SELFLESS (MUSHIN) in Daily Life

All about  Buddhism,  is the practice of Doing.  Not in the  Thinking.

On the time of  Buddha,  Buddha’s life style was the practice to follow and copy.

To copy how to handle the things,  what to do, from  Buddha’s own style  was of cause,  imperative.

In Buddha’s time  there was no Mantra of cause.   Therefore, other than listening his fascinating talking,

anything else was just repeating same practice =  Daily Life / without questioning or talking.

——————————-

This was the reason how the tradition of pilgrimage started.

Since Buddha was no longer with them, they wanted to feel real environment or back ground of the act, where

Buddha has found the truth or taught truth, as the truth comes through act, not from the knowledge alone.

———- And those traditions are still alive,  such as in a Zen Temple,  everything carried out

without a word or explanation but just copying senior monk’s doing. —— Do the Same.

And all the Zen originated Japanese art practice,  include Martial Art has been taught by just copying

and perfecting exactly the same movement of the Master,  which was regarded to be

the way  (Path way, Road = Dou) to reach Enlightenment  (Satori).

——————–

And this was  how  Buddha’s Teaching was kept 200 years after his Nirvana, without  written  Mantra.

( Hence, to believe the power of Mantra itself,  such as Dharani of Tantrism is not Buddhism )

Just carrying out same simple daily life  without talking,  lead to attain the practice

without thinking = Mushin ( and naturally without SELF),  hence it would lead to attain

Life ( in general ) in Mushin ——— hence to attain Enlightenment and  Nirvana.

( You see Buddhism is not complicated at all )

Complication only started to appear when professional monk try to theorize and glorifying the

Buddhism.  Though, to explain invisible subconsciousness and the Dharma was almost impossible task.

And end up 3000 Mantras.  As ancient Buddhists didn’t have single Mantra, yet managed to attain

Enlightenment was,  just by those simple practices ——- not by word or thinking.

In deed,  thinking is completely opposite of  MUSHIN.    MUSHIN.is Just Do It.

Clear the CONFUSION

While talking with the people who read through my blog,  I found , I still need to clarify the confusion,

which may caused by not clear enough explanation.

It seems, the most confusing part of the Zen teaching is,  the apparent crush of  the Selflessness

and the so-called  Mindfulness. As  this Mindfulness was mistook as the Concentration,  my explanation

of  Selflessness = Detachment /  Mushin  seemed to have utter conflict with  Mindfulness.

———- Yes it seems true, as long as the person is  ” Thinking them as the meaning of the words “.

Here,  the hardest part of the Zen phenomenon lays.

One is the matter of the SELF,  and the Awareness of the Self /  Thinking ——> Not Thinking

——> BUT do it under the control of  SUBCONSCIOUS.

When we do the things Unconsciously,  this is what the Zen called  MUSHIN  ( SELFLESSNESS ).

DETACHMENT  from  the Thinking, and the person who is Thinking = SELF.

( Detached from the Self or own Ego ——– not from the subject to do)

Do the things in  MUSHIN or  Subconsciously, yet fully committed  to  the subject,  is the state of  FUJI / ICHIJO.

In this state of the mind, ICHIJO,  there is nothing else of  the person  (selfless SELF)  and the subject.

——– this is what western Zenist described as the Fully Minded or  Mindfulness.

One of the grave  mistake of the western Zenist was the use of this word, Mindfulness.

The trouble is,  there is no mind should be there. ———– So that, as long as the person mind the

mindfulness,  there can never be the MUSHIN or SELFLESSNESS achieved.

—————————

And this is the fundamental trouble to approach Buddhism by the word and the thinking,  and

exactly with the same reason,  all the Buddhism sects (except the talking shop of western Buddhists) are

using the physical practice as their part of teachings. (You can bang a drum or cut a lemon without conscious,

though  you can’t read or talk without consciously thinking )

————- And this is the reason,  why I have started this blog saying   “Just Do IT,  Don’t Think “

let alone talking about. ( So, why am I blogging here ?   😀 ——– In Hinayana,  I should just

watching the people talking, puzzling, though it is yet another paradox of the Mahayana. I have to blog )

————————

So, it must be clear now,  Selflessness, MUSHIN  and so-called Mindfulness, and ICHIJO  are

all exist in the same time as One Phenomenon of a State of the Mind (of No-Mind / MUSHIN).

All those words are the superficial appearances of the same Phenomenon seen from different angle.

————————

Since the result is much better done in Zen,  the question arose ” Who did this, as the Self was

not there,  WHO ELSE ? ” ——– Hence, ” It must be done by the  Dharma ”

and the riddle of  ” Is SELF really exist ? ” was born.

London Marathon

Last weekend I’ve joined an invigoration party for a runner of London Marathon, went to the

course side in  Dock Land in the morning, taking my camera with me.

Captured top runners, few Japanese runners and fun-runners. ——- then, I waited and waited for our

hero to come, while watching and clicking tens of thousands of the fun-runners photos for many hours.

The trouble was, I didn’t know what kind of guise he is wearing.    Apparently we had phone

communication with him which saying ” I’ll be there in 10 minutes” again and again, always

another 10 minutes. ? ? ? ——- May be the time was kept stretching ahead of him as Einstein predicted.

This must be the revers of  Xenon’s  Paradox ( Arrow never able to hit Achilles)     😀

————————–

While waiting him, a pretty young lady spoke to me saying, she wants to see my dancing as she is a dancer

herself—— it seemed she hard the rumor from her friend who has seen my dancing in somewhere.

I told her to contact me through my blog, as this blog will come up on top of Google search, just by typing

“yoshizen”——it must be the easiest way to remember. ——- May be I should have talked her more, and

pay more attention to the pretty lady though, I had a task to take picture of my friend running, who may

appear in any moment  (and needs to find him among the crowd, in distance)——– m m m.

———————–

Zen works only to the task on front of the eyes or a thing in the hand.

Other than that, which exist in the mind should be treated as a delusion or a noise.

And I was in the fully minded state of capturing the runner—— not a young lady.  (How shame !   😀 )

Someone may say ” What happened the Open-mind” or  ” Just receive it, what so ever comes—– which

could be a crossing point of the Karma” ——- well  well  well,  I may say,  ” As it’s happened when I was

in the fully minded state in photography, but as it happened in not very convenient time —— its mean

the Dharma was not very keen to this. ———(so-called not very promising encounter).Any how, at last our man David has come with 50 kg load of back-pack. (seems car battery etc was loaded)

———- Why needed to carry 50 kg on the back to run 26 miles marathon ?

No reason.  It’s like an engagement of 60th  Existentialist.  This is the Absurd theater.

Most of the people just run and it is hard enough.  Though, in the same time “Why not with 50 kg on the back”

( heavier lord than the Army runners carrying).   Still, Just Do It.  Don’t think too much.

Without reason, someone may born in a remote corner of Africa, and may need to fetch 20 kg of water

every day while walking 10 miles bare foot.   This is the life there, the one has to accept, without choice.

So, we in the middle of  Stone age London, invent something out of any rationality, and do it as imperative.

( You know, 50 kg is pretty heavy and 26 miles is quite a distance ——– how nice  😀  )

This is why I like this group of people / Spacehijackers.

As soon as he appeared in sight, he was sieged by the members and bathed by beers, fed pizza ——-

and went on yet another 6 miles.  Good boy,  Good boy !

(Though, I haven’t heard the news, he got the finishing line. ——- Has anybody seen him collapsed

on the side of the road  ? )   Ha Ha Ha  😀                ( ——->   PS:  Please see the comment)

Starting Point of BUDDHISM / Enlightenment

Well  well  well, this blog is coming to exactly the one year since its started.

So,  I should write something very fundamental.  This is the final piece of the jig-saw.

——————–

Unlike any another religion,  the Buddhism doesn’t have a myth or the story of the creation.

Since,  long before the existence of the human being,  long long before the arrival of Buddha,

the  Dharma  exist from the beginning.   Nobody know why. ( Ask scientists. They don’t know neither.    😀  )

As Buddha had absolute faith and the respect to the Dharma, he refused to give even his

interpretation of it, since it is unknowable to the human being and made up a story is

nothing but a disrespect and a treachery to the Creator / Dharma.

Therefore the Buddhism has to start from here “to unconditionally accept the one’s existence ( as he

or she ) as it is,  and  to see own existence as a part of  the Dharma”.

Therefore,  to give a person’s own  interpretation as a thought of the self, is nothing but an arrogant trespass.

Since,  the self is not definable by the person but only by the Dharma.

——————–

If anybody having an understanding,  that the Buddhism deny the self,  it is utterly wrong.

A person here is the Noble creation of the Dharma,  hence, try to give own interpretation or definition of it, is

a transgression,  therefore such thought has to be denied. ——– (Denying the thought of self,  not

the awareness of the self  itself) ——- In metaphor, ” Appear in person, not by a photograph ”

(a Copy or  Made up Description is not Yourself / its your wishful or distorted imagination)

The person’s  Imaginary Self  is a delusion,  its got to be in flesh as it was created and  it is keep changing.

So that,  to live as the True Yourself,  not as an imaginary fixed self,  is the key.

And this is the meaning of  ” To live in MUSHIN ” and  Just Do It,  Just Live.

So,  this is the starting point of the Buddhism,  and  its  goal.  ( Very simple and easy  isn’t it    😀  )

———- This is the reason,  why it is so simple and ubiquitous like as a dog sit,  but as difficult as

making the people puzzling  2500 years. ( People has been expecting to see glorious secret, Holy Grail   😀 )

As long as a person is puzzling, while expecting to find something over there,  it is not the Buddhism and

far away from the Enlightenment.  Enlightenment is within yourself——- as where the Dharma is.

And when the person abandoned such attempt and start to just live ——- is the Enlightenment.

——————–

But, to learn the way to accept and just do it, the person may need to practice repeating practice.

( I’ve fully explained its effect and the psychological mechanism in the past blog posts —–Please refer them )

Selfless—-What ?

”  Misunderstanding of  Selfless  in the Western  Buddhism “

My career in the Buddhist’s talking is only 10 months long.  I’ve lived my life just as my life and

I just happen to be a Zen Buddhist.——- I didn’t find any needs to talk about other than make a joke.

One of the reason why I didn’t talk about is (any how nobody likes religious talk ) I didn’t know

the existence of this kind of talking forum.

So that I was not familiar with the Technical term  / Jargon of the Buddhists  in English.   Nor, what is

the Western style Buddhism.———- (all of my Zen books and Mantras are in Japanese )

Then what I discovered is, especially from  the criticism against Buddhism  which says

” Killing (or sacrifice ) the Self is no good for the human nature.”

The cause of this misunderstanding seemed to came from the choice of the translation, the word  SELFLESS.

In the East, this Buddhist’s term has been understood as  No Mind  (Wu shin in Chinese,  Mu shin in Japanese)

since, Mind often causes too much thinking (hence indecisive, and too slow) or wrong thinking under Ego,

so that,  get lid of altogether and leave the matter to the Subconscious wisdom.  (In the concept of  Tsu-nyen

in Chinese or  Ji-nen  in Japanese ——Exist as itself / Bore out from itself / Nature.

Which originated from  Taoism,  this Wisdom  is the deepest original nature of the oneself,  and the wide nature)

And this ” Subconscious wisdom is not from the Self ” is a Buddhist’s concept.  Where else its came from.  Obvious.

Though, from the truth of  Dharma, by which we are a Part of it, This Subconscious wisdom belongs to the Dharma.

(—- So What. It’s a tiring  rhetoric. Spread your hands wide,  embrace the  world.  This is the Dharma. )

——————–

Equivalent of Selfless in Japanese is  Mu shi.  This SHI mean private, or self (antonym of Public)

One of the most well known author in Japan,  Soseki Natsume wrote in his book ” The Gate ”

using the words to describe this state of Mind as Non-Emotion,  away from the matter of the

ownership of the Mind.  ( Though, I haven’t found Who taught Zen to him yet ).

( Just for the sake of convenience I’ve been using  this word  Selfless from the beginning though,

as I repeatedly writing  ” Selfless is not sacrificing a self, far from it, it release the one from

the bondage of the emotional Ego, therefore it liberate and empower the life.”

——————–

As I wrote somewhere,   “—– otherwise  Gynecologist can’t do their business ”    The Buddhist’s Selfless

( in its true form ) is almost same to a  Medical Doctor’s ” Clinical Detachment ” or  Sociologist’s

” Value Free ” —– but its having more universal applications to all aspects of the  life. ——that is why it is

directly connected to the ” Clear Eyes “.  ( Does anybody ever heard a complaint from Doctors or

Sociologists of their occupational hazard, Loss of the Self ?  —– far from it, they are getting the

benefit of it by achieving much higher efficiency in their life.)

The allegation against the Buddhism has been emanated from the misunderstanding of so-called  Selfless,

both by the Buddhists and ignorant Critics. ——- As a matter of fact,  even earliest Buddhists had this

confusion,  as they didn’t have the knowledge of the Subconsciousness.   Thus struggle to define elusive

Mind and the Self,  which was taught by Buddha in metaphor.  Considering the followers and the audiences

of Buddha,  they were not  the scholar or epistemologist, far from it, they are the ordinary people on

the street who never read a book nor familiar with philosophical term (the people who was educated was

the Vedic  Brahman—-antagonist to the Buddha’s teachings) so that the complicated terminology such as in

the Abidhama Cosa Mantra couldn’t be in the Buddha’s words,  therefore  they are all later addition

and the guess-work done by professional monk hundreds of years later.

———- Since we have new insight to the structure of the human mind, we need to have correct

understanding of the so-called  Self,  which Buddha himself had observed then.

——————–

I also wrote somewhere ” To do the practice with absolute obedience ”  is not only the matter

for the Buddhists, it is what the life is.

No one can do  Rock climbing  half-heartedly or no  Surgeon can operates  without concentration.

It needs to have 100 % unconditional commitment.

It will kill the Ego certainly,  but if anyone still cringing to Ego, just leave Buddhism or Operating Theater.

Buddhism is to give the most efficient state of the Mind for the life. Thats all.

Who need to ask more ?

.

Compassion

Summer Visitor / May Fly on piece of Plum

Compassion is, as the word suggest,  it’s the

matter of the passion and the deep feeling.

It is not in the domain of consciously operated

logics or like a coöperation  which need to have

a lots of intellectual deliberation in the brain.

It seems there is a kind of invisible

communications operating behind.

Strange fact is,  as every body knows,  we

still able to distinguish if nice smile,  sweet words are genuine.

Even just looking a face we can see the character and what kind of the person.

I collected  20,000 faces found in the Net, and analyzing such as, why those looks  same 2 faces give

different impression.——- It may emanated from a dormant memory in the Subconscious Data Bank,

even from a genetic memory.  And this invisible communication making us almost automatic reaction,

when someone need a help  we give a hand.

I don’t think this is from the emotion which is entwaind with Ego,  but from much dark depth of the

Spirit ( in fact I don’t like this convenient word —– but as we don’t have suitable word, I just use it

for a convenience) it is like a respect or awesome feeling as to be in kinship of a life form, as its apply

to even to a small insect.  ( Except cockroach !—– they are the evil. —–Without our compassion,

they can thrive and survive even after the extinction of human )  😀

Zen Decision

” Decision making without Thinking “

Notion is an abstracted idea of the real existence.

Like a categorized idea of ” Red ” and its Notion.  The person must  have seen thousand of different

hues before its  Notion was established  with  the group name of  Red.  Even if one’s image of Red is not

exactly same to other person, still we can communicate with others using this Notion or Word, since

as long as it has more than 60 % of  the image of the color  in common, we can communicate externally, and

internally  for the thinking process as well.  Its mean the  two system to conceive the object can go parallel ,

one is by the Word (conscious) and the other is using an  image of the original color (Subconscious process).

This Dual System making the Human intelligence unique and making the complication of

our mind hard to understand and elusive. ——— (Hence it made the Buddhists to argue 2500 years)

——————–

As I used to take photos of the flower, we in trade needed to distinguish the minute difference of

the color in different film and the different lenses.  Then I realized my eyes got different perception in

left and right eyes,  since the imaging processors, the right brain is connected to the left eye and left

to the right (crossed connection),  the processed result couldn’t  be identical. (nobody got it same)

And nobody know what is the real color. (So, the industry needed to invent  Electronic Color Analyzer to

define the exact color with the communicable numeric information)

For the sake of communication and the convenience of the thinking process,  we sacrificed the accuracy

and the reality of the raw information  which the senses and feelings  are relying on.

——————–

The trouble of the Notion (and its processing system in the brain ) is, as it uses the second source

informations(as it has been abstracted), it can alienate the reality. ( Thats why we often hear the inner voice

” M m m, its not quite” )

Also the intellectual process using the Notion (as the conscious thinking process),  it often creates own

rule of the filtration or choice of information (bias) and its own logics for the decision making.

So that, when the result was put up on front of the real world,  it can be utterly wrong.

( We tease  it ” Its a wishful thinking “, ” Too much thinking “, ” You read too far “, ” Too much pretense”etc )

——————

This is the reason,  why the decision made on the spot  when the raw information has reached to the

sensory system (see, hear etc) is more accurate. (provided, the sensory is clear, and the

subconsciousness which react to the informations is not deluded)

And this is the reason  when a Zenist making his decision,  he rely on this Instant Judgement.

(So called “Intuitive”  “spontanious” or “first impression” are nothing but this Instant Judgement—–

which is often claimed to be a speciallity of  women——and its accuracy is feared of.)

———- The Zen practice is to clear the senses and the mind, by way of the Selflessness.

Like walking without any conscious of ” I’m walking “, we can make perfect decision, based on the

” Subconscious Data Bank ” (Refer the post)  As we have far more facts and the memory of previous cases,

even the Mythical Memories stored there, we can have far more accurate judgement, in fraction of a second.

(Notorious Zen-mondo of Rinzai Zen is based on this instant judgement——-originally though)

———- we can call this instant judgement, the decision made by the Dharma.

———- sound great isn’t it !—– Yet, if this judgement was wrong,  Zenist would have no regret, as it was

his (her) own Karma. ! ! !  ——– (so, don’t blame me  Ha Ha Ha  😀 )

This is how a Zenist can have less complication in their life and able to live in peaceful mind.

East and West

While exchanging the comments with formidable Theologian Irishanglican DPh ThD and others,

Stark contrast of, probably the best Epitome of the East and West emerged.

Christianity was based on the universality of the pain on the body and the Emotion.

As all the human has evolved from the single ancestor, all the physical system, brain, naval system,

function of hormone etc are all virtually identical.

And the upper system constructed on it, the Instinct, Emotion, most of the structure and function

and the tendency of the Subconscious is more-or-less the same to each other,  in any race.

So that the depiction of the crucified Jesus and his pain strikes the Emotion straight, together with

the fear of death.  On top of this, yet another Emotional topic of the Love appeals to anybody too.

Even it based on the instinctive fear though,  to be as an attractive Religion it is necessary to have

an exit, Salvation and the Heaven.

——————–

In contrast, the Eastern Philosophies are based on the Notion of  Supreme Power who controls

the fate of the individual,  therefore leaving the matters of inequality,—– one may feel pain but

not others and accept the trouble of the life as an individually given fate or Karma.

Then went to find the solution in the mechanism of the Psyche —– to over come the trouble

by shifting the way to see the trouble, and the way to control the Emotion, by proposing

ideal personality and his life style.

The beauty of the Buddhism is, as they found the most effective way to deal with the troubles by

the technique of the Selflessness, which is effectively cut off the Emotion and its detrimental

effect to the life.

——————–

In short, The Christianity after Jesus is based on the universality of the Emotion,

In contrast the Buddhism is based on how to detach from the Emotion.

Is Dharma Directing Us ? / 8150 Story

By writing this I might be punished though, as Buddha himself said to have prohibited

(in one of the earliest Scripture which was apparently written down from the memories of his words) saying, Never show off,  Never show any Miracle or Magic.

Miracle mean a kind of phenomenon demonstrating a super natural power. —– Though, my parents had been giving the advises to the others,  predicting what would happen over them and advising what to prepare.—— Incredibly those predictions were so accurate, and even a MP had been asking the advice such as the result of the Election, when my mother told, it will succeed, he succeeded and told, it will fail, he lost the seat of the Parliament. ——Funnily enough,  they didn’t use this practice to predict like a lottery win saying, it will not work to anything for an own gain as it got be done in absolute selfless state, its only works to help others.  The prediction to my exams of the Hi-school and Universities were all spot on.  Still I thought it is a mambo-jumbo and it driven me to the science and technology side where everything is visible and logical.

——————–

After left Japan I didn’t communicate with my family 2 years, drifting east to west following the wind, as I thought I was a free agent.  Though, when I happened to return Japan, and heard from my brother ( who believed, I was already dead ) that my mother did know and told him, time to time, where I was and doing what, with incredible accuracy,  I was utterly horrified,  as somebody is watching from above and know everything, even reaching to the other side of the world,

we are inside of the Shakyamuni’s palm,  we can never been a free agent.

——————–

Even though demonstrating those powers,  it seemed my parents were not punished.

So, it would be safe to tell even my story. —–(Still, if this blog suddenly stopped, you know I was dead)  Though, my stories together with so much so FACT, could still be a sheer coincidence, as it couldn’t be replicated or statistically scrutinized,  since the life is only once and couldn’t repeat the same again though, in order to avoid any doubt I’ve been keeping all the facts  with the original exhibits.    🙂

——————–

As I wrote before,  this Blog started in the chain of sheer coincidences,  I realized it must be directed by the power over there, which the Buddhist call  Dharma.   I thought, this might be the time I should  write about what I found in the Buddhism.

But in the same time I had a hidden hope, as the nature of the Internet,  I may able to ask the reader who practicing  Zen, to report me their opinion if they too witnessing the same phenomenon, which may prove in numbers of facts, that the Dharma is indeed there and working.

——————–

To my fellow Zenist.

Please look around your life and check the numbers where ever they appeared.

Bank account, Card No’  Phone No’  Friend’s Phone No’  even a No’ on a shopping Receipt, etc etc.   Is there any pattern of the combination of numbers repeated ?   Such as in my case,  they are the 8150 but in any order, like 8510, 5801- – – – all 24 combinations.

For instance,

* My Bank Account is;  0518xxxx

* My Transport Pass:  xxxx1508xxxxx

* Voda Phone Topup Card; xxxxxx0185 xxxxx

* My subscription number of Electronics Magazine Elektor is  118056

* When I wanted to buy DSLR, I noticed the Post Code of Canon Japan is  146-8051

And the Lens No’ of the Macro lens I bought together is  41805 – – –

* And an Electronic Component Manufacturer  ALPS  who I’ve kept using as they are

pretty close to my family home,  their Post Code is  145-8051

* A  Japano-Brazilian guy who stayed in my place before he went to Japan.

He sent me a letter from  Iga-City  which Post Code was  5180834

* When I needed to buy a Printer, Epson R300, I found the Algos Catalog No’ having this 8150,  so instead I bought Canon, then I found the Box sorting Code of this Printer was 5108

– – – – – – – – I can continue this even hundreds more.

(Since I found the production No’  1058- – – – – on the sugar packet,  I reduced its intake to a half)   😀

——————–

This number follows me where ever I go.

——( I’m not necessary feel comfortable, it’s a real Big Brother )

It is not  simply a good or bad Omen  though, it may indicate  ” I need a lot to do with this, Be careful.”

I have number of friends who got this in Phone No’—-they are very good friend and having contact many years and I’m keep giving advise, still never too close,  and strangely they are all left over f the group once I was associated with (such as the art group).

———- So far I never found any another set of the number repeatedly appear as a pattern.

——————–

A man who  said to be a Numerologist saw this number and told me

” In Japanese reading [ 8150 ] can be pronounced as  Ha-I-Go-Rei 背後霊——Its mean The Spirit Behind.

Spirit is communicating you”—–m m m, Sound pretty spooky !—–(you can search < Haigorei > in the Net)

———I wondered, am I obsessed, or Nuts ?   But I didn’t choose the Number, they just came and happened.

The local Iceland shop having their shop code  0158 —–if it was the case, it seems Dharma did know that I’m moving into this town before I did. ——–Yet still, can such things exist ?  Or is this happening to anybody who is living selflessly ?

If this is the case,  The Dharma is with us or we can not escape, as we are the part of it.

———-

So, if anyone noticed the same kind of phenomenon in your life please tell me.

(Of cause, it doesn’t necessary to be a number game, could be anything peculiar caught in your eyes, as Buddha found this Dharma  without seeing Phone No’ Account No’  there must be another clue)  Of cause, the one would say “Dharma is on front of you, To see it, is the matter of your eyes”

———- though it wouldn’t make the very answer.

———–

PS : In addition, I put two more very clear cases happened since after I put this post.

<<    https://yoshizen.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/cupidon-by-kinetorori/  

<<    https://yoshizen.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/99th-post-seal-of-approval/ 

———–

Is Zen, Atheist ?

Among the Buddhism,  Zen has been regarded to be the most Atheistic sect,

since unlike any another sect, they don’t worship a Devine Figure or Dogma.

Certainly, there are Buddha figure or another Devine figures and images in the Temple, and in the Mantras

they read, there are numerous Devine figures appearing.

Yet, they don’t believe not only the Self but almost anything, even the very  Zenism  itself.

And in their Path way, even Buddha himself is not taking significant role because as Buddha himself

ordered in his death-bed, not worship him but his teachings, the Dharma——— STILL they are

one of the most typical practitioner of the Buddhism, as they are just doing it.

Why ?

Zen believe, beyond the Selflessness, the Dharma would be prevailed itself.

To an outsider’s ears, it sound yet another belief system, another object of worship though, to

the Zen Buddhist, this is not the belief but the wisdom to see the Truth, like knowledge of

the Atomic-particles.

Nobody ever seen the Atoms by their eyes,  we only guessing from the shadow of them, still they exist.

Dharma is the Rules and its operating system, hard ware all together : ie, the Existence.

( So that even a Western God is just another idea existing in the world, no contradiction there )

The belief to the Dharma is so fundamental and no margin  of argument left, it is like the Physics

thus, no one can escape since it is the absolute like a fact, Sun is there.

So that, when Zenist is absorbed to (his belief) Dharma, he himself become the Dharma,

and its no longer distinguishable (this is the ultimate Ichijo / oneness), he just look like a non believer.

——– Still, is this a fancy belief, or just deep knowledge or serious insight to the Truth ?