Funny Invention — Creativity or Tradition ?
A toy and the Computer-game manufacturer Bandai
announced a new product called [Smart Pants] a day
or two ago in Japan. It is a cover to protect
the Home-key on iPhone.
As the photo shows, they are the small pants to put on
an iPhone —– I don’t know if Apple says it is an insult.
Ha ha ha. 😀
It is a simple item, you don’t need to use any of your
brain to figure out what it is.
[]
A sort of stereotype, you might think Japanese is a serious decent people though,
don’t forget they are the creator of many notorious Anime Characters or gaming
figure such as Pokemon too !
So that a kind of people who interested in such as Zen culture, and the fan of Japanese Comics /
Manga has been having completely different perception toward them.
—– And then, when those people visited there, they utterly amazed by the mixture of their
real face. —– So, in certain extent, even a monk in a temple speaks like a character
in a comics or to say they resort to the colloquial expression what the people speak.
—– in fact even a son of priest grown up with those comics and the games when
he was a child. 😀
[]
So, if you are knowledgeable to The Zen culture or Japanese tradition, you are rightly to say,
what on earth, how the same Japanese able to conceive and created such outrageous characters.
= it is because your study has been one-sided, ignoring such as the popular culture
among the population, even in the Shogun era = Edo period.
(You might have seen hugely exaggerated Pornographic Utamaro printing, which has been mass
produced and widely circulated right under the nose of Samurai Authority 🙂 )
Heavily Buddhist’s Feudal Society didn’t exclude or suppressed the creativity of the people.
In fact, the ruling class, even some of the local Lords were showing off and enjoying their
extravagance, such as Lord Date was famous of his extremely flashy colourful Kimono and
organizing extravagant parties even attended by the Shogun.
= hence the word Date was established to describe Flashy fashion and such a person.
[]
Well known Kabuki Theatre, the word Kabuki originated from a word Kabuku
= incline (or even twisted) —– extreme costume, the exaggerated make-up
and the special way of voicing created a kind of caricature on the stage.
= utterly unrealistic still realistic in symbolic way.
This kind of double meaning and the double context is always in the Japanese culture such as
in the Poetry and in Haiku.
The more talking about the full blossom of Cherry, it is in fact emphasizing
the fragility of human existences.
So, while producing something serious, in the same time giving a hint of mocking
was seen as a wit or humour and often it was used as satire against the authority.
[]
In this long tradition, Japanese are pretty good to conceive utterly outrageous fun.
The design of Humanoid Robot was started in this context. And the pretty outrageous but
utterly useless Chin-Hatsumei / 珍発明 (Funny invention) is to name but few of
those example. 😀
So, when Bandai got a project to design a protective cover for iPhone, to conceive a pants
wasn’t a big leap for them. (I know, they are pants :-D)
You might say, it is not in a good taste or very decent etc etc —– but, otherwise it didn’t
create a stir nor took your attention. = (Otherwise you didn’t even notice it !)
Whether I would buy or not (before considering it, I have to see, I don’t have iPhone 😀 )
still, it seems a fun. Why not. (They are sold about £2 each, but may be only in Japan)
—– strangely you may noticed, a joke or metaphor of Zen Master is often very
direct and bad taste too. 😀 (He might say, such consideration came from
timid small fear) Why do we need to afraid of PANTS.
I like it. (but except your pants)
___/\___
[]
Folded Bag
I got notoriously bad (or very good = depend on how you see it) habit to picking-up something
interesting on the street or from a rubbish-dump. It could be a discarded electric device or a
part of machine of which I’ve been looking for years, or something useful in my future projects.
(Sculpture featured in this blog, [Buddha 2009] was made by the discarded aluminum pipes,
kinetic piece [Cupidon] in my Youtube (kinetorori) is powered by a motor from a cooling-fan
I found road side and the motors rotating [Virtual Woman] came from Micro-wave Cooker, not
to mention a nude figure [Suppon-pon] 😀 😀
Virtually everything, but few exceptions were such as Chinese Toys I bought for £1 :-))
In order to carry it back, I always have some spare bag stashed in my pocket or
in my back-pack. —– may be three bags in the back-pack, one or two in my jacket’s pocket.
It’s the same idea to a motto of the Boy Scout “ Be Prepared” 😀
[]
To stash a plastic bag, they got to be neatly folded like the one in the photo.
In one occasion, when we Japanese friends went to a park and try sitting there, we noticed that
the ground was a bit wet. So I handed my bags to those friends to sit on it.
Among those friends there were young women and one of them screamed
“Oh dear, it’s folded”.
[]
—– Now-a-day, statistics showed that about 20% of male population in Japan chooses not to
marry. —– Everything become very easy to carry-out the daily life without having a wife.
Just heat-up a pack of pre-cooked meal using a microwave-cooker in a Convenient-store.
—– Even a convenient Sex is available everywhere whether it was paid or not.
Those kind of conveniences may be more expensive though, on the end, the total cost would
be less than to have a wife, not mention able to avoid the troubles comes with marriage, hence
in average, the number of kids is less than two = reducing the population further. (Of cause,
the life is not just a matter of cost. —– but this is the situation there. Which caused the
other is a point of argument though, I don’t think Packed food was the cause of single man :-D)
= in obvious consequence, the counter-part, women had to face this situation.
—– So that, there are lots of Magazine articles, Net advices, how to find a man to get marry
and what point to look at. = Good sign and the sign of the man, better avoid.
—– A kind of Psychological profile said, better not to chose a man who fuss about principles,
tidiness, cleanness etc. = “He would make your life in Hell while complaining your laziness”.
—– So that, a young woman cried (implying, I can’t take care of this sort) 😀
(So does, some can fold an umbrella neatly but others not, saying “Anyway it has to be open on
the next rain, why bother” = If this is the rhetoric, we don’t need to bother the life
or happiness because anyhow we will die soon or later. = it’s a choice)
[]
To folding a bag may not takes more than a minute and not much skill is needed
though, it need to have a certain mind-set.
It’s a mind-set aiming it better or ultimately a perfection.
[]
A bag photographed here came from a Chinese Food-shop when I bought a bag of rice, may
be 6 months ago. It’s mean this bag has been used to carry a shopping repeatedly 6 months
(and folded again.) And it is an essential item needed to do a shopping such as in the Lidl who
doesn’t give a free bag. —– Financially, I may not be much rewarded to have own bag
though, the matter is not to save a couple of pounds in total but, I don’t like to carry their bag
which is showing too conspicuous logo 😀 Anyhow, we are getting too many bags on shopping
such as when we buy loose vegetables etc. Too much already, and the situation is bad enough.
[]
To fold a bag is a way of Zen. Whether it has any merit or not, leave a bag in a
messy state is messy. Why not to make it a bit tidy.
Why spend a minutes ? —– if not, could we ever utilize that minute for
anything more productive in the life ? —– I quite doubt it.
A person, even wouldn’t bother to fold a bag couldn’t pay enough attention to the life.
(But, don’t ask me, “By folding the bag, why I didn’t become a millionaire or Prim-minister ?”
= it’s a matter of another mind-set. Aiming to become millionaire need to take care of million
more factors, not just for one bag. Folding a bag is only a start. 😀 )
[]
Zen only deals with its moment. = When see an empty bag => Do something = the best
is to fold and put it in a pocket. — When a moment which need to use a bag comes, just use it.
But not to walk on a street expecting to find something to pick-up. When it comes, it has come.
—– though, no fixed obligation to pick it up.
(But if you interested in, pick up at once = When you go back next day, it’s gone already 🙂 )
= Zen decision has to be made on its each moment. (On its moment, the existence of
spare-bag was known to subconscious, hence to conceive [pick it up] was a viable choice.
And why you were interested in was, because your subconscious knew that you need it.
= no need to dither like “I want to pick it up, but how to carry this back or not to pick up ?”
= ( having a bag increased the flexibility of this decision making 😀 )
[]
After awhile, the accumulated “Folded bags” became bag-full, and got to go for recycle =
recycling people might think “What a waste of the time. Why this guy didn’t just put them
straight to the bag ? Otherwise, he could have used the time more productively” 😀
—– It comes down to a mind-set of the Life. = To live tidy life is a life, still
live in a mess is also a life. = We can chose as we like. The matter is,
to know, which ever we chose, the consequence do comes accordingly.
(The troubled consequence of my habit is, the junk I’ve picked-up became a mountain =
“one day I’ll create something out of this junk” might be a wish-full thinking or
delusion = a curse to live as a kinetic sculptor. Ha ha ha 😀 )
___/\___
[]
YOU or Potato ?
Have you ever seen a bean or maze seed dropped to the garden, sprout.
Or did you ever planted vegetable such as potato, even a carrot in a soil and see them
shoot up. — Yes they are alive in deed. Still, we do fly, boiled alive and eat them.
Don’t make an excuse, they don’t have a sense, intelligence or feel pain = who knows.
(Have you ever been a Potato to make a first-hand report of being cooked alive. 😀 )
[]
We are all living on a margin of thin blue line of compromise and
dependency. We are just be here on borrowed time on probation.
So, don’t preach others with smug face, for conservation or environment what so ever.
= (Before preach, get rid of your cotton pants which was made by forcibly cultivated,
harvested and processed cotton flower, and stop eating vegetable which was grown for
money in a field where tree has been uprooted. ) = Guilty party keeps mouth shat 😀
In other words, there couldn’t be any quiet peaceful life = life is inherently noisy and
filled with all sorts of bothersome trouble. That’s what the life in Samsara is.
[]
Zen wouldn’t make you noble.
Zen teach you how to cut onion, potato (not mention Lemon :-)) efficiently without any
hesitation or wobble. (So does to do the business. Make you Just Do It. 🙂 )
And the Buddhism teachs you who you are = no different from a potato, yet still very
unique one. (I didn’t say you ARE Potato if not very close — a man of half potato must
be genetically very very unique = I never seen one though. :-D)
Therefore, Buddhism makes you absolutely humble and absolutely confident to be YOU.
(as one of guilty party which is natural.) No one is perfect or innocent = What’s wrong?
Wrong is, to imagine you are right, while wearing cotton pants and live in this world
still believing that you are right, is only in your imagination which is called delusion.
—– By the way, I didn’t say if it was a sheen nylon French-nicker, it would be OK,
though I don’t mind to see one. (As I’m one of the guilty) Ha ha ha 😀
(To live in Samsara is heavy enough, yet still, how heavy unnecessary load called Pretense we are carrying.
Still, some people preaching, wearing a mask of Pretense is they called Decency, and keep Pretending it 😀 ))
Let all those heavy load to go, is what Buddhists call [Enlightenment] !
(Its mean, if you are a Potato, DO live a life of proud POTATO
IS the Enlightenment ! ! !
= Even a Potato can get Enlightenment,
why not an ordinary man on the street.
___/\___
[]
Hut Albireo in YASHIGA-MINE
Gosh, I found the Web-site and a photo of the Hut Albireo （八子ヶ峰ヒュッテ，アルビレオ）
(When I searched in English before, I couldn’t find —– I got Japanese typing program only few years ago )
Hut Albireo (its name from a star in the Cygnus ) was a sister Hut of a mountain shelter Takami-ishi Goya (高見石小屋) in Kita-Yatsu-ga-take（北八ヶ岳）, in japan.
—– (Until now I didn’t reveal the name of the mountain shelter I talked, because of my stories often goes too far, I thought, unless the people can verify it with the first-hand independent source, I didn’t like to do name-dropping).
[]Both Takami-ishi Goya and Hut Albireo were originally built by Mr. Satta but later they were taken over by the another hotel, Honzawa-Onsen. And the Hut Albireo was bought by one of keeper, Mr.Kaji who was the chief volunteer of us. In fact it was in a financial mess we keepers were involved in a nightmare as Mr.Satta lost a lots of money in betting. (Not very mountain like peaceful stories 🙂 )
( So, I learned a man’s life’s up and down entwined with a silly money affair, rather early stages of my life, fortunately or unfortunately. —– Since I hate money and gamble :-D)
[] To build the Hut Albireo, we keepers were also worked hard from digging the ground works, to carry-up the building materials (all worked for free though 😀 ) —– coming to the age of stock takings of the life, and looking back to those life I spent in the mountain (from 15 years to 27 years), I convinced that it formed my base of Zen Buddhism.
In fact, I’ve learned the Buddhism in hardest way in the harshest condition 😀 After all, the matter is just do the work regardless even if it is for others. = No Ego required. So, I’m very grateful I did it. Ha ha ha 😀 —– (Such as a work in a building site in Okinawa while I was a drifter, the work in 30 m high was not too high for a rock climber, and the work was paid ! = In comparison to the unpaid work, such as carrying the 50 kg of fire log 20 times everyday (its mean one ton everyday and continued one week ) any other work is easier = who complains =only thankful to be alive = this must be the best lesson and the contemplation for one’s life. Ha ha ha 😀 )
[] So that, to find the Hut Albireo is still there, and the same owner Mr.Kaji is still alive, was the greatest news to me. (He was the keeper who carried 15 ton of log together every year. — the question is whether he became a Zen Buddhist or not ? ) = I need to phone him ! —– Since then, what I found through phone was a bit spooky story that the volunteers, worked together with us (me and Mr.Kaji) around the same time, me and Mr.Kaji are the only surviving member now = rest of 5 were all dead. What ? ? ? —– (I don’t miss them. Any how they didn’t work for cutting log, or carrying up the food staff = all the heavy work. — They did just disappeared. 😀 )
( Incidentally, when I had my wedding, the Ceremony was conducted in the Shinto Shirline Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社) and we had wedding party in this very Hut = it was my biggest folly of my whole life. 😀 )
［］
Foreign Notion
—————- — Tsurugi-dake 剱岳（富山県) (2999 m high)in Winter.
Among the old members of our Alpine Club, since one of member lost 4 of her friends in
avalanche in the Tsurugi mountain —– some Email conversation has been taking place.
In there, famous words of George Mallory = “Why you go to mountain ?”
“ Because it’s there” quoted again.
Though, the nuance in Japanese is slightly different. = It has been treated somewhat
special philosophical words 🙂
[]
—– If there is a field near house, kids or whoever walk into the field. If a river running,
kids or adults alike may jump into and have a fun, swim or even fishing.
—– Is it anything special ? = Mallory meant exactly the same. He meant,
it is nothing special even goes to mountain is just another activity of the
daily life = why not 🙂
But, when it was translated into Japanese “何故なら,山がそこに在るからだ/ Naze-nara,
Yama ga soko-ni arukara da” it started to have (or misunderstood) something special.
(One of the reason was, as the translator configured the words in formal “Translation style”
and no Japanese says like it in a casual conversation = more likely they say
“Datte, soko-ni aru ja nai ?” or “Soko-ni arukara sa”
—– from its style and a heavy connotation (because, Mallory was a famous man = not
a man on the street) the people took “It should have something heavy extra meaning” 😀
[]
When I read the English translation of [Heart Mantra] in the first time, it
literally astonished me how it was simple and plain.
No ghost, no mambo-jumbo left there at all. —– In certain extent,
Buddhism seemed to have lost its mythical connotation to me.
Japanese read Buddhist’s mantras in Chinese written form (with a lots of unfamiliar
complicated characters :-)) therefore the word itself sound literally foreign, not
mention the vagueness of its meanings => giving very mythical connotation.
[]
The situation is the same in most of the foreign cultures, even in a cooking.
= Western people complains, when Japanese boils pasta, it was over boiled to too soft.
In the same time, eastern people complains “Why westerner cook noodle so soft and
make it soggy” —– as they didn’t know what it should be in the original form, they
tend to think “If it was still raw, it must be awful, so that it is safer to cook longer”
and end-up eating quite unlikely food 😀
Mimic the action is easy though, to know where to stop the action needs
to be grown-up in its culture.
(I’ve learned this while clapping the hand in the Flamenco-dance Music 😀 )
[]
On the time of Lord Buddha, I don’t think the most of his followers were literate. And
Lord Buddha didn’t teach them in sophisticated Sanskrit but in colloquial Pari.
And, I don’t think it was a complicated philosophical or mythical thought but more likely
plain wisdom in the daily life. —– it’s mean, when the teachings were written down
after 200 years lapse, it is easy to guess, the teachings were much more formalized and
glorified by the person who were well educated (hence familiar with Sanskrit = Vedic
notions) while following the Sanskrit literature and its notions as a model.
This must be the reason why even in the earliest scriptures still having many
contradictory descriptions especially in the point,
Lord Buddha has denied the existence of the perpetual soul (Atman in Vedic belief) why
the past or future life exists = Mix-up with Brahmanism (Hindu) occurred in very early stage.
[]
It happens even within the same culture, it would be inevitable between foreign culture.
To drink a tea with different mix of formula, such as in India, garlic in a tea believed to be
good to cure the cold. Chinese treat the tea as a herbal drink, though to make it as a level
of Ceremony seems to be an over-boiled pasta 😀
So, I wouldn’t go to the idea if Mallory believed that the mountain has
a holy spirit.—– “It’s just there”
(The reason why the Buddhists treat the Dharma mythical is because
the most of it is unknowable and invisible to our humble eyes.)
___/\___
[]
Being Natural or Be Artful Perfection — Which is Zen ?
—— Left Mug is the one I’m using now. Right is the one I brought from Japan 33 years ago
and served me till 1992 and since it got hole on the bottom, it became a pen stand 🙂
Once, my tea drinking was a kind of Art = as I’ve been drinking 1.5 ~ 2 liters
(3 ~ 4 pints) of tea everyday, to make it, was not just a daily routine, it was
a refined flow of the action.
To begin with, the way to put a water into a kettle ~ ~ ~ to pour the tea into a cup then
drop one or two slices of the lemon etc etc.
As all the actions has been repeated everyday (I don’t know how many thousands times
I did ) naturally each action has been rationalized to the most efficient smooth manner.
So that, once a person who observed this process summed up, “It’s formalized to the
almost tea ceremony like process isn’t it”. Of cause, it was not intended to be a ceremony
but just doing it in quickest and smoothest way. As it is always the same action, it has
no dither or need any thinking, let alone any emotion.
May be this is the way what Master Dogen (道元 / Founder of the Soto-Zen)
has taught = to become perfect to be “who I am and what I’m doing”.
(= Nobody else. Nothing else = this is what Mindfulness meant !)
[]
Sound so far so good isn’t it ? But wait a moment —– ?
To be “WHO I am” = the very one who has been born under own Karma, hence grown-up
according to the occurrences given next by next.
The result is the only one, “me” = To be my own is nothing but to be Natural
(but not necessary perfect), still, “to be perfect” mean the person has to be
refined to be pure = eliminate all the imperfection and the foreign substance
(imported idea or pretense).
This is quite an artful existence isn’t it ? ? ?
[]
Making and drinking my tea, I’ve refined its process to the art level though, one-day in
the last Summer, I couldn’t bother to make a tea as I was too thirsty, instead
I just filled my cup with a tap-water and a slice of lemon. ————
Since then, I stop to make a tea but just drink a tap-water. (I don’t buy any bottled drink).
—- Am I lost an art and the mindfulness, while becoming lazy ?
OR, was that an Enlightenment ? —– Good, good question 🙂
To drink a water instead of tea —– It is obvious, which is simpler and natural.
[]
Tea-making started in the Rinzai Zen temple as Master Yousai (栄西) brought it from China.
Hence, Tea-making is a part of Zen teachings. In comparison, Soto Zen tend to remain much
humble and simple. ( = So that, I’m a simple poor man 😀 )
Therefore, isn’t it to drink water instead of Tea, is more Soto Zen ?
Not lazy isn’t it ?
[]
My answer is = I don’t care. As long as something to sip in the cup, it’s enough.
(with its consequence to drink 2 litres of water and going to a toilet every 2 hours =
flushing out any toxins in the body = no need to have doctor or any medicine
—– it may be true :-))
As I don’t need to bother buying tea any more, this is even more peaceful Life and the Mind.
(and cost less 😀 ) —– After all, I don’t think I was born for tea making.
This is my Zen as I’m nobody else of simple yoshizen 😀
[]
In fact, here lies very interesting question.
The ideal early Buddhists were the one who forsaken all the ordinary life to
pursuit Enlightenment, namely Bhikku and Arakhan though, the Buddhism
took the direction to more inclusive Mahayana = while living in the ordinary
life, still maintaining the Mind-set to be a Buddhist = more Natural life style.
My position is, the matter is not a superficial life style but the Mind-set since
the Mind-set such as Mushin, Ichijo, Mindfulness , Selflessness are naturally
in our subconsciousness, in other words Natural Life-style is not a hindrance
to achieve its refinement, ultimately to reach Enlightenment.
(By the way, me doing something utterly useless, is for fun = Do something on
the hand and creating something new with good laugh is better than just
being passive, such as watching TV or Inter-netting. 😀 )
___/\___
[]
Nattou (納豆) = Japanese food, others dread !
(Photo left ; Nattou I found in a Japanese food shop = £1.5 for 3~4 packages.
It comes with light colored soy-source and mustard.
Photo right ; Mixed all together with added spring onion = just in a minute, it’s ready to eat )
You know, Nattou is the most popular food in Japan —– still, so far, I never seen
any westerner ever eat, let alone liked it. 😀
Nattou is a fermented soy-bean. To make it, soy-bean was just boiled and placed between a
straw-mat and kept overnight, that’s all, nothing else. No trick, no additive, even no need to put
yeast kind of bacteria = in fact, the bacteria [Bactillus Subtilis var. natto] naturally comes from the
straw or any kind of dried grass hence fermentation will be naturally taking place.
( —– though, today the production was automatized in the factory where no straw
in sight = using cultivated pure bacteria instead, still some enthusiast making it
in traditional way )
[]
In nature, bacteria are everywhere, include inside of our body and some are doing pretty good
job helping digestion etc, but others are not necessary so, and cause illness.
Some are working to decompose the milk to make it a cheese, or to make a wine etc etc =
as long as it works useful to us, it is called fermentation otherwise called rotten.
So, fermented soy-bean is = to Japanese, it is a great fermentation but to rest of
the world, it is nothing but rotten. 😀
Rotten, because it smells like rotten and the bean became covered with sticky slime.
(In the same context, many of cheese here smells nothing but awfully rotten to the Japanese)
[]
To eat Nattou, Japanese are mixing it with soy-source, generally with mustard
and finely chopped spring onion — some people even prefer to add raw egg-yolk
to make it more slimy. (how delicious ! 😀 )
As the protein of soy-bean has been decomposed by the bacteria, it is much more digestible and
nutritional value is much higher than just boiled soy-bean. = Hence, Nattou is an indispensable
part of healthier Japanese food life.
And an interesting point is, as Japanese are familiar with slimy Nattou, they also
eat many slimy food such as Okra, name but few.
—– You may not think, Okra is slimy food because you eat them boiled.
But, Japanese eat it raw by cutting it into thin slices and mixed with dried fish flaks and drip of
soy-source = if you cut, you will notice, it got slimy mucilage =this texture is what
Japanese are after. ( I’ll write about this kind of cooking more on a coming post 🙂
[]
Incidentally, Okra is a sister of Hollyhock or Marshmallow, and a cousin of
Hibiscus = all in the same Malvaceae family hence if you clash those plant between your
fingers you will feel it has slimy texture inside = using this slimy mucilage property,
a soft sweets [Marshmallow] was originally created, as its name suggests.
(But today’s Marshmallow is an almost artificial sponge made by substitute)
And using its slimy substance as a fiber-bonding glue, Malveceae plants has been used for the
paper making —– you believe or not 🙂 ) As a matter of fact, lots of food such as cheap
Ice-cream couldn’t keep its soft creamy texture without having those slimy additives.
So, you may read a name of Zantan-gum on a food packages, it’s a slime created
by the rotten Cabbage ! —– horrified ? — Or you accept your unavoidable fate,
and start eating Nattou ? 😀
[]
—– thanks to its pure vegetarian contents, Nattou is very popular in the
Buddhist’s temple menu hence if any westerner had a chance to stay in a temple
= it would be a real dread as well, to face Nattou. 😀
But, I know, to get know to eat Nattou would be rewarded by really healthy life.
To open your mind (and the Mouth), it is the Zen —– ? —– really ?
Yah, —– may be. —- Ha ha ha 😀
___/\___
[]
Clear the Deck for 2013 / Detach the EMOTION
Blogging, or writing in general, it is the process to convert the idea or notion into a separate object,
thus, enables it to be examined as an independent entity. ( on top of much more common purpose
to express it to others ) = like a Jig-saw Puzzle, we have to find, not only matching the shape of
pieces but also its picture printed on, which we can see the rationality in bird’s eye view.
[]
Thanks to given task of this Blog (yes, I regard this, not my choice but a given task I was assigned
— simply because it has occurred on my life — has anybody else assigned as well ? = if nobody
else there, I have to take care, haven’t I ? 😀 ) at least I managed to record the process what and
how I figured out Zen Buddhism in the past 3 years and 9 months, with over 400 posts.
(since, this is the DIY Zen study)
As it is still an ongoing process, I wouldn’t pretend it had consistent unity = far from it, it deviated
a lots, therefore it often contradicting each other. And not necessary having even consistent
definition of the term, not because of mistake but change of my approach.
So, thanks goodness, I’ve managed to come to much clear picture of which those confusion has
been sorted out (well, more or less 😀 )
[]
My basic approach to the Buddhism is the same from the start, long before even I
started this Blog. —– It was to retrace the way and the process how
Lord Buddha found and came to his conclusion as a normal human being, not a
superman or divine figure.
Human brain is more or less having the same function and the same tendency.
As there couldn’t be any super natural phenomena such as Extra Sensory Power (though, I
reserve the judgement about this point, because there seemed to be something still there ) and
the human common-sense is more or less the same, therefore when we see the same subject, we
are able to deduce to the same conclusion.
[]
While I was blogging, there were two important view point came to my consideration.
The one was a phenomenon in the Neurophysiology, that the threshold of our perception
become higher against the repeating signals = I realized the connection to the repeating
action of the Buddhist’s practice which lead the person to acquire the immunities to the
repeating coming signal or same internal thought, hence higher threshold blocks the signal
reaching to emotional cortex and trigger the hormonal reaction. ( Such as if you see
the same porno photo on the wall every day, the perception was desensitized and soon it loose an
impact to arose you with a seclusion of Testosterone = photo become just another landscape. 😀 )
—– (On the beginning, I’ve been putting more emphasis to an effect of imprinting
by the repeated practice, but [imprinting into subconscious] alone couldn’t explain
the origin of Selflessness).
[]
And the other was a neurological symptom that the blocked connection to the emotional cortex in
the brain of Alzheimer’s case, it cause the loss of cognition to see the SELF and the
own possession = hence, loose the EGO, and the Self-preserving GREED.
Some of you may feel rather disturbing with this, because of the connection to Alzheimer’s though,
despite of it this is the very key to understand the MUSHIN and the SELFLESSNESS as
one phenomenon = the matter is to block the Emotion which is causing all the trouble
in the LIFE such as Obsessive Thoughts, sticky Attachment, EGO and the GREED.
[]
So, thanks to Alzheimer research, the mechanism of our Mind has been exposed.
But, to have this detached mind, you don’t need to wait another 40, 60 years =
while doing Buddhist’s practice, you might realized that you are doing it without
conscious (unconsciously hand was moving or automatically chanting) —– once
you see this phenomenon, practice the same while watching this blank-space in
your brain. —– Then, while having this blank-space in the brain (Being in Mushin)
turn the eyes beyond, and see the world in Mushin. = Soon or later, you will acquire
the skill to have this eyes in any moment and in any situation. = YOU ARE IN ZEN.
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In this context, so called Buddhist’s teachings = [eliminate THINKINGS] this Thinkings has to
be understood as [Emotional Judgment] not a logical clear thinkings. =
This is one of the most confusing part in the Buddhist’s teachings.
Lord Buddha ordered his disciples in his death bed
“Don’t believe what you were taught and what others say, but think it yourself ” =
Think logical in clear objective way, and use common-sense, was what he meant.
After all, cool dispassionate eyes = non-emotional, logical thinkings is the key to the Buddhist’s
Mind-set. —– (Without having Emotional conscious, we feel the Brain is blank !
= When we see something in total dispassionate way, we only feel the vision but
not a thought = This is MUSHIN —– still, the brain is working subconsciously )
There is no mythical secret technique which is not achievable to the ordinal mankind.
What Lord Buddha taught was not a kind of Mythical belief but the clear practical solution
—– such as the case of Kisa-Gortami, he didn’t tell her any Mumbo-jumbo such as she could see
her dead child in the Heaven or child would reborn and see her again, but simply made her just
running around and made her to reach logical understandings, that a death is the common
and inescapable truth. = This is the very Key teaching of
[Life IS, to suffer, getting ill and old, and to die].
[And the way to deal with this harsh Life is to learn Buddhism through its repeating practice] which
would eliminate the bad effect of the Emotion, hence able to live in peace of Mushin and Selflessness.
(As I rote above, without connecting to Emotion, the action can be done in
dispassionate way almost automatic = even without the conscious, and without the
obstruction of Ego, Greed and the Delusion)
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—– If you give a thought and review all the Phenomena in the Buddhist’s psyche, such as
Detachment, Detached to the Changing world hence Live in its Moment, Has no Fear of the Death,
no Ego, no Greed etc etc you will realize, all those were the manifestation of NO Emotion (and
Emotional Judgement). —–The man who could forsake the pleasure of life in luxury and the feast
of flesh, and able to bluntly define the [Life is Suffering],
Lord Buddha had no illusion, neither gave any sweet illusion to the followers,
especially his teachings were the one, revolutionary idea which against the popular
Vedic idea of Atman = (Perpetual soul, which has no logical, scientific proof) he would have had
no way to fabricate any another fancy stories. = Hence, the Buddhism in its original form is blunt
and straight, because of it was not considered to be popular but stand on the Truth, as it teaches
Own Enlightenment, not dependent on a Salvation which proved to be never come.
[]
Widely misconceived so-called Buddhist’s [Compassion] is not emanated from the tender
Emotion but it comes from the same Mind-set of Mushin and the Selflessness = see
the situation without Emotion and the Ego, hence able to see the needs of others as if it was one’s
own = then able to see what is the best to DO here = effectively helping others as a result.
= If the one still having own Emotion, the own self-preservation comes first.
Selfless act has no Emotion. And this is why it has no notion of [giving to others]
= NO distinction of ME and OTHER. = in this Mind-set, there is even no conscious of Me and even
Animal or Plant. = This is the True Compassion in the Buddhism.
True Buddhist is not compassionate sweet person but he (she) is the person just Doing what he
ought to Do, without having even a conscious of doing or being as a Buddhist.
When the one has NO conscious of SELF, how the same person can have a conscious
of [I’m a Buddhist] —– And this is the true meaning of [There is NO SELF]
___/\___
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Video Geeks in Wireless Workshop
Wireless Workshop (SPC.org) is in the Greenwich former Town Hall. The members (?) are
meeting every week, generally for a talk shop. (some time to save broken computer !)
To create Video images, there are many approaches, from purely shooting real scene, or use real
image as a trigger or source of secondly image —– to Computer Graphics or Graphical animation
or Clay model animation etc etc ! —– Strangely you might think, there are many different kind
of Artists are visiting Wireless Workshop (some said Wireless Wednesday) —- So, last Wednesday
as video artists came, the meeting was held in their “Video lounge” = top of the building which
was the lighting and the Projector’s room of the former Greenwich theater. 🙂
Photo left is a Thermin (Electronic musical sound generator) and the right, there might be old
Super-8 Cine fanatics. = the trace of how this group is related to such as Exploding Cinema.
And as the Electronic Geeks network, it extends to continent too, and also overlapping with
Linux users groups (and Huckers as well 😀 )
Video lab, and the sound mixer —– even hand knitted small pouch (photo right) said to be a
” Testicle Warmer” and its rainbow color suggest “the Gay power movement” though, I have no
idea how it came here 😀
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