Fuurin / Wind-Bell (2)
Well, this product / Wind-Bell here, was an utterly odd creation.
—– ( Before this, there has been a long stories of “Lens making” though, I’m
not actually making glass lens = just modifying them to an usable shape.)
—– anyhow, in order to make a lens usable, I’ve been mounting it to the
Camera Lens Mount using another metal ring etc etc = in short
I’ve been playing with lots of small metal pieces. = then I accidentally found,
some of those metal pieces makes nice sound when they were hit.
[]
So, the photos above are the metal rings hanged as a wind-bell but this one
was made to rather quiet one. 🙂 —– here, there was a post about a nice Zen
story of a Fuurin / Wind-Bell. —– Yes, Fuurin makes nice sound —– yes, on
the beginning. = second day, it became an irritation. = Hence, I made quiet one.
= it chimes only once or twice in few minutes. (When wind was not too strong.)
Its high-pitch tone with resonating tail makes our ears to listen,
and our ears can catch even faintest sound
= the ears become so sensitive,
still its sound got no meaning,
neither no-point to waite next sound
= it may come may not come.
—– So, the mind become completely passive and open.
= this is nothing but a deep meditative state.
The mind is in the state of Void.
[]
In this design, each three metal pieces had different sizes and the sounds though,
strangely, when they hit each other, they makes only one sound ! (or, to my ear)
(You know, it’s a famous Zen question, when two hand crap, why only
one sound came out, despite each hand makes each sound ? — Try to see. 🙂 )
[]
So, now on, the spring breeze has nice company.
[]
Poetry Contest (2)
Not necessary having a thought, I suddenly realized that the story of the Poetry Contest of Huineng and Shenxui was not right. Its contest was the 5th patriarch, Hongren try to find who should succeed him and become 6th patriarch of the Zen. Unlike the other sect of Buddhism, Zen does their learning without rely on the words. = the action in the practice or a thing or phenomenon trigger the understanding.
So, the founder of Rinzai Zen, Rinzai said to have uttered that, “On the way, (may mean Pathway) when you saw the scriptures, through them away. When you saw the monks kill them or met Lord Buddha, kill him too.” —– (this advice was meant be getting rid of any notion, and empty the mind.)
[]On the said Poetry Contest, for the answer to the Hongren’s request to show the Zen mind, well-learned top-rank monk, Shenxui wrote “Mind is like a mirror, I polish the mirror diligently for no dust to settle on it” —– opposing to this, one low rank monk, Huineng wrote “Since Mirror is not exists in the first place, where could dust settle”
—– Hongren found that Huineng has much deeper understanding in Zen, he chose Huineng to be his successor.
[]Zen teaching was started by Bodhidharma on 5th century. Though, as a matter of fact, there were numerous legend and myth about Bodhidharma but little historical facts were known, therefore any story has to be treated with a pinch of salt.
—–When Bodhidharma wanted to choose his successor, there was a similar story. He asked his disciples “Can each of you say something to demonstrate your understanding ?”
Dao Fu stepped forward and said, “It is not bound by words and phrases, nor is it separate from words and phrases. This is the function of the Tao.”
Bodhidharma: “You have attained my skin.”
The nun Zong Chi stepped up and said, “It is like a glorious glimpse of the realm of Akshobhya Buddha. Seen once, it need not be seen again.”
Bodhidharma; “You have attained my flesh.”
Dao Yu said, “The four elements are all empty. The five skandhas are without actual existence. Not a single dharma can be grasped.”
Bodhidharma: “You have attained my bones.”
Finally, Huike came forth, bowed deeply in silence and stood up straight.
Bodhidharma said, “You have attained my marrow.”
Bodhidharma passed on the symbolic robe and bowl of dharma succession to Huike and, some texts claim, a copy of the Lankavatara Sutra.
Bodhidharma then either returned to India or died. (This story from Wikipedia)
(There was the conflicting stories, —– He might returned to Persia. Or even killed in the mass execution at Heyin in 528.) []
My doubt was that why Shenxui, studying under Hongren did have such poor understanding ? (While Huineng who was working in the kitchen could still pick up the Zen understanding from overheard conversation of other monks.)
And the same question goes to the colleagues of Huike too. = they were no ordinary monks, THE direct disciples of Bodhidarma. As they lives together, they must have lots of discussion even arguments. —– still keep maintaining such variety of idea = quite logical and full of blah blah, but where the “Teachings of the Master” which was supposedly on the principle of Void and abhorrence to the words, has gone ?
And, what was the 5th Patriarch, Hongren’s understanding and the teachings of “mind” ? —– (Was he thinking, “There is Zen Mind” ? )
— Who recorded those stories ? — Was that came from the diary of Hongren ? — weren’t those stories made-up to glorify each Huineng and Huike ? ? ?
While making others looks fool = makes stories interesting. And this kind of practice was behind of all those compilation of “Sutra” or scriptures. It’s mean, we need very critical sharp eyes to distinguish what was the true teachings. 🙂
___/\___
[]
Jazz at the Cafe / February
Jazz night on this month at the Small White Elephant Cafe had a guest musician
Harrison Cole as a trumpet player.
Handsome boy Harrison (originally from Colombia) has been in Japan several
times, so, I teased him “You must be chased by many pretty girls there” — he said
“No no, nothing like that. My friend tried to chase those Kawaii-ko, neither him
was successful” ” Ha, ha, ha, I don’t believe you”.
—- Left Harrison Cole / Trumpet ——– Tris Harris / Drum ——- Les Booth / Bass Guitar
(They were experienced enough to ignore trespassing photographer — thanks ! )
With a good rethome and a touch of latin Trumpet, the customers started dancing.
During a break and after the music, a lots of chat with musicians, visitors
each other — there was even other photographer who was wondering what a
funny lens I was using. (my handmade fuzzy lens !)
It was more like a socializing occasion —– good fun !
[]
Fun from a broken Camera (2)
It was two weeks ago when I showed this photo of Canon G9.
Among the disassembled component, I found some of them are useable.
Such as the front lens alone (photo above left) could be used as a 50 mm F2.6 lens
and the second group of the optics (photo above center) is a very strong diverging
(concave) lens = could be used to widen the view of a pinhole camera.
In order to use a lens, it has to be mounted somewhere — to a lens mount or
to a filter ring etc. —– unless it got exact diameter or screw pitch, we need to fill
the gap and glue (epoxy) them.
I cut a beer can’s thin metal to the needed diameter and fix it with epoxy.
To do this kind of work, I bought M39 to M42 adapter ring and M42 to Nikon F
mount adapter. (Those item’s cost were only few pounds though, it took 2 weeks to
get them here, and as being as cheap Chinese products, noting is what we expected
= M42 screw was slightly larger and couldn’t fit to the Pentax original mount.
And the clow of Nikon Mount bayonet was too thin hence it was too loose.
For M39 to M42 ring, I “re-cut” the M42 screw (Photo left in the center).
(Photo Left : Nikon to Canon Adapter though,
part of its diameter was 0.5mm too large
= needed to file-down !)
(Such laborious cutting work with file is
nothing but a good Zen practice. 😀 )
Second group of concave lens aforesaid was
mounted on the center of M42 to Nikon
mount adapter. (photo above center)
And the Front lens of G9 was mounted
on to a Nikon mount adapter via M39-M42 ring. (photo right)
So, what was those hastle for ? —– The photo (right) here was taken by the
front lens of discarded Canon G9 Camera aforesaid.
(Left photo was also taken by a single lens came from another broken zoom lens).
( I’m preparing those lenses for the coming flower season ! )
If you like to see “sharp but ubiquitous” photo, please go to phone-camera.
The photos here, the images were full of aberration and halation still where
the focus lies, it’s sharp. (Look the enlarged photo) —– they might be
the images what we are actually seeing.
(like impressionist painter had found). 🙂
[]
Dale’s Studio
——– (Note: Photo above by Zeiss 18mm lens for Nikon = Virtually no Distortion ! )
Yesterday, I went to the studio of Dale in the east London who also run the Cafe,
Small White Elephant to help a documentation, photographing his paintings.
As always, when I go out to take picture, it was a sunny blue-skyed day. = Almost
like the first spring day of this year.
(In fact, I’ve told him “If the weather was like this rainy, it would be a sign of
that the Heaven doesn’t like you” as the day before was rainy.)
As always, the studio was in a disused big industrial building,
some walk from the Bromley by Bow station. = Real East End ! —– the area
“was” really a derelict, disused industrial land though, in the past few years,
suddenly new development was started. = would become posh town soon ! ?
Utterly out of my guess, Dale’s paintings were the riot of colors with tons of paint.
— paint was not painted but more likely, deposited on the canvas. (= so that,
even after few years, some paint was still not completely dried yet.)
I only say ” Wao, Amaaaaaaazing”. and then, I realized the connection, why
he interested in Zen = those process to dripping the paint without having
much of pattern or figure = almost endless work of Mushin (Mind of No-mind
= Do the task without needing to have the Thinking.) —– And the result
—– it showed nothing or it is the everything ! (色即是空，空即是色 = like what
Heart Mantra said ) —– He was not trying to copy a style of Zen painting
but “Do the Zen” in action.
And, for the next step, for exhibition and for a publication, he needed
to have his paintings digitized.
When we finished the shooting, his friends came to the studio with cans of beer.
In most of the case, the studio of the artist never be tidy —– so, looks like this
pile of mess = was not a mess = it was a collage of the doodles or a draft of plan
etc etc. in his past (= said to be. 🙂 )
Therefore, I wouldn’t make any question “What is this ?” to an artist.
(with obvious reason. 🙂 )
So, I even didn’t have an attempt to guess what they are — why the blobs of
the paint was kept and treasured ? ? ?
In some distance, over the Bow Creek, landscape of the East End.
The life is there as usual. (of usual kind. 🙂 )
(Camera used was: Nikon D810 with PC Nikkor 35mm F2.8 and
Carl Zeiss 18mm F3.5 for Nikon)
[]
Fun from a broken Camera
Often when a camera of my friend or a friend of friend has broken down,
that camera was brought to me to have it repaired or for me to have a fun.
But a compact digital camera, Canon Powershot G9 was dropped in the muddy
water and beyond the repair = so, I had a fun ! (and beyond. 🙂 )
The inside of the camera had, not only a water but also a lots of sand too,
hence like a lens barrel got stuck etc — rather hard to even disassemble
(not mention the rusted and stucked screws) — still, some of the parts were
survived well and still functioning ! The photo above was a 16 MP image sensor
and its left, pale green grass was a filter to remove the effect of Infra-red ray.
I think, this sensor is still usable though, what for ? —– Make yet another
imaging device ? = nothing creative = just buy a security camera would be cheaper.
This was an interesting device = rather early design (this camera appeared
on the market 2007) of the Image-stabilizer.
As you might know a projected image is upside down. So that, when the camera
was shaken down, the image would move upward. Therefore, if a part of the optics
in which carrying the image, which was already upside down was shaken down,
its movement cancelling the shake. = With this theory, Canon designed an
Image-stabilizing optics with rather heavy magnets and the driving coils.
—– The whole unit was suspended by 3 springs therefore, it’s bounce with
camera shake to the opposite direction = but as I said, the projected image was
upside down, the camera shake was cancelled. = It was a clever design though,
as its bounce was affected by the gravity, it wouldn’t be consistent with the different
positioning of the camera (holding the camera vertical or horizontal, or aiming
up or down may affect to sense the direction and a strength of the movement. )
In the device, orange colored mouth (eye ?) shapes were the electric coils to control
the movements of the magnets. (on the photo left, it was heavily rusted ) On the photo
right, round shaped component was a stepping motor to drive an Iris (F-aperture)
and this motor and Iris was working, I’ll use it somewhere on future.
The photo left, this is the back of the Image-stabilizer, and it’s showing
two drive unit for the shutter and the built-in ND filter.
And the center and right photos, they shows the last (4th) optical group before
the image sensor and this optics might be a focusing unit which was driven by
a stepping motor with a screw movement.
(I’m planing to make something with its fine and precise movement.)
The photo left, this was the first group of the optics or the front lens, and as a convex
lens, it would be used as a simple single glass lens. (Somewhat, 55 mm F2 lens. 🙂 )
The center photo was the second group of the optics which is acting as a concave lens,
creating zoom effect though, it seemed, those 2nd and the 3rd groups move together
with very complexed movement, it was not easy to say how zooming was done.
The photo right shows the grooves on the barrel, by which how each group of
the lens moves. (Small pin on the plastic barrel moves in those grooves = you see,
how those lenses were flimsy and fragile = one drop would destroy the camera and
it is cheaper to buy another camera than to repair (by replace the lens all together.)
[]
One broken camera provide quite useful components and the opportunity to
think “What could be designed and made out of those components” —– the game
of the creativity. So, it is a fun. ( —– without the cost !)
[]
Jazz at the Cafe
Every last Thursday evening of the month, at Small White Elephant Cafe
in Peckham, South London has a Jazz Night.
The music starts 8:00 o’clock evening till 10:00, and this night had Tris Harris,
the Drummer Trigger Finger with Les Booth the Bassist and a guest
Saxophone player, Adrian Northover. = naturally, it’s a collection of
Horne Musics — even down to Take Five !
——— The Drummer Tris Harris —– Bassist Les Booth —– and Adrian Northover
Taking the opportunity of the evening people having a party as well,
bringing their own party food and the drinks.
I like this kind of rather casual (not a snobby “Jazz club like” ) atmosphere.
To the owner, Dale, it’s a once in a month occasion — a bit of pressure though,
Don’t worry you can manage.
It’s an occasion for his friends coming down too. —– and it’s turned out to be
a small world. = The lady here happen to have her studio next door of Dale.
And I met her in the Immersive Cult party when she told me about this Cafe !
—– indeed, our world is pretty small. ( still, your world may be big 🙂 )
[]
Ai Music — What ? ? ?
This music said to have composed entirely by a computer. It’s mean, a computer
(its program) had its mind how to compose a music, in other words it was an
Artificial Intelligence to be a classic music composer in Bach’s style.
—– It’s pointless to talk about the music without listen it first. (So, ask your ears.)
Sound somewhat a part of J.S.Bach’s clavier collection —– though, what did you
find of this composition ? — In my feeling, I found this, very irritating to listen.
So that, it convinced me that how the man who composed the original
Well Tempered Clavier, Book one = J.S.Bach had human mind and a sensitivity.
I think, the mind was conceived phrase by phrase such as “I like this flower”,
“A is equal to B” or “As A was equal to B, therefore A plus B will be the amount
of twice of A” kind. So, the music expression has more or less the same structure,
whether it has a poetical dialogue inside of the composer or the description of the
landscape etc, in any case, each phrase, description etc is a complete packet.
They never drug the argument endlessly, as they ought to settle somewhere.
Yet, this “so called, Ai composed Music” has no such packet structure, but just
continuing on and on for the sake of making it to the length. How irritating !
[]
—– My guess is, that the man who programmed this so called Ai, just made an
algorithm “What most likely choice of a note after the note, according to the
statistical tendency of J.S.Bach” not the artificial emulation of Bach’s Mind.
Music is not a permutation of the note, but the emotional phrase induced by
a musical language. —– Language need to have a structure and the words.
They are not an endless line of alphabet.
I don’t mind if this music was played to a computer, but human ear is not a machine.
If you like to follow this Ai story, the link was :
[]
Hoben (方便) / Upaya — (2)
Most of the books I refer to, are I brought from Japan and unless I need to find
the English word, I do not look into Wiki kind. —– So, I tell you the truth,
until few days ago, I didn’t know that there a Sanskrit word for Hoben (方便), Upaya
existed. In Japan Hoben is a widely used word spread out of the Buddhism,
which has an extended meaning of “convenient mean” or “easy alternative” kind,
and the original Buddhist context was masked by those common usage.
Lord Buddha’s witty teachings, which was timely and suit to the occasion, or to
the person speaking to, is a well known stories, hence those witty talk style has
been adapted by the Zen talk, or even by the children’s comic book “Ikkyu-san”.
As its casual use became so common, we almost forgotten it had a Buddhism origin.
—– So that, to find this word, “Upaya” really surprised me, not because of its
meaning but the attitude, the ancient monk did created a dedicated nickname for
Lord Buddha’s talking style, yet still, they couldn’t find the meaning of
Lord Buddha’s silence.
[]
Do you talk about the prostitute or prostitution in public ? I don’t think you do.
It’s a dirty talk and officially, it’s not exist in your life. And if it’s not in the society,
neither a word prostitution exists. It’s mean, even if anybody asked about it, you
can not understand what it mean nor able to answer.
To Lord Buddha, talking about Atman or Self never happened, because no such things
of the Self exists and to talk about a thing which is not exists was nothing but a
delusion and it is a dirty talk. Because of it is not exists and as he doesn’t have, it was
no use to make a question about the Self or its reincarnation to him, because
he wouldn’t answer anyway, since even no word, no notion was there.
= This was the reason why, to those questions, there was no answer from
Lord Buddha at all.
[]
And when the teaching was related to the Self, there was no explanatory words
but to show the practice which would lead to the “Selfless State of the mind” —–
or just to give a smile, otherwise (if you can’t get it), the excommunication.
(This was the reason why no explanation of “No Self” was in the scripture.
—– either it was omitted because of the conflict with the Hinduism or it couldn’t
be written down because, no such things like a Self exists.)
(In Buddhism, especially in Zen, there is nothing between Yes and No.
Yes mean 200% commitment but if it was No, even a word No itself is no longer exist.
= it is not a denial or even an argument but a total erasure = the subject, the matter
is completely disappeared. = hence no psychological conflict.
When no-self, there is even no subject, who is thinking the matter.)
___/\___
[]
HOBEN (方便) / Upaya — in Buddhism
In one before previous post, “Why live”, the author of the book Dr. Ogoshi was
saying that the Hoben (方便) (upaya = Sanskrit) = the mean or way (to lead others to
the Enlightenment) as the vital part of the human relation therefore that makes
the Reason to live.
[]
Among the religions, the only one asking the followers “to understand (the matter)”
is the Buddhism. All others need just believe what was said or written.
With this reason, only the Buddhism having a notion of Direct transmission or
Hoben/upaya and the Pathway. All those are just the mean and the process. —–
Why those mean or process was talked about, but not the goal itself was = that
because, the goal couldn’t be explained, even if anybody knows. Because, it is Void.
Indeed, it’s a funny religion and the strange deal = on the end, you may get the Void
at its best. If it was short of best, you get nothing. Get nothing, yet even if you did
the best, get Void ! —– How Fantastic ! ! !
( at least the another religion is promising the heaven or paradise kind of good deal!
— whether it was fraud or not in the eyes of Advertising Standard Authority.)
[]
In the famous Kisa Gotami story, what she was instructed was to obtain the
mustard seeds from the house never had bereavement. — After knocking all
the doors in the village, and running all the day, she was convinced that the
bereavement is the truth of human existence. —– The advice of
Lord Buddha, “To save the dead child, it need to get the mustard seeds” was not
necessary true though, the action she took, definitely brought her the enlightenment
and helped her to overcome a sorrow of the lost child. —– And to give such a good
advice and lead the person to get enlightened IS the Mahayana Buddhist duty.
(It must be much harder to enlighten the other. Who got the brain of
Lord Buddha, in this world today ? ! )
___/\___
[]
PS: In the mainstream Buddhism, Kisa Gotami’s story
was understood only as a sample of Hoben shown by
Lord Buddha. But, what I’ve been talking about is, its contributory effect of
“Repeating Actions” (running and knocking all the doors next by next) to her
brain function. = (Repeating input to the brain lead the apathetic response =
input would be handled emotionally detached = this is all about
the Buddhist’s practice and the VOID in the mind.)
[]
Yoshizen's Blog 
leave a comment