Emotion / Meditation

On the surface, you may think Emotion and Meditation are rather antagonizing idea hence

they wouldn’t come together though, it is because you are trying to keep your pretense.

In reality, our Mind is always in the mess, otherwise we didn’t need to talk

about the Mind and its trouble 2500 years, and the Buddhism could have

become redundant long ago.

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Meditation is a funny practice. In principle, it supposed to sit while you vacate

your mind.    Yet, in reality, all sorts of your bothering ideas, thoughts, images

are coming up  = The more disturbing,  the more keep coming back. 

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Long time ago, in the mountain shelter, I talked with a man said to be a Japanese classics

teacher —– while talking about a poet, Saigyo, who became a monk in his later life, it

touched Buddhism idea, then the teacher reviled, in fact he is a trained, ordained Zen monk.

( Mind you, on that time my knowledge of the Buddhism was rather poor = a son of priest

didn’t mean know the Buddhism well.  😀 )

So, I’m not sure whether I made right question to him and how serious the answer he gave me.

He could have just kidding a young man. 😀 —– Any how, he said

“ It is a lie to Meditate in Mushin.   I sit while visualizing the image of a

woman taking her cloths off, one by one and become naked.    Ha ha ha  :-D”

“ Didn’t you get aroused ?”

“ Oh no. If you do everyday every time, it just became a simple routine and

the same old image.  Nothing exciting”

“ How about to change character to top film star and imagine her naked ?”

“ Yah, I did though, it’s all same”

—– Looking back this conversation half century later, I think he was telling me his truth

and the truth in what the function of Meditation is.

Meditation wear-out your thoughts = To see disturbing thought  straight,

and analyzing again and again,  soon or later you will fed-up, and the idea

will loose its fresh impact to induce an Emotion. 

Without having an involvement of the Emotion, it become just another

opinion and a remote episode in the life ==> Detachment (Emotion put a tug

to the signal / information “this is Mine / My concern” = Turf of the Self )

When you get used with this process, again and again, you will become

rather not to have any useless thought = this is Mushin !

And start to see the things Objective = in the Detached Mind !

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Emotion is developed in our old part of the brain / Hippocampus.  This old part is common

with any animal and it is directly dealing with one’s survival.

Hence, not only one’s survival instincts or sexual desire, but also one’s welfare = comfort

for oneself and for the species general, are all part of this Emotion.

Desire, Greed, Envy, Fear, Like-Dislike, Want or Avoid, even a judgement

of Right or Wrong —– are all related to the own survival (and better survival

condition) of oneself  = (hence,  it is the Ego / Greed)

Those feelings are the basis of the conscious of the Self (and its turf).

More importantly, Emotion is always causing a seclusion of particular hormone.

(Such as a fear to a danger needs whole body to prepare for prolonged battle by

seclusion of Adrenalin.  Or whole process of sexual activity needs continuing higher

level of Testosterone.)

—– In comparison, higher logical thinking is done by the later addition of the larger

brain and its process is not necessary induce a seclusion of hormone or Emotion.

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So that, when you hear the call of the Wolf = its signal rises your Adrenaline and become

Emotionally alert.   But if it is the same “Wolf-call” again, you just get used and

start to ignore = your perception would no longer trigger the Emotion.

—– Logically, Wolf is still somewhere in the woods yet its logical possibility wouldn’t

trigger your Emotion, because you are not in imminent danger, still, a kind of strong belief

or persistent thought / obsession would trigger an Emotion.

( But they are a subject of mental, neurological disorder)

[]

Seeing those function of the brain,

you might be realized that what the Meditation is doing.

= When your brain keep receiving the same signal, threshold of the reception

rise higher = the same signal loose impact.  You become immune to the signal.

Those external incoming signal or internal thought would work alike.

When the brain (or a Mind set) starts to ignore the signal or thought, it no

longer trigger an emotional reaction = therefore loose the tag  of ” Mine” =

and it become detached from the Ego = your mind would be in PEACE.

And when you do the things without involving your Emotion =

“ Effectively you are in the SELFLESS state” as all of your Emotion which is

defining  “ This is mine / my interest” is no longer there.

—– Buddhism teachings are using those brain function and its tendency =

Mushin and the Selflessness to control our MIND.

( Without Emotion, Selfless, and in Mushin = Just get on the task / Life ! )

Hence we can have PEACE of MIND and the  SMOOTH  LIFE.

———

( Though, there was an interesting question ” How and why,  some people

who is seeing a lots of sexual images, the person become immune to a

sexual stimulant  (like a Gynecologist),  but in the other hand it would lead

some others become rapist ?”

—– Well, this is the matter of the Mind-set on the starting point,  which I’m

going to write about in later post.)

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PS : Please do remember, there is yet another purpose in the Buddhism training, other

than [Eliminates Thinking = Mushin] and [Cut off the Emotion = Selfless] . Also

to sublimates the teaching = Imprint the Teachings into Subconscious by

repeated practice and repeated reading or reciting, is the crucial process. —– here

again invisible Mind.

When the Teachings were imprinted into subconscious (sublimated), it

controls the person unconsciously

= no need to consciously remember it = Mushin again !

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Perfection

It is an interesting situation.

When we see a flower or intricate small insect we saw it is perfect.

Even though we human being is the one the most evolved and the most sophisticated creature

in this planet, still, the only one who feel “ I’m not perfect” (may be I should exclude you

in Political Correctness 😀 ) —– in general, if anyone say I’m perfect, others would boo you

and if you are believing yourself is perfect, you are likely a loner and known to be a nut. 😀

—– How come.   What went wrong ?

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In Buddhist’s term, especially from the words of Master Dogen, we should know that we

were here as a part of Dharma hence we were perfected as we are, and have to learn

[ As-it-is-ness]= to become perfect as who you are.

This is exactly what Master Kogetsu told me in the Eihei-ji temple. “ You are just a failure to

be a photographer. Couldn’t settle and became as a perfect photographer” then I replied him,

“ What’s wrong with a photographer become a seeker ? Have look,

Lord Buddha forsaken to be a Prince and joined seeker bikku, didn’t he ?” —–

Master Kogetsu was incensed with this “ How outrageous, to use a comparison to

Lord Buddha”

( Incidentally, Master Dogen was not born to be a priest. He was a sun of noble, chief minister

serving to the Emperor = wealthy enough go abroad to study 😀 )

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But, before being as a photographer, I’m a human = Even perfect Samurai is, yet a human in the

same time —– is it a contradiction ?  I don’t think so.   This is, what a man’s situation is.

On the time of Master Dogen, it was a feudal society = born to be a farmer, the person IS a

farmer, nobody else = it was not a job or profession but a fixed cast.

Today though, to be a photographer is a mere chosen job. It can be changed just like a jacket.

And a job wouldn’t define who you are. To take Master Dogen’s words in the context of the

moment, it would make sense. = On the moment when a photographer is shooting with his

camera in his hand = he got to be perfect as a photographer. (yet in the night, he could be a

boring husband) —– still, [this is a man living as him, perfect “ as-he-is-ness” ]

[]

When we grow up, kids are seeing  Heros, Superman or Super Robot (Gandum ?) etc, and as

we got huge brain and memory bank, we build up a kind of ideal figure and become aware

of should be standard. —- and always there is a person who can do it better — we realize

how we are not perfect.   Whether an awareness of this imperfection drives us to make it

perfect or by something another urge = it is an interesting argument, still strangely, we give

an effort to make it better or perfect. === isn’t this an obsession ?

Or, the image of Superman or who ever the ideal perfection —– isn’t it a delusion ?

[]

—– blessing to your ears is, it’s good to give an effort to make it perfect though, we never

achieve perfection as we are never be perfect.

I’ve met quite few Masters who can produce phenomenal perfection in his crafts etc.

—– something remarkable is, non of them said it is perfect, hence he is still trying

to achieve its perfection = it is an on-going project.

Being as an imperfect existence as it is, is what Buddhist calls [as-it-is-ness] —– and this is

the Enlightenment and that is why all the Masters found it [It’s a dog shit].

So, be relax, you may not too far from the enlightenment. 😀

( It’s mean, believing and cherishing something, such as spiritual perfection

might be in vain = it might be an illusion or delusion, even worse, could be a

fraud in your text book) 😀

___/\___

[]

禅の源流 ／ How Zen was started

勤行や禅における日常の勤め，実践について具体的に説明した言葉は古代の経典の中には登場して来ません。  単に善き仏教者である為の身だしなみ，心構えが書かれているだけでそれが実際上,

本人の心理生理に いかなる変化をもたらしているのか，そのメカニズムに対する考察が行われた事は仏教２５００年の 歴史の中で，かつてー度たりとも無かったと言えるでしょう。

唯ーの例外でそれに近い考察はアーラヤ識という概念（潜在意識に近い）の登場でしたが実際にそれが構造的に,いかに仏教と関っているかが考察された訳ではなく単に存在論，認識論＝存るのか無いのか＝単に存ると思うだけなのか＝＞「アーラヤが捕えたものこそが真実」という考えであったにすぎず，

仏教における 空，無，無心，在＝不在，不立文字，以心伝心 といった概念の全てが実は［不可視の潜在意識］故に出て来ていたという事には思い至らなかった訳です。

そもそも２５００年前には［潜在意識］という概念は無く，その透徹した眼で己れの深奥に在るそれを見すえながらも，それを説明するのにはさすがの釈尊も手甲ずったようで，色々な喩えにたよらざるを得なかった。

例えばダルマ／法とともに在る喜びを「ー切矛盾の無い理想境，極楽に暮すようなもの」と描写すればそれが潜在意識中の満足感，ドーパミンホルモンの横溢による気分のことと理解できなかった者，後世の読者は字づらから「釈尊は極楽が存在すると言われた」と誤解する。

眼前に無くても，潜在意識はその存在を知っている場合。逆にそこに在りながらも，その確証が無い。理屈で解っても，どうしても受入れられないとか。そうした意識はどこに在るのか？

大乗仏典独特の｢在るのではなくして在る」といった苦しまぎれの表現は全てこの不可視の潜在意識が存在する故に出て来たものです。（しかしこの不確定性は物理学上のものではなく人間の知覚，認知の　ニ重性から生じるもので，先ず潜在意識で直観した情報を選択的に処理してから思考領域で概念化，言語化する為に起る=つまり無心というのは潜在意識での直観，判断に従い，追加処理の思考を排除する事。  ー方，無私というのは受覚した情報を情動域との連鎖無しに処理する事に外なりません。＝情動抜きであるから心は平穏）

[]ほとんど所有物もなく比丘としての生活を続けていれば毎日の生活は単純なパターンになり殊更「自分がこれをやっている」という意識を抱くまでもなく，無意識のうちに作業を完遂できるようになるものです。　　これが［無心］というものの出発点ですが

釈尊につき従っていた弟子達は同じ作業，同じ所作を無条件に模倣し毎日それを繰返していたので［無心］で作業するという事はわざわざ言われるまでもなく自然に身についていた訳です。 つまり，わざわざ書く必要も教える必要もなかったが，はるか後，孫，孫孫弟子の時代に，それ程の人徳もカリスマも無い老師の元に何十人もの弟子，しかも中には懐疑的反抗児も居ると言った情況になると，何か特別な教育法を考え出す必要が出て来た訳です。

[仏伝に登場するシュリバントクの庭掃除十年の話も，芥子の実（英訳ではマスタードの種子となっていますが）を捜して走り回ったキサーゴータミの話も，いかに

釈尊の教え方が臨機応変，方便に満ちたものであったかを言うのみで，そこに在った延々と繰返される反復動作というものの側面は忘れ去られていた。（反復動作＝同ー信号の入力は脳の情動域が無視するようになる為，｢自己の｣というタグ無しに処理されるようになる。－方，運動域には動作全体がパターンとして刷り込まれ自動的に処理されるようになる＝結果として自己意識／自覚／自我を抜きにして行動できるようになる＝これが無我無心です）

はたして中国に禅を伝えた菩提達磨師がこうした情況をどこまで把握していたのかは全く不明ですが　（達磨大師にまつわる伝説は荒唐無稽なものばかりで，その最たるものに師は青眼であったというのがあるが絶対有得ないハナシ）　間違いないのは，師自身は古代ヨガ　（含む，古代の舞踏ヨガ＝南印度のバラットナットヤムダンスの源流）　の達人であったという事でしょう。このヨガの動きがブラジルのカポエラ様の，複数の人間による瞬間的対応のゲームといった過渡期を経て云わゆる小林寺拳法に進化したというのは疑いない事です。－－－瞬間的な対応は無意識だからこそ可能なので，モタモタ考えていたら即ー発喰う。

菩提達磨師の着目したものはここに在る［無心］とその效果で，これこそが［無我，無心］に達し［ダルマ／法に身を委ねる］最上の道と喝破した訳です。

己れの生に対する執着，｢これは殺されるかも」などといった恐怖が有ると体が萎縮して元々持って生れたダルマの自然（じねん）すら働かない。思考も感情も抜きに，｢己れを捨ててこそ浮ぶ瀬もあれ」と言われる由縁です。

[菩提達磨師が空観，無我無心に立った仏教を説いた中国には既に［無為］を説く老荘哲学が流布していた。「意図的には何もやるな。全てを天命に委ねよ」と説く老子の教えは｢己れを無にして法に身を委ねよ」という大乗の教えと共通のものがあり，概念の翻訳設定や用語の選択をする上できわめて都合が良かった訳です。　しかしながら既製の用語を使う為に，どうしても元々のニュアンスが出て常人の日常生活に主眼を置いた大乗印度仏教も中国化し，むしろ通念に縛られない事を旨とした独特な禅仏教が生れたと言えます。　

（同様な意味で，日本の禅には神道の純粋主義，武士道が影響して，仏教の中でも特異な硬派となっているのでは？ —– 同じ禅でも中国人は［無為］は言うが［無私］はやらない。最も悲観的，厭世的で［捨身］（しゃしん）と言うのは日本人だけで，お寺が喪式専門になるのも日本独特と，うなづける　）

[]人間も含め，万物＝ダルマ／法が元々［無我］であると言うのは，バラモン教／ベーダの言うアートマンに 対立して示された

釈尊独特かつ当時としては革命的な発想ですが，この本源的［無我］ゆえに自己意識，我欲などは全て己れの想念の作り出した妄想に過ぎないという教えを納得するには既に［無心］を体感し実践している中国人にとってもいささか時間がかかる。それが納得でき潜在意識の深奥まで 染みつき，無意識に［無我，無心］の行動が取れるようになるまでの修業が［禅］と名付けられたプロセスです。

－－－で，本人無我無心の内に作業を続けそれが完成したとする。

＝それでは，これを作ったのはいったい誰なのか？　

＝それが外ならぬ持って生れた，内なるダルマ／法であるというのが

釈尊の教えです。

つまり，禅に限らず仏教は現に作業してみない事には体感もできなければ，その体感の経験に立って考えてみる事も納得もできない。座って考えていても何も把めない訳で，仏教の全ての宗派が延々と続く反復作業を修業として課しているのはこの理由からです。

当然ながらー二回禅寺に行って座禅をしても足が痺れるだけで何の足しにもならないし，釈尊にすら説明できなかった事は解説書を読んでも把めない。つまり禅には学んで理解すベき事は何ーつとして無いし，禅を理解するというのは有得ない。　実際にやってみて，出来るか出来ないかしかない訳です。だからこそ，自転車に乗れるか乗れないかの喩えが使われる。

しかし［無心］の作業というものは日常生活の中にいくらでも在り（当ブログの中で「レモン禅」のカテゴリーに分類されている例），＝それこそ単に歩くだけでも体験できるものです。その体感を出発点に禅の世界に入っていくというのは誰にでも出来る事。道元禅師の僧食九拝の教えは将にこの事です。作法として細かく様式化されたそれぞれの作業に集中しそれを緻密にやり遂げていく、この作業を修業としそれを雑念無く無心に行える事をめざすのが禅に外なりません。(無念無想、一切のこだわりを捨てよと教える一方で徹底してこだわった細部までを習得させる矛盾はともかくーーーまァその作業を五年十年、百万回も繰返せば無意識でも完璧にやり遂げられるようにはなるでしょうが）

逆に言えば禅，及びその心理作用は必ずしも宗教に直結したものではなく，むしろ心理工学と呼べる ようなもので，

無我無心である事で心理的拘束から解放される自由度にむしろ利点があります。（情動領域での　好嫌，損得，エゴといった自我意識を誘発する事なく判断行動できるという事） ＝当ブログに奇抜な試みや変った造形物が色々登場して来るのはその自由発想の見本です。 （しかもそれを黙々と作る手作業は，禅以外の何物でもない－－－で，結果として出来上ったものも満更悪くないと，本人マンゾクしておりますが如何？）

－－－つまる所，人生楽しく生きる事が肝心！＝それが本来の禅というものです。（強もての達磨師が弟子達と，踊るように体をひる返している様を思い浮ベてみられよ－－－渋っ面の老師のやる事ではないでしょう。　笑）

___/\___

［］

What Photography to do with Buddhism

Someone asked me “ Why Photography in a Zen blog ?”

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The understanding of Zen is so wildly varied, let alone the understanding of the Buddhism.

It spreads from vague spiritualism to an endless peculiar practice.

A reason is that it lays in the person’s subconsciousness. Hence, the person oneself couldn’t

see it clearly, let alone the others, even the teacher.

Since, it was not clearly written down like as a Dogma, and to memorize it doesn’t mean

understood the Buddhism. (Though, some sect says, they got 100 of the rules written down

and follow them is the completion of the Buddhism.)

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My discovery of the Zen came from a peculiar practice = Disco Dancing  😀

With a peculiar mental tendencies habituated in my subconscious, I realized, this is

what people called the Zen —– Like a Pathological diagnosis, I found the symptoms all

matches to the description of the Zen of the past masters =

hence I understood, what I’m living is the Zen.

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So that, in Zen, the matter is a mental state or so-called mind-set, while the one is DOING

something. = Doing it unconsciously with the mind-set of what

Lord Buddha stated = IS the Buddhism. = Hence, able to receive all the benefit to live with

the Dharma. —– Here, it is crucial to be unconscious (=in Mushin). 

We can do a thing without thinking but not able to do thinking without thinking  😀

Try to do Mushin or talking it consciously is just a pretense or mimicry  😀

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Photography is a secondly art (it doesn’t mean second class art 🙂 ) = unlike an abstract

drawing or sculpture, unless the subject is there, its photograph couldn’t be created.

In other words, photography has to follow the existence and its moment.

That moment is the only moment. Photography is to capture and deals with this MOMENT.

As Lord Buddha stated, “Nothing stays the same and they change moment to moment”.

= Photography has to face this situation straight.

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Why and how you encounter its situation or subject was not necessary what you expected or

designed.  = To encounter it was what the Karma has worked.   You may think that

the idea to come to the garden to take picture was what you conceived and planed by yourself

alone though, without Karma has had pulled a string, you didn’t get the idea in the first place.

Whether you are aware or not this is how the system works.

And this system = the mechanism of the Dharma is what

Lord Buddha elucidated. = This is the Buddhism which is applicable even to a non-Buddhist.

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And we have to follow the subject = we didn’t create it, hence this is a secondly art =

we have to accept a humble position to be a secondly creator. Therefore, we have to see

the world with humble open eyes but at most diligent way, down to the minute details.

Once we start to see the subjects, what we are seeing is the environment or most likely

the nature. —– In fact, we are seeing the Dharma.

[]

When we try to capture and focus the subject, are we thinking what to eat for lunch ? =

Not only the lens, we are focusing what we need to do without any thinking but with full

attention to the subject on front of the camera whole heartedly.

This is the moment of Mushin and the Mindfulness.

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Then “Got it” = but what we got ? —– Even though we might think “I’ve got iconic image”

it is a mere reflection of the subject in the memory card, which could just disappear with a

glitch in a computer. —– And in most of the case, it wouldn’t do anything with the person’s

finance = it is nothing but a selfless, greed less act = expect no reward, still needs to put

so much effort for taking.

[]

—– Isn’t this Zen Buddhism ? —– If not,  What else   🙂

___/\___

[]

ZEN in Making

Well, the title Zen in Making is the double

meaning.   🙂

Zen is not coming but you need to make it.

So, I’m making it or doing it by Making, literally.

[]

The people who was attracted to the Buddhism with its

mythical, hence intellectual connotations, it might be a

phenomenon, utterly out of expectation though, this is

what Lord Buddha taught as to gain the state of

the Mushin (Mind of No-Mind, since No-Self,

= since No Atman = Perpetual Soul kind what Brahmanism taught,never exists)

—– it’s mean the widely believed myth of Reincarnation is the later invention of the

professional monk who needed to enslave the followers to keep donating the money to them

(otherwise you will go to the hell and reincarnates into a beasts) —– though, what

Lord Buddha taught was “The death is THE Nirvana = No more suffering there”

(Since, it was called Nirvana = fire just goes off = no glorious departure to the heaven kind 🙂

—– But, if everybody can get Nirvana naturally, no need to pay money and ask the monk 😀 )

That was why, the Buddhism was the revolution ! (Rich and poor alike, all can get Nirvana).

[]

Some people has misinterpretation of the Buddhism, as Teachings is the Teachings of how to die. 

This is a misconception.  If you see the structure of the Teachings = The observation of

the Dharma lead to the understanding of its mechanism = the relation of each element, its

Cause and the effect = Definition of the Karma.  As the mechanism is in constant flow of the

Cause = Occurrence, which never stop = hence it led to the understanding of No Perpetual

Existence = Everything keep changing = hence the Life of Man too = Death is only the End.

As everything keep changing and  Time never stops = Life has to deal with

what the one is immediately facing. = Anything is NOT there mean, it is only in the MIND.

Death fallen into the same category = Unless a Man is there in the moment of Death, Death is

not an existence = What the Man has to deal is The Current issue = TO LIVE the LIFE.

Likewise, when Fish-tin is on front —> Just deal with it.  Even think NO ELSE. = ZEN.

[]

Other than the practice how to keep up dairy life such as the way to walk, beg a food and talk

with people, only few sample of the [special] teachings of the

Lord Buddha was scripted. One of the most well-known episode was, how Kisa Gotami was let

running the house to house looking for the seeds.

Another story was how Chuli Pantak (Shuri Bantoku in Japanese) was ordered to sweep the

grounds of the Deer Garden.

Both stories are highlighting the repeated continuous practice lead the person’s

mind to the state of Mushin hence enable to get Enlightenment.

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This tradition was kept by the Buddhists, thousands of the years.

As a good sample, I wrote about the artistic practice of an artist Pok (link here) some time ago.

Please read how and why his work is the Buddhism (as he is aware and says too).

And my practice here is a part of the work to make a housing to a LED Ring Light.

To make an inner casing of the Ring Light, I found a fish tin which got the matching

size for the purpose.

To make a fish tin to be used as the inner pipe, the bottom part has to be removed = I did it

by drilling a lots of holes (about 70 holes by 1.5mm drill), then after the bottom was removed,

the jagged edge was filed and made to a smooth circle which is matching the 77mm filter ring

(by which, the Ring Light can be fixed on front of the lens).

—– technical detail would be explained in the later post.

—– Here, I’m showing how laborious the repeating work is 😀

Technically, there are many ways to cut the metal in such case = laser cutting, high-pressure

water cutting etc though, it spoil the game and unless the machine is in my hand and ask

somebody specialist to do the work, it would be very expensive = this is a poor man’s DIY.

(it may seem laborious though, soon or later it will be finished, and still have a fun. 😀 )

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What I’m saying is, this is what the Zen Practice is. = Zen or Buddhism is not a magic

or imaginary fantasy (hence, not thinking), but an effort to DO the job bit by bit.  Because of

Lord Buddha did teach it.  He was not a successful austere Yogi (otherwise, he could have

become a miracle Superman) but ordinary human being.  And he taught ordinary people.

Because he was not a Superman, he felt the Life is in suffering. —– He didn’t find the life is

an opportunity to perform and show-off supernatural miracles. (Hence, he was not a Divine).

To make a Life, a person has to make a Life to do something, not sitting and thinking but to DO.

To ordinary people, to DO mean, by their own mean, not in miraculous spectacular way but DO

the job next by next, bit by bit. = This is the Life.  Hence, the Teachings of

Lord Buddha was accordingly. = No miracle answer or super natural phenomena.

(That’s why a story of the Rain drop curves a rock, was in Zen story ! )

( —– I’m not implying you should drill a fish-tin. 😀 = I only showing a sample, there are

many this kind of concentration or so-called mindfulness behind the craft work or art pieces.

They are in fact, the ZEN.

___/\___

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Estranged Buddhism = Pretense of Zen

Some days ago I encountered a man claim to be a Zenist who happened to

have read my blog, [Spoon] post and he asked me what the Spoon is to do

anything with the Zen Buddhism ?

I explained my thought behind of [Spoon] and asked him what is he doing

in Zen Buddhism. 

He said, “ I’m DOING Zen, as I am sitting and meditating everyday”. 

Though, anything beyond this he evaded the question pretending he knows everything

better than me, but it is unexplainable since, the ultimate truth can not be expressed

in the words.

So I asked again, what is his meditation for, is it to see the Dharma and

its Panya Paramita ?  He said “ I’m seeing the emptiness”

And said “ Zenist doesn’t debate” then he became silent.

—– M m m, sound familiar, = not in Zen but in Taoism.

Word to word, it is from the Taoist book, Tao te Ching (道徳経).

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Like the idea of Soto Zen such as [Not express in the words] (不立文字) hence

[Direct transmission of mind to mind] (以心伝心) are all came from Chinese Taoism.

(Hence, to justify this story, famous [Flower summon] = [ Pick a Flower and Smile

Mantra] (捻華微笑経) was written in China.)

Even without the verbal explanation, while living in a Temple, a novice

can learn the Buddhism Teachings in the practice of the dairy life by way

of  [Doing the same everyday] (hence able to learn Mushin).

Though, the trouble was, how to introduce Zen Buddhism to the west.

It is impossible to teach it in one or two demonstrations. = Still it had to be explained,

or written down in an instruction book, which was not in their tradition, not mention

the monk was not necessary good for how to explain it in English.

So that, the explanation of Zen was conveniently borrowed from the

existing translation of the Tao te Ching book.

= Hence, the Zen in the west adopted a Myth in the Taoism.

And pretending to be a Sage, dwelling in the Mythical Truth, became a

stereotype of a Zen Buddhist.  Enigma became their sales point  😀

(But, while believing that the sitting is DOING the ZEN. —– hasn’t they ever

wondered,  why Tea Making or Sword Mastery is Zen too ? —– No wonder,

Spoon carving is too remote for them 😀 )

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Lord Buddha didn’t give a damn to such Myth (Metaphysics) at all.

When asked about those Metaphysical question, he didn’t even bothered

to answer.  = All about the matters to the life is, to live a real life, not to dwell in a

pretense in fancy idea.  Yes, the truth could be empty = so what ?

= Does it mean “Can we live in a vacuum ?” —– Joking, we are still in the same

Samsara and still need to live mundane dairy life = nothing noble or fancy

= any fixed fancy idea or pretense is just a delusion.

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Wu (or Mu in Japanese =無 ), Wu-i (or Mu-i =無為 ) in Taoism is literally Nothing

and Do nothing intentionally.  But Void or Emptiness in Buddhism is the matters in

our perception = uncertainty of our Mind and the Self.  And even though Dharma

is the physical reality, it is constantly changing

= Nothing is certain in both way (See and be seen), hence it can only be

clearly seen by the Eyes of No-eyes, Mind of No-mind. (Mind without

any Preconception or Thinking) = VOID in Buddhism is the metaphor

of this EMPTY MIND.   Hence, live in Mushin is the answer.

Before Zen, Buddhism has to be understood first.  And never mixed up with Taoism.

(Zen is a mere Practice to get MUSHIN = instead to get Mushin, but end up in a

Metaphysics of Taoism is nothing but a waste of time and the LIFE.

= Carving a Spoon is much more fun, than pretending noble EMPTY face

 and do nothing.  😀 )

___/\___

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Effort ?

An exchange of Comments in the [Spoon !] post may highlight the point of this Blog.

A person called [EML to OUTLOOK] commented ;

“ I have learn some good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting.

I wonder how much effort you place to make the sort of great informative web site.”

—

What I replied was ;

“For your eyes, it may looks an effort though, the notion of effort is = If you got to

do it for somebody else or for something obliged to do. (not necessary wanted to do)

But in this case, to sharpening the tool, to carving the wood, to take photos of

it and to write about = all together for no purpose and I have no obligation.

I’m just doing it.

( —– What can I expect and going to do with those utterly useless SPOON  😀 )

If you do something such as a game and completely absorbed in it, you may not

feel you are putting an effort (even though you put so much time and energy)

= same as that.

But, was this for myself ? = Zen doesn’t feel even myself was doing it.

Just the hand was doing it.

This is the Zen in action, or it can be said, living Zen. Zen need no effort.

(This is the reason why such a spoon item is in the Zen Blog)”

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As often I said in this blog, the most big misunderstanding in the Zen study

emanated from the word [Mindfulness].

And even more fundamental misunderstanding is = try to DO the ZEN. —– Zen is

not a kind of activity to DO = Zen is a condition like a body temperature. It might be 0.1 degree

higher or lower even you can do the same though, it might have an effect to the result.

You can not intentionally choose to be higher body temperature = it is just to be, as it is. 

What actually I was doing is such as sharpening tool, carving wood or typing.

Or Sword Master’s case, just fighting with his sword = Zen is just a mind-set behind.

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Mindfulness is the same = you can not actively DO it.

It is whether you were being absorbed in it or not.

This is the reason, why it is hard to understand, let alone achieve it, when you do something

not familiar or not very keen to do the subject. = And this is the reason why I’m keep writing

“Try to do a thing which is familiar to you or very ordinary such as [Cutting Lemon]

or [Walking] as a practice for Zen.  Instead, if you do very peculiar activity = peculiar only

to a sect of religion = until you get used, its strangeness makes your conscious uneasy = as long as

you feel uneasy, you can not settle with the activity = you can not be absorbed in its subject.

( Hence it takes longer time to get used for it become a daily norm = which you can do it

without conscious = automatic)

[]

The man commented was seeing an [Effort] in this blog, especially to make spoon etc, though

as I wrote in my reply, there wasn’t much effort there. = I got used to do all those process.

—– this is the reason why the Buddhism keep saying [Heijyo-shin / 平常心]

( Mind in ordinary) = Zen is just a condition of the mind in the dairy life and

it is nothing special.

[]

There is a fundamental paradox in the condition of the mind —– people were

attracted by a peculiarity of a strange religion which give an impression of something special

= which may give a person to feel “I’m special = better than others” —– though, as long as the

person having this kind of arrogant feeling or Ego, there is absolutely no benefit

of such religion other than a placebo effects of such [special] feeling.

[]

Nothing special or noble, let alone peculiar super-natural vision etc.

in Zen.   Only Zen makes difference in the results in the dairy life.

That’s all.

(The best thing of it is, we can do it without effort = since we can do it while

absorbed in its subject, hence with much higher efficiency 😀

 —– I mean not just carving a Spoon.   😀 )

___/\___

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Brutal Nature = or is it just a Nature ?

They are the photos of a Dandelion seed magnified  x16 times (in length, on 36×24 screen)

the Lens used was the one I’ve hand-made to take May Fly Egg before (click the Link here).

———— (This photo is a comparison, taken by Pentax 20mm F4  Lens, in Revers with Extension Ring,

————  but to make a comparison, photo was trimmed to the same size = x16,  like the photo above. 

————  As it was able to stop down to F8 ,  Depth of Field was much deeper than Microscope Lens )

As often the case, it looks pretty and fragile though, nature do have sharp claw and poison.

= Disneylized  romanticized look is just a thin veneer ( still, it would inspire a child’s dream

” Like a Dandelion seed,  fly away in a wind and have a bloom somewhere in a new world” =

how romantic ! ) though = they also live in the same, or even harsher Samsara.  

(And they are really the Nemesis of a gardener   😀 ) —– Through the evolution, Dandelion

seed must have adopted this looks brutal barbed armor, against eaten by a bird.

And this photo was taken by Canon EF Macro F2.8 , at F2.8,  magnification was  x1.

And in comparison, this photo was taken by a lens, once regarded to be one of the best

Macro Lens, Tamron SP 90mm F2.5  at F2.5  with Extension Rings,  magnification was  x1.5.

( Because of this lens has some softness at F2.5, quite few photographer loved it for female

portrait, but I used this lens only for closeup work ) —– all those shots here are for the tests

of shallow focus and the soft image at the fully opened F aperture, since when I found an

Olympus 50mm Macro F2 lens has phenomenal off-focus “Boke” = I wanted to investigate.

[]

In photography, there are two opposite approaches to emphasize the subject = one is using

wide angle lens and close to the subject, hence make the subject over-sized.   😀

The another is, to use telephoto lens, and focus only to the subject. —– even though I like to

do [Man-watching] in distance, when I come to take photo, I don’t like sneak view. 

I like to have face to face, and communicate with the subject, or to commit to the situation. 

( This is the attitude of [Engagement] of the Existentialism and the  Mahayana Buddhism. ) 

—– As I started my photography taking photos of plants, insects = use smaller F-aperture

to get sharper image, deep depth of field was the norm. = I was not a man to use the lens with 

its F-aperture fully opened —– unless the situation demand, under a dim light.  🙂 )

[]

In the life, nothing is simple but having many contradicting facets.   Behind of loving care

of  Tiger mother to her cab, there are misery of a Deer family.   Even a fluffy dandelion seed

having such fierce face which I didn’t know until I gave a very close look.

We tend to makeup a convenient story from just one facet, in most of the case with our

ignorance, or even worse, with a sake of convenience to make the story nice and sweet.

So that, such as in the Eightfold Right Path of Buddhism = to make Right Speech needs to

have right knowledge and the understanding.   It’s  quite a tall order isn’t it.  

And with a crèche, we casually use an expression how gorgeous the spring blossoms are,

or glorious golden color of autumn trees and so on, but nature may not be there to

please mankind = Flower was there, waiting the insects, and we just happen to be there.

[] 

To interpret the Nature in our sake is just our Ego, and romanticize it would be a delusion.

Who said, Mankind conquer the Nature ?  — We only found a bit of way to tamper it, that all.

They may not willfully Brutal against us, as they have no self or Ego, but the Mechanism.

This Mechanism contain us as its part, but they operates without recognize us.

—– and this System is what the Nature mean.   And this is the Dharma in Buddhism.

To see it beautiful or brutal is in our eyes, in fact it’s all in our Mind.  Nature is just there.

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Win win – Musashi the Sword Master

There was the most strange quote of Sword Master Musashi Miyamoto.

When he was asked what is a secret to keep winning the fight, he replied,

“ Never fight with a man stronger than me” —– !

( I wasn’t there to hear this myself, so I’m not sure whether this quote is true or not though,

from the level of Zen he reached, this word sound quite likely his own word. )

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Enlightenment in Zen liberates one’s mind = Liberate mean, free one’s mind from

all the restriction and the bondage of the ideas.

Free from pretence, rules, stereotypical beliefs even one’s own Ego.

So that, here is a contradiction, why Musashi needed to win ?

Why he needed to avoid to fight stronger opponent ?

But, before that, there was a preceding condition, why needs to fight ?

To seek a fight is driven by an intention from the Ego, Greed for the fame etc etc,

but once he reached to the level of the Enlightenment, he no longer had an impetus to fight.

( But Sword Mastery is not came from the will, but instinctive body reaction = if it

was needed to react in the situation, he could have done without having a will to fight

= it was not him fight, but the Dharma does ).

So that, once Musashi reached to this level, even the other sword master as good as him dear to

challenge him because even if challenge was successful, fight would cost a limb or two = a life of

sword mastery would be lost for ever = no point to challenge Musashi — and it never happened.

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Still the remaining question is, why Musashi uttered such words to spoil the game.   😀

It was because, what the Zen and its natural choice = Middle Way was.

Once enlightened, to cling the idea of Zen disappeared too.

(Conscious idea doesn’t need to be there because everything were controlled unconsciously).

So that, on the occasion, chattering with young novice, what situation required (= a task on front

of Musashi, on that moment ) was to have a good, cheerful conversation.

Why needs to be so serious.  He just took a Mickey out of serious novice.

(To his eyes the people in Sword Mastery or Zen seemed more like a caricature figure then)

Go, Middle way.   So that, the life can have much more fun. 😀

Relax !

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Thought on MARATHON — SUFFERINGS

Tomorrow, tens of thousand of people will run for London Marathon.

Quite few of my friends did it and till some years ago, I was thinking I’ll do too though,

I’m becoming aware, better not.

( I can invent hundreds of the excuse not to do = it’s mean to think about itself is utterly a waste of

time.= So that, in accordance to my Zen Moto [Just do it] => Just think not. Ha ha ha 😀

Therefore, in my peaceful mind — Marathon ?  What Marathon ?   What a nice day !

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Why people run for such enduring action which is not even their imperative, which is,

some said useless action.  = Of cause, some are running for the Champion Medal and some are running

for Charity though, bast majorities are running for a sake of just running, or even for a fun.

What is a fun while giving 50 km or so torturing, punishing task to the own body ? —– of cause, as

I used to be a member of the Alpine Club, I know what it is, as we did similar training and above all,

we did pretty similar body punishing long walk in the mountain, often carrying 40, 50 kg of lord on

our back. —– and we mountain climbers were always making joke

“ What silly things we are doing 😀 ”

[]

Then give a thought or two. —– ? ? ?

Have I, have we ever had an easy life ever ? —– We, the greedy creature, the human,

always assess an action in comparison to the gain though, is this kind of view true ?

For a sake of convenience and to have an quick answer, we Buddhists having a tendency and good

excuse to end the argument, we have pretty nice story to convince ourselves into contented, which

called Enlightenment 😀

—– See this in reverse. = Need to have an excuse to have a peace of mind is,

because it is not in a peace at all isn’t it. 😀

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In Lord Buddha’s teachings, life was defined as SUFFERING (how nice). Yes in deed, this is true.

So, a training is the training for this unavoidable enduring life. = training for the Marathon but the

Marathon itself is a training to face a situation in the life.

June in every year, we members of our High School Alpine club had a special stamina training for a

preparation for a summer climb while carrying 40 kg of stones to a 900 m high mountain top,

starting 6 o’clock morning, reaching the top about mid day.

It was on a ridge called Baka o-ne in Oh-yama, west of Tokyo. Why it called Baka o-ne, Nut’s ridge

is, it is just one continuous boring climb, no respite = makes anybody just fed-up.

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While carrying 40 kg of utterly useless stones, I cursed every single step “What am I doing.

How silly I am. Ok, on the next step, I’m going to through this stones away and shout to the leader

“ Kill me here, I’m out” — on the end we reached to the top AND came down with empty ruck-sack,

that was all.  (Since many clubs are doing this many years, the mountain top having tens of tons of

round shaped river stones, which makes innocent walkers just puzzled.  “How come ?” 😀 )

( Soon or later, I tired to complain = after all, to join the club and came to the mountain was my

choice.  I’ve gained a kind of contemplation [Just walk] otherwise I shouldn’t have born to this

world. — And I continued this, while keeping Mountain shelter as a volunteer, we had to carry-up

the food staff for the lodgers of up to 300 people a night, without receiving any money, far from it,

we had to spend our own money to get there  Kita Yatsuga-take.)

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Anyhow, the life is the suffering  😀     But, if we have a training while having heavy punishment

to the physics and to the mental strength, we obtain good resilience to a cause of those sufferings.

To over-come the endurance of Marathon, the person gain the proof in the fact, I did.

And this proof gives the person a confidence = I can do, because I have done.

This confidence brings a peace of the mind = Don’t worry too much, it may not

as bad as the Marathon. 😀

So, it is a good news, it wouldn’t be in vain.

Enjoy a running.   Have a good Marathon 🙂

___/\___

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