Enigmatic ?

People says that the Buddhism is the enigma.

Well, if the person says it’s an enigma, the person knows it half.

Half ? —– Yes the person already learned half of it !

It’s remarkable, despite the Buddhism is in the enigma.

Why it’s in enigma ? = Because the Buddhism is not teaching

the crucial matter in the words.

Why ?

Because, to learn it without the words is crucial, therefore

it wouldn’t be taught or explained by the words.

So, to know the situation and able to describe its Enigma is a

sure sign of that the person did come half way. = It’s great. 

Well done.

(The point of this was described in this post.) = and as the story

tells, it’s point / secret was not clearly understood even by the

Lord Buddha’s closest disciple Ananda.

—– Because the teachings of Selfless or learning of selfless has

to be done in Selfless  = It’s mean without the person aware of it

= couldn’t be told / couldn’t be heard. = Once you consciously

heard the word / explanation, your conscious / Self become

aware of it = it IS a breakdown of the Selfless.

Lord Buddha taught Selfless in this way (could anyway else ?) =

so, the Buddhism was seen to be an Enigma.

[]

Hence, you have to learn Buddhism / Zen in a Selfless way = it’s

mean you just do the practice until you get the Selfless state =

Mushin (Mind of no-mind). 

And when you become able to live in the selfless way, you are

NOT conscious of your state, therefore you can NOT able to

observe yourself = you can NOT describe it in the words.

= So, you don’t know what it IS, nor others know either !

Everything stays in the depth of Subconscious.

Therefore, the Buddhism stays in Enigma.

—– IS it clear ?  (= it’s a paradox isn’t it !)  😀

___/\___

Test of Selflessness (The most important Post)

[]

Ephemeral Evanescence

Beauty in Japanese nature and the people’s life style, well

harmonized with its nature is so famous = so, you may think.

And you may think a famous touristic spot of such as the

Cherry Blossom is naturally there from ancient time.

Well, this IS the biggest paradox or contradiction, even

a trick in the Japanese culture.  = Virtually all the famous

Cherry spots are intentionally created by planting the tree

which was artificially grafted and propagated Somei-yoshino. 

—– Cherry tree has limited life about 60~100 years. 

Therefore, those Cherries of the famous places has been

re-planted 2~3 times since the original Somei-yoshino came.

(simply, when the tree became too big,  they brake and fall)

Because of the Somei-yoshino could only be propagated by

grafting,  unless the tree was intentionally planted,

it wouldn’t exist there.  They are the Created Art.

The situation is the same in those Japanese gardens,

even a garden in the Buddhist temple was “created”

= Still they look like a real landscape in great nature.

(I don’t think, you ever imagined that famous Rock Garden

in the Ryoan-ji temple did naturally exists there.  😀  )

It’s like a Bonsai !    Looks like a great tree in the nature —

though, to create those realistic Bonsai tree, the craftsman

spent 10 even 50 years to shape it. = This IS the Zen. 

The most peculiar things in the Japanese culture / Ethos is

such Zen Ethos has been kept not only by the monk or

religious people but by everybody without their conscious.

Zen doesn’t speak. It have to be learned by looking and to

try oneself. Therefore, what learned couldn’t be explained.

(Because they are not aware of it, they don’t talk about,

therefore, foreign journalist could not find and describe it.

= So, the Japanese mind/attitude/Ethos stay in the myth.)

And the Zen Ethos of impermanence/ephemerality, even a

death has been symbolized in the Japanese Cherry Blossom.

( = Beauty in its fall !)

(Hence, lots of Japanese Military establishments having their emblem

with Cherry flower pattern, and their barrack has Cherry garden.  

And the Kamikaze suicidal-rocket-bomb made on the last stage of the

last war was named Ouka = 桜花 = Cherry Blossom )

[]

Zen and its ethos keep driving the Japanese to even more

refinement/improvement = So that, the next generation of

Somei-yoshino is coming as the Jindai-akebono which is

stronger than Somei-yoshino against the virus.

(This new variety of Cherry has been created by crossing the

Edo-higan Zakura and the (almost original) Somei-yoshino

back from Washington USA.  Now the Flower Association of

Japan stop to distribute Somei-yoshino and recommending

to plant Jindai-akebono.)  (The name Jindai =  because it 

was established in the Jindai Botanical Garden in Tokyo)

—– to express the beauty and its ephemerality and the tree

to symbolize it = Cherry = and the quest to develop stronger

tree in order to express ephemerality is a real paradox.  😀

[]

 

 

Cherry by Soft Lenses

The photos here were taken from the same Cherry tree as

the previous post.   (As they are not plain 5 petals flower,

this is not Somei-yoshino) 

The softness (?  Blur) on the previous post were created by

the Focus-Shift = focused image and the out-of-focus image

were mechanically superimposed on the shot. — But here,

the softness was caused optically by the lens’ aberration.

= Those first 4 photos were taken by the homemade

single glass lens = nicknamed “Gaudy lens” .

Among my homemade lenses, this is the most useful,

easy to use lens.

You may say, the aberration of this lens is too much

though, this is what I wanted.   🙂

Above those two photos, you can see the type of

softness are very different.  = The photo above and

the following 3 photos were taken by  the modified

(front diverging lens was removed)

Tokina Wide-Converter.

Regardless the technical blur blur, all about

the photography (or any art) the matter is the

end result = if it is good, it’s good. 

Nothing else.   😀

(And when the result was the same, the cheaper

the cost is the better.)

[]

Cherry in Focus-Shift blurr

Don’t panic on your eyesight. It’s not your eyes.

The picture here IS shaky !   😀

The photo above/top was the photo, made by a “Focus-Shift”

(while the shutter was open, the focus has been moved) =

hence created funny blurred image.

The lens used was a specially modified Canon EFS 18~55mm =

(modified to fit onto 5D and its focusing motor has been made

to work with external signal)

—– the photo below was a normal shot for a comparison

(same lens but without focus shift.)

This cherry IS the same tree which I nicknamed the

Perpetual Cherry, since it’s flowering even in the Autumn.

And she was photographed here by the same modified

18~55 mm lens though, this focus-shift technique doesn’t

necessary suit for this shot.  😀

(= so, it’s just a demonstration to see the effect)   

Unlike the other soft-focus lens which gives only a fixed

focal-length and it’s viewing angle, this focus-shift

technique with the zoom lens gives more freedom —–

and a fun.

[]

 

First Cherry 2016

–

I’ve been closely watching this cherry tree for a past few days.

And at last on yesterday I found a first flower opened on there. 

Good heavens, when I went to the tree next day with my

camera, hundred of the flowers were blooming.

(Still, it would be a week away to see it’s full blooming)

There are hundred of different cherries even in this country.  

So, a kind of Kan-Zakura (Winter Cherry) has been flowering

already, yet still, this is the first typical Japanese Cherry = 

Somei-yoshino’s flower I found.

—– How I can tell this IS the Somei-yoshino was,

(1) The leaves come out only after the flower.

(2) The fertility of the Somei-yoshino was very restrictive =

Somei-Y’ x Somei-Y’ can’t germinate (= with other variety can) 

Therefore, we never see the Seedling under the Somei-Y’ tree.

So that, the propagation of Somei-Y’ could only be done by

grafting = Cloning = in other words, ALL the Somei-yoshino in

the world originated from a single tree found in the Somei Village,

a northern corner of Edo (Tokyo), 200 years ago.  It’s mean, if the

tree was grown off  a seed, it is NOT a Somei-yoshino.  (= So, some

Koreans claimed that “That Cherry grow naturally in our country”

is a proof of their ignorance, how they didn’t know the history

NOR biology. = Same kind of ignorance like they claims that the

Chinese-character was invented in Korea.   😀 )

—– What so ever, I’ve been enjoying the bloom on this tree

for the past 15 years !  (But I’m not necessary happy to see the

flowers in such early timing = it’s not even April yet)

(Photos taken by the Tamron 500 mm Mirror Lens/Canon 5D Mk-3)

————————-

And now, the same Cherry have had the full bloom !

[]

Karma – Fate (2)

(Photo above left showing the back of the ticket on the mirror)

On the surface it may looks just a personal story though, I realized

that this IS more like a public demonstration of the “Karma at work”.

The photo above right was a letter I received some days ago which

showed that notorious number 8150 (= said to be the Sign of Haigorei)

Though, this letter has no strong significance to my life =

So, it is just an indicator lamp.  Showing that the system is ON.

But what IS such system all about ?    It is the system of the controlling

mechanism of the world / everything within, including the man’s Fate.

Photo above left was an One-day

Ticket of the London Transport

which is showing the same 8150.

The date was 19 Feb’ 1992 =

the deadline for me to lodge the 

460 pages, x6 bundles of the

document to the Court of Appeal.

(refer to the Court Order, left) — since I received an “additional Order” 

from the High Court on the morning of very day, I went to the Court Office

to have an extension of the deadline. (Which I got 2 more weeks, and spent

£ thousand more to Re-Photocopy to incorporate that additional Order. =

since the page number has been shifted, they needed to be Re-Photocopied.)

(Obviously the conspirator try to make my appeal Out of time though,

the rule is the rule = Court office had to extend the time-limit.)   

Can you believe, this has been done by the English High Court themselves !

[]

For a part of my Stock-taking operation, I published the papers of

the Court battle about a month ago.  Then somebody who read the

post, tipped off me a crucial info’ to incriminate the opponent. 

And to find the name of the person I met then, I found this

One-day Travel-card stacked on my old diary.

All the life’s occurrences (even if it’s looks utterly a coincidence) ,

was in fact caused and placed by the Karma, and all the flow of the

life was observed by the Dharma = even my movement has been

watched by the Dharma.

(= so, the number 8150 was posted on the back of the ticket to tell

me “I know what you are doing. Carry on” —– If they want me to

stop, they could have staged an accident to destruct me.)

===This is not an imagination of the nuts. ——- Can you tell,

who could possibly watch all of our life/movement/action and

able to adjust even a number on the ticket.

(My 8150 story was just a hi-profile example to demonstrate 

the existence of the Karma and the Dharma.) = What else ?

The most important matter is not the display of 8150 but having

those occurrences next by next, the troubled matter seems to

find the breakthrough and converge into the better solution.

(So, keep watch the space and see what happen on the end.)

(You may not figured out the sign/number of your case yet , but

surely they are there, otherwise how you were born as you ARE ?)

___/\___

[]

Spring Equinox

It’s nothing new = same old Spring Equinox and its Sunrise.

Still, a sort of significance to us IS, this sunrise IS showing exact east.

And the time should be Exact 6:00 — though, it was 6:34 — ? ? ?

(I’m not sure, this 34 minuets was due to the distance from the

Greenwich ? — or any other reason ?)     Anyhow, it was the ancient

tradition to know the season from the position of the sunrise though,

how many people watching the direction of the sun in these days ?

[]

We can see any of the fruits or vegetables ALL year round.  (Since, they

are coming from the country where got opposite season)   Even worse,

if you live in London, the climate is more or less the same all year round.

So, we lost the touch of the nature.   And the people who is conscious

about such as Summer Solstice and goes down to the Stonehenge was

branded to be a Nettle-picker or simply, nuts.  —– Something wrong. 

—– Can you expect, we are still within the boundary of the Dharma ?

Or the rules of the universe which may not to be visible to us ?

It’s true, we human being is expecting even longer life than years ago

and overcoming the trouble of diseases etc thanks to the Science and

Technology, so, you might be thinking that the everything would be

clear and any trouble would be resolved though — they are the surface.

Still, there is something behind we can’t see or notice and that IS

controlling our life.

—– Well, I’ll tell you in the next post.

___/\___

[]

 

 

Peach flower

—— (Photo above: taken by a homemade, so-called Gaudy Lens)

Peach flower is much more appreciated in China than in Japan.

In Chinese myth, the famous Shangrila was written as 桃源郷

which mean The place where the Peach Blooming. = (neither

Cherry nor Banana.)   The reason why Chinese value Peach more

than Cherry is, not only its juicy fruits but the color of flower is

more reddish.

The color Red mean prosperity and the longevity to the Chinese.

In a stark contrast, Cherry Blossom is the symbol of the ephemeral

life, even the death to the Japanese (in the Buddhists context.)  So,

Japanese appreciate its moment of the flower falling like a snow

storm, as well as when it was fully blooming.

——- (Photo above Left : by Canon Fisheye Zoom 8~15mm —

——–Photo Right : Converging Lens from Tokina Wide converter.)

The reason why Chinese likes Red was originated from the vermilion.

Vermilion is the Mercury Oxide = deadly poison = therefore it is a

very effective preservative to the timber. So, the Chinese temple etc

has been painted with Red Vermilion = never rotten for thousand of

years.  So, Red Vermilion is the demonstration of the longevity !

And there was a fancy story of the Vermilion, whether it was a 

fabrication of the novelist or not, there said to be an Elixir of life made

from Vermilion, which was repeatedly oxidized and deoxidized 9 times,

called  九還丹 in China.  (If you found it in the Net, you may try ! )

—— (Photo above : Converging Lens from Tokina)

To the Japanese, the appreciation of Peach flower was in its

association with the girl’s festival (桃の節句) on 3rd of March

other than that not much special feeling in the Japanese mind.

So that, other than in the fruits orchard in a country side,

we don’t see as many Peach trees like Cherry in town .

—— (Photo above : by converging Lens from Tokina

Wide Converter mounted on a Bellows = Photo right

= As the lens was mounted on a bellows, it can focus

from ∞ to 1/3 close-up)

Front element of the Diverging Lens has been used somewhere

else, and the left over converging element was used here.  😀

(You may amazed, how photography can be done in such a casual manner.)

[∞]

Wish Better or the Best

Somebody commented “Where the urge to make it better comes from ?”

—– as a reply I wrote “Even a monkey chose a good stone to crack a

hard shell = good choice or not, makes the difference = able to eat or not.

In the worst case, it may cause an injury to the fingers.

It’s mean, it is a key to the own survival= survival instinct.” — yet still,even

if it wasn’t such serious but rather playful situation, we try to do the better.

Just through something, stone, trash — we aim, to a target, bin etc.

—– Why ? —– To satisfy the Ego in a challenge ?  “Hey look I succeeded” or

“I’m better than you” — Was it ?     Not necessary in a serious situation, no

other person around, even trivial small things, such as just put few items

together,  we try to put them tidier way or make the shape easier to handle.

(Then, the personality exposed = somebody pay more attention and make

the things / situations better.    Otherwise, others creates even more havoc !)

If it was an instinct to avoid a pain and to chose the way which needs a least

effort, was based on the learning, why some of us never learn ?  = In the net,

there are endless number of silly stories still, they were produced with the

effort to get an impact and the maximum number of view. 

Have a good fun seems yet another instinct.

[]

After the accumulation of the learning, we human being made up the map

of which can tell General List of Goodies.  Then those would be told by the

old man or wise man as the common sense, moral or social rules still, they

were originated from the human instinct.  Therefore,  the eyes of

Lord Buddha, they were seen as the expression of the Dharma.  And as we

have it in our instinct, it was explained that we were born with the Dharma.

And the Zen is the practice to make it better with thousands times practice.

(If not million times) —– and to learn its mind-set.

So, Zen could (possibly) make a better person (in theory)  😀

I wouldn’t guaranty the better person still, the product produced by the

craftsman with such Zen mind, has been so good, such as the Japanese

cooking knife has become a must have item to the top chef of the world.

___/\___

[]

 

Old Camera — Miranda S

Few days ago, one of my friend (in fact, a friend of friend) gave

me an old camera.  It was a very early model of SLR (Single Lens

Reflex Camera), Miranda S which was made around 1968~70.

After the World war 2, burnt-down country Japan was recovering

in amazing speed though, the camera such as Nikon, Canon was

producing were the old style Rangefinder Camera — still, those Nikon

which went to the Korean War with the American photographer

was highly praised (only the camera kept working under -40 degree

Korean Winter!) and started to gain good reputations world wide.

In 1962, the Asahi Kogaku produced Asahi Flex, the first 35mm SLR ! 

(Later, this company started to produce the SLR using penta-prism

— and changed their name to the Pentax.)

[]

The camera I was given, Miranda S was rather like an Asahi Flex, but

not in a perfect condition to work. = winding-up nob was broken — still,

I could test the function by charge-up the shutter by force rotating the

winding-up sprocket, then click the shutter.

The shutter dial was rotating while charge-up and a release moment.

(It’s an old design soon to be disappeared.)

And the mirror was not quick return, neither the iris was automatic.

To see this Design as the starting point = I can see how the later

development came such far !

 

—– the peculiar things of this camera was, that this one got a waist-level

finder = not a prism view finder. = look down the image which was

left-right reversed ! —– My guess was, that this camera was used by an

academic to take photos through microscope, telescope kind — if not

the owner lost the interchangeable prism finder.

[]

Miranda started to make their camera, called Orion Camera first. 

Then,  changed the name to Miranda, their Miranda Sensolex model was

sold well (I remember their poster.  🙂  ) —– anyhow, to encounter such

old Japanese camera, exported to the Europe was a big surprise to me.

 

I may not able to shoot a photo with this camera since its winding-up

shaft was broken, yet still, even just watching 50 years old

mechanism still working was a great joy.

[]