Thought on MARATHON — SUFFERINGS
Tomorrow, tens of thousand of people will run for London Marathon.
Quite few of my friends did it and till some years ago, I was thinking I’ll do too though,
I’m becoming aware, better not.
( I can invent hundreds of the excuse not to do = it’s mean to think about itself is utterly a waste of
time.= So that, in accordance to my Zen Moto [Just do it] => Just think not. Ha ha ha 😀
Therefore, in my peaceful mind — Marathon ? What Marathon ? What a nice day !
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Why people run for such enduring action which is not even their imperative, which is,
some said useless action. = Of cause, some are running for the Champion Medal and some are running
for Charity though, bast majorities are running for a sake of just running, or even for a fun.
What is a fun while giving 50 km or so torturing, punishing task to the own body ? —– of cause, as
I used to be a member of the Alpine Club, I know what it is, as we did similar training and above all,
we did pretty similar body punishing long walk in the mountain, often carrying 40, 50 kg of lord on
our back. —– and we mountain climbers were always making joke
“ What silly things we are doing 😀 ”
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Then give a thought or two. —– ? ? ?
Have I, have we ever had an easy life ever ? —– We, the greedy creature, the human,
always assess an action in comparison to the gain though, is this kind of view true ?
For a sake of convenience and to have an quick answer, we Buddhists having a tendency and good
excuse to end the argument, we have pretty nice story to convince ourselves into contented, which
called Enlightenment 😀
—– See this in reverse. = Need to have an excuse to have a peace of mind is,
because it is not in a peace at all isn’t it. 😀
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In Lord Buddha’s teachings, life was defined as SUFFERING (how nice). Yes in deed, this is true.
So, a training is the training for this unavoidable enduring life. = training for the Marathon but the
Marathon itself is a training to face a situation in the life.
June in every year, we members of our High School Alpine club had a special stamina training for a
preparation for a summer climb while carrying 40 kg of stones to a 900 m high mountain top,
starting 6 o’clock morning, reaching the top about mid day.
It was on a ridge called Baka o-ne in Oh-yama, west of Tokyo. Why it called Baka o-ne, Nut’s ridge
is, it is just one continuous boring climb, no respite = makes anybody just fed-up.
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While carrying 40 kg of utterly useless stones, I cursed every single step “What am I doing.
How silly I am. Ok, on the next step, I’m going to through this stones away and shout to the leader
“ Kill me here, I’m out” — on the end we reached to the top AND came down with empty ruck-sack,
that was all. (Since many clubs are doing this many years, the mountain top having tens of tons of
round shaped river stones, which makes innocent walkers just puzzled. “How come ?” 😀 )
( Soon or later, I tired to complain = after all, to join the club and came to the mountain was my
choice. I’ve gained a kind of contemplation [Just walk] otherwise I shouldn’t have born to this
world. — And I continued this, while keeping Mountain shelter as a volunteer, we had to carry-up
the food staff for the lodgers of up to 300 people a night, without receiving any money, far from it,
we had to spend our own money to get there Kita Yatsuga-take.)
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Anyhow, the life is the suffering 😀 But, if we have a training while having heavy punishment
to the physics and to the mental strength, we obtain good resilience to a cause of those sufferings.
To over-come the endurance of Marathon, the person gain the proof in the fact, I did.
And this proof gives the person a confidence = I can do, because I have done.
This confidence brings a peace of the mind = Don’t worry too much, it may not
as bad as the Marathon. 😀
So, it is a good news, it wouldn’t be in vain.
Enjoy a running. Have a good Marathon 🙂
___/\___
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Talk with Cats = What is MUSHIN
Somebody said “Hey yoshizen, you are utterly nuts, how you can talk with cats ?”
—– Quite often, when I saw a cat, I call him (her ?) “wu Nya” 😀
And lower my body or crouch and say “Oide, oide” (it’s mean, “Come, come” in Japanese.)
So that, my friend who happened to be with me, say “How this cat understand Japanese ?”
or “Can they understand Japanese ? Hey, don’t be silly ” —– then, those friend
was surprised as he saw the cat is coming to me and having their head scratched.
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So, I said to my friend “Of cause, they don’t know what that Japanese mean.
But, do you know, the cats can read our mind ?” “Oh yes, I know they can”
“So, this is it. It doesn’t matter what language I have used on my rip, but my mind,
in fact deep down to my subconscious level, I’m expressing the friendship message
as the same kin. Cat understand this message like a mind reading”
[]
If you remember what I wrote in the previous post, you may be confused by this description.
—– “Deal with cat in Mushin”. —– What the Mushin mean here ?
THIS IS the most misunderstood point in the Buddhism and in the concept
of Mushin and the SELF.
Open your mind, don’t think anything, empty your mind, brah brah brah ——.
They are all just the words, only described the superficial appearance and its observation.
Yes it is true. There was no thinking in the brain on that moment, hence it seemed the mind
was empty. —– still, full function of the body is continuing.
Tea Master is making a tea, Sword’s Master is fighting, I was calling the Cat. = all
those actions were carried out in Mushin.
[]
Lots of amateur Buddhists and Sham Monks or so-called Instructors, Practitioners are believing
and teaching that the Mushin is a kind of special mental state occurred only
when sitting and meditating.
—– Forget the Buddhism for a while. (Before talking Buddhist’s mind, you better know what
the ordinarily mind is 😉 ) = Remember what people say “Talk from your Heart”
“It struck our Soul” “Selfless Love” etc ==== You can understand all those words straight,
what it’s mean. = In fact all those words are describing the same psyche in our deep-down mind
= the pure human emotion in our subconsciousness, without any intentional thinking
= away from political, psychological manipulation, self enriching maneuver or egotistic thinking.
People can naturally feel, talk and act without having any those intentional artificial thinking.
—– Where those Thinking come from, and where those psyche described as
Heart, Soul or Pure Human Emotion come from ?
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Complexed highly intentional thinkings are all bore out of our highly intelligent Cerebrum =
large Brain. But Heart, Soul and Pure Humanistic Emotion are come from our
Old Cortex and Limbic System.
(Which is common, even with cats, hence we can shar the same psyche. 😀 )
Mushin = Mind of No-Mind is the state of the brain, when all those Thinkings in the Cerebrum
were stopped (or suppressed, abandoned what ever the word. And an advanced Zen Master can
stop even the process or Emotion in the Limbic System as well). = Still, some subconscious and
basic function in the Limbic System can be maintained and continue its process.
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Likewise, the Self with its Self Conscious Thinking together with its Emotion could
be disappeared, still able to maintain the integration of the body and its function.
= Thinking was stopped still, subconscious is aware the situation.
In fact, subconsciousness knows the situation far better, because Limbic system
is directing and controlling all the data flow in the Brain. The Cerebrum is only
converting some of those data into the words and to the visible conscious.
(This is why the argument, what is the SELF and whether it is exists or not was started.
And the typical Mahayana Expression [It exists as not exists] was invented).
Consciously conscioused SELF is clearly be seen, but subconscious is invisible.
You can hear my word to a cat “Oide, oide”, but you can’t hear the signal
in [Z-band] channel hidden there. (Unless you too a cats person 😀 ).
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PHILOSOPHER (Cat’s story – 2)
This is an old story though, when I got a water flood from a burst pipe of the flat above,
I had to shelter myself to a friend architect’s house in the south London.
Strangely, the garden of this house was a gathering place of the cats around.
Every day more than 10 cats came and go or staying there all day. The wife of my friend
complained as the cats stomped the flower shoots etc etc, not mention their droppings.
She tried all sorts of tactics to chase-off the cats, but nothing deter them keep coming.
[]
I gave a solution to prevent the cats damage young shoot of the flowers by putting many
sticks standing on the seed bed. (as the sticks sticking out every 4 inches or so, cat can’t walk,
let alone to jump down there from the fencing wall) —– yet still the cats were keep coming
by climbing the tree.
While watching them, I invented the nick name for each of them.
Such as [Wu-he] after a character in a Japanese comics as this cat got a fanny slimly face.
(If you pronounce this, on front of a mirror, you will see your face looks smiling with a bit of
embarrassment = the character in the comics was this kind 🙂 )
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The another cat named [Philosopher] was after his habit and he seemed to be a loner,
not playing with others so much, but stay in the garden looking up the bird on the tree.
When he saw a bird, he was making strange noise, like cracking his teeth “ Ka ka ka ka”.
Then one day, I saw this cat actually caught a sparrow and eating it with cracking noise
“Crack, crick, munch, munch” —– M m m ?
There was a sort of say in Japan “Never feed a chicken with bone in it, since broken bone is very
sharp to damage cat’s stomach, causing the cat’s death” — though, if he could eat whole sparrow,
the bone may not be dangerous for him to eat. So, I tested it by giving him chicken wing.
He eat whole of it while cracking the bones and appreciated very much. Since then, I kept giving
him a chicken wing every day. He was waiting me on the garden door every day. (The wife of
my friend hated this and she kicked [Philosopher] out when he walked into the kitchen.)
[]
Then I found a ground floor flat with big garden in the north London and moved to there taking
this [Philosopher] with me though, it was a first experience to him. He seemed to be panicked.
While having second journey to bring other boxes, he escaped through a ventilation hole in the
bathroom. —– what a blunder = I made a lost cat.
Few days later, when I met the friend again, he mentioned that [Philosopher] is
still coming to the door waiting my chicken wing. —– What ? ? ?
[]
My friend didn’t know, I took him to north London, but if the cat is still coming to his house, it’s
mean, the cat managed to go back to the south London within 3 days, while finding
the direction and having 8 miles (13 km) journey ! What an incredible story though,
in the same time, it showed that the cat couldn’t comprehend, I was the one moved out, and took
him to the new flat (while giving him a big trouble) = therefore, no more chicken wing there.
There is another say in Japan that cat never cross a water or river. From the north
to south London, of cause, there is the Themes river. Still it wasn’t a problem for him.
One of the most enduring story of this kind was, a cat in Japan who was
accidentally left behind, did follow the owner who has moved from a
north-western city of Itoigawa to Yokohama, and found the owner, after 2 years
of journey while traveling 600 miles (1000 km).
Nobody know how he could find the direction but simply the cat did.
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There are many myth around the cat though, many of them are not true.
It was said that the cat belong to the house not to the owner. But this is not true.
One of the cat I used to live with, remembered me even after 10 years kept by
others. (When the cat saw me, he jumped up to my shoulder, and rubbing
his nose to my cheek. This is the greeting the animal does each other.
Because my cats thinking me as their same kin, they treat me like another cat).
Something certain is, they got unknown, hence mythical sensory power.
[]
When I talked about this [Philosopher] story to a secretary of a Bank who was one of
my client, she mentioned, one of their staff is asking if anyone can adopt a kitten.
—– So, it was a beginning of my life, living with the cats.
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The old part of our Brain, like Limbic System is common with another animal.
In fact we only got add-on of large brain on top. In other words, the process, the control of
the sensory grands and the basic perception in the Limbic system having the same language.
( Similar to the computer, what ever the operational system and the higher language, still
down to the bottom, they are programmed and operating in the hexadecimal binary cord.)
= by using this channel, we human could communicate with the other animal.
To do this, we human needs to silence the noise coming from the Cerebrum and its thinking.
[]
The stories of the Zen Buddhist communicating with other animal may have
the basis in this phenomenon = silencing the noise of thinking in the Brain
mean, it is to be in a state of Mushin.
Not in thinking but having a deepest perception of friendliness in the primeval
Limbic feeling = This feeling is the common language with any living form.
The most peculiar things about this, the cats can sens this remotely.
Often suddenly a cat came out of dark, and asking me to scratch, or tangling
with my foot. —– How they knew me a cat’s person before-hand ?
(But it seems there is a drawback, the dogs often hates me. 😀
—-– So, I’ve been asking many people if I smell fishy ? )
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Different Perspective (Cat’s story – 1)
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
————- ( Here, I’m going to put a photo of my cat when I find the old film 😀 )
It is easy to say to others “See it in another perspective”
—– in fact I used this phrase a bit too casually and too often.
Here is a very good sample —– How good is because the situation was seen and handled by
[Totally different view point] = in deed, it was made by a cat.
[]
I used to live with, up to 9 cats. I’ve risen 18 kittens bore out of my Tom and Queen cats.
(In fact those two were also 6 weeks kittens when they came to my place —– and I didn’t know they become
mature in just over 3 months and became pregnant = and every 4 months the queen cat gave a birth of 3 litters,
hence all together 18 kittens).
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As I treated those cats just as another person, (simply I don’t know how to treat them as pets) they had
somewhat same freedom like a man. Their only restriction limitation was that they happen to be the cats.
(they became more like a dog character —– Who said, cat is the solitary animal 😀 )
(If you behave and live like their big daddy, and take care of them like daddy does, they think you are the
same kin but just got big body, they keep play like Lion’s cab play with a tail of parents Lion. They are
very playful mischievous creatures. My guess is, neglected left alone cat became solitary sulky cat. 😀
Most of the cat’s owner is believing that be intimate with a cat is hugging them and squeeze them, but cat
hate it = in the nature, they never being hugged. I never hug a cat, but they likes parch on the shoulder.)
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When I was hand-writing a draft such as for an article go together with photos. A cat sat on my desk started
to play with a pencil in my hand. Gazing at the pencil almost captivated by its movement, and rose a hand
and waited the moment to strike. And as the pencil was keep moving try to hit though, to capture slippery
pencil was not an easy play for him.
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Most of you may react “Hey stop it” and just whack a cat to chase off the desk.
Or, some of you might think “Aha silly cat, mistaking me playing and teasing the cat by moving a pencil”.
In cat’s view, he might have thought “ Oh, my Lord ( me) having a struggle to contain a funny
moving creature. I should help him to fight against it” 😀
So, he was offering side support to a battle with the evil pencil. As he had no animosity toward
the pencil, when I gave the pencil to him, he just examined it to see it is dead, he didn’t do anything further.
If the cat was playing with me, he was making eye contact, but not in this case.
(Some time they do a football with a pencil on the floor and they are very fond of it)
—– of cause it was just a guess and I was not doing any animal behavior research, he just came up to my
desk to see what I’m doing. —– When they need my attention, they knew what to do.
What clear is, even a cat has their own way of thinking but in totally different perspective.
We human should have a bit more flexible thinking proportional to the size of the brain. 😀
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Some animal trainer is saying that we need to see the things in their view point, so we need to see the world
from the ground level, looking up though, I’m not telling you to obtain cat’s view.
—– To see the things in different view or perspective in human life. 😀
To start, what we need is [To know how we are imprisoned in our Ego] and egotistic view.
Just feel that the cat is obstructing the writing, is derived from a thought [what I AM doing and its value is
surpassing anything, let alone a cat !] —– is it ? Who, you are ?
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When we need to work together or deal with others, to protect your own interest is one thing, but to have the
job done needs the hands of others as well. = It’s mean, others are also thinking to protect their own interest.
Others might be even more desperate in their own situation. It is necessary to see the situation with other’s
view as well and find the common ground. It is not just a compassion to others, if you deprive others, it will
boomerang to you one day, but this is the Karma.
Karma works in much personal level and quite visibly rational way.
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In fact, to deal with others or system is comparatively easy in our life because you can see them and it is not
difficult to see what they are up-to or thinking.
An heaviest difficulty in one’s life is when the person has to face the invisible counterpart, Fate.
The situation involved was too big to asses and the number of people coming into the equation were too many
to consider. The force acting those complicated situation may not be a kind of economics or politics but the
huge scale dynamism. It is more likely the dynamism of the Fate = Dharma.
You can’t see the Dharma like a western God, as Dharma has no personified shape or personality =
Character or behavioral tendency. Above all, Dharma has no Ego or Self, hence you can’t exercise inference
like to other human or to negotiate.
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If the Dharma has no Ego, you can’t deal with it with your Ego = Only the way to see it, is you
have to see it without your Ego = See it without your Mind = Mind of No-Mind = Mushin.
It is not a matter to tinker or merely shift your view point.
But, completely abandon any view point (in fact, forget everything first, and empty the mind)
= and expose your whole sensory and your invisible perception = use subconscious hunch
===> wait and see. = Suddenly you will see the view or scope which is totally free from your
view point. = This is the Answer. = This is what the Dharma has chosen.
In this way, you can see the situation in much longer term and able to take the measure in much wiser way.
Above all, as you can have much longer perspective, an immediate endurance wouldn’t cause
unnecessary worries as you know the end result will be OK.
This is what we call Peace of Mind.
___/\___
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Humming a Song
While having a chats, how we feel about a particular sound, a friend recalled one of my post
[Spiritual Sound] (click the Link) which he said pretty interesting.
“ Oh yeah, high pitch tone instantly take our attention, and it gives a bit chilly feeling
doesn’t it. But if it wasn’t a rapid warning sound but slowly moving continuous tone,
strangely it makes us a bit mesmerized and feel something spiritual, because high-tone
alerts our emotion “Be careful” and makes us highly perceptive, it’s mean, silencing the
thoughts and open the mind to listen its meaning.
This completely open passive mind-set is what we feel “Spiritual”.
Spiritualism is in fact, a matter of our mind-set, not the existence of the God.
A mind-set which open the perception try to listen and awaits to see its meaning”
” Hum, sound convincing”
” In fact any sound which gives no meaning or too repetitive and boring, also makes our
brain to resign the data process and become blank or open-minded state.
This open-minded state is the essential key to the all the religion”
“ Aha, isn’t it related to the continuous chanting of Buddhist’s mantra ?”
“ That’s right”
“ It’s very funny isn’t it. Chanting Mantra is supposedly concentrates to their belief and
show their dedication, but in fact, it lead the Mind to fed-up and resign. Ha ha ha.”
“ That’s a beauty of the Buddhism. Buddhism is based on this paradox.
The end result to open the Mind is the matter, regardless the approach”
“ Do you mean, fed-up is the Enlightenment ?”
“ Oh, you are almost Enlightened. Ha ha ha.
Fed-up to chase money-making, Fed-up women’s bottoms, Fed-up to fear the Death.
Then convinced [OK, never mind Life just goes on] is what all about the Enlightenment.”
“ Ha ha ha, it’s really a Dog Shit isn’t it”
“ Yes, Dog Shit are everywhere. It’s called Universality of the Darma. Ha ha ha”
[]
Then the other, mentioned “ Oh, there was a TV program. A scientist try to investigate
what our brain is configuring the information, he try to learn Tight-rope Walk, and found
a humming a song would help learning the body balance”.
“ Well spotted. Whether the sound come from external source or from inside, it stimulate
our sensory. But, if it has no meaning, our brain resign to process its data, and became blank.
Still, if he was on the rope, body’s motor region have to control the body balance, but
without any disturbance of noise such as a fear to fall or a conscious of that the TV camera is
watching. Humming signal chased off all the evil thoughts. Ha ha ha”
“ Oh I see, was that’s the reason”
[]
“ Oh, do you remember the time, when you had a long walk or doing a boring manual work,
suddenly an old song came up to your mind, and it kept ringing in your mind, or you were
just keep humming it. I remember when I was having long long walk in a mountain range,
the same song on a loop all the day, and I walked like an automatic musical toy ”
“ Oh, yeah. I remember it happened many times”
“ It must be the self protection or a remedy to deal with, otherwise intolerable situation”
“ Sounds not very happy isn’t it”
“ Yeah, but that’s why our brain filled our mind with the same repeating song, and avoided
us to fall into a mind crunch. Blank mind can leave the body to just carry-on the task.
So that we could survive”
“ May be”
“ No, it’s not may be. Blank Mind is the Key to deal with the situation best”
[]
In the public perception, the words [Blank Mind] sound not very promising.
So, the Zen Buddhists found better word [Mushin] 🙂
In fact, this [Mushin] can deal with everything better, because even the conscious mind became blank,
still all the necessary data processing are automatically carried out.
While the Scientist was on the rope, his conscious brain was occupied by a humming song and let the
subconscious motor region to control body movement, with no interference from the useless thoughts.
While walking in the mountain, a song in the mind eliminated any thoughts to blame the
situation, still all the necessary knowledges and the control of the body kept functioning.
When you need to find a new tactics or to be creative, let the mind become blank, hence, no useless thoughts
still all the necessary data of which the subconscious has been storing are available to deal with the needs.
As a matter of fact, they automatically do far better job than ourselves.
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So, to resign thinking and put the Mind into the Blank Space, would bring better judgement and the
better way to live. —– (Time to time, it’s better to hum a song than occupied by worries = humming a
song, may work better than Zen sitting, as it brings [Mushin] straight 🙂 )
And this is the reason why the Musicians are often having very close understanding of the spirituality.
( Except the case, some times they got the feeling of spirituality mixed-up with the trance by a drug)
___/\___
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MEANING
Looking into the Stats page of my blog ( well, it is only a Stats I can access —– unless I ask my
hacker friend to hack into other’s blog site I have no idea what others’ blog environment) —– the most
interesting thing which provoke my thought is what [search term] the reader has used, and end-up here.
As I wrote before, quite few of them are obviously intended to seek porno site, may be because I often use
rather naughty choice of the sexual words. ( my friends said , it is not MAY BE but obvious facts —–
Because, I hate a pretense to be a kind of holy thinker. —– I rather stay to be an old dirty man as
many of us are = sorry folks. ( or you may say, only you are different.) 😀 )
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[ Self awareness starts from looking into our own shit ] = to see what has been digested and
what wasn’t —– if you actually do this, you will find that the vegetable you eat raw, comes out as it is
= pretend to be natural, is often having hidden reality = how you lost the weight is not because it is healthy
but simply your body couldn’t digest them = effectively eat less.
Head-big thinking, boasting buzzwords has exactly the same situation.
( A loss of libido may not occurred because of Buddhist’s enlightenment, but simply because eating
so-called Buddhists humble food which caused Malnutrition. Ha ha ha 😀 )
[]
Among the search term, what caught my eyes were [Meaning of Lemon Zen] = it’s must refer to
one of my old post [Lemon Zen] —– ? ? ? But what is the question ?
My old post has explained how a practice (actual body movement) affects our brain activity
= which lead to vacates the thoughts = and lead to have the state of Mushin (Mind of no-mind).
There is no meaning in the practice. As all the Buddhist’s practices are, the practice itself is, just a
body movement and has no meaning at all.
So that, in a glance, it may looks silly and useless.
Useless, still you have to keep doing it. = This mind-set is, what was stated in the fundamental
Buddhist Teachings, Four Noble Truth [ This teaching have to be actively cherished].
There is no meaning. = But Just Do It.
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Virtually all the Lord Buddha’s teachings were, The instruction. Not the Belief.
Instruction to do. = Because, while doing it, the organization of the brain, especially in the
region of subconscious changes. (This the aim of his teachings =this change is not occurred
by the intellectual understanding which is in the New cortex in the brain.
Subconsciousness is in the Old cortex / Limbic system, where the body movement affects)
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Lord Buddha’s word [ Don’t believe the words, but think yourself] is, because as he had
been teaching what and how to DO, —– as he, himself as a living sample = think by the
self-observation about what the self is doing and feeling. = DOING is the stimulus.
Only dealing with this, is what called Mindfulness.
=== Without having this DOING, but — what to think about the meaning ?
—– What is the object or issue to think about. —– In this context, the word of
Lord Buddha = [Think yourself] may be understood as [Grasp yourself].
Lord Buddha meant not abstract thinking ( which many of you might be misconceived)
but the brain activity occurred only in the moment, while DOING it.
Because, the abstract thinking had been already defined as a Delusion.
And the Truth of that there is no fixed situation, had been already taught.
( Disciples were expected to have fully understood those teachings )
[]
So, again, there is no meaning in cutting a lemon. —– Just Do It.
( And have a nice cup of tea = it comes with a peace of mind 🙂 )
___/\___
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Words and MIND
To think about the MIND matter, naturally I had to think where the Mind originally came from.
Our internal drive itself may not necessary connected to the mind. In fact, majority of our body’s activities
such as the internal organs were carried out without noticed even by our subconscious.
Yet, some signs given off, out of subconscious may affect our mood.
When a mood or body’s physiological condition were noticed by the consciousness,
this conscious may be categorized and some of them were given a generalized notion with
its associated word. ===> With only those notions and the words, we do conscious thinking.
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It’s mean, our Body and the Mind are having a Pyramid like structure with many layers.
Yet, not everything are fully connected one by one to upper structure = In other words, our conscious is
covering only very limited area of our Mind, let alone the whole Body matter.
Despite we are having an impression of [highly developed, sophisticated ] thinking process though, in fact
it was done in the pretty murky dark operation. = 90 % of thinking are done, out of our
conscious and it takes (said to be) 6 second to become clearly noticeable form by our brain.
Naturally, we see the Mind matter with a mysticism with the fancy words of, Spirit, Soul etc,
still, Lord Buddha was the one who clearly saw this structure = what is the role of the
subconscious (2400 years before Freud, even when the notion of [Subconscious] was not
existed) and he showed the way to tap-into its power to control human life.
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I’ve been thinking that the evolution of man was linked to the change of eating habit, Fruits-eater to the Omnivore
= then, animal protein induced further development of the brain.
Omnivore is the knowledge based eating habit = to communicate and teach which one is edible = ability for
visual pattern recognition and the categorical memory (notion) was forced to develop
(otherwise couldn’t survive = intellectually selected out)
In the same time, shared knowledges and the projected, anticipated search could lead to the higher success =
verbal communication became key tool for the survival.
—– Naturally, accumulated knowledges could be summarized and lead to have the
abstract notion with word ===> abstract thinking has developed.
Those projected (When they think “Get fish” = fish is not there, but expected existence),
abstract notion (such as “Good to eat” “dangerous”) along side the emotion, created
complexed Mind.
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Therefore, in my theory, the development of the language was essential to the development of the thinking
—– yet still, here is an interesting experiment with Bonobos who hasn’t got a language.
( Or, is it just a Conditioning of their basic desire to objectives ? = not a sophisticated thinking
but just a pattern connected to Banana) 😀
mmm
( An article from Gizmzg site )
App would allow humans to communicate with bonobos
The seven bonobos living at the Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary in Des Moines, Iowa, are
a pretty smart bunch of apes. Among other things, they have a vocabulary of about 400 words
– they don’t speak those words, but instead associate the meanings of them with symbols known
as lexigrams. Using large wall-mounted touchscreen displays, they are able to communicate with
humans by touching the appropriate lexigrams on those displays. Now, the sanctuary wants to
develop an app that could be used on mobile versions of the wall screens, so
tablet-wielding bonobos could communicate from wherever they happen to be.
Read on Desktopor Read on Mobile
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Creative Zen Mind
What can you see in the photo ?
It is a strip of bras metal from an Art material shop.
In fact it is just a cut-off, left-over of a bras panel, yet sold as a material.
Material for what ? —– for Art ? For making small parts of electric device ?
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Some may think to utilize it as a book marker or throw into a bin after twisting it for a while 😀[]
But, flat metal doesn’t necessary to remain, as a flat object. Cut-off piece doesn’t
necessary be a rubbish = They are the stereotypical preconceptions =
If we couldn’t go beyond this kind of preconception, our ancestor couldn’t have invented
an arrow- head out of a stone.
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If it was a Zen question —– the answer could be even “It is the Universe, Sir ”
———- Did you get it ? 😀
If it is a thin metal, it can be easily cut by ordinary scissors, and easily twisted to make a shape.
It can be anything. (Well, in a theory. 😀 )
—– So, here, one of my attempt. This is a kind of 3D line drawing. = Strip of metal was cut even
narrower strips and twisted. If this is still a sculpture, how cheap and easy = This is the beauty of it.
And this is all about [What you can see in a strip of metal]
——– (The face shows different expression with different viewing angle —- I’m studying how and why :-))
BUT, to see it NOT as a strip of metal, but as a 3D figure, isn’t it a Delusion which exists
only in the mind ? = good question 😀
( Here, famous story of Flower Sermon (捻華微笑経) comes = a flower can be the Universe = Dharma.
—– though, why only Maha Kashapa could understood it ? What other disciples were doing ? 😀 )
—– Zen has its completely detached eyes, hence see it no more than it IS, but in the
same time, as it posses no preconception = see it in the Blank Space, it can see even
an invisible = it can be a Truth.
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But, [What is the Truth ?] —– is the big question.
The Truth, which affect our life ? Or fundamentals of our existence ?
Is the Truth which is relevant to our life, is the Truth ? —– Isn’t it a bit too utilitarian view isn’t it ?
How about Big-bang and Black-hole, are they True, or anything relevant to us ?
( So far the historical fact, therefore the statistical provability showed, that Zennist
didn’t find any important scientific Discovery or earth-shuttering Truth to the human
= thus, most likely, we don’t need to worry about Big Truth. We are busy enough to
deal with the handful headache in the dairy Life and the matter of the Self. 😀 )
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(When Lord Buddha was asked about those Big Truth, he didn’t give any answer.
Since then, traditionally Buddhists doesn’t talk about those question, which is out of our Life.
After all, so-called Mindfulness is to eliminate any thought other than the matter
the person is facing up front.
—— Even today, the scientists who is seriously dealing with Black-Hole Theory are not more than
handful in the world = it is nothing to do with rest of us, other than an interesting talking piece 🙂
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—– the choice is totally up to to you = the matter of who you are
= if you are a person to see it as a bare strip of metal, see it.
Or if you are a person to see it as a figure, go for it = Zen is not a fixed dogma or
an attitude, since [To be who you are] is only a matter !
But this [Who you are] is neither fixed or ideal existence, as time goes, the same YOU
may not be the same person on the next moment = try to act in a fixed face IS a delusion.
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So, enjoy each moment. And enjoy a creative moment when it comes.
When something new idea of figure, or even an enterprising business plan came up to your mind, while
you are in the state of Mushin (Mind was open to Blank space) the idea was a product
of your subconscious thinking (generally called Intuition, some called a voice of Heart,
the other even calls it as a voice of God = it could be just a random occurence, yet
it could be a result of Karma) = Why not TRY it = Just DO it.
===> Have a fun and enjoy your creative LIFE !
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Research to the Memory Mechanism
This is an interesting article, I found in [Gizmag] news letter.
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Researchers may have discovered how memories are encoded
in the brain
By Ben Coxworth
13:07 March 21, 2012
Scientists have developed a theory regarding how the brain stores memories (Photo via Shutterstock)
While it’s generally accepted that memories are stored somewhere, somehow in our brains, the exact process
has never been entirely understood. Strengthened synaptic connections between neurons definitely have
something to do with it, although the synaptic membranes involved are constantly degrading and being
replaced – this seems to be somewhat at odds with the fact that some memories can last for a person’s lifetime.
Now, a team of scientists believe that they may have figured out what’s going on.
Their findings could have huge implications for the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Leading the study is Prof. Jack Tuszynski, a physicist from the University of Alberta. Also taking part are his
graduate student Travis Craddock, and the University of Arizona’s Prof. Stuart Hameroff.
The project was inspired by an outside research paper, that described experiments in which memories were
successfully erased from animals’ brains. That study concluded that a specific protein
(calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase complex II, or CaMKII) played a large role in the encoding and
erasing of memories, by strengthening or eliminating neural connections.
Tuszynski and his colleagues noted that the geometry of the CaMKII molecule was very similar to that of
tubulin protein compounds. These tubulins are contained within microtubule protein structures, which in
turn occupy the interiors of the brain’s neurons. They are particularly concentrated in the neurons’ axons
and dendrites, which are active in the memory process.
The scientists wanted to understand the interaction between CaMKII, tubulin and microtubules, so based on
3D atomic-resolution structural data for all three protein molecules, they developed highly-accurate
computer models.
What they discovered was that the spatial dimensions and geometry of the CaMKII and microtubule molecules
allow them to fit together. Furthermore, according to the models, the microtubules and CaMKII molecules are
capable of electrostatically attracting one another, so that a binding process can occur between them.
This process takes place within the neurons, after they have been synaptically connected, to (in some cases)
permanently store memories.
“This could open up amazing new possibilities of dealing with memory loss problems, interfacing our brains
with hybrid devices to augment and ‘refresh’ our memories,” said Tuszynski.
“More importantly, it could lead to new therapeutic and preventive ways of dealing with neurological
diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, whose incidence is growing very rapidly these days.”
A paper on the research was recently published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology.
Source: University of Alberta
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Of cause, this research only found how the neurons were connected = its structure, but not the way
how they are configured as a pattern. —– It’s mean, on future, we may repair half impaired memory
= as long as the existing connection (even if it is not in full working order) is still there.
To create new memory or re-create lost memory is not possible. —– still, it is a good step forward.
We are still no way near to find, how the nerve grows to the direction where the next neuron is, and
to create the pattern which represent [ the memory ].
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Link to the original Gizmag article >>>
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Sitting in Mindfulness — What ???
Just imagine a situation [ Boss shouted to the staffs. “ Don’t just sitting there. Do something” ]
Can anybody imagine, a staff shouting back “ Yes boss, I’m DOING sitting” —— 😀
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Just sitting is an iconic symbol of Doing Nothing, and in deed, doing nothing.
So, how come [ Mindfulness while sitting ] —— ? ? ?
Can anybody explain what it is ?
( I found hundreds of the people in the cyber space saying in their profile = Mindfulness Practitioner /
Instructor —– there must be someone to come up and explain )
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Lord Buddha taught the people, who even not able to speak standard language then, let alone write and read.
All of his teaching got to be based on the common-sense.
Yet still, against the common-sense, there was a wide spread delusion among those uneducated people,
[ A person could be reincarnated into awful animal ]
—– to brake this useless vulgar belief and associated fear, was one of the aim of the
Lord Buddha’s teachings by saying “ There can not be Perpetual Soul ( solid existence of the
Self ) such as in the Vedic belief —– because of the everything exists in relation to the other
existences.
Therefore when the body dies, the soul also cease to exists ” “ One’s death is the Nirvana”
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When Lord Buddha finished a talking, he just had a break = just sitting and took a rest.
So, sitting is just do nothing and take a rest = doesn’t need to even think anything.
When we need to DO something, we may need to use the brain though, if we do nothing
the brain takes a break as well. You don’t need to put so-called mindfulness to take a rest.
Just empty your brain and the body to relax.
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While doing something, we may conceive new idea, new way of doing or another approach by way of
analytical observation. = This is a logical thinking.
But we often, suddenly conceive new idea while do nothing or doing a thing which doesn’t need to think
such as sitting in a toilet or doing simple routine work. = This is a creative conception.
( In Zen term, this state of the Brain and the Mind was called Mushin / Mind of No-Mind )
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So that, Lord Buddha, while having a rest or after that, might have told “ Hey, Shariputra, that must be
such and such ” —– which made them to mistake that he must have been in deep thinking.
This was how a misconception and a myth of so-called [ Meditation ] had been created. But,
Lord Buddha was just sitting, having a rest, and of cause, his brain was blank or in Mushin.
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Hence, the most fundamental misunderstanding of the Buddhism = [ have to sit in Mushin,
yet still Think something deep and concentrating to this, in Mindfulness ] was created.
Ha ha ha 😀 😀
It is the clearest indication of that the so-called Academics and the Monks who introduced
Buddhism to the west didn’t know what the Mushin is.
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So, when you sit, just sit. = It is to have a break and to rest.
Never even think “ I’m doing something holy Buddhist’s practice ” —– while sitting like that, you may tired
to even think about Buddhism = your brain become blank = this is the Mushin = of which you really need.
And never expect, by sitting in Mushin, suddenly should the Glorious door of the Dharma open for you
and show beautiful rose-coloured room. ( Historically say, you most likely find a Dog Shit ) Ha ha ha 😀
————-
You may realized, —– you can’t see the Dharma in your brain.
But they are right front of your eyes.
Congratulation = this is your Enlightenment.
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