touched it anyway. 

Though, when I bought it from a shop, I suspect it has been handled rather

dusty condition hence they are not clean. —– So, how to wash it ?

Long before,  I was washing the bunch of grapes under a jet of water then later

changed to wash each individual fruits —– I mean one by one,  since when

I noticed some time, some of them were covered with quite stubborn film of dirt.

( Remember, we eat grapes with its skin !  —– Japanese grapes can be skinned !  )

And these days,  I separate each fruit from a bunch and wash them in a plastic

bawl under the running water while make them well rubbing each other.

[]

Considering the amount of dust we are inhaling and eating, which may consists

sand or dried soil, even dried dog shit etc etc, without  knowing,  some dirt on

the occasional grapes wouldn’t make any concern.  —– So,  is this a matter of

principal or most likely the personality ? —– A kind of contemplation such as

“Resisting the dirt would be useless” may have an effect still,  the sense of 

cleanliness came from one’s up-bringing, and IS the one’s second nature.

[]

So, as a practice, how about the point of  so-called “Mindfulness” or “Middle way”

= how can we be “single-minded” and in the same time “be tolerant”.

(Is it a funny question ? )

If you think this is a funny question,  your understanding of Buddhism was wrong.

Wrong in the “Thinking” of  both  “Mindfulness” and the ” Middle way”.

[]

We don’t need to think about how to wash or how to eat grapes.   We should just Do.

= Wash or not wash what so ever you Do, IS a reflection of WHO YOU ARE.   As you

are born to be under the own Karma,  to follow it,  is the most natural way to live.  

And to be natural, need no thinking = just to be the own.  

No thinking or no conscious mean no Self is there.  And no Self,  no conscious mean

no intentional thinking NOR being not natural,  hence no over doing = Middle way.  

Without the Self, still able to do what necessary to Do, IS the Mindful way.

In fact, all the teachings of Buddhism are [ To be done without conscious ].

= Live without a conscious of Self IS Selfless.  Do without thinking IS Mushin.

When you Do the thing, there are no other things in the mind IS Mindfulness.

And when you Do,  no intentional thinking is there, therefore

Do only naturally you need to Do,  IS  Middle way.

If you are Doing something special to be a Buddhist,  IS not Buddhism.

[ Buddhism is Do nothing special, Think nothing as Thinking.

This IS why, Buddhism mean the VOID.  —– And this was what

Lord Buddha taught though, it was not fully understood by even

the author of scripture. ]

___/\___ 

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Daddy Long Legs

————————   HEALTH-WARNING = NOT suits for Squeamish person  🙂   ————————-

M

M

M

M

M

Well, this is about a visitor here / Daddy-long-legs.  🙂

In principal, I don’t discriminate any life form —– though, in practice,

I’m not welcome any visitor here. (Before, I invited the person to come and

see my work here.  Though, since I started this blog, I just tell the person

“Just look into my Blog and Youtube”.  Yet still, insects are kept flying in and

I knew the Spiders must be somewhere —– though, I didn’t expect to see a

Daddy-long-legs in my Kitchen.  =  She hanged on the inside of a fruits bag.

But, how she came here — walk-up all the way,  outside wall  ?  

Or born and had been living under the floor board  ? 

(Photo Left /  F5.6 ,  1/60,  ISO 3200.   Photo Right / with Flash,  F16,  1/100,  ISO 400

by Canon 100 mm Macro F 2.8,  5D Mk-III )

( Part-enlarged Image —– It is an incredibly designed piece of mechanism ! )

Well, —– not so pretty face to watch.  😀

Though, she might not wish to born as a Daddy-long-legs, and a Hindu person

may even say that she could be a woman before !     Who knows.  

—– still,  what so ever, she is an amazing creature !

(How she could sense and catch small insect ? — by eyes or detects vibrations ?)

(To see how she hunt other insect,  I should watch her all through the night

though, I’ll do it one day in my next life. —– I guess, somebody must have done.

= Isn’t there any video clip “Hunting of Daddy-long-leg” in YouTube ? )

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B/W Photo

Well, not quite.  Never mind, it’s a sort of.

They are  x10 Macro shot. —– In order to have something significant image

out of bird’s feather, it needs to have  x50 magnification.

I still couldn’t figure out “How bird can make a egg” —– I mean

it’s technological aspects.

Not mention, How their Feathers were made ?

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Walk on Greenwich (2)

Those photos were taken same time as the previous post,

and this is the group of flower images.  Yes, it’s the spring.

And yet more Magnolia.

This is a Rhododendron ! —– It’s crazy.  Rhododendron in March ? ? ?

And this is a Catkin though, I don’t know the Catkin of which tree.  🙂

——————————————–

Those photos were the odd addition. —— round the corner of the town.

Time to time I see Olive tree, still to see it fruiting was very rare.

By the way, this is my 600th post still, nothing special

= life just goes on as Zen.

___/\___

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