Mushin / Peace of Mind – How To ?

In the past week or two, I’ve been heavily involved in talking to people who have trouble in mind.

(Hence, nothing new has been posted in this blog – I’m not by profession an agony-aunt.

I can’t mass-produce crap advice = one subject at a time = that’s as much as mindfulness can handle.)

(Total cop-out!)

One person beautifully described having a sort of escape-walk in the woods

and watching the flow of water in a small river.   She said, that this solitude seemed to

be only her escape = but, she knew of course that she had to go back to the mess of her life

disturbed by an agonizing regret.

Mmm ? ? ?

What a shame. The kind of the advice which so-called psychiatrists are giving nowadays would recommend

regressing to the source of the person’s trouble, hence re-experiencing the agony again and again.

[]

Unlike these so-called psychiatrists, Buddhism has been handling the matters of the mind for

thousands of years, so it is clear to Buddhist eyes that the solitude which this

woman found was, in fact nothing but the state of No-Mind = Mushin in the Zen term.

Unless this particular person was a botanist, knowledgeable as to the name of every plant, there wasn’t

much for her to think about in the woods and hence her environment out there was just an environment,

nothing more.   And the flow of the river with its faint song would have no meaning for her = outside of

any intellectual brain activity.

Let’s suppose this woodland had been visited many times by her = so that there was no new stimulation,

nothing to cause an alert of any kind.

If this had been the case this person could have had complete peace of mind in solitude without

any thinking-processes. Expecting nothing.  Projecting nothing. 

Her mind absolutely open, completely remote from any thought-disturbances.

[]

Well, as she had already found the state of No-Mind / Mushin, I advised her to follow a particular practice,

to just lightly shake her head, and at the same-time, visualize the scene of the woods with

the running water. 

And I instructed her that when she did this, her mind would become empty, distant from all useless thought.

Afterwards, when the simple practice was over, she could then start to do what ever she needed to do,

the work, the daily chores, even sitting on a toilet. 

And in daily life,  she should do this like a ritual, when ever she saw a sign of bad thoughts coming-up.

Shaking or wobbling the head once, visualizing the running water and emptying the mind does

actually work.  This is the right process to get rid of trouble-in-mind.
Following this advice, I sent her a few emails explaining how our mind works, describing the structure of the

brain etc etc = rather boring stuff = to make her fed-up of dealing with Mind-matter

and just concentrate on the work = Life.

[]

Just a week later, I received an email in which she explained that she was now free from useless thoughts,

or more precisely, she was fed-up with being bothered by such thoughts.

She felt that now she could just get on with her work; she has no time to waste on useless thoughts.

(Well done! )

This is a sample to apply state of Zen Mushin to the dairy life.  (and get rid of the useless thoughts)

Any practice by which a person can experience the Mushin, can be connected to this sample and

this was the reason why I’ve been writing about such as Lemon Zen, Walking Zen etc etc.

Like in this case, visualization and to shake the head was a trigger to go-into the state of Mushin

= conditioning of the mind.   Once this practice became a routine in the brain, actual action to

shake the head can be minimal (invisible).

In the Lord Buddha’s story, a woman called Kisa Gotami said to have achieved this, in one day.

Still, this person achieved this in one week ( plus priory walking in the woods) wasn’t too bad.

This person may not become knowledgeable to  Buddhism stories and its spiritual artifacts though,

what she needed was to get on her life without the disturbing thoughts = peace of mind.

___/\___

Note :  The photo = Magnolia Grandifloria —– from Wikimedia

[]

Cooking Adzuki-beans and Make Oshiruko お汁粉

The culture of growing and eating beans in Japan was originated from China, such as

Soya-bean and its derivatives/ Soy-source, Soyabean-paste, include Aduki-beans.

Unlike western and some African cultures, eastern people doesn’t eat beans as their staple food and most

of the case, cook them as a kind of sweets or its basis.

(Inside of famous Chinese Moon Cake, you can see the heavy Adzuki-bean paste mixed with Walnut and the oil

which makes it even heavier or richer = to celebrate, the taste richer the better for them to feel rich  :-D)

[]

Many years ago, at the party held by Thai students, I cooked (supposedly) Japanese Sweet Dish of Oshiruko,

then Thais pointed out “Hey Yoshi, this is not Japanese, it’s our cooking”.

So that, when I visited their country I realized that almost identical cooking called in Chinese name,

Hon Tao Shui (紅豆水) was served every tea house, even a street corner which the Red-bean or Adzuki-beans

was cooked and made sweet soup with Rice-powder dumplings in (and often, some  ice-cube as well = which

we call [Koori-Adzuki] in Japan) And I noticed, the situation is the same wherever the Chinese people lives.

I guess, a lots of western people encountered a Japanese sweet [Yokan], Adzuki-bean Cake with rather revolting

feelings “Yack, What’s this”(since, westerners never expected to eat the bean other than in a savory taste =

same situation of easterners tasted a Green Tea or the Rice with added sugar) 😀

Not necessary in China, but in Japan, adzuki-bean is regarded to be an auspicious food, because of its

red color, especially when it was cooked with a combination of white, such as rice or rice-cake.

Hence, any festive occasions, Japanese cook [Sekihan]赤飯 (Red-colored rice = Glutinous rice with

Adzuki-beans) and [Oshiruko] = (Rice-cake in Adzuki-bean soup) simply because its got red and white  🙂

[]

Because of this, Japanese adzuki-bean got festive value.   It’s carry 3x more price, but pretty high quality.

—– though,  bean is the bean, it is more or less the same as ubiquitous Cowpeas  (top photo).

To make [Sekihan] it’s better to use Japanese bean but,  make Oshiruko can be done with poor-man’s choice.

To make Oshiruko for 4~5 people use 1.5 cup of bean and put it into 7” big pan, start with 2 cups of water

to boil. (Only a shortcoming to use cheap bean is, they got many stones and insect infested bean = you need to

sort them out, before start cooking)

And when the pan started to boil, drain the water and flush the bean with fresh water to clean it.  🙂

Then real cooking start with 4 cups of water. —–> While boiling, the water will disappear.

So, you have to put more water. ( You need to top-up the water 3~4 times and the bean increase the bulk 3 times

or more = till here you may need to boil 3~4 hours ! —– or, if you have slow-cooker it might be a better choice

for an overnight cooking)

When the bean was cooked and became soft, then put plenty brown sugar (rather annoying amount of almost 1kg !

—– this is what sweet meant   😀 )

Then, put 1/3 teaspoon of salt = never put too much,  and leave the pan to quietly boil another 1 hour.

And put Rice cake to boil yet another 2~5 minutes. (Rice Cake made out of Glutinous Rice powder in my-way

should be OK to boil longer but, a Japanese Rice Cake [Kiri-Mochi] 切り餅 which was made of  mixture of regular

rice powder, would be melt and disintegrates)

Then Oshiruko is ready to serve.

[]

—– I don’t think you have eaten up all the sweet Adzuki soup yet (may be another 5 portions still left) =

boil further to reduce it become sticky paste = it became to [Anko] and can be used to make many

other Japanese sweets, such as [An-Mochi], [Mizu-Yokan]

—– put this [Anko] onto a piece of bread ! = it’s not too bad.   😀

Heavy [Anko-paste] can last a week in a fridge, or it can be frozen for next time, if not till next New Year.  😀

—– So, I’ll put another post to make those [An-Mochi], [Mizu-Yokan] etc. near future.

Enjoy your sweet teeth 😀

—

Tree of the Life

————————————————  ( Kailash Mountain  /  Photo = Wikimedia)

This is the roots of a tree said to be brought from the Holy Kailash Mountain of Tibet.

It is a dwarf birch tree < Bitula Kailash Kailasee > only

a tree grow in that high and cold area.

—– as the soil is very thin on the rock, roots can grow

only side way in the shallow soil, and strangely, it said

to be always grow same anti-clock spiral direction

as you can see in the photo.

The ancient legend says that this tree has the

mythical power of the life, hence able to grow

even in such harsh condition.

And the pattern of this roots was said to be the origin of the Swastika／卍 = as

its graphical representation. —– M m m ?

[]

Though, unfortunate to the tree, since this tree was too highly sought after, they are said to be almost

extinct in its original location now. —– How shame.

Yet still, the nature is always the source of the inspiration to the man. —– and to me.

___/\___

[]

PS: It’s a nice story though, do remember, it is a mythical legend.

—

Mindfulness – Western Misinterpretation

People talked about the BBC News, featured about the Meditation (which I didn’t know).

And it seemed, BBC used a word [Mindfulness] to explain [Meditation]. —– What ?

Meditation is to sitting in [Mushin = 無心] = not having even a notion of Mindfulness.

—– Why such kind of mix-up is taking place in the west ?

So that, I first ever saw Wikipedia [Mindfulness] 😀 and discovered the situation. (it explained me why

a talking about Zen with western Zen Practitioners are often end up in confusion. 😀 )

I’ve been long suspected that the understanding of [Mindfulness] and [Meditation]

in the west was wrong.

Simply because of the academics or the scholars of the Buddhism scriptures are arguing about the

meaning of the WORD in its semantics. (Word is mere indicater of a notion = not the notion itself. And

even the notion couldn’t necessary able to describe the meaning.

Such as “Ride” a bicycle = to find the use of this [Ride] in the time of Donkey and a Cart wouldn’t make

any sense about an application against a modern bicycle. And the understanding of the word “Ride” is

nothing to do with how to ride a bicycle. You only know it actuarially master to RIDE it. 😀 )

So, it became clear. To know the meaning of a term in Zen, you got to do the Zen.  And to know

the meaning of the word wouldn’t make you able to to know the Zen. This is the very reason why

Lord Buddha ordered his disciples “Don’t take the words of mine or others, but think yourself.”

[]

Zen had spread from China, and to Japan. (then from there to the west)

Lord Buddha’s teachings were re-discovered in there through the practice which

Lord Buddha taught direct to his followers.

By following those practices, Chinese monk who translated Scriptures and Mantras, managed to find the

meaning of the word in Sanskrit, Pali or Tibetan and assigned the word to a Chinese character

[念(nien in Chinese, nen in Japanese)] to the word now (miss) used in the west, as [Mindfulness].

The Chinese character [念] has the meaning of deep thought or even a kind of feeling stacked in the depth of

mind which is distinctively different from the temporally conscious thinking [考].

One of the most observant people in the human history = Chinese, created the character to each different

level of mind-activities in the brain.   Such as [考], [思],[慮],[念] and [懐].

[懐] is a word to describe a feeling, “I feel it is there though, hard to describe, and I can’t get lid of it” kind =

such as latent fear or one’s positive, negative mood. ( They are the matters of the hormone level in the body)

Above this, a bit more clear level of Mind is [念] = which indicates “whether you intentionally

think or not, it is always there and you aware of  it” kind of  focused tendency in the mind.

This  [念]  is the Mind what ancient Chinese monk who translated the scriptures, found to

be the best suited to describe [sati (Pali)] or  [smrti (Sanskrit)]. —– As this is the mind

reside,  deeper beyond the person’s intentional manipulation, try to think something to

concentrate, is nothing but the misunderstanding.  = Mindfulness will bore out from the

situation and the attitude of the person. —– It is the result,  not other way round.

Think, you are a journalist, walking through the ground near Melt-down Fukushima Nuclear site.

As you were allowed to walk there, it was regarded to be safe though, the mud could have invisible

radiation hot spot. Which makes you very cautious, hence choosing dry clean point to step-on.

Every steps —–. This detailed attention you are unconsciously and constantly paying to

everything, every moment, —– this is what [Mindfulness] really meant.

You were programmed to walk the most careful manner while watching all the signs and the left over

rubble of the Tsunami.   In the same time you have to observe what and how workers who removing the

contaminated soil are doing, or the situations how the strayed pet animals are surviving and so on, which

was the purpose of you to be there.  Mindfulness is not an intentional mind-set but when

you faced the serious situation, (or you take it serious) its naturally set in, as Dharma works.

(This is the reason why Tea Master says “Make a tea as if it is the only an occasion in your whole life” )

[]

If you are riding a bicycle everyday, you just ride it.

You don’t need to think “I’m riding a bicycle”,  you ride it as to ride a bicycle, not a motor-bike.

Because, your body, your brain knows “You are riding bicycle, unconsciously = you have been

programmed through the practice to ride a bicycle.

To program your subconscious and your motor-region of the brain, how to ride, where to pay attention etc

has been done through the practice. = so, as the result, you can do it almost routine = automatic. =

automatic mean, you can do it without thinking, hence efficient and smooth.

To apply same principle to all the aspects of the life is what

Lord Buddha had found and taught = Life without useless thinking (delusion etc), hence

able to live in peace.     This is What Buddhism all about.

[]

At the Wikipedia [Mindfulness] you may read (Zen criticism) the quote of  Muho Noelke of Antai-ji saying

“Don’t be mindful, plase !  When you walk, just walk. — Let the walk, walk. — let the sitting sit”

it seems, his words are the most closest to the Zen among the many Zen sites.

—– Even though, he was stop short of noticing that it was in fact, the matters in one’s subconsciousness,

at least, he knows and doing the Zen —— Able to do the Zen, he doesn’t need to give a damn whether it is in

the subconsciousness or else = When you DO, just do.  (But my role is to analyze and see the structure of

the Zen = This is the reason why I didn’t became a monk, even though I’m a son of  Zen priest)

—– Forget the word, Mindfulness , Mushin, Jizai = they are just different naming of the same

mind.  As they are in fact just one, hence having Oneness = Ichijo, and this is what Dharma is.

___/\___

—

Japanese New Year’s Cooking = Ozoni

In Japanese New Year, eating Ozoni (rice-cake in soup) has almost ceremonial importance.

Though, the meaning of its name Ozoni (お雑煮） is unceremoniously humble = Jumble soup.

As Japanese staple diet is rice, anything else is accompanying dishes and a soup, since the rice got its own

taste, it has to be individually appreciated = it’s mean, put the rice together with something else is looked

down as jumble, such as Zousui (rice in the soup. —– Put a rice into Miso-soup was called Ojiya and this word

was used to describe a things in a mess = even a design which got few contradictory concept together would

be mocked as  “ It’s an Ojiya”   😀 )

So, to put a (or two) rice cake into a soup is Zoni. (put O to Zoni is a bit more polite expression).

To be a Japanese, it is [the must have cooking] though, there is no fixed style, and the

ingredients of the soup vary a lot, region to region and a family to family. —– nobody knows

the reason why, but in the western Japan (Kansai)  Zouni is based on a Miso-soup and the east of Sekiga-hara,

Zoni is the Kanto style, on a Soy-source based clear soup = Smashi-jiru.  (It’s a fun to know, in the

western Japan,  people makes Ozoni with  round shaped Rice Cake (made like a dumplings)   🙂

As I grown up in Tokyo, my style is Kanto-fu, and this is Yoshizen’s adaptation to make it in England  🙂

The ingredients, photo above are, (from the left) ;

*   Dried Shitake Mushroom, from a Chinese food shop. (from Taiwan seems to be the best )

— (Don’t buy so-called fresh Shiitake grown in this country under artificial light = they are tasteless.

— Shiitake got to be grown and dried under the strong sun light = Hence they are very rich in Vitamin D)

*   Dried Kombu (Kelp sea-weed) from a Chinese food shop.

*   Lime fruits. ( Yes, Lime —– substitute of Japanese Yuzu Lemon)

*   Glutinous Rice Powder from a Chinese food shop (Must be Glutinous ! )

*   Mangetout Beans (or can be a bunch of Spinach —– to add a green color  🙂 )

*   Onion (one medium size for 4~5 people)

*   Japanese Soy-sauce (Can not be a Chinese Soy-sauce.  It never be the taste same )

*   Chicken (I’m buying Chicken thigh to cut it into small pieces)

Preparation and cooking for 4~5 people ; ( see the photo above)

*   Make Rice-Cake according to the post [Make Rice Cake in 15 minutes] (Please click here)

— (Hardest part is to take cooked cake out of a plastic container — cover them with potato starch)

*   Quick flush 5 Dried Shitake Mushrooms under running water, then soak them in the 2 cups of water in a small

— pan and heat them ( but not boil —– to soften them.  Keep this water as Dashi !)

*   After well washed, put two of 4 inch square Kombu (Kelp) into 7 inches pan with just enough water to

— boil them once.  Drain the water, then put 2 cups of fresh water into the pan and boil.

*   Take softened Shiitake out and cut each of them to 4~6 strips, then put the warm water which the Shitake has

— been soaked, into the pan where Kombu has been boiled (now the pan got 4 cups of water).

— Boil the Shiitake and Kombu, then put sliced onion too, for another 30 minutes.

*   While Kombu, Shiitake, Onion are boiling, cut the Chicken (2 pieces of thighs) to small pieces and add to the

— boiling pan. If you like thick rich taste, use the skin of chicken as well, otherwise remove the skin.

— (Of cause, it can be done without Chicken or alternatively, use Fried tofu is an idea for a vegetarian.)

— Then boil yet another 10 minutes.

—– As those ingredients acted to make the Soup Dashi as well, the soup is now very tasty.

*   Then put the Soy-sauce according to your taste (in fact a lots,

— may be 100 ml ? = 1/10th ~ 1/15th of the amount of the soup)

*    Put prepared Rice Cake (3×2 inches size)  one for each person

—-and Mange tout Bean, then boil further 3 minutes.

*     Make small cut pieces of Lime skin (see the photo left) and

— sprinkle them into the soup. (10 pieces like photo is enough)

— Then the Ozoni is ready to serve.  🙂

(Everybody must be amazed the tiny amount of the lime skin

Changed the taste so good  !  = this is the Japanese Art of cooking)

********************************************************

 ( A sort of Health warning )

Never eat Rice Cake in one big chunk —– as they are very chewy and sticky, never attempt to swallow in

big chunk.  It will stuck in your throat (every year tens of the Japanese people died with suffocation)

Otherwise, enjoy an Ozoni  and  have a Happy New Year  🙂

—-

Direct TRANSMISSION — a tiny Thought

A piece of cloth here has been with me in the past 37 years since I was given this from the Eihei-ji temple.

I have washed it may be 10 times or so —– and when ever I did, its color faded farther, so that I became

even more reluctant to wash.

I wrote about this in my old post [Life’s Domain] saying that it could be an intended teaching of

“Nothing stays the same,  nothing is Permanent”. —– ? ? ?    Was such big issue here ?

It’s just an old cotton cloth isn’t it, and it is nothing strange the color dye is fading.   ( Dye will be dissolved

and washed away by the water, and it degraded by the UV light as well)

—– Isn’t it thinking too much ?    Isn’t it a pointless delusion —– or the Truth ?

[]

To explain and prove a fact in the life = “Nothing stays the same” may need to have lot more than a word, yet

just a piece of cloth shows its truth far clearer.   This is what a Direct Transmission is.

—– Then, how about  “Should I wash more often” or,  in order to preserve its original state, I shouldn’t

have used it in the dairy life, let alone washing.

But, what’s the original state mean ?   Is that the color on the cloth and the name of the temple printed on ?

—– isn’t this, just a sentimental reminiscence ?   Clinging the past ?

There may not be such a value in its original state.   It may only be in the mind.

So, without having such THINKING,  just wash it = “Having no useless thinking and just do it”

might be more like the Mushin of Zen Buddhism. = and when the cloth become completely

white, it would be the enlightenment —– WHAT a beautiful metaphor ! ! !

Though, no such things could happen.

In reality, if you keep washing cotton cloth 30, 50 years, the cotton fiber would be disintegrated.

And, when we wash, intending to make the color disappear, ironically, color never disappear.

It is just like our DNA,  it would never disappear.

—– Does it mean, no white cloth, neither see the Enlightenment ?

[]

It was a good exercise of thinking = this is a practice of what

Lord Buddha said “ Think it by yourself”.  🙂

Just a small piece of cloth teach us all about the Buddhism.   This is very “Direct Transmission”.

—– strangely, some people having an illusion “There would be a mythical communication of the

Cosmic Wisdom (Panya Paramita) which suddenly come into the mind and enlighten the person” is what

the Direct Transmission meant. —– Ha ha ha, Don’t make me laugh.  😀

It is a worst delusion than a pretty picture of a spin-doctor’s medicine bottle.

If such magic could ever existed in this world, one of the highest enlightened man like

Dalai Lama could have received such wisdom, and the trouble of the Tibet could be solved long ago.

Though, there is no magic solution or escape,  hence this is the Samsara,

as Lord Buddha said.  —– We only able to become aware of the Truth by the observation with the clear eyes.

And the Truth is not our wishful thinking but the reality = face of the Dharma.

Direct Transmission is a trigger to make us to actually see it = it is not a mythical magic.

In the famous [Flower Summon], the flower was the trigger to realize “What the Dharma is”=

Dharma is not in the special place, but even in a mere small flower = that’s why even small

flower can broom beautifully.

So, why not us. = This is what the Enlightenment is.

___/\___

—

Noise in the Mad Friday

————————————————— [Night view from the Regent Studio]

The Friday, a week before the Christmas was dubbed as the Mad Friday, as so many Xmas

parties were held in this timing.   (It became apparent, that it was true, on the street scene on the way back

from the party, I saw too many drunken people hardly able to walk :-D)

And I was invited for one of them, which happened to be happened in one of a mad-house in

the north London, at Regent Studio complex next to the old Regent canal.

As huge building having so many artists, even just one floor having three parties in the same time.

And the one I went was called [nnnnn] (!) = Noise Performing Party 😀

The key person who gave me this information was, yet again the Don of the electronic everything,

James the Tallbasterd —  http://tallbasterd.wordpress.com/ — who is also organizing OWN (open wifi network)

and involved many video, music, art events —– so that I bumped many familiar faces as well.

——————————– [nnnnn] event at Ryan Jordan’s Studio / at Regent Studio, Haggerston, London]

What, I’ve planned something special for this party was to test a latest new toy came to my hand a week

ago = Canon Zoom Fish-eye lens 8mm-15mm 🙂

So far I’ve been pretty happy with my 40 years old Nikon 16mm Fish-eye lens = all of my Fish-eye photos in this

blog has been taken by this lens on Canon 5D MkII with the first ever mount adopter in the world, which I’ve

made 25 years ago, in order to use Nikon lenses on Canon EOS 620.

My general view to the lenses, Nikon had a edge over Canon about the Wide-angle lenses, though this

Canon’s Fish-eye Zoom impressed me with its even quality of the image, corner to corner even with the aperture

fully opened (though, I found quite big color aberration, and the lens is not F4, but about F4.8 = the exposure

showed half stop under —– still, it wouldn’t be so much trouble = just give an exposure compensation)

(On the photo below, blue edge of the circle was caused by the Color aberration and it is persistent in any F-stop)

—————————————————– [James Stevens  and   Adnan Hadzi]

The party started with German base beat ! with my big appreciation. And next good things was that the floor

was a painted concrete = just right grip to the shoes (fluffy carpet imped the quick foot movement)

———————————————————[James  and  Adnan]

Then, James and Adnan started their creation in their noise oscillator and the synchronized video images.

James’ noise generator has two adjustments, on top of the photo sensitive element which give a Thermin like

frequency control. —– still, the noise is nothing but noisy —– sorry to say.  Ha ha ha  😀

Noise approach to the sound hasn’t reached to the level, fit to the human consumption yet.  😀

[Rob Canning and Antonio Glanopolos] – [Jonathan Kemp] ———————-[Tim Goldie and his mate]

The second performers, — was using his electric guitar as a noise source with heavily tinkered synthesized

noise jammed with another computer generated noises.

The third performer’s sound was even more destructive computer generated bong bong noise.

( I don’t think, louder sound doesn’t mean impressive  😀  )

————————————————-[ Tim Goldie]

Then the forth group was resorting much of their sound source and lighting control in analog way = by using

snare drum as a noise generator and other (veiled lady) manually switch on and off the fluorescent lights.

This one was more of the theatrical performance than a noise player —– still as destructive as others.

Very peculiar scene was, the most of the people came to this event knowingly what the Noise

performance is, —– still, fed-up its noisiness and came-out the door to have a chat outside 😀

Well, it might be an excuse to have a party and drink. —– Ha ha ha 😀

( In fact, there was one more performer played though,  it was too much to stay inside = hence no photos )

—– Our ancestor spend hundreds of years to sort-out what the sound should be, out of the noises, and refined

the music instrument they invented, and created a way of tuning and the tonal scale, rhythm and the harmony.

Constant rhythm and its BPM, and how we feel with it,  is related to our heart beat, and the tone whether it

is miner or major is directly affecting our emotion —– anything out of this rules = random noise is a noise.

—– ? ? ?

Of cause, anybody has a right to question “ If not” —– though,  It’s a same old question.

[]

Funny you may find in the aspect of Zen. Zen chase the better and the best of what ever the subject.

And deal with the subject alone as if no other subject exist in the life (at the moment) = (it called mindfulness).

A Tea master may spent 10 years to achieve fine smooth bubble in his Matcha (powdered tea) = achieve the

best is (strangely) human tendency (or obsession  😀 ).  —– No question of what it is for.

It is the closed sphere or circuit.   So, to push the possibility of  Noise to the limit is exactly in the same context.

BUT, tea bubble wouldn’t affect anybody out of its sphere though, Noise travel in the air = reaching other’s ears.

It’s a trouble.    Ha ha ha  😀

Even if it stand highly philosophical, noble notion = sound only reaches to one of the most primitive  sensor of

our organ / ears = its first perception is dangerous or not, good or bad = very basic feelings = far from noble.

Still, the noise itself wouldn’t kill you, if not bad to the ears. ( Trouble is, you only realize it in your later life 😦 )

Nevertheless, seeing familiar faces and chat “ How you happen to know this ?” —– and find

the overlapping networks = in fact, how close we each others are = or how small the world is !

Loud noise would also teach you,  how nice to have quiet peace is. —– Sigh ! —– Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

[]

OFFENSIVE — What ? ? ?

How interesting, after more than a year, some clicked LIKE but non ever clicked Don’t like, or

never received even a single negative comment —– my You tube video clips was identified as

[Potentially Offensive] —– What ? — I beg your pardon ? ? ?

Since I couldn’t have any more information, I don’t have any detail, which one, in what extent ?

[]

Potentially offensive, dangerous etc can be said against anything, by anybody —–

Yes, Baseball bat, Cricket bat are [potentially] dangerous killing weapons, as the facts showed that they

have been actually used to kill a man.

Well manicured nails are [potentially] dangerous weapons, it could cause an injury which may needs

hospital treatment, where the spread of life threatening MRS is a common feature there, and a person

who contracted such deprecating illness could [potentially] die.

But those are the statistical probabilities = may be [potential] one in millions.

The notion of [offensive] came from the imagination = to make a specific imaginary

connection to something they imagined socially or personally , what-so-ever unacceptable,

even just for a single person.    If one person felt offended, it’s mean it is Offensive. —– Is it ?

Isn’t it a trouble of the person’s own imagination ? —– or obsessive delusion kind.

[]

While displaying thousands of killing scene video-clips from Arab springs etc, I’m nothing but amazed by

so-called [You tube community’s] mind-set.  Who are they ?

If you search in You tube while typing Virtual Woman, Funny image or Condom, you will find the

thousands of dubious images or really low grade innuendo.

As I wrote in my post featuring my sculpture Virtual Woman, I created this wire mesh torso to see how

our psyche works. —– and I made it rotates like a computer cage design like a virtual image in a screen.

—– Any 3D body-design in the computer starts from a naked body, of cause.

Putting a skin, costume comes after.  Feel explicit image out of wire mesh is a really mindful imagination !

—– Or, was it because, it looks like a human barbecue ? — “Juicy and succulent” Ha ha ha 😀

Incidentally, I saw the lords of looks like dead naked bodies in the dark basement of latest

Secret Cinema’s event at St. John’s Street, London. They looked pretty realistic in its shape though,

they were made by plastic films and shredded paper. —– so, how a twisted metal mesh can be offensive ?

[]

Or, are they talking about blowing-up a condom ? —– Oh, c’mon. It’s nothing new.

Hundreds of You tube images blowing up a condom.

——— ? ? ?

Or, are they trying to make a fuss, in order to stir a news, expecting me to make a mountain

out of mole hill ?  Any publicities are good for them.

Fortunately or unfortunately for them, I’m a Zen Buddhist.

I’m not seeking a trouble which wouldn’t be an exciting fun.

Even HM the Queen treasuring the drawing of penis in her collection and Tracy Ermin’s open-leg

drawing of her genitals are the ART,  so what offensive my sculptures —– is it, because they are

the great Leonard DaVinci and Tracy Ermin, but I’m just Yoshizen / Kinetorori = M m m,

Isn’t it very discriminative OFFENSIVE view ?  Isn’t it a contempt to Offend me ?

[]

Whether, it was their joke or not, I haven’t received any formal notice (they got my real Email address)

nor my video-clips have been removed (— yet ?) by them.

So, watch the space for any fun-full out-come. 😀

___/\___    Peace for the World and the Cyberspace.   Ha ha ha.

– – –

PS:   After I have blogged here and Tweeted,  You tube withdrawn their comment.

—– Though, I have no idea whether they did read this blog, or just gave a second thought.   😀

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Japanese New Year’s Card 2012 (2) / DRAGON IMAGE

It’s interesting to think, how the ancient Chinese got idea of the Dragon. —– ? ? ?

Their Dragon doesn’t looks like a Snake neither Lizard or Crocodile, but an element of all those,

except its head and the face (some said, that the head with its mane was inspired by a hose)

Still, its image and the myth has been in their culture thousands of years. —– where it came from ?

[]

Neither I know the origin of the Western Dragon which got separate wings.

As Chinese Dragon can fly without having the wings, it is even more mysterious than a looks rational (?) western

Dragon. —– still, the Western Design doesn’t anatomically convincing  (in comparison to the wings of a Bat).

So that, when I designed my Flying Dragon, I didn’t put fore-legs to it.

Anyhow, it is a pure imaginary existence, what so ever the design it is the design, as long as it looks fearsome 😀

The Flying Dragon which got 3m wing-span,  flaps its wings and kicks the legs.   And the head (right photo) got

blue fire in the eyes and the mouth blow a fire —- well, supposedly.  Yes, it did frighten the people    😀

( The reason why the wings are not fully covered was, because of the air resistance — motor wasn’t big enough)

The next photos are the Wire Dragon called Dino  🙂   Its moving image is in the You-tube ;

—– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV0Oyl0B_0g    or click the Link on the right side-bar ( Associates )

I made this, when I was in the South Bank Uni’  Engineering Product Design, Master Course and

the identical (well, more or less) twin is in their permanent collection ( indefinite on loan to them).

The graphic image (right) would be easier to compose for a card.

Lastly, this is the Try-Headed Dragon.  It moves the Heads like the Snakes.

The head was made by a beer can and the long neck is the shower hose.

—– Well, it’s still a kind of the Dragon, don’t you think ?

And the brush Calligraphy are all greeting word for the New Year which

may be composed with the Dragon image to make a New Year’s Card.

( Be sure, never put it, up-side-down or use it for tattoo stencil  😀 )

Rest of the work is up to you.

(I myself is not very keen to use Photoshop, which I learned when

it was a version 3,  and don’t remember how to use !   😀 )

(Left / Read as Gashow  / Congratulate the New Year )  ———–( Right / Read as Gei-Shunn / Welcome the Spring)

—————————————- (Middle /Read as Kinga-Shin-nen / Happy New Year)

Try work hard,  still,  it will be a fun —– it’s a pleasure to live a creative life   🙂

Making a Card would nothing to do your survival, in other words, it is purely for a sake of making card.

( Exactly same as me to create the Kinetic Dragon sculptures = they are utterly useless for my survival )

Nothing essential for the life, it’s mean, it is a light hearted selfless act = Act in Mushin.

Still, you need to work with full concentration (mindfulness) and do it in your best.  Otherwise the result

wouldn’t be an up to the standard.  If it isn’t good enough, try again and again.  You can perfect it.

This is the Zen in action.  Zen is everywhere.  In fact our dairy life is the Zen, provided

you live it in your best, with your mindfulness.

___/\___

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Artist’s Party just went on and on and on —–

Last week-end there was an artist’s party which turned out to be pretty big fantastic party.

Artists though, it’s not a fine-art kind, Stage designer, Sound engineer, Film (video) maker, Photographer,

Graphic designer, Costume designer, DJ  etc etc, —— in certain extent, they are working craftsman.

Hence, talking are not abstract theory but more practical, technical kind which I like more.

As it was a party, my main aim was to have an enough exercise (generally called dancing)  with Jungle

or German base kind of music.  And I went there with Camera and my Rotating LED dancing costume.  😀

As the theme of the Party was the God, Goddess, kind  🙂  some had appeared with rather fancy attire

and a make up (and some had gone pretty far —– though, for the Stage, Film people it must be easy business.)

Whole house has been decorated with huge print out of Godly figure and the decorations.

Egyptian to Roman, even a Japanese mythical Goddess of Amateras  !

And of cause,  looks not necessary Godly figured folks as well —– ( So-called good earthly creatures  😀 )

A specially designed strange furniture (?) for the party was = like this in the photo. (You put name it)

Which can be climbed and parched on it = rather comfortable to sit on.

Where such imagination came from, and the effort to build this, from scratch,  just for a fun for

one night party ! —– This is the demonstration of an Italian extravaganza !

As in a guise of Venerable Holy Man Yoshizen  😀    I drunk orange juice.   (I brought Apple juice, since I hate Apple

though, it disappeared, hence I had to settle with orange ) —– was not a big issue though.

And so on —– so on.

Since the house literally having Audio engineer, DJ-in-residents, their set up was professional.

And the friends came to see and dance, expecting to have it in professional standard.  🙂

Good, good.  Excellent  🙂

And it went on and on and on —— till next morning.

This is what the Party should be.  And it was a terrific fun.

___/\___  ( It doesn’t contradict  Zen  😀  /  Far from it,  just giving a fun for hundred of the guests,

—————-pay so much effort and the work, and perfected it —– is nothing but the Zen.

—————-Believe me, as Yoshizen is saying so.   Ha ha ha  😀  )

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