Humble Lens (?) for Canon Camera = Pinhole Photo / BGR Tri-Pinholes Photo

You might think the Photo here is yet another bloody Soft Focus lens.

It’s not by Soft Focus lens. —– In fact it was not even a lens at all.

——– ( Like latest  5D Mk-III,  5D Mk-II also has Light-leak or it might have caused by the internal reflection

———  on a shiny surface of a parts.   Canon can say, it is not in a normal use what camera was designed for)

This is a Pinhole Photograph on Hi-Tech DSLR —– ! ! !

You might be surprised —– or bemused ?

(End of this post, you can see  3-pinhole photo with BGR color-filter for each pinhole )

—————— ( Cutty Sark in Greenwich —– Hand held Pinhole camera, F250, 1/15th Second, ISO 3200 )

One of the best advantage of the Canon EOS cameras is, their Light-measuring

function works  without any lens attached on the body. = Light was

measured on the light actually came into the sensor, and the exposure value

was calculated on So-called Stop-down Metering.

In comparison, other cameras are guessing the exposure based on the

information came from the lens, mounted on the camera. Its mean, their

camera was designed to work only with a ROM memory hidden inside of the

lens which gives the information of lens ID, what is the current setting of

focal length on Zoom, F-aperture setting (in a case such as Nikon which allow

you to use an old manual lens) etc, with an assumption of the lens would

work accordingly.  (If the lens was F4 in full open, calculates how many stops

needs to close in this lighting condition.  Canon measure actual light instantly,

when F-aperture was closed, then select the shutter speed).

The reason why other manufacturers are using this design was, to prevent

the use of a lens other than their genuine products.

(The ID of lens would direct a correction program,  such as to brighten up

the corner-fall-off of the wide-angle lens).

——–  — ( Cutty Sark in Greenwich ) ——— ( There was a Cinema Film Shooting at Old Royal Naval College )

On the beginning, in order to cut into the Nikon dominated professional

camera market, Canon designed their camera even capable to use with

Nikon lens.   Hence, in the early 70th, they sold a lens mount adapter to use

for Nikon lens.  (Later, when they gained popularity and their confidence grow,

they stop to sell this adapter). 

The First Gulf war was the turning point for the choice of professional camera,

as most of Nikon were stopped to work, thanks to the microscopic sand dust in

the desert.  Only the camera kept working was the Canon. —– As a consequence,

News Photographers changed to Canon.

Still, the tradition to allow the use of Nikon lens was kept by Canon, since such

as special 2000 mm lens which was made only by Nikon, Canon has to make a

provision for News photographer to use such special lens on their Canon body.

= hence, camera was designed to functions with the lens which has no Canon

ROM memory.  In other words they can work with any lens. 

So that, their camera, even Digital SLR can give enough exposure function except

Tv and Program Mode. = still perfect on AV Mode and of course with

Manual Mode.

Above all, with DSLR, we can check the result on the spot, and change

manual setting or exposure compensation on Av.

( Or, change ISO setting further).

——————————————————- ( At Painted Hall, Greenwich )

So, there is no problem to use Canon with a reading glass, plastic flat lens

(Fresnel lens, which gives utterly unsharp image 😀 ) —– even with

Pin-hole, while leaving all the exposure control to the Camera !

= Just use AV mode and adjust exposure compensation.

(Though, Canon 5D gives only up to 30 seconds on AV Mode, if you need

longer exposure to make picture brighter = increase ISO to higher setting,

or change to Manual Mode.

And if you need to have very long long exposure to make all the moving

things disappear, use lower ISO or use dark ND filter together.

Unlike on color film, the adverse effect of UV light  (which causes blue cast),

doesn’t affect the color on Digital camera.  But never have a direct sun in

the image.  Without having any protective glass lens which blocks UV light,

it may damage the Image Sensor).

————————————————————— ( At Greenwich Town )

And, to do this kind of creative shooting, you need to pay attention to

[Good Common Sense] such as, to use View finder cover to block the

stray light from the back.  

And use good black paper for making Pin-hole, and make sure, pinhole

should be clean round hole with no paper floss messing on it.

And DO MAKE SURE, keep everything DUST FREE. 

Wash your hand before hand.

= a dust particle got onto the Image Sensor is very tricky to clean.

Your acute mindfulness was required.

——— ( Sake of photo, Pinhole was placed on EOS RT body )—– ( To make a perfect hole, it was made on a smaller

———————————————————————————————- piece of thin metal and attached in the center )

A paper with Pinhole, will be stacked on the lens mount of the body by a black

PVC tape to seal-off the stray light.

The Canon DSLR camera has the depth = Flange-back (Lens mount to Image

Sensor) 44 mm, therefore the field of view is the same as 44 mm lens. 

And if you use an Extension Ring and stick the pinhole further away from the

body, effectively it would give you telephoto images.

In the most of the case, (as a fine sawing needle has a diameter about 0.5 mm)

the size of this hole is equivalent of F90. (With a focal length of 44 mm lens,

if the diameter of the lens was 44 mm, it would give effective F-aperture F1,

hence, 44 /0.5 = 88 = about F90)

—– I’ve made it less than 0.2 mm = F250.  Instead to use a paper, I used thin

aluminium panel of a Drink Can, and pierced it with just a tip of the needle.

The smaller the hole, it would give sharper image though, the optical effect of

Diffraction will scatter the light, it can not give sharp image like an optical lens

anyway, but on the other hand, it gives pan-focus. 

(The hole doesn’t necessary in the center = You may put it far side and take

picture always one half, like top-end.  Or to put TWO, to make double images,

or one with color filter and so on, there are endless possibilities,

still cost nothing.  😀 )

—– (The samples of 3-PINHOLEs photos with each Red, Green and Blue filter)

—–

—– It would be a fun to play with a camera in open-minded way.

(Try it and find new play ground in photography  😉 )

[]

Fuji Soft-Focus Lens

While looking for a Pentax 20 mm lens to use for Macro shot (use it with revers mount-ring

on Canon —– Canon’s 20 mm lens is too big and F-aperture couldn’t be set manually),

Then I bumped to 40 year old  Fuji Soft-focus 85 mm F4 lens, deep inside of camera cabinet.

Yah, yah, I’m still having this ! —– I remember, I used this lens twice = It is my bad habit to

buy strange Camera, Lens, funny devices whether I need to use it or not = still, to see how

it was designed or what sort of things could be created from such junk is,  I should say,

my pleasure. —– (Like £10 broken camera, it is a treasure box of spare-parts)

Any how, to test this lens, I popped out to take picture of  Chery Blossoms. (Yet again  😀 )

Most Soft focus Lens is using an optical aberration = Uncorrected Spherical Aberration, 

which cause the light spread out side of the image, hence giving soft halo around the image

while maintaining the sharply focused core image in the center.  (Though, having inherent

soft image in the view finder, to have sharp focus in the first place is not easy  😀 )

And as this Fuji Lens is using so-called Lotus-Root Iris (having lots of hole in a disc) to

control intensity of the effect, some time the artifact appears in the off-focused Boke image. 

In the photo above, you can see the ghost of multi-hole disc. = this is a sample of dirty Boke.

When soft effect works well, effect is far better than soft filter or grease, as the image has

solid core of focused image.   (With soft filter, everything become soft).

With darker background,  you can see how halo spread around the bright images.

Though, with low contrast subjects, the effect is subdued.  In fact, with smaller F setting,

the effect of aberration become very little, same as even a cheap bad lens can give sharp

image with small F-aperture setting.

These days,  even a Mob’Phone camera can take pretty sharp photos.   Sharp images with

over Photoshoped photos are everywhere, and I’ve got rather weary with them.

Our eyes are not necessary need to see everything in its details. That is why, when sharp-eyed

Photographer showed unknown view or fresh viewing angle, the image surprises us.

So, I found, soft images which shows [the details as if no details are there],  isn’t too bad.  😀

[]

Talk with Cats = What is MUSHIN

Somebody said “Hey yoshizen, you are utterly nuts, how you can talk with cats ?”

—– Quite often, when I saw a cat, I call him (her ?) “wu Nya” 😀

And lower my body or crouch and say “Oide, oide” (it’s mean, “Come, come” in Japanese.)

So that, my friend who happened to be with me, say “How this cat understand Japanese ?”

or “Can they understand Japanese ? Hey, don’t be silly ” —– then, those friend

was surprised as he saw the cat is coming to me and having their head scratched.

[]

So, I said to my friend “Of cause, they don’t know what that Japanese mean.

But, do you know, the cats can read our mind ?” “Oh yes, I know they can”

“So, this is it. It doesn’t matter what language I have used on my rip, but my mind,

in fact deep down to my subconscious level, I’m expressing the friendship message

as the same kin.  Cat understand this message like a mind reading”

[]

If you remember what I wrote in the previous post, you may be confused by this description.

—– “Deal with cat in Mushin”. —– What the Mushin mean here ?

THIS IS the most misunderstood point in the Buddhism and in the concept

of Mushin and the SELF.

Open your mind, don’t think anything, empty your mind, brah brah brah ——.

They are all just the words, only described the superficial appearance and its observation.

Yes it is true. There was no thinking in the brain on that moment, hence it seemed the mind

was empty. —– still, full function of the body is continuing.

Tea Master is making a tea, Sword’s Master is fighting, I was calling the Cat. = all

those actions were carried out in Mushin.

[]

Lots of amateur Buddhists and Sham Monks or so-called Instructors, Practitioners are believing

and teaching that the Mushin is a kind of special mental state occurred only

when sitting and meditating.

—– Forget the Buddhism for a while. (Before talking Buddhist’s mind, you better know what

the ordinarily mind is 😉 ) = Remember what people say “Talk from your Heart”

“It struck our Soul” “Selfless Love” etc ==== You can understand all those words straight,

what it’s mean. = In fact all those words are describing the same psyche in our deep-down mind

= the pure human emotion in our subconsciousness, without any intentional thinking

= away from political, psychological manipulation, self enriching maneuver or egotistic thinking.

People can naturally feel, talk and act without having any those intentional artificial thinking.

—– Where those Thinking come from, and where those psyche described as

Heart, Soul or Pure Human Emotion come from ?

[]

Complexed highly intentional thinkings are all bore out of our highly intelligent Cerebrum =

large Brain.  But Heart, Soul and Pure Humanistic Emotion are come from our

Old Cortex and Limbic System.

(Which is common, even with cats, hence we can shar the same psyche. 😀 )

Mushin = Mind of No-Mind is the state of the brain, when all those Thinkings in the Cerebrum

were stopped (or suppressed, abandoned what ever the word. And an advanced Zen Master can

stop even the process or Emotion in the Limbic System as well). = Still, some subconscious and

basic function in the Limbic System can be maintained and continue its process.

[]

Likewise, the Self with its Self Conscious Thinking together with its Emotion could

be disappeared, still able to maintain the integration of the body and its function.

= Thinking was stopped still, subconscious is aware the situation.

In fact, subconsciousness knows the situation far better, because Limbic system

is directing and controlling all the data flow in the Brain.  The Cerebrum is only

converting some of those data into the words and to the visible conscious.

(This is why the argument, what is the SELF and whether it is exists or not was started.

And the typical Mahayana Expression [It exists as not exists] was invented).

Consciously conscioused SELF is clearly be seen, but subconscious is invisible. 

You can hear my word to a cat “Oide, oide”, but you can’t hear the signal

in [Z-band] channel hidden there.   (Unless you too a cats person  😀 ).

[]

PHILOSOPHER (Cat’s story – 2)

This is an old story though,  when I got a water flood from a burst pipe of the flat above,

I had to shelter myself to a friend architect’s house in the south London.

Strangely, the garden of this house was a gathering place of the cats around.

Every day more than 10 cats came and go or staying there all day.  The wife of my friend

complained as the cats stomped the flower shoots etc etc, not mention their droppings.

She tried all sorts of tactics to chase-off the cats, but nothing deter them keep coming.

[]

I gave a solution to prevent the cats damage young shoot of the flowers by putting many

sticks standing on the seed bed. (as the sticks sticking out every 4 inches or so, cat can’t walk,

let alone to jump down there from the fencing wall) —– yet still the cats were keep coming

by climbing the tree.

While watching them, I invented the nick name for each of them.

Such as [Wu-he] after a character in a Japanese comics as this cat got a fanny slimly face.

(If you pronounce this, on front of a mirror, you will see your face looks smiling with a bit of

embarrassment = the character in the comics was this kind  🙂 )

[]

The another cat named [Philosopher] was after his habit and he seemed to be a loner,

not playing with others so much, but stay in the garden looking up the bird on the tree.

When he saw a bird, he was making strange noise, like cracking his teeth “ Ka ka ka ka”.

Then one day, I saw this cat actually caught a sparrow and eating it with cracking noise

“Crack, crick, munch, munch” —– M m m ?

There was a sort of say in Japan “Never feed a chicken with bone in it, since broken bone is very

sharp to damage cat’s stomach, causing the cat’s death” — though, if he could eat whole sparrow,

the bone may not be dangerous for him to eat.   So, I tested it by giving him chicken wing.

He eat whole of it while cracking the bones and appreciated very much.  Since then, I kept giving

him a chicken wing every day.  He was waiting me on the garden door every day. (The wife of

my friend hated this and she kicked [Philosopher] out when he walked into the kitchen.)

[]

Then I found a ground floor flat with big garden in the north London and moved to there taking

this [Philosopher] with me though, it was a first experience to him. He seemed to be panicked.

While having second journey to bring other boxes, he escaped through a ventilation hole in the

bathroom. —– what a blunder = I made a lost cat.

Few days later, when I met the friend again, he mentioned that [Philosopher] is

still coming to the door waiting my chicken wing. —– What ? ? ?

[]

My friend didn’t know, I took him to north London, but if the cat is still coming to his house, it’s

mean, the cat managed to go back to the south London within 3 days, while finding

the direction and having 8 miles (13 km) journey !    What an incredible story though,

in the same time, it showed that the cat couldn’t comprehend, I was the one moved out, and took

him to the new flat (while giving him a big trouble) = therefore, no more chicken wing there.

There is another say in Japan that cat never cross a water or river. From the north

to south London, of cause, there is the Themes river. Still it wasn’t a problem for him.

One of the most enduring story of this kind was, a cat in Japan who was

accidentally left behind, did follow the owner who has moved from a

north-western city of Itoigawa to Yokohama, and found the owner, after 2 years

of journey while traveling 600 miles (1000 km).

Nobody know how he could find the direction but simply the cat did.

[]

There are many myth around the cat though, many of them are not true.

It was said that the cat belong to the house not to the owner.   But this is not true.

One of the cat I used to live with, remembered me even after 10 years kept by

others.  (When the cat saw me, he jumped up to my shoulder,  and rubbing

his nose to my cheek.  This is the greeting the animal does each other.

Because my cats thinking me as their same kin, they treat me like another cat).

Something certain is, they got unknown, hence mythical sensory power.

[]

When I talked about this [Philosopher] story to a secretary of a Bank who was one of

my client, she mentioned, one of their staff is asking if anyone can adopt a kitten.

—– So, it was a beginning of my life, living with the cats.

[]

The old part of our Brain, like Limbic System is common with another animal.

In fact we only got add-on of large brain on top.  In other words, the process, the control of

the sensory grands and the basic perception in the Limbic system having the same language.

( Similar to the computer, what ever the operational system and the higher language, still

down to the bottom, they are programmed and operating in the hexadecimal binary cord.)

= by using this channel, we human could communicate with the other animal.

To do this, we human needs to silence the noise coming from the Cerebrum and its thinking.

[]

The stories of the Zen Buddhist communicating with other animal may have

the basis in this phenomenon = silencing the noise of thinking in the Brain

mean, it is to be in a state of  Mushin.

Not in thinking but having a deepest perception of  friendliness in the primeval

Limbic feeling = This feeling is the common language with any living form.

The most peculiar things about this, the cats can sens this remotely.

Often suddenly a cat came out of dark, and asking me to scratch, or tangling

with my foot. —– How they knew me a cat’s person before-hand ?

(But it seems there is a drawback, the dogs often hates me.  😀

—-– So, I’ve been asking many people if I smell fishy ? )

[]

Goma-ae Ingen (Green Bean in Sesame source)

– ——( To show the source, it was poured on top of the Green bean, instead to put the bean into the bowl

——where the source was mixed = it’s mean one more bowl to wash = it’s against the way of simple  life    🙂 )

[]

As a humble  Zennist’s principle, I don’t buy so-called snack or sweets.   ( I said, in principle =

exception is a fruits cake in December.   In an old tradition, families goes out to the woods to pick wild

fruits and use them to make a cake to celebrate a festive season. —– Even if it is just a nostalgic story,

still I like a luminescence,  when people had a life with a cycle of the nature.

[]

As a matter of fact, last time I eat a piece of chocolate was last year ? at somebody’s party.

( I don’t like a scandalous situation, even after it became an issue, still the African children were forced to

harvest chocolate beans to satisfy the craving of the people )

But it was not the reason of such social issue, why I don’t buy those sweets was, simply my shopping

list was fixed.  Where and what to buy is always the same and bare essential.  Hence, in my shopping habit,

there is no such item of sweets, and they don’t came up to my scope. —– Of cause I can see, it is there, like

a land scape though, —– So What ?

[]

Instead of such snack, I always have boiled Green bean (Ingen Bean) or Sprouts in a pan.

Before, I used to buy fresh one.   Then, I realized, frozen one is about the same price.

And, they are already prepared. ( In here, I wouldn’t brandish a dogma —— simple life is meant to be

good for a lazy person. = Life would be even simpler if I don’t need to cut them —– yet, I don’t have

Food processor = when one knife can do all the work, why do I need to spend a money to

buy a machine.    Ha ha ha   😀 )

[]

—– Anyhow, in a day, I eat those Greens as a snack.

I eat  fruits as a snack as well, though they are sweet = this is a savory alternative.  (In fact, a Tomato is

also good alternative  🙂 )  —– Then you may say why not a bread — but  to eat tasteless bread we need

to put either butter or jam kind, hence it’s no good.  ( Don’t tell me about Marmite  😀 )

Ask your mouth, not to your brain —– An idea came from the brain can force your mouth to chew, but it

can’t force your throat to swallow = throat was controlled by your instinct,  not by your thinking )

(Priority here is, it should be cheaper than sweets, and others may say it is healthier too)

[]

To eat them, I wouldn’t eat like a rabbit.

Its gotta be good enough for the sophisticated  Zennist’s mouth.   😀

( Simple life doesn’t mean eat junk food = Still, it should be cheap and easy to make =

achieved by some clever adaptation here.   😀 )

In the authentic Japanese cooking, sesame seeds have to be ground in a kind of small mortar called

Suri-bachi with Surikogi stick which I don’t have here ( —– once I tried it with Coffee grinder,  ended up

with miserable havoc = unlike coffee, sesame seeds are very oily = without falling to the bottom, the seeds

became gluey sticky staff and clogged the grinder.  It took me hours to disassemble and clean every parts.

And even after a cleaning, the ground coffee became awfully oily taste = The lesson was, never attempt to

use coffee grinder for anything else but for coffee bean.   😀 )

instead to grind the sesame-seed, I discovered ready-made sesame-seed paste = Tahini

from Greece or Turkey.   ( Sold in the most super-market.   This substitute is a cheat, and not much

freshly ground crispy flavor though, still it has the Sesame taste)

[]

So, this the way to eat  Goma-ae Ingen  in Yoshizen style :

—– (to make for one potion)

= Put a teaspoon full  Tahini paste into a rice (sized) bowl.

= Add a teaspoon of Soy-sauce and mix well —– That it !

This is too humble and taste is not rich enough, so I normally put something a bit more.

= Half tea spoon of Miso (Soybean paste).

= Quarter teaspoon of Dashi powder. ( or few shake of MSG if you dare)

= Two or three drops of  West Indian Chilly Sauce. (This is a very hot staff so, if you like )

===> Mix well. Then put boiled Green bean and mix with the sauce.

And just eat as its own,  or a side-dish for a meal.

[]

—– It wouldn’t take more than few minutes to make still,  you will be surprised the taste so good !

With this source, I eat boiled sprouts or broccoli as well.

In place of  Tahini, it can be done with Mayonnaise as well.

(Except Dashi which contains fish powder, rest are totally vegetarian.  People despise MSG though, it was

originally extracted from Kombu ( Kelp seaweed) and synthesized out of  Wheat Gluten = if it is anything

bad for the health, Chinese are already extinct from the Planet as they use tons of  it every day.

Additives in a Mayonnaise are far more suspicious than few shakes of MSG   :-D)

So, have a try, and Enjoy an healthy eating of  Ingen-bean.

( Incidentally, the name Ingen was after a  16th century Zen master who said to have

brought this bean from China)

The beauty of this cooking is,  if we are going to go a party, where everybody bring a cooking,

—–  just bring a mixed source in a small jar, boil the bean in their kitchen and serve.

It will be counted as one good dish.  = very convenient !

[]

Humming a Song

While having a chats, how we feel about a particular sound,  a friend recalled one of my post

[Spiritual Sound] (click the Link) which he said pretty interesting.

“ Oh yeah,  high pitch tone instantly  take our attention,  and it gives a bit chilly feeling

doesn’t it.   But if it wasn’t a rapid warning sound but slowly moving continuous tone,

strangely it makes us a bit mesmerized and feel something spiritual, because high-tone

alerts our emotion “Be careful” and makes us highly perceptive,  it’s mean, silencing  the

thoughts and open the mind to listen its meaning.  

This completely open passive mind-set is what we feel “Spiritual”. 

Spiritualism is in fact, a matter of our mind-set, not the existence of the God. 

A mind-set which open the perception try to listen and awaits to see its meaning”

” Hum,  sound convincing”

” In fact any sound which gives no meaning or too repetitive and boring,  also makes our

brain to resign the data process and become blank or open-minded state. 

This open-minded state is the essential key to the all the religion”

“ Aha, isn’t it related to the continuous chanting of  Buddhist’s mantra ?”

“ That’s right”

“ It’s very funny isn’t it. Chanting Mantra is supposedly concentrates to their belief and

show their dedication, but in fact, it lead the Mind to fed-up and resign.   Ha ha ha.”

“ That’s a beauty of the Buddhism.   Buddhism is based on this paradox.

The end result to open the Mind is the matter,  regardless the approach”

“ Do you mean, fed-up is the Enlightenment ?”

“ Oh, you are almost Enlightened. Ha ha ha.

Fed-up to chase money-making, Fed-up women’s bottoms, Fed-up to fear the Death.

Then convinced [OK, never mind Life just goes on] is what all about the Enlightenment.”

“ Ha ha ha, it’s really a Dog Shit isn’t it”

“ Yes, Dog Shit are everywhere.  It’s called Universality of the Darma.  Ha ha ha”

[]

Then the other, mentioned “ Oh, there was a TV program.  A scientist  try to investigate

what our brain is configuring the information, he try to learn Tight-rope Walk, and found

a humming a song would help learning the body balance”.

“ Well spotted.  Whether the sound come from external source or from inside, it stimulate

our sensory. But, if it has no meaning, our brain resign to process its data, and became blank.

Still, if he was on the rope, body’s motor region have to control the body balance, but

without any disturbance of noise such as a fear to fall or a conscious of that the TV camera is

watching.   Humming signal chased off all the evil thoughts.  Ha ha ha”

“ Oh I see, was that’s the reason”

[]

“ Oh, do you remember the time, when you had a long walk or doing a boring manual work,

suddenly an old song came up to your mind, and it kept ringing in your mind, or you were

just keep humming it.   I remember when I was having long long walk in a mountain range,

the same song on a loop  all the day, and I walked like an automatic musical toy ”

“ Oh, yeah.  I remember it happened many times”

“ It must be the self protection or a remedy to deal with, otherwise intolerable situation”

“ Sounds not very happy isn’t it”

“ Yeah, but that’s why our brain filled our mind with the same repeating song, and avoided

us to fall into a mind crunch.   Blank mind can leave the body to just carry-on the task.

So that we could survive”

“ May be”

“ No, it’s not may be.   Blank Mind is the Key to deal with the situation best”

[]

In the public perception, the words [Blank Mind] sound not very promising.

So, the Zen Buddhists found better word [Mushin]  🙂

In fact, this [Mushin] can deal with everything better, because even the conscious mind became blank,

still all the necessary data processing are automatically carried out.

While the Scientist was on the rope, his conscious brain was occupied by a humming song and let the

subconscious motor region to control body movement, with no interference from the useless thoughts.

While walking in the mountain, a song in the mind eliminated any thoughts to blame the

situation,  still all the necessary knowledges and the control of the body kept functioning.

When you need to find a new tactics or to be creative, let the mind become blank, hence, no useless thoughts

still all the necessary data of which the subconscious has been storing are available to deal with the needs.

As a matter of fact, they automatically do far better job than ourselves.

[]

So, to resign thinking and put the Mind into the Blank Space,  would bring better judgement and the

better way to live. —– (Time to time, it’s better to hum a song than occupied by worries = humming a

song, may work better than Zen sitting, as it brings [Mushin] straight   🙂 )

And this is the reason why the Musicians are often having very close understanding of the spirituality.

( Except  the case, some times they got the feeling of spirituality mixed-up with the trance by a drug)

___/\___

[]

Creative Zen Mind

What can you see in the photo ?

It is a strip of bras metal from an Art material shop.

In fact it is just a cut-off, left-over of a bras panel, yet sold as a material.

Material for what ?  —– for Art ?  For making small parts of electric device ?

[]

Some may think to utilize it as a book marker or throw into a bin after twisting it for a while  😀[]

But, flat metal doesn’t necessary to remain, as a flat object. Cut-off piece doesn’t

necessary be a rubbish = They are the stereotypical preconceptions =

If we couldn’t go beyond this kind of preconception, our ancestor couldn’t have invented

an arrow- head out of a stone.

[]

If it was a Zen question —– the answer could be even “It is the Universe, Sir ”

———- Did you get it ?   😀

If it is a thin metal, it can be easily cut by ordinary scissors, and easily twisted to make a shape.

It can be anything. (Well, in a theory. 😀 )

—– So, here, one of my attempt. This is a kind of 3D line drawing. = Strip of metal was cut even

narrower strips and twisted.  If this is still a sculpture, how cheap and easy = This is the beauty of it.

And this is all about [What you can see in a strip of metal]

——– (The face shows different expression with different viewing angle —- I’m studying how and why  :-))

BUT, to see it NOT as a strip of metal, but as a 3D figure, isn’t it a Delusion which exists

only in the mind ? = good question 😀

( Here, famous story of Flower Sermon (捻華微笑経) comes = a flower can be the Universe = Dharma.

—– though, why only Maha Kashapa could understood it ?  What other disciples were doing  ?  😀 )

—– Zen has its completely detached eyes, hence see it no more than it IS, but in the

same time, as it posses no preconception = see it in the Blank Space, it can see even

an invisible = it can be a Truth.

[]

But, [What is the Truth ?] —– is the big question.

The Truth, which affect our life ? Or fundamentals of our existence ?

Is the Truth which is relevant to our life, is the Truth ? —– Isn’t it a bit too utilitarian view isn’t it ?

How about Big-bang and Black-hole, are they True, or anything relevant to us ?

( So far the historical fact, therefore the statistical provability showed, that Zennist

didn’t find any important scientific Discovery or earth-shuttering Truth to the human

= thus, most likely, we don’t need to worry about Big Truth.  We are busy enough to

deal with the handful headache in the dairy Life and the matter of the Self.  😀 )

[]

(When Lord Buddha was asked about those Big Truth, he didn’t give any answer. 

Since then, traditionally Buddhists doesn’t talk about those question, which is out of our Life.

After all, so-called Mindfulness is to eliminate any thought other than the matter

the person is facing up front.

—— Even today, the scientists who is seriously dealing with Black-Hole Theory are not more than

handful in the world = it is nothing to do with rest of us, other than an interesting talking piece   🙂

[]

—– the choice is totally up to to you = the matter of who you are

= if you are a person to see it as a bare strip of metal, see it.

Or if you are a person to see it as a figure, go for it = Zen is not a fixed dogma or

an attitude, since [To be who you are] is only a matter !

But this [Who you are] is neither fixed or ideal existence, as time goes, the same YOU

may not be the same person on the next moment = try to act in a fixed face IS a delusion.

[]

So, enjoy each moment.   And enjoy a creative moment when it comes.

When something new idea of figure, or even an enterprising business plan came up to your mind, while

you are in the state of Mushin (Mind was open to Blank space) the idea was a product

of your subconscious thinking  (generally called Intuition, some called a voice of Heart,

the other even calls it as a voice of God = it could be just a random occurence, yet

it could be a result of Karma) = Why not TRY it = Just DO it.

===> Have a fun and enjoy your creative LIFE !

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Is Buddhism a Religion ?

I spent half of my life to find what is Zen.

As my understanding of the Zen deepen and the points what

Lord Buddha taught then became clear, I realized many mix-ups and the confusions

surrounding the Buddhism. 

(Please read the previous post to see What was the original teachings ? = Scientific Universal Truth)

Provably the most controversial question I can make is, whether the Buddhism

(in its original teachings) was a religion at all in the first place ?

[]

The answer to this question must lay in the title what

Lord Syakya-muni Buddha was given = [ BUDDHA] the enlightened one, not a Divine figure

even not a reincarnated Divine figure, such as Brahman’s.

Instead, he was described as a person even the God Brahman came and pay a respect.

Hindu people regarding him as a Guru, the great Teacher.

Not as an imaginary Godly figure but a historical real person.

[]

Another fact to consider this question is, in his core teaching of  [Four Noble Truth], of which

one of them defined that the [Life is to have suffering, illness, getting old and to die] —– what sort

of the person was able to say such extremely blunt harsh words ?  = sound not very popular.

In contrast,  moneymaking Guru needs to attract a lots of worshipers hence resorting with soothing sweet

words. = Lords of attractive promises, Salvation, Heaven, Mythical Power, New Opportunities, Love

etc etc, while saying “Believe me” and in the same time “ Otherwise you go to the Hell ”

The same tactics of  fraudsters = [Carrot and Whip] = with those [Words], Guru mislead the people

= This is what the Religion is = “If you believe, it is True”.   ( Sorry to use harsh unreserved

words here, because I don’t need to be popular nor drive Mercedes neither  😀 )

[]

Lord Buddha didn’t need to tell this kind of mambo-jumbo at all. Because he was not teaching

a Belief System but just the TRUTH and that was the reason, on his death bed he gave an order to his

disciples [Don’t believe the words, but think yourself] and [Don’t worship me].

What Lord Buddha taught was a Technique to live the life in Peace, and the Truth of the Life.

Like a teaching of how to ride a bicycle, and the knowledges of the road and its terrain ==> having learned

this technique, anybody can have a freedom to go around by their will.

And knowing the road-map and the condition of the road, by which people can chose the best way to

reach their destination, while avoiding obstacles and dangers.

[]

So that, the teachings of Lord Buddha can be applicable to anybody, any people in any persuasion.

Since it was not a belief system but the Wisdom = Truth of the life.  (How the Mind works,

and How the existences, include us are operating as a Rational Interactive System)

And this is why it is appealing to even to the people of another religion, who is

searching the road-map and the direction.

[]

But Lord Buddha did know that his teachings itself is not a salvation by its own.

It is not his teachings save, but the people themselves,the rider of the bicycle.

And in his teachings there is no strong Carrots or Whip = no Heaven or Hell = no Get-Rich scheme

or God’s Punishment of which those illusion can scare and drive the people.

Lord Buddha didn’t use an illusion or fear, nor Placebo effects to fool the people,

but aimed to change their Habit = Habit can be changed only by the willing person.

With this reason, he intentionally put a [MUST] in one of [Four Noble Truth] =

[The One has to actively cherish and learn this teachings] —– This is a clear indication of

[How Buddhism was not a religion] = All the Religion says ” God will give you the benefit,

otherwise sends you to the Hell”.  But Buddhism doesn’t have a God to undertake this.  

So that, the matter was not a Belief, but the Mind-set and the Technique to get it.

It was more like to recruit a member for a fancy sports club.

[]

As everybody remember, it was not easy to learn how to ride a bicycle = unless you wished and had

eager will to ride, you couldn’t master it.  And the way of  learning / practicing  Buddhism is rather laborious

continuous work = you can’t master it quick manner, regardless how big the donation was.

[]

Yet another difficulty of the Lord Buddha’s teaching was,  as a nature of learning a practice,

it was hard to teach in the words.   (You can not find any written explanation, how to ride a bicycle.)

Even worse, practice itself was not the goal but a process to change a state of Mind, which is invisible.

Who can describe this. ( On top of this, there was no notion of  [SUBCONSCIOUS] then ) = Only the way

was to observe how  Lord Buddha was doing,  and try to do the same.

Still, the teachings has been kept by the people who actually mastered the practice.

If you try again and again, soon or later,  suddenly you become able to ride a bicycle.

Because, as a nature, our body has its sense of balance and dynamic controls.

And once you mastered it,  it is impossible to go back to the state of  [can’t ride]  😀

Same as riding a bicycle, Lord Buddha’s teachings are the universal technique applicable to the whole

human, in other words,  it is the Universal Truth,  like a Scientific Truth of the Gravity.

= Because, how human mind works, and its controls are common to all the human being.

Lord Buddha’s teachings can not be regarded as a kind of religion.

Whether the person chose it, believe it or not, it is there and working. (as Dharma and the Karma IS )

Therefore, classify his teachings as mere religion and try to monopolize it,  is a mistake.

Lord Buddha’s teachings are the asset of the whole human being =

it is much more than a religion.

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Anmochi = Rice Cake with Sweet Redbean Paste (make it in 10 min)

It was a bit of blunder  :-D　（いささかドジだったね 😀 ）

This Post should have appeared on the 3rd of March, a day of

the Hina-matsuri (ひな祭 ）

Girls Festival in Japan.

And its formal name Momo no Sekku (桃の節句) suggests,

it has to come with  Plum Blossoms, —– m m m, though,

there wasn’t a hint of blossom at all．

Then, few days ago, I found it in full bloom !!!

So, the belated Plum Blossom and the Anmochi’s photos here.  Mission accomplished !  😀 

To cook  Anmochi  in 10 minutes may misleading to some readers, since this cooking is an addition to the

previous post on January [ Cooking  Oshiruko ] ( the Link here) of which the boiled down Red Bean soup

had become to  Anko = Sweet Red bean Paste.  And the  Anko should come out freezer for this cooking  🙂

( To make  Anko from scratch, may need at least 4 hours —– still worthwhile to cook = try it. )

Provided, you have  Anko , to make  Anmochi  is really 10 minutes process ( with Micro-wave Cooker )

*** Put 4~5 spoon full Glutinous Rice powder into stone-ware noodle bowl ( Micro-wave  proof)

*** Add 4~5 spoons of water and stir well to make it to gluey staff (photo right = slowly dripping )

*** Cover the glue with Red bean Paste and heat it up in Micro-wave Cooker / Mid High = for 3 minutes.

===== Here, Anmochi  is ready to eat.  (careful !  the bowl is very hot.   And the Rice cake is stacked

to the bowl = you need to use a spoon to scrape it.  If you like even more rich taste, add a cream on it.

Looks not very pretty though, taste is unmistakably Anmochi = believe me  😀

Enjoy an eating.   Welcome Spring.

[]

Early Cherry Blossom

In order to put  [ An-Mochi Cooking ] post, I needed to have a photo of Plum Blossom. 

Though I couldn’t find it in time of the 3rd of March, Japanese Hina-Matsuri (ひな祭り／Girls Festival )

Then few days ago, I saw a Pink Blossom from a bus window.  But when I went back there with my camera,  tree was

turned out to be a  Mountain Cherry  ( we call Yama-zakura/山桜 ) = the origin of  Somei-Yoshino variety.

Despite of normally rather small Mountain Cherry,  this tree was a quite hefty big tree of 5~6 m tall which

I can even climb up. ( Though, as a good citizen, I didn’t  😀 )   As it spreading the branches wide, it

convinced me to use Fisheye lens ( again )  😀

In the western tastes, the more the flowers, mean “Gorgeous” !

So, enjoy the view.  Gorgeous isn’t it.  — though, if I may a bit sarcastic, this psyche and its tendency

might be related to the birth of the Capitalism.  ( In its endless greed —– though, don’t ask me

how about the psyche of tremendously rich eastern industrialists  😀 )

So, it might be only a fig-leaf of yet another greed, still this kind of rather reserved decency, originated from

the Confucians philosophy is more appreciated in the east as it often appeared in the Chinese paintings.

Coinciding with Confucians, Taoism has been teaching

the virtue of  living with the rules of the nature.

 Be humble and live as an anonymous small person

 = This is the idea of Minimalism.

This minimalism has been reflected into Zen philosophy.

So that even in poetry, such as in Haiku/俳句, it is not just

short,but the strict rules limiting the use of the word  = only one word indicates the season/季語 = it must be

there, but another word doubling it is regarded to be superfluous, hence illegal = it got to be strictly minimal.

[]

So, in photography, in order to show the full bloom of cherry,  some time photographer only showed a fallen

petal or two on the ground, or floating in the stream.  ( Though, in real life, to create this image, photographer

remove all the petals on the ground before, and places the best look flower petal in the most effective,

looks natural position = it is a staged photo  😀 ) —– I don’t have any editor to please = I’ve just clicked

a photo above.   If you find the flowers in full bloom and its end of the life = temporariness of

the life,  it is what this photo meant to be.  ( Click on the photo to enlarge, and click it again for further

enlargement = it become about the life-size.   Put your lap-top or tablet on the floor.   Kneel down as if you

are  looking into the fallen petals on the real ground.  Give a thought.  =  It would make you feel a bit humble. 

—– Take this as a Buddhist’s practice in Direct Transmission. )

( Camera used was a very humble Canon EOS 5D Mk-II,  8~15 mm Fisheye Zoom, 24~70 F2.8 Zoom Lens )

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