My old and last Mountain Boots
The building where I live in a flat having renovation work and to vacate the space,
I’ve been sorting my possessions in the boxes of which some of them I haven’t
opened it more than 20 years. — In one of the box, I found my old mountain boots.
The reason why I didn’t throw this away straight and put it into a box was, I thought
I should take picture of this before let it go. —– was that because of its
sentimental value ? —– I guess not.
But because of it got rather funny history.
(Without a photo, nobody would believe the story. 😀 😀 )
[]
I bought this boots from charity shop priced £5. In order to make the bots fit to my
foot, I soaked it in the warm water then put it on and had a long walk —– as I did all
of my previous boots. —– unfortunately, this looks decent mountain boots was a
fraud. = Despite it having looks proper construction and the good leather with
Vibram Sole, the sole was not been stitched = simply glued to the upper.
Hence, while walking, the boots was disintegrated. (It was a hell) 😀 😀
[]
Then a crazy story began. = After it was completely dry, I’ve stitched and
glued the sole using the shoe making thread from shoe repair shop and a thick
nylon thread for industrial use. —– As a sort of experiment, I did to the Right
boot using a shoe repair glue and the thread. And to the Left, I used a tie-up
thread for electric construction and glued the sole with Araldite epoxy.
—– If one method found to be better, apply it to the both side.
(You may think, if a shoes disintegrating, it is THE END though, as a
shoe-maker is making a shoes step by step, a sole can be attached in a
way they are doing. If somebody a same human can do, why not to try.
= It is an opportunity to try and learn.
(And save a money £5 ! 😀 — If it is to save £1,000 it is a greed )
And the stitch by stitch kind of work is a good Zen Practice.
————- (Left is the Mid-Sole with yellowish industrial thread I used for stitching )
Since when I have repaired, the boots lasted over 3 years while used
everyday, without showing any difference between Left and Right.
Then one day, when I went to a hill walking and had a heavy rain, when I slipped
and tumbled, the water drenched boots was split open outside-toe. While later,
a gap opened to the other boot as well, and the foot were swimming inside.
—– days later I found, it happened because of the upper leather itself was tear-off
not by the broken stitch = leather was aged and rotten inside.
(I remember, somewhere I got a film photo of the boots under stitching work )
—– After that, I’ve been forced to buy a kind of shoes I hate. (though, I didn’t buy
another mountain boots, or so far, I haven’t found another £5 boots yet) 😀
[]
Nothing last for ever still, second-hand £5 boots lasted over 3 years
wasn’t too bad.
Believe or not, I was wearing this boots even in a club and dancing.
People judges others with its looks = hence the best of all, nobody seek a trouble
with a man wearing heavy boots. And may be because of this, the cloud in the
Fridge Club has mistook me as a kind of special security man with martial art. =
nobody want to be kicked by this kind of boots. 😀
—– (during 5 and half years, while I was a regular, there wasn’t a single violence
ever occurred in the Club. = it might be the another reason why the manager
gave me free entry :-))
[]
People may not like to ware heavy boots, still once it was well fitted,
it is surprisingly comfortable and give a feeling of quite solid stance
especially on a slippery ground. One day you may try 🙂
[]
Folded Bag
I got notoriously bad (or very good = depend on how you see it) habit to picking-up something
interesting on the street or from a rubbish-dump. It could be a discarded electric device or a
part of machine of which I’ve been looking for years, or something useful in my future projects.
(Sculpture featured in this blog, [Buddha 2009] was made by the discarded aluminum pipes,
kinetic piece [Cupidon] in my Youtube (kinetorori) is powered by a motor from a cooling-fan
I found road side and the motors rotating [Virtual Woman] came from Micro-wave Cooker, not
to mention a nude figure [Suppon-pon] 😀 😀
Virtually everything, but few exceptions were such as Chinese Toys I bought for £1 :-))
In order to carry it back, I always have some spare bag stashed in my pocket or
in my back-pack. —– may be three bags in the back-pack, one or two in my jacket’s pocket.
It’s the same idea to a motto of the Boy Scout “ Be Prepared” 😀
[]
To stash a plastic bag, they got to be neatly folded like the one in the photo.
In one occasion, when we Japanese friends went to a park and try sitting there, we noticed that
the ground was a bit wet. So I handed my bags to those friends to sit on it.
Among those friends there were young women and one of them screamed
“Oh dear, it’s folded”.
[]
—– Now-a-day, statistics showed that about 20% of male population in Japan chooses not to
marry. —– Everything become very easy to carry-out the daily life without having a wife.
Just heat-up a pack of pre-cooked meal using a microwave-cooker in a Convenient-store.
—– Even a convenient Sex is available everywhere whether it was paid or not.
Those kind of conveniences may be more expensive though, on the end, the total cost would
be less than to have a wife, not mention able to avoid the troubles comes with marriage, hence
in average, the number of kids is less than two = reducing the population further. (Of cause,
the life is not just a matter of cost. —– but this is the situation there. Which caused the
other is a point of argument though, I don’t think Packed food was the cause of single man :-D)
= in obvious consequence, the counter-part, women had to face this situation.
—– So that, there are lots of Magazine articles, Net advices, how to find a man to get marry
and what point to look at. = Good sign and the sign of the man, better avoid.
—– A kind of Psychological profile said, better not to chose a man who fuss about principles,
tidiness, cleanness etc. = “He would make your life in Hell while complaining your laziness”.
—– So that, a young woman cried (implying, I can’t take care of this sort) 😀
(So does, some can fold an umbrella neatly but others not, saying “Anyway it has to be open on
the next rain, why bother” = If this is the rhetoric, we don’t need to bother the life
or happiness because anyhow we will die soon or later. = it’s a choice)
[]
To folding a bag may not takes more than a minute and not much skill is needed
though, it need to have a certain mind-set.
It’s a mind-set aiming it better or ultimately a perfection.
[]
A bag photographed here came from a Chinese Food-shop when I bought a bag of rice, may
be 6 months ago. It’s mean this bag has been used to carry a shopping repeatedly 6 months
(and folded again.) And it is an essential item needed to do a shopping such as in the Lidl who
doesn’t give a free bag. —– Financially, I may not be much rewarded to have own bag
though, the matter is not to save a couple of pounds in total but, I don’t like to carry their bag
which is showing too conspicuous logo 😀 Anyhow, we are getting too many bags on shopping
such as when we buy loose vegetables etc. Too much already, and the situation is bad enough.
[]
To fold a bag is a way of Zen. Whether it has any merit or not, leave a bag in a
messy state is messy. Why not to make it a bit tidy.
Why spend a minutes ? —– if not, could we ever utilize that minute for
anything more productive in the life ? —– I quite doubt it.
A person, even wouldn’t bother to fold a bag couldn’t pay enough attention to the life.
(But, don’t ask me, “By folding the bag, why I didn’t become a millionaire or Prim-minister ?”
= it’s a matter of another mind-set. Aiming to become millionaire need to take care of million
more factors, not just for one bag. Folding a bag is only a start. 😀 )
[]
Zen only deals with its moment. = When see an empty bag => Do something = the best
is to fold and put it in a pocket. — When a moment which need to use a bag comes, just use it.
But not to walk on a street expecting to find something to pick-up. When it comes, it has come.
—– though, no fixed obligation to pick it up.
(But if you interested in, pick up at once = When you go back next day, it’s gone already 🙂 )
= Zen decision has to be made on its each moment. (On its moment, the existence of
spare-bag was known to subconscious, hence to conceive [pick it up] was a viable choice.
And why you were interested in was, because your subconscious knew that you need it.
= no need to dither like “I want to pick it up, but how to carry this back or not to pick up ?”
= ( having a bag increased the flexibility of this decision making 😀 )
[]
After awhile, the accumulated “Folded bags” became bag-full, and got to go for recycle =
recycling people might think “What a waste of the time. Why this guy didn’t just put them
straight to the bag ? Otherwise, he could have used the time more productively” 😀
—– It comes down to a mind-set of the Life. = To live tidy life is a life, still
live in a mess is also a life. = We can chose as we like. The matter is,
to know, which ever we chose, the consequence do comes accordingly.
(The troubled consequence of my habit is, the junk I’ve picked-up became a mountain =
“one day I’ll create something out of this junk” might be a wish-full thinking or
delusion = a curse to live as a kinetic sculptor. Ha ha ha 😀 )
___/\___
[]
YOU or Potato ?
Have you ever seen a bean or maze seed dropped to the garden, sprout.
Or did you ever planted vegetable such as potato, even a carrot in a soil and see them
shoot up. — Yes they are alive in deed. Still, we do fly, boiled alive and eat them.
Don’t make an excuse, they don’t have a sense, intelligence or feel pain = who knows.
(Have you ever been a Potato to make a first-hand report of being cooked alive. 😀 )
[]
We are all living on a margin of thin blue line of compromise and
dependency. We are just be here on borrowed time on probation.
So, don’t preach others with smug face, for conservation or environment what so ever.
= (Before preach, get rid of your cotton pants which was made by forcibly cultivated,
harvested and processed cotton flower, and stop eating vegetable which was grown for
money in a field where tree has been uprooted. ) = Guilty party keeps mouth shat 😀
In other words, there couldn’t be any quiet peaceful life = life is inherently noisy and
filled with all sorts of bothersome trouble. That’s what the life in Samsara is.
[]
Zen wouldn’t make you noble.
Zen teach you how to cut onion, potato (not mention Lemon :-)) efficiently without any
hesitation or wobble. (So does to do the business. Make you Just Do It. 🙂 )
And the Buddhism teachs you who you are = no different from a potato, yet still very
unique one. (I didn’t say you ARE Potato if not very close — a man of half potato must
be genetically very very unique = I never seen one though. :-D)
Therefore, Buddhism makes you absolutely humble and absolutely confident to be YOU.
(as one of guilty party which is natural.) No one is perfect or innocent = What’s wrong?
Wrong is, to imagine you are right, while wearing cotton pants and live in this world
still believing that you are right, is only in your imagination which is called delusion.
—– By the way, I didn’t say if it was a sheen nylon French-nicker, it would be OK,
though I don’t mind to see one. (As I’m one of the guilty) Ha ha ha 😀
(To live in Samsara is heavy enough, yet still, how heavy unnecessary load called Pretense we are carrying.
Still, some people preaching, wearing a mask of Pretense is they called Decency, and keep Pretending it 😀 ))
Let all those heavy load to go, is what Buddhists call [Enlightenment] !
(Its mean, if you are a Potato, DO live a life of proud POTATO
IS the Enlightenment ! ! !
= Even a Potato can get Enlightenment,
why not an ordinary man on the street.
___/\___
[]
Hut Albireo in YASHIGA-MINE
Gosh, I found the Web-site and a photo of the Hut Albireo （八子ヶ峰ヒュッテ，アルビレオ）
(When I searched in English before, I couldn’t find —– I got Japanese typing program only few years ago )
Hut Albireo (its name from a star in the Cygnus ) was a sister Hut of a mountain shelter Takami-ishi Goya (高見石小屋) in Kita-Yatsu-ga-take（北八ヶ岳）, in japan.
—– (Until now I didn’t reveal the name of the mountain shelter I talked, because of my stories often goes too far, I thought, unless the people can verify it with the first-hand independent source, I didn’t like to do name-dropping).
[]Both Takami-ishi Goya and Hut Albireo were originally built by Mr. Satta but later they were taken over by the another hotel, Honzawa-Onsen. And the Hut Albireo was bought by one of keeper, Mr.Kaji who was the chief volunteer of us. In fact it was in a financial mess we keepers were involved in a nightmare as Mr.Satta lost a lots of money in betting. (Not very mountain like peaceful stories 🙂 )
( So, I learned a man’s life’s up and down entwined with a silly money affair, rather early stages of my life, fortunately or unfortunately. —– Since I hate money and gamble :-D)
[] To build the Hut Albireo, we keepers were also worked hard from digging the ground works, to carry-up the building materials (all worked for free though 😀 ) —– coming to the age of stock takings of the life, and looking back to those life I spent in the mountain (from 15 years to 27 years), I convinced that it formed my base of Zen Buddhism.
In fact, I’ve learned the Buddhism in hardest way in the harshest condition 😀 After all, the matter is just do the work regardless even if it is for others. = No Ego required. So, I’m very grateful I did it. Ha ha ha 😀 —– (Such as a work in a building site in Okinawa while I was a drifter, the work in 30 m high was not too high for a rock climber, and the work was paid ! = In comparison to the unpaid work, such as carrying the 50 kg of fire log 20 times everyday (its mean one ton everyday and continued one week ) any other work is easier = who complains =only thankful to be alive = this must be the best lesson and the contemplation for one’s life. Ha ha ha 😀 )
[] So that, to find the Hut Albireo is still there, and the same owner Mr.Kaji is still alive, was the greatest news to me. (He was the keeper who carried 15 ton of log together every year. — the question is whether he became a Zen Buddhist or not ? ) = I need to phone him ! —– Since then, what I found through phone was a bit spooky story that the volunteers, worked together with us (me and Mr.Kaji) around the same time, me and Mr.Kaji are the only surviving member now = rest of 5 were all dead. What ? ? ? —– (I don’t miss them. Any how they didn’t work for cutting log, or carrying up the food staff = all the heavy work. — They did just disappeared. 😀 )
( Incidentally, when I had my wedding, the Ceremony was conducted in the Shinto Shirline Suwa-taisha (諏訪大社) and we had wedding party in this very Hut = it was my biggest folly of my whole life. 😀 )
［］
Being Natural or Be Artful Perfection — Which is Zen ?
—— Left Mug is the one I’m using now. Right is the one I brought from Japan 33 years ago
and served me till 1992 and since it got hole on the bottom, it became a pen stand 🙂
Once, my tea drinking was a kind of Art = as I’ve been drinking 1.5 ~ 2 liters
(3 ~ 4 pints) of tea everyday, to make it, was not just a daily routine, it was
a refined flow of the action.
To begin with, the way to put a water into a kettle ~ ~ ~ to pour the tea into a cup then
drop one or two slices of the lemon etc etc.
As all the actions has been repeated everyday (I don’t know how many thousands times
I did ) naturally each action has been rationalized to the most efficient smooth manner.
So that, once a person who observed this process summed up, “It’s formalized to the
almost tea ceremony like process isn’t it”. Of cause, it was not intended to be a ceremony
but just doing it in quickest and smoothest way. As it is always the same action, it has
no dither or need any thinking, let alone any emotion.
May be this is the way what Master Dogen (道元 / Founder of the Soto-Zen)
has taught = to become perfect to be “who I am and what I’m doing”.
(= Nobody else. Nothing else = this is what Mindfulness meant !)
[]
Sound so far so good isn’t it ? But wait a moment —– ?
To be “WHO I am” = the very one who has been born under own Karma, hence grown-up
according to the occurrences given next by next.
The result is the only one, “me” = To be my own is nothing but to be Natural
(but not necessary perfect), still, “to be perfect” mean the person has to be
refined to be pure = eliminate all the imperfection and the foreign substance
(imported idea or pretense).
This is quite an artful existence isn’t it ? ? ?
[]
Making and drinking my tea, I’ve refined its process to the art level though, one-day in
the last Summer, I couldn’t bother to make a tea as I was too thirsty, instead
I just filled my cup with a tap-water and a slice of lemon. ————
Since then, I stop to make a tea but just drink a tap-water. (I don’t buy any bottled drink).
—- Am I lost an art and the mindfulness, while becoming lazy ?
OR, was that an Enlightenment ? —– Good, good question 🙂
To drink a water instead of tea —– It is obvious, which is simpler and natural.
[]
Tea-making started in the Rinzai Zen temple as Master Yousai (栄西) brought it from China.
Hence, Tea-making is a part of Zen teachings. In comparison, Soto Zen tend to remain much
humble and simple. ( = So that, I’m a simple poor man 😀 )
Therefore, isn’t it to drink water instead of Tea, is more Soto Zen ?
Not lazy isn’t it ?
[]
My answer is = I don’t care. As long as something to sip in the cup, it’s enough.
(with its consequence to drink 2 litres of water and going to a toilet every 2 hours =
flushing out any toxins in the body = no need to have doctor or any medicine
—– it may be true :-))
As I don’t need to bother buying tea any more, this is even more peaceful Life and the Mind.
(and cost less 😀 ) —– After all, I don’t think I was born for tea making.
This is my Zen as I’m nobody else of simple yoshizen 😀
[]
In fact, here lies very interesting question.
The ideal early Buddhists were the one who forsaken all the ordinary life to
pursuit Enlightenment, namely Bhikku and Arakhan though, the Buddhism
took the direction to more inclusive Mahayana = while living in the ordinary
life, still maintaining the Mind-set to be a Buddhist = more Natural life style.
My position is, the matter is not a superficial life style but the Mind-set since
the Mind-set such as Mushin, Ichijo, Mindfulness , Selflessness are naturally
in our subconsciousness, in other words Natural Life-style is not a hindrance
to achieve its refinement, ultimately to reach Enlightenment.
(By the way, me doing something utterly useless, is for fun = Do something on
the hand and creating something new with good laugh is better than just
being passive, such as watching TV or Inter-netting. 😀 )
___/\___
[]
Ikkyu story (2)
Ikkyu Sojun (一休宗純) was the most famous Zen monk in Japanese history,
especially with his hundreds of quick witty stories to deal with the situations or gave an
answer though, as so many books has been written much later, we don’t know which story
was true and which one was a fanciful invention.
—– I read this story in a cartoon comics when I was a child, so that it could be a nice
invention of comic writer, still, this story had such a drastic twist of rhetoric
therefore showing quite Zen like jump of wit, this one could be a real story,
if not, it might be written by another accomplished Zen monk.
[]
The Abbot of the temple where Ikkyu was staying, had a secret pleasure to lick a honey
kept in a jar. When young novice asked him what is it, the Abbot told him that it is a
medicine of wisdom though, as it is so potent, only a learned elderly person can take.
Otherwise, it is deadly poisonous to a young brain. But novices, Ikkyu and others did know,
it was a lie and what in the jar was a honey.
[]
One day, when Abbot was out for a day, Ikkyu gave his drastic answer.
He took an old ceramic vase, which the Abbot was most treasured, and smashed it to the floor.
Then took the honey jar, and started licking honey with other novices.
Soon, the honey was emptied.
When Abbot came back in the evening, he found all the novices were in the crying state.
When he asked what has happened, Ikkyu replied that while cleaning the room,
they accidentally drop the vase and it was completely smashed. As the vase
has such irreplaceable value, there was no way else to repay but with own life.
“So that, in order to commit suicide, all of us took that poison in your jar.
But, even after swallowed all the poison, we still couldn’t die and this is why
we are so ashamed and feel dreadful. ~ ~ ~ cry cry cry !”
—– Abbot had no word to return.
[]
😀 😀 this was the revolution. Face to face, asking the truth what is in the jar —– is
a democratic approach of dialogue (provided if the Abbot treats them as equal and tell the
truth) though the Abbot was just a tyrant = there couldn’t be any fair negotiation => only
insurgence is the remedy = revolution, hence some casualties were unavoidable.
The ceramic vase could be worth million though, Ikkyu didn’t gave even a hint of hesitation.
= He just smashed it. On the end, his revel exposed the fraud in the temple =
Abbot lost his credibility and the priceless ceramic vase —– even honey too 😀
But, what Ikkyu and the novices got — not much, just a taste of honey and a good laugh.
—– most of Ikkyu stories are for good laugh, not much else.
(Anyhow, they were aimed to the children )
[]
Still, real Ikkyu was a serious Zen monk.
As one of his Short-Poem (Kyoka 狂歌) for New-year said ;
門松は，冥土の旅の一里塚 (Kado-matsu wa, Meido no Tabi no Ichiri-zuka)
馬，かごも無し,宿も無し(Uma, Kago mo nashi, Yado mo nashi)
New-year’s (Ever green) Pine branch is a mile-stone to the Nether world.
No Horse or Palanquin (for the journey), even no inn (to stay for a night).
= there is no celebratory mood at all. Ha ha ha 😀
That was quite Ikkyu-san. (He had no illusion to the life, neither to New-year,
though in reality unlike any other meek monk, he had very active eventful life,
all because of his completely liberated mind and the eyes.
No illusion mean no emotional blockage neither = This is the Zen )
___/\___
[]
Funny Practice
A man who I met recently, and read this blog, gave me a response saying that
he was pretty impressed by Zappa photo and the camera I made though, he
couldn’t make any connection of them to the Zen.
And he wondered,
“You are not serious to the Zen don’t you, as you are making a fun of it
or even cynical”
—– Well said. So, I replied to him.
Yes, I can see you got certain idea of Zen though, I’m afraid to say it is mere
pretense or crèche.
I’m doing the Zen Buddhism not Parroting what the books say.
Lord Buddha taught how to alleviate the suffering in the life. He didn’t give a
false hope to escape from it by living in a fantasy world, but taught a practice
to gain the clear eyes and the mind how to see and deal with the matter.
Instead to tell a sweet story of heaven to such as a woman who just lost her
child, but her to running about the village.
Zen is the teachings of how to run 🙂
While running, the person will acquire the Mind and the eyes to see the suffering
in detached eyes, hence able to get rid of blinding emotion and the stacked mind.
—– Do you think, could the woman alleviate the sorrow by sitting all day
next to the dead body ?
It is the exactly the same situation.
You are stacked with an idea or crèche of so-called Zen.
So-called “Serious concentration of the Mind etc etc” so that you may see I’m
doing something useless to the Zen and not serious enough.
But Zen is also free the person from those stereotypical fixed idea
include the Zen itself.
[]
In any eye point, in any scope, the life is a troublesome matter.
If this is the nature of the matter, complaining it would be useless because
it is inescapable anyway.
But, in the same time while billions of the people struggling, it is an awesome view and may
have quite funny moment, especially if we can see it in bird’s eye view.
I’m serious enough to the life and I’m dealing with it, as nothing else is on the board.
It’s mean, I have no false dream believing another world such as a heaven etc rubbish.
And as I have nothing else to see, I could see even the minute detail of the subject of which
most of the people wouldn’t bother. —– So, I could see lots more funny side of the situation
as my eyes are above the water, as I, at least know how I can avoid drowning in the water.
—– So, I’m not drowned in the Zen.
(Anyhow, Zen is an extremely funny practice. 😀 )
Convinced ?
___/\___
[]
Clear the Deck for 2013 / Detach the EMOTION
Blogging, or writing in general, it is the process to convert the idea or notion into a separate object,
thus, enables it to be examined as an independent entity. ( on top of much more common purpose
to express it to others ) = like a Jig-saw Puzzle, we have to find, not only matching the shape of
pieces but also its picture printed on, which we can see the rationality in bird’s eye view.
[]
Thanks to given task of this Blog (yes, I regard this, not my choice but a given task I was assigned
— simply because it has occurred on my life — has anybody else assigned as well ? = if nobody
else there, I have to take care, haven’t I ? 😀 ) at least I managed to record the process what and
how I figured out Zen Buddhism in the past 3 years and 9 months, with over 400 posts.
(since, this is the DIY Zen study)
As it is still an ongoing process, I wouldn’t pretend it had consistent unity = far from it, it deviated
a lots, therefore it often contradicting each other. And not necessary having even consistent
definition of the term, not because of mistake but change of my approach.
So, thanks goodness, I’ve managed to come to much clear picture of which those confusion has
been sorted out (well, more or less 😀 )
[]
My basic approach to the Buddhism is the same from the start, long before even I
started this Blog. —– It was to retrace the way and the process how
Lord Buddha found and came to his conclusion as a normal human being, not a
superman or divine figure.
Human brain is more or less having the same function and the same tendency.
As there couldn’t be any super natural phenomena such as Extra Sensory Power (though, I
reserve the judgement about this point, because there seemed to be something still there ) and
the human common-sense is more or less the same, therefore when we see the same subject, we
are able to deduce to the same conclusion.
[]
While I was blogging, there were two important view point came to my consideration.
The one was a phenomenon in the Neurophysiology, that the threshold of our perception
become higher against the repeating signals = I realized the connection to the repeating
action of the Buddhist’s practice which lead the person to acquire the immunities to the
repeating coming signal or same internal thought, hence higher threshold blocks the signal
reaching to emotional cortex and trigger the hormonal reaction. ( Such as if you see
the same porno photo on the wall every day, the perception was desensitized and soon it loose an
impact to arose you with a seclusion of Testosterone = photo become just another landscape. 😀 )
—– (On the beginning, I’ve been putting more emphasis to an effect of imprinting
by the repeated practice, but [imprinting into subconscious] alone couldn’t explain
the origin of Selflessness).
[]
And the other was a neurological symptom that the blocked connection to the emotional cortex in
the brain of Alzheimer’s case, it cause the loss of cognition to see the SELF and the
own possession = hence, loose the EGO, and the Self-preserving GREED.
Some of you may feel rather disturbing with this, because of the connection to Alzheimer’s though,
despite of it this is the very key to understand the MUSHIN and the SELFLESSNESS as
one phenomenon = the matter is to block the Emotion which is causing all the trouble
in the LIFE such as Obsessive Thoughts, sticky Attachment, EGO and the GREED.
[]
So, thanks to Alzheimer research, the mechanism of our Mind has been exposed.
But, to have this detached mind, you don’t need to wait another 40, 60 years =
while doing Buddhist’s practice, you might realized that you are doing it without
conscious (unconsciously hand was moving or automatically chanting) —– once
you see this phenomenon, practice the same while watching this blank-space in
your brain. —– Then, while having this blank-space in the brain (Being in Mushin)
turn the eyes beyond, and see the world in Mushin. = Soon or later, you will acquire
the skill to have this eyes in any moment and in any situation. = YOU ARE IN ZEN.
[]
In this context, so called Buddhist’s teachings = [eliminate THINKINGS] this Thinkings has to
be understood as [Emotional Judgment] not a logical clear thinkings. =
This is one of the most confusing part in the Buddhist’s teachings.
Lord Buddha ordered his disciples in his death bed
“Don’t believe what you were taught and what others say, but think it yourself ” =
Think logical in clear objective way, and use common-sense, was what he meant.
After all, cool dispassionate eyes = non-emotional, logical thinkings is the key to the Buddhist’s
Mind-set. —– (Without having Emotional conscious, we feel the Brain is blank !
= When we see something in total dispassionate way, we only feel the vision but
not a thought = This is MUSHIN —– still, the brain is working subconsciously )
There is no mythical secret technique which is not achievable to the ordinal mankind.
What Lord Buddha taught was not a kind of Mythical belief but the clear practical solution
—– such as the case of Kisa-Gortami, he didn’t tell her any Mumbo-jumbo such as she could see
her dead child in the Heaven or child would reborn and see her again, but simply made her just
running around and made her to reach logical understandings, that a death is the common
and inescapable truth. = This is the very Key teaching of
[Life IS, to suffer, getting ill and old, and to die].
[And the way to deal with this harsh Life is to learn Buddhism through its repeating practice] which
would eliminate the bad effect of the Emotion, hence able to live in peace of Mushin and Selflessness.
(As I rote above, without connecting to Emotion, the action can be done in
dispassionate way almost automatic = even without the conscious, and without the
obstruction of Ego, Greed and the Delusion)
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—– If you give a thought and review all the Phenomena in the Buddhist’s psyche, such as
Detachment, Detached to the Changing world hence Live in its Moment, Has no Fear of the Death,
no Ego, no Greed etc etc you will realize, all those were the manifestation of NO Emotion (and
Emotional Judgement). —–The man who could forsake the pleasure of life in luxury and the feast
of flesh, and able to bluntly define the [Life is Suffering],
Lord Buddha had no illusion, neither gave any sweet illusion to the followers,
especially his teachings were the one, revolutionary idea which against the popular
Vedic idea of Atman = (Perpetual soul, which has no logical, scientific proof) he would have had
no way to fabricate any another fancy stories. = Hence, the Buddhism in its original form is blunt
and straight, because of it was not considered to be popular but stand on the Truth, as it teaches
Own Enlightenment, not dependent on a Salvation which proved to be never come.
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Widely misconceived so-called Buddhist’s [Compassion] is not emanated from the tender
Emotion but it comes from the same Mind-set of Mushin and the Selflessness = see
the situation without Emotion and the Ego, hence able to see the needs of others as if it was one’s
own = then able to see what is the best to DO here = effectively helping others as a result.
= If the one still having own Emotion, the own self-preservation comes first.
Selfless act has no Emotion. And this is why it has no notion of [giving to others]
= NO distinction of ME and OTHER. = in this Mind-set, there is even no conscious of Me and even
Animal or Plant. = This is the True Compassion in the Buddhism.
True Buddhist is not compassionate sweet person but he (she) is the person just Doing what he
ought to Do, without having even a conscious of doing or being as a Buddhist.
When the one has NO conscious of SELF, how the same person can have a conscious
of [I’m a Buddhist] —– And this is the true meaning of [There is NO SELF]
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Cooking Daikon ( Japanese / Chinese White Radish )
Daikon (大根 in Japanese) is a sister of Radish (yes, that red small one) or Swede and hey are all in the same Brassicaceae family, hence having the same four-petals flower like Rape flower (but Daikon’s flower is in pale violet to white = in fact pretty pretty, innocent looked flower 🙂 )
Despite it is one of the most common root vegetable in Japan (also in China = Japan is exporting its shredded and dried products to China hundreds of thousands of tons every year) when I came to England, it was not in greengrocer’s (yet, French calls it as Molly and eat a lots though, theirs having black skin and as big as Japanese one (up to 4″ or 10 cm diameter = hence, it resembles girl’s leg with black tights = so, to see it in the piled-up mountain in St’ Michelle market in Paris, it looked very sexy 😀 )
(In Japan, call a girl “Daikon ashi” (Daikon leg) is a worst insult 😉 )
Even though Daikon is so popular and ubiquitous though, you may not see them in a restaurant menu —– situation looked the same in French or Chinese, I don’t remember I ever seen this vegetable in their menu, except a very rustic or family kitchen style restaurant, otherwise as a small side-dish to drink Sake = such as I describe hereafter. 🙂
( If you ever seen disc-shaped yellow pickles = Takuan = it is one of the pickled style Daikon though, it may not in an expensive Japanese restaurant 🙂 )
—– So, how Japanese is cooking this vegetable in their kitchen ?
Daikon is very easy to cook vegetable as its own or with another materials —– It can be eaten even raw = grated ( the source to dip Tempra) or finely cut into thread (comes with Sashimi) and often boiled with Octopus or Squid because the Daikon is having a Digestive Enzyme which soften Octopus, on top of many nutrition and vitamins 🙂
The photo above is Furo-fuki Daikon ( 風呂吹大根 ) = Daikon was boiled with dashi, that’s all !
* Boil the Dashi = as the powder, or in a small packet, or use Dashi Kombu (Kelp sea weed) and a bit of Salt.
* Then put cut Daikon and boil — may be 60 min or so, until it was cooked soft (— it would be disintegrated if it was boiled too long —– still, it will make a nice soup. 🙂 )
Even simpler is Dengaku ( 田楽) = just boil Daikon in a plain water until it was cooked soft.
* And eat it with a Miso based source = Miso with small amount of Vinegar and a bit of Sugar, + small amount of Mirin (Japanese Cooking Sake or a bit of wine, White Rum can be used instead )
* For additional flavor — I add few drop of West-Indian Hot-chilly Source, or Wasabi, Mustard. — When I mixed with Thai Tom-yam-Ku paste = it wasn’t too bad —– any variation you can try and enjoy the taste. ( If it became too runny with vinegar etc, just add more Miso. 🙂 )
(For Dengaku, you can put many different materials too, such as Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery even Potato. — Japanese use Konnyaku (it’s a funny staff / Mannan product) as well. ) —– from here, another popular Japanese cooking called “Oden” is only a step away. Basically Oden is a cooking of the chopped Daikon and various fish cakes boiled together and pick up of those you like from the pan to your own small dish and eat. (normally with mustard = why mustard is, = since Daikon and Mustard belongs to the same botanical family, their taste mix well, = same as that, Tomato based cooking will mix well with chilli pepper, since they are in the same family)
—– Now you have seen the key of the Daikon cooking = main seasoning in Furofuki Daikon was in its Dashi, but the Dengaku, it was in the Source. Still in both cooking, the dominant taste is Daikon itself.
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When an Italian guy who seemed to have very good taste bud, first ever eat Daikon and he was very impressed and asked me how to make it. —– And he was even surprised, why Italian doesn’t have such cooking, despite it is very popular in France.
( Only a small trouble with eating Daikon is, it could make you to produce strongest mankind ever know kind of fart, yet still, it was known to be not poisonous = hence, it makes short of health warning. 😀 )
—– Not because of its humble, Minimalistic Zen approach, but simply, it’s so tasty = So, this is my Festive time eating. (on top of Temaki-Sushi. 😀 )
If you haven’t tasted it yet, I strongly recommend you to try.
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PS : I received an Email from my Chinese friend Sing Lee, the way how to cook it in Chinese style !
<<< (There was the Photos from him though, they have been disappeared — copyright issues ? —– I don’t know. What a shame.)
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