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 !)
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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 ? ? ?
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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.
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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 ?
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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 😀
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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. 😀 )
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Capricorns Ball
Last night, there was a party [Capricorns Ball] held in a Pub in Brixton. In fact this party
started as a birthday party of the Capricorn people among the staffs or ex-staffs of the
Fridge Night Club, and as a regular I was invited every year —– in the past 15 years or so !
May be an excuse to get together and get drank or annual reunion of the people who had
their youth in the Club (I mean, while working —– I was only dancing though) 😀
And all the photos here were intended for the guest to download and copy, if they want.
It’s nice to see the old faces, even though everybody is getting a bit older and having
different kind of life. (It’s really amazing, I acquainted many of them 20 years ago ! ! ! )
As a party in a pub, Pub-quiz is in a menu—– this time, about the Capricorns 🙂
( I didn’t know our Emperor, I mean Japanese, is also Capricorns.)
And a birthday cake 🙂
The top two Quiz winner received Trophy = they are ecstatic with a joy 😀
The each candle on the cake was blown by each Capricorns one by one.
Then, live gig. (Not necessary my kind of music —– still it’s OK )
I think it’s a nice photo ! (or, at least they think I’m a nice man. —– mind you, the camera
was only 10″ away from their faces)
The Capricorn Short cake was made by a young lady and the piece here said to be an
art installation created by another young lady = happen to be a Japanese though, too
young to know what the Fridge Club was 😀
This is not intended for a self portrait but a demonstration of how the lighting of those
photos were done. (Hand aimed bounce lighting). By the way, something hang from my
neck is one of my Disco Pendant = Sound-activated Flashing Pendant, I made 20 years ago
and been used in the Club almost every week. (I’ll talk about this design, in here soon)
Then, let’s dance 🙂
Despite the London having quite a snow and pretty cold though, number of people turned up.
And it was a fabulous joyful night.
Thanks to the Ex-Fridge Capricorns, work hard to organize this.
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Ikkyu story (2)
Ikkyu Sojun (一休宗純) was the most famous Zen monk in Japanese history,
especially with his hundreds of quick witty stories to deal with the situations or gave an
answer though, as so many books has been written much later, we don’t know which story
was true and which one was a fanciful invention.
—– I read this story in a cartoon comics when I was a child, so that it could be a nice
invention of comic writer, still, this story had such a drastic twist of rhetoric
therefore showing quite Zen like jump of wit, this one could be a real story,
if not, it might be written by another accomplished Zen monk.
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The Abbot of the temple where Ikkyu was staying, had a secret pleasure to lick a honey
kept in a jar. When young novice asked him what is it, the Abbot told him that it is a
medicine of wisdom though, as it is so potent, only a learned elderly person can take.
Otherwise, it is deadly poisonous to a young brain. But novices, Ikkyu and others did know,
it was a lie and what in the jar was a honey.
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One day, when Abbot was out for a day, Ikkyu gave his drastic answer.
He took an old ceramic vase, which the Abbot was most treasured, and smashed it to the floor.
Then took the honey jar, and started licking honey with other novices.
Soon, the honey was emptied.
When Abbot came back in the evening, he found all the novices were in the crying state.
When he asked what has happened, Ikkyu replied that while cleaning the room,
they accidentally drop the vase and it was completely smashed. As the vase
has such irreplaceable value, there was no way else to repay but with own life.
“So that, in order to commit suicide, all of us took that poison in your jar.
But, even after swallowed all the poison, we still couldn’t die and this is why
we are so ashamed and feel dreadful. ~ ~ ~ cry cry cry !”
—– Abbot had no word to return.
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😀 😀 this was the revolution. Face to face, asking the truth what is in the jar —– is
a democratic approach of dialogue (provided if the Abbot treats them as equal and tell the
truth) though the Abbot was just a tyrant = there couldn’t be any fair negotiation => only
insurgence is the remedy = revolution, hence some casualties were unavoidable.
The ceramic vase could be worth million though, Ikkyu didn’t gave even a hint of hesitation.
= He just smashed it. On the end, his revel exposed the fraud in the temple =
Abbot lost his credibility and the priceless ceramic vase —– even honey too 😀
But, what Ikkyu and the novices got — not much, just a taste of honey and a good laugh.
—– most of Ikkyu stories are for good laugh, not much else.
(Anyhow, they were aimed to the children )
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Still, real Ikkyu was a serious Zen monk.
As one of his Short-Poem (Kyoka 狂歌) for New-year said ;
門松は，冥土の旅の一里塚 (Kado-matsu wa, Meido no Tabi no Ichiri-zuka)
馬，かごも無し,宿も無し(Uma, Kago mo nashi, Yado mo nashi)
New-year’s (Ever green) Pine branch is a mile-stone to the Nether world.
No Horse or Palanquin (for the journey), even no inn (to stay for a night).
= there is no celebratory mood at all. Ha ha ha 😀
That was quite Ikkyu-san. (He had no illusion to the life, neither to New-year,
though in reality unlike any other meek monk, he had very active eventful life,
all because of his completely liberated mind and the eyes.
No illusion mean no emotional blockage neither = This is the Zen )
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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 )
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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)
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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 🙂
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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 ? 😀
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—– 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 😀
___/\___
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Funny Practice
A man who I met recently, and read this blog, gave me a response saying that
he was pretty impressed by Zappa photo and the camera I made though, he
couldn’t make any connection of them to the Zen.
And he wondered,
“You are not serious to the Zen don’t you, as you are making a fun of it
or even cynical”
—– Well said. So, I replied to him.
Yes, I can see you got certain idea of Zen though, I’m afraid to say it is mere
pretense or crèche.
I’m doing the Zen Buddhism not Parroting what the books say.
Lord Buddha taught how to alleviate the suffering in the life. He didn’t give a
false hope to escape from it by living in a fantasy world, but taught a practice
to gain the clear eyes and the mind how to see and deal with the matter.
Instead to tell a sweet story of heaven to such as a woman who just lost her
child, but her to running about the village.
Zen is the teachings of how to run 🙂
While running, the person will acquire the Mind and the eyes to see the suffering
in detached eyes, hence able to get rid of blinding emotion and the stacked mind.
—– Do you think, could the woman alleviate the sorrow by sitting all day
next to the dead body ?
It is the exactly the same situation.
You are stacked with an idea or crèche of so-called Zen.
So-called “Serious concentration of the Mind etc etc” so that you may see I’m
doing something useless to the Zen and not serious enough.
But Zen is also free the person from those stereotypical fixed idea
include the Zen itself.
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In any eye point, in any scope, the life is a troublesome matter.
If this is the nature of the matter, complaining it would be useless because
it is inescapable anyway.
But, in the same time while billions of the people struggling, it is an awesome view and may
have quite funny moment, especially if we can see it in bird’s eye view.
I’m serious enough to the life and I’m dealing with it, as nothing else is on the board.
It’s mean, I have no false dream believing another world such as a heaven etc rubbish.
And as I have nothing else to see, I could see even the minute detail of the subject of which
most of the people wouldn’t bother. —– So, I could see lots more funny side of the situation
as my eyes are above the water, as I, at least know how I can avoid drowning in the water.
—– So, I’m not drowned in the Zen.
(Anyhow, Zen is an extremely funny practice. 😀 )
Convinced ?
___/\___
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Sushi Party
Me and the Artists friends, who also being involved in education, training program to the
disadvantaged people had a Sushi Party at a flat where those two are living. I prepared some
in my place and brought up to their flat. —– I used to have a Sushi party in my place though,
my flat runs out of the space to receive the guests 😀 —– Preparation for Temaki Sushi is just
cut the material to a stick shape, other than the shoppings 🙂 —– So, cutting is very easy, but
the hardest part I always found was = to get the best Avocado, = matured still not too soft 😀
(So, all the ingredients were prepared and cut into a stick shape for roll-up.
Photo left = Cucumber, Seafood Stick and the front three were Cooked Kombu (Kelp seaweed),
Cooked fried Tofu ( Soybean Curd) and Cooked Shiitake mushroom = those three were
boiled together in one hour or so, then Soy-sauce, a bit of sugar, vinegar were added = they
were the improvisation and the substitute of cooked Japanese Kanpyo (Dried Marlow) = as
Kombu and the Shiitake act as Dashi (taste base) no other Dashi was needed.
Photo middle = Salmon and front left was a substitute of Shime Saba (marinated Mackerel)
= Herring Rollmop and dark colored one was Tuna.
Photo right = Avocado, Cucumber and the front = Flied Egg and the Cheddar Cheese. )
So, I did some cooking and brought those to their flat in a big logistic operation and
I made famous Miso soup as well. 😉
To cook Sushi-rice to ideal condition is the most tricky part of Sushi making = Rice had to be
washed and soaked in the water over-night though, bring a big pan with soaked rice in water is
too awkward = so, next day, I drained the water and measured its amount ( for five or six people
I put 3 cups ( 1 cup = 250 ml ) of rice into a pan, and after washed, the water was completely
drained, then I put 4 cups of water for over-night soaking. Next day the water I drained was
3.5 cup = so, I added back the same amount of water in their kitchen, then put it on fire.
= When the rice started to boil vigorously, put the fire down to very small, and made it to
shimmer another 10 minutes.
Then change the cooked rice to a big bowl and let it cool down, and to add the Vinegar and
Sugar though this time I mixed the rice with Sushi Powder. (Sushi powder was made with
dried vinegar hence it prevent the rice become soggy —– but I found, it was a bit too sweet)
Photo middle was prepared Prawn for Nigiri Sushi (My friend Alberto was very keen to it 🙂 )
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Temaki Sushi is, to take some amount of rice on a piece of Nori (1/4 cut of the Nori sheet) then
put any ingredient(S) which was dripped in the Soy-sorce with Wasabi — then role it and eat 🙂
—–Every body try to use chop-stick (it was not obligatory though 😀 ) some were well
managed but some were not. As sushi has been well adapted in the west, the matter to cook it
by ourself is, where to get material or how improvised. = Instead to stick with traditional
ingredients, such as use of Avocado was invented in California — may be use Herring Rollmop
was my invention still they quite liked it 🙂
The party was a good success as everybody eat to the full or even over 😀
(Second round was requested )
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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.
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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 😀 )
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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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Happy New Year 2013
Happy New Year to all those who is visiting and supported my blog.
I hope it would inspire and cause more active and fulfilling life
on the 2013 and ahead for you. 🙂
Yoshizen aka Kinetorori
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Cooking Daikon ( Japanese / Chinese White Radish )
Daikon (大根 in Japanese) is a sister of Radish (yes, that red small one) or Swede and hey are all in the same Brassicaceae family, hence having the same four-petals flower like Rape flower (but Daikon’s flower is in pale violet to white = in fact pretty pretty, innocent looked flower 🙂 )
Despite it is one of the most common root vegetable in Japan (also in China = Japan is exporting its shredded and dried products to China hundreds of thousands of tons every year) when I came to England, it was not in greengrocer’s (yet, French calls it as Molly and eat a lots though, theirs having black skin and as big as Japanese one (up to 4″ or 10 cm diameter = hence, it resembles girl’s leg with black tights = so, to see it in the piled-up mountain in St’ Michelle market in Paris, it looked very sexy 😀 )
(In Japan, call a girl “Daikon ashi” (Daikon leg) is a worst insult 😉 )
Even though Daikon is so popular and ubiquitous though, you may not see them in a restaurant menu —– situation looked the same in French or Chinese, I don’t remember I ever seen this vegetable in their menu, except a very rustic or family kitchen style restaurant, otherwise as a small side-dish to drink Sake = such as I describe hereafter. 🙂
( If you ever seen disc-shaped yellow pickles = Takuan = it is one of the pickled style Daikon though, it may not in an expensive Japanese restaurant 🙂 )
—– So, how Japanese is cooking this vegetable in their kitchen ?
Daikon is very easy to cook vegetable as its own or with another materials —– It can be eaten even raw = grated ( the source to dip Tempra) or finely cut into thread (comes with Sashimi) and often boiled with Octopus or Squid because the Daikon is having a Digestive Enzyme which soften Octopus, on top of many nutrition and vitamins 🙂
The photo above is Furo-fuki Daikon ( 風呂吹大根 ) = Daikon was boiled with dashi, that’s all !
* Boil the Dashi = as the powder, or in a small packet, or use Dashi Kombu (Kelp sea weed) and a bit of Salt.
* Then put cut Daikon and boil — may be 60 min or so, until it was cooked soft (— it would be disintegrated if it was boiled too long —– still, it will make a nice soup. 🙂 )
Even simpler is Dengaku ( 田楽) = just boil Daikon in a plain water until it was cooked soft.
* And eat it with a Miso based source = Miso with small amount of Vinegar and a bit of Sugar, + small amount of Mirin (Japanese Cooking Sake or a bit of wine, White Rum can be used instead )
* For additional flavor — I add few drop of West-Indian Hot-chilly Source, or Wasabi, Mustard. — When I mixed with Thai Tom-yam-Ku paste = it wasn’t too bad —– any variation you can try and enjoy the taste. ( If it became too runny with vinegar etc, just add more Miso. 🙂 )
(For Dengaku, you can put many different materials too, such as Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery even Potato. — Japanese use Konnyaku (it’s a funny staff / Mannan product) as well. ) —– from here, another popular Japanese cooking called “Oden” is only a step away. Basically Oden is a cooking of the chopped Daikon and various fish cakes boiled together and pick up of those you like from the pan to your own small dish and eat. (normally with mustard = why mustard is, = since Daikon and Mustard belongs to the same botanical family, their taste mix well, = same as that, Tomato based cooking will mix well with chilli pepper, since they are in the same family)
—– Now you have seen the key of the Daikon cooking = main seasoning in Furofuki Daikon was in its Dashi, but the Dengaku, it was in the Source. Still in both cooking, the dominant taste is Daikon itself.
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When an Italian guy who seemed to have very good taste bud, first ever eat Daikon and he was very impressed and asked me how to make it. —– And he was even surprised, why Italian doesn’t have such cooking, despite it is very popular in France.
( Only a small trouble with eating Daikon is, it could make you to produce strongest mankind ever know kind of fart, yet still, it was known to be not poisonous = hence, it makes short of health warning. 😀 )
—– Not because of its humble, Minimalistic Zen approach, but simply, it’s so tasty = So, this is my Festive time eating. (on top of Temaki-Sushi. 😀 )
If you haven’t tasted it yet, I strongly recommend you to try.
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PS : I received an Email from my Chinese friend Sing Lee, the way how to cook it in Chinese style !
<<< (There was the Photos from him though, they have been disappeared — copyright issues ? —– I don’t know. What a shame.)
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