Archery Contest — Zen ? ? ?

There is an annual Archery Contest in a Japanese Buddhists Temple = Sanjyu-sangen-do, Kyoto. (If you are interested in its details, please google > Toshi-ya, Sanjyu-sangen-do ) (the Viz here is the Female Archer’s day’)

What I want to talk about here is not about its history or meaning, but the way how Japanese Archery / Kyu-do was done.

From the Viz here, you must be realised that the Japanese Kyu-do mount the Arrow outside of the Bow, and not aiming the Arrow while watching its direction from the back. Unlike a western archery, cross-bow, or a riful gun there is no “sight” to aim the target. The eyes, the head of archer is the other side. So, you might be wondering how the archer could aim the Arrow to the target ?

Training is to train the body function, its power and the coordination to higher level. —– In the case of Karate, (say, hit an opponent by a fist) the movement and the control is rather simple as it is the matter of the hand’s movement. Though, if it involve a weapon, the coordination has to become a bit more complicated as the movement became indirect. — still, like cutting a lemon, the body (hand) need to keep the knife steady and make its movement constant, while involving rather small number of the muscles, while having the straight feedback of the each movement through the eyes. (On this “cutting lemon” arrangement, even a direction of the knife blade could be changed while the blade is in the middle of lemon.)

Though, the Japanese Kyu-do’s control is incredibly indirect. Certainly the Archer is seeing the target and stand towards the target though, we can not see any further details of the control, how minute adjustment of the angle was transelated into the arm’s muscle or body position etc.

In this field, a book [ZEN in the ART of ARCHERY] by Eugen Herrigel has almost historical significance. (—– though, as the Kyu-do has no mechanical system of the “Control”, neither Zen use the verbal communication to explain how, the book wouldn’t give you any answer how the arrow could hit the tail of the first arrow. But only hinting something spiritual made the arrow to fly.)

In Zen term, it is the state of the Ichijo = Body and the Mind, the Bow and the Arrow, the target, and even the air all became one by abandoning all those. In Buddhists term, it was absorbed by Dharma. = By abandoning all the aim or thought to hit, obtaining the natural control of the Dharma = this paradox IS the core of the Zen Buddhism.

In This extent, the Book by Eugen Herrigel was a very rare and important guide book to learn the Zen. To learn the Zen, an innocent, naive man could not able to learn anything by sitting. Because there wouldn’t be any explanation of Zen let alone what the sitting for. Yet still, that book explain, how to negate the own Ego by exactry follow and copy the way to do the Kyu-do. And the way to abondan even the intention to hit = to become the Void oneself. (The book was written by the outsider = not by Zen monk, hence the trade secret has been exposed ! ) So, the reader could able to learn the mechanism of the Zen.

However, if it was looked at more demystified angle, the control of the Kyu-do might be somewhat similar to the Skiing. Control of the ski board couldn’t be done by just the legs but needs to have all the coordination of the whole body, on top of the snow condition and the topography, even the weather. Then the certain aim or a mind goes to the ski, yet still, we are not skiing while thinking how to ski. There may not be a kind of “The Mind of Ski” —– it could be empty. But, without having any thinking of control, if the aim was goes left, the ski goes left. There may not be any mythical control behind still, in the certain level of advanced skill, whole control of ski or Kyu-do could be done in the almost God’s hand level. —– This advancement could be achieved also under the Zen approach, still, make it thankful to the mythical Dharma or just a physical advancement would be a matter of one’s belief.

—– So, it was the same situation, when I was making aluminium sculpture “Buddha 2009” I needed to find the aluminium pipes for the material, then I found a lots of discarded pipes from a construction site = its always like this happen on me. (What I’m doing synchronise with Dharma —– or they help me) .

.

November Moon

Photo left was taken by 110 Pentax 24 mm lens (heavily croped) / Right was by Tamron SP 500 mm F8 (over the double grazed window, handheld on Nikon Z7)

Somewhere in the Net, somebody was saying that around the November full moon, a big earthquake might occur in somewhere.

May be Might not be.

.

Art or Fun @ Deptford

More like an accident, I came across a kind of street fun parade, which they says Art event —– m m m, looks more like a halloween joke to me.

Many different ethnic groups come together even Chinese, Japanese . . . . it’s good to have a fun ! (and gave a good photo opportunity to photographers) ( but may not be the best subject to W lens-B)

.

Fall or fallen

I’m still using Canon 5D-MkIII — for indoor copy work etc. So, this one by their 40 mm lens.

But, this one by 110 Pentax 24 mm with extension ring on Nikon Z7.

To annoy you, this photo was by W lens-B on Nikon Z7.

By W lens-B

By W lens-B with extension ring.

Also W lens-B with extension ring

By 110 Pentax 24 mm lens with extension ring

Also by 110 Pentax 24 mm lens with extension ring

They are rather lazy shooting. Sorry. 😀

.

Aster aster

In anywhere, the Aster seems to be a flower of the Autumn. There said to be many variety of Aster though (one of them said to reach 2 m tall) to my eyes all the Aster looks identical.

And Aster is one of the most humble flower, almost come down to a weed. = almost, yet she was not common enough to be a weed.

Photo left was taken by W lens-B and right was by 110 Pentax 24 mm lens on Nikon Z7.

So, the same question, why I see the same flower on the same spot every year —– why I don’t see a bit different variety ?

In Japan, this flower was always seen to be a synonym of the pure innocent girl. (now, it must be a rare, or even endangered species = so, the flower receiving even more isolated romantic dream — of a boy)

.

October Moon

This photo was taken by 110 Pentax 24 mm lens on Nikon Z7 and it was heavily cropped and enlarged. I don’t like the noise in the Nikon Z7.

It was this early morning —– very very early 4:00 morning, I found a moon. Strangely you might say, this was the first time I saw a moon in this phese = because, to see the moon in this phese, it has to be very early morning.

Yet still ? ? ? —– I wonder why ? Why I haven’t seen it before ?

.

Healthy eating – Paradox

I don’t have any ism other than a habit in my character which is a kind of cleanness = loath to touch anything filthy or dubious = originated from Japanese Shinto. I wash my hair just with a water = use a shampoo may be less than once in a month. I hate to expose my skin to dubious chemical more than a dust in my room.

But I eat something a vegetable in the Brassicaceae family is a matter of my taste = not a kind of healthy concern or any ism. And eating frozen sprouts instead of flesh broccoli or daikon etc, was, I’m just lazy. (You may disappointed to see me not so keen = = = Here is a wise rule, this is the problem of the mind = “If you are too serious, you tend to fail / if your mind was stuck, you loose the ability” —–> Make eating it to almost a unconscious habit which origin was forgotten = = = It IS the same, “If you are too serious / wary too much of your health = you became ill. — This paradox is common with Zen Buddhism !)

I was eating boiled sprouts with salad cream with the same laziness. Once I bought a “light” type salad cream then noticed that such product was something unnaturally plasticky and realised that to make a similar textured, tasted product without using original ingredients, there must be a lots of dubious chemicals and the ingredients were used for a factory production.

Basically, the western food life is dreadful. Eating looks healthy whole grain bread but with animal originated fat (butter) — even worse with trance fatty acid “Margarine” etc etc. —– So, I don’t buy processed food. (Don’t ask me Miso, Suger etc were not processed food ?)

Instead to use salad cream I’m making Miso based Paste = Miso, Chinese Chilli bean Sauce, pinch of Sugar and a bit of Vinegar —–> mix together. (I hope those products were produced in traditional way without using dubious chemicals) (Am I asking too much or ignorant ?)

The paste I made here was also good for other cooking such as Oka-kurage, boiled Daikon etc. —– may be I should make a lot and keep it in a jar for a quick serve to each breakfast = may be safe to keep for a week or two.

Before we start to talk about Eco, Health issue etc, we better look around and think deep. = In order to make a 16 years old Swedish girl who said that she dosen’t want to pollute the air by jet flight, to appear the UN, while 4 times more jet journeys were needed for her staff and her father to travel !

While this girl accusing Japan etc for their coal burning power station, making an exception of China who is the scond largest poluter by their coal burning, saying that they ARE the developping country. (Are they = who said so ? ) We need to see the truth behind the hypocritical farce. And see who is behind her campaign.

That’s what we call deceptive performance, in another word, fraud. 😀

.

W Lens-B

Thanks to the advancement of the technology and the use of the image recognition system etc, alongside the advancement of the optical design x optical plastic = we may find many usable aspherical lens in many devices.

So, I got a plastic lens and I made yet another W lens for my camera. —– using the same idea of 2 cutted half lenses put together.

The effect was more or less the same to W Lens-A but the bokeh is a bit more prominent.

Basically those lenses were designed for omnifocus, yet still a close-up extension ring works well. (omnifocus works only within a limit) 😀

Whether you like them or not I don’t care. I’m quite happy with them because, I feel that the image is much closer to what I’m living with. 😀

.

Further modification

As I mentioned on the previous post that the 110 instamatic macro lens needs the helicoid focusing —– I did the work.

Photo right showed the finished work together with 60 mm Extension ring = both Rear lens cap and a camera body cap were fixed to the left over can !

To put a focusing helicoid, the barrel (water can) was cut first (Photo left) The internal diameter of the can happen to be 64.5 mm which was about match to a 58 to 62 mm step-down ring = so, it was connected to a 25 to 55, 58 – 58 mount focusing helicoid from China. Then they were connected to the Nikon Z with 58 to NZ reverse adaptor. (Its mean, to use a 58 mm reverse ring, the lens can be connected to any other camera as well)

Here, everything was conveniently happened to match well. —– in this kind of the work, it is always the luck of “Happen to be” works. When you need, you may find coveniently matching component etc or got pretty good idea etc ( —– If it was not on your case, think about = you might be rued to the God in your life. ) 😀

Photo left = Helicoid was shortest 25 mm, Middle = Helicoid was 55 mm, Right = + 60 mm extension ring

With this modification, the size of the subject could vary from 6.5 mm to 9 mm (x5.5 ~ x4) (with extension ring 5 mm – x7) and the focusing became very easy. = I did Nice job.

.

Cicada ?

I don’t think we can see a cicada in this country —– other than a its tiny cousin called Froghopper. —– still, I never seen such highly decorated costume on them ! = I was very impressed !

The photo left showes the size on millimeter scale = about 6 mm. Note the size of her hind leg that was where her nickname Froghopper came from.

While tidying up the desk I found a small dead insect among the dust. For most of the eyes, this small bit may not have any significant meaning though, I came from the country where the noise of cicada singing fill the air of sommer all the time (even in Tokyo area) I wouldn’t miss “I know you well” —– the insect was not exactry a cicada but a kind of froghopper. Still, they got the typical same shape.

So, the 25 mm 110 Instamatic Camera lens, reverse mounted to the can which can give about x6 magnification = the result wasn’t too bad for a cost nothing junk —– (may be I should give a helicoid focus on top for a ease of focusing.)

.