ABOUT this BLOG

The inherent shortcoming of this blog site is, as it having reverse order, the earliest, hence most

crucial posts are situated in the bottom.

Who is the author, what is his stance, what is the point unique to this BLOG are all buried  long long

scrolled down bottom.  Even worse, now the posts became too many —— and some are not necessary

very relevant to the point. ( I’m well aware.  Yet, they are fun to read jokes. 🙂  )

Originally this site should have had ” ABOUT ” though, may be with my mis-click, it has disappeared.

Hence, often I got the same question, and needed to explain  What is my point again and again.

So, this is the summary of the POINT of this BLOG. (Yet it became rather long —— so, to a busy

person, just hop bold paragraphs to grasp summary of summary)

—

I’m not talking DOGMA. I only talk the observed FACTS of which the Buddha’s teachings

based on it.  As Buddha ordered ” Don’t believe. Think yourself ” Buddhism is not about what

you believe but the fact you found and came to your own conclusion.

If there wasn’t the fact,  Buddha wouldn’t have taught.  That’s why he kept silence where he

couldn’t find the facts. —— So, I follow him in the same way.

—–

ZEN Buddhism is a peculiar teaching, probably the most strange teaching in the human history.

It doesn’t teach Dogma or knowledges but only vague direction and resulting outcome would be.

At least, the outcome is impressive and they are not a tricked belief, just the factual results.

It is the teachings to make a person actually able to do.—— Yet still, no explanation of how, why.

A person has to try and do it again and again. —— (The secret is hidden in this process itself)

This BLOG is the attempt to find out its HOW and WHY by the own experiment, and its findings.

Hence, this BLOG can be cited as a DIY ZEN BLOG.

—–

In my view, the Buddhism especially the Zen teachings are the way to re-program the human

subconsciousness. The all the creatures live and behave according to their behavioral pattern or

tendency which were programmed in their brain.

Though, in the case of human, we have the consciousness and self-awareness which over-ride

the basic subconscious such as so-called instincts.

Subconscious is not just the genetically inherited instincts, far from it, most of them are the

burnt into pattern which we learned and accumulated from the early experiences.

The basis of those experiences may not from the experience which we experienced or observed

consciously. ——- burst amount of our experiences and the knowledges were imprinted even

without our conscious. Yet still, the experience is one’s hard evidence / and reliable knowledge base.

So that, to live and behave according to those knowledge base,  would be the safest choice.

As it was actually happened on front of him, and repeated again, it could happen yet again.

Therefore, it would be the Truth or most likely and pragmatically most viable answer.

( So, our brain burn this Data into a permanent memory and create a link to react automatically)

We are thinking, deciding and acting unconsciously —– conscious verification follows afterward.

As the one’s knowledge-base is the reflection of one’s grown-up and its environment, hence it is

unique to the person and form the so-called one’s second-nature —– and this second-nature

is the core of the deep hidden SELF.

The self what the one is imagining is not  this SELF but the self what the one wished to have, since

the one’s second nature (and of cause the First Nature too  🙂  ) is in one’s subconsciousness and

in the unconsciousness —— they are invisible or unnoticeable —– therefore hard to configure,

then, the conveniently made up self is filling the gap for one’s own explanation or for a pretext.

—–

Buddhism is not necessary attempting to define this SELF but to define at least the imagined

self is the false imagination / delusion, hence it is the subject to remove from one’s mind, saying

” No such things (self) is there “. —– yet to advising the one to become aware that

the SELF which is a part of the Dharma, is there since when the one was born. Therefore,

all about the Buddhism is to remove this self and attain the MUSHIN (the Mind of No-Mind /

No-self ) and  become aware of the SELF / a part of the Dharma, by the repeating practice.

( Since, to burn the Knowledge / Pattern / Data Memory  into one’s subconsciousness, needs to

have either almost traumatic experience or repeating the same experience or the thought ( Teaching ),

then it become a long-term memory and a part of one’s subconsciousness ).

Once the one’s subconscious was reprogrammed / reconditioned, and the biasing wishful thinking,

egoistic desire which has been nested in the so-called self  were removed, ( ideally ) there wouldn’t be

any delusion or egoistic view, hence acquiring clear eyes and able to see the prevailing Dharma

which is inherently having harmony with all the existences.

( Since, the existences itself is the Dharma ).

—–

Living with or accordance with the Dharma, one’s life become harmonized with all the existences

and its flow of the occurrences (which is constantly changing, reflecting the dynamics of the Karma),

one’s life wouldn’t go against or aggravating the Karma, —– as the result, one’s life become smooth

and peaceful.  And it would lead to the peaceful Nirvana.

—–

Though, as it would be easily observed by anybody’s eyes, The Dharma is not operating  for

the convenience of the human alone. — It is the rules of the Universe.

Often, the convenience of somebody is the inconvenience to other’s.  Tiger need to kill a deer to feed her cab.

Her success is a misfortune of the deer.  It would be no use to have sentimental emotion.  If it comes, it comes.

Same apply to our human life, to have silly desire is our nature, which was designed by the Dharma too.

Therefore the occurrence of silly Karma is also the nature of the Dharma. —— on the surface,

it may seems silly or unjust, though as the one was placed here to fill the role, by the Dharma,

in long-term, its appearance of the Dharma is the sign of one’s direction.

Therefore, to fight against the Dharma is the silliest things as we can’t see the full extent of

the implication of the Dharma, but better follow the direction and to fill the role what the one

was assigned to do.  Therefore, What left in our hand is, to do the task as best as we can. ——

Hence, on the end, as the result, we live of the life to its optimum and  its maximum potential.

( Does anybody want more ?  Or want to complain ——- saying too much ?   Oh, get lost  😀 )

( By the way, this “maximum potential” doesn’t include money, fame or power.  If anyone seek it, you

came to wrong place.  You got to go to Mammon, not Buddha.   😀  )

—–

So, the above is my explanation of How the teachings of the Buddhism works.

And,  the Posts in this BLOG are my each experiences and findings, How Zen works and in deed

worked, and the resulting effects, what is the out come / how I am living.

—— I’ve made a link of  this Post connecting to a Category,  001-ABOUT the BLOG.

So that if anybody need to come back here or directing others, just click a category  please  🙂

___/\___

—-

Cold blow / Wistle blow ?

Its getting pretty cold.  I saw beautifully frosted  decorated leaves.

It said to be the coldest in 17 years, and some says the ill effect of the climate shift caused by  El Nino

or La Nana kind —–. (To know the detail, go to Wikipedia please  🙂  )

On my previous post I wrote  “To know the Truth wouldn’t change our life” ——- then, the conflicting

question arose.

In the Hinayana Buddhist’s view,  an attitude “When its cold, just feel the chill and shiver with

other people who is suffering” —— this is correct.

Or, stand up and shout, telling the people  “What is causing the climate change, and the cause

of appearance of El Nino, in order to save the suffering of the people”——- this is correct too, save

the possibility he might be barking wrong tree.

So, one sect might go out and walking in a chilling wind. ( Don’t catch cold or even worse, pneumonia )

And another sect may go to a demonstration banging their symbolic flat drams on the front line.  (Though,

I haven’t seen them these days —— are they still alive ?    Do you know ? )

It’s better know the fact, better still the Truth. —– the one might be placed there to know and shout as

he (she) might be born for its purpose. —– though it may not be a license to become arrogant or snobbish.

——– And my answer ?

I would stick with Buddha’s teachings “Don’t torture yourself. Don’t go extreme” therefore

sitting next to a heater. (How convenient  🙂 )

——- Environment or external occurrence may give you a jolt to your unprepared mind

as it has been in the blank state.   Its jolt may give you a sudden enlightenment, though,

if it was expected or a prolonged same condition, mind couldn’t be fresh and naked

—— nothing would happen  /  it’s a same cold day)

Better make a hot tea with honey and lemon  😀  ( The truth is in the cup.  Honest, I can taste it.)

___/\___–

——

PS :  It seems the world was so disturbed by the exposure of the confidential US diplomatic correspondences

by Wikileak. —— how silly.

Every body knows, politics, diplomacy, economics, even so-called big charities are dirty business and

having dirty linen and utter hypocrisy,  tons of it,  exactly same to everybody’s private life.  Yet still

we pretend to be clean face and  talking with others with sweet words.

Sneaking behind, and suddenly pull-down somebody else’s trouser and to expose dirty pants,  then

shouting  “Have look this is the truth” —–So, what ?   It wouldn’t help anybody.  History will tell.

It just filling the arrogant dirty satisfaction of  Wikileak’s  founder.  Much worse than a scavenger.

Because, if it was a whistle blow,  what the blower want to resolve or change and to which direction.

There is non. Could he expect the politics can change ? ( In any system or ideology —– because the

environment and the contents / human is the same —– no utopia nor ideal man exists)

It would only push the politics even more murkier business, deleting all the traces at once.  That all.

Since, clean man (and woman) wouldn’t become politician.

Since, ambition to the power and to become famous is the synonym of self-centered arrogance and the

manipulation of the others by deception as an effective means. ——- Hence it can not be clean by nature.

Still, we could have wiser life, accommodating and concealing smelly guts inside.  😀

(You are well aware this hidden truth  😀  )

The Truth of the life was clearly elucidated by Buddha as the Four Noble Truth —— and

its Fourth is the direction How to live DESPITE of Those TRUTH / Reality.

Exposing smelly guts wouldn’t help anything.  The MATTER is how to live with it.

This is the Buddhism.

___/\___

Obsession – Mindfulness – Middle way

Anybody who try to learn / practice Buddhism by oneself, to find the measure of Middle way

while committing so-called  Mindfulness, but not in obsessive extreme,  is not easy.

To biggin with Mindfulness, to learn what is the Mindfulness is hard enough, —— in fact, to understand

what is Mindfulness —— is already somewhere middle of the way reaching to the Enlightenment !

Most obvious and common mistake to learn Mindfulness is, to mix-up it with the concentration.

Concentration with passion and enthusiasm.( in another word, with Emotion )

Far from it, it is the result / even a by-product of the Mushin ——Once the Mind has gone, so nothing to

think about though, something left in the hand or very front of you—— so, just do it.

Mindfulness is not the concentration of the mind, but simply nothing else is there.

It may look utterly strange though, to learn Mindfulness, first, start to do a boring useless

practice, repeat and repeat again until your mind become insensitive and able to do it without

thinking —–> and able to see the task with completely emptied brain / Blank Space ——-

The task may seem something foreign or looks even first time to see  ( by the newly acquired

Open–eyes / Dispassionate eyes ) —–> as nothing else is in your mind,so

just deal with  ” this, only the Task.”

Hence, nothing else there, the eyes, attention everything  goes into it, down to the minute details.

( Eyes sees what you want to see, but Dispassionate eyes sees everything on front, as it is )

To somebody-else’s eyes, it may seem too much.    To clean the kitchen down to a minute water-mark

may seem to be a  Compulsive cleanness Obsession / Mental Disorder though, never mind, as long

as it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes after a cooking or eating,  it is just a normal practice.

If it goes hours everyday —— m m m ?

What is extreme, where is the Middle way is just an arbitrary view. Often, the cleanness obsession

of Japanese frighten the westerners, (you may not know, they carry a wet tissue with disinfectant to clean

their hand after shake hand with unknown person.  They are only the people using disposal toilet seat cover)

but it is normal, among the Japanese.  This is the reason why they are even reluctant to shake hand, or

share the bottle and drink direct from it (touch somebody-else’s saliva ) let alone kissing to other person !

( It is originated from deep sublimated  Japanese Shinto ” Avoid the foreign dirt and keep you clean “)

—–

Where to draw the line and stay in Middle way, is not rigidly fixed.  Since, the fundamentals of the Buddhism

is not torment you  with complicated rules, but to liberate your mind.  Try extreme will definitely taxing your

body and mind, but obviously dirty kitchen would cause your ill-health.  So, here is clear Middle ground.

Do what you think appropriate. Observe who you are, and if it is acceptable for you, do your best.

( So, to a Japanese, Clean it when it was soiled may be a Middle way,  and to a Hippie guy clean the

kitchen once in a week may be his Middle way —- though it’s a huge leap to clean it first time ever.   🙂  )

—-

While observing your own tasks, re-arrange the order, or a  way to sort the memos, even the position

to stick those memo, or the way to respond the Emails etc, and making it easier and  smoother  to

deal,  —— if the situation is getting better,  its mean your Mindful approach is working.

And when you established a system to deal with those tasks, and able to sort them quite business-like,

almost automatic way, in fact you are processing it, in the Mushin manner. —Why not it is efficient.

Difference of the Mushin to machine is, as the eyes is completely open, it is possible to spot

anything peculiar or the point to pay attention.  This is what makes the human different from a machine.

—– So, keep you busy.   🙂

___/\___

—–

Observation of FACT

( In the context following previous Post /   Hygiene of  MIND )

Over the years, some questions I was asked about the cleanness are :

One occasion a woman asked me ” Do you wash the outside of cooking pan in the same time or occasionally

polishing it ? ” ( Despite I have mountain of junk,  my kitchen is spakling clean.  Work-top is as clean as

edible standard —— a food dropped on there should be still safe to eat  🙂  )

My answer was  ” Of cause, when I wash, I also wash its out side every time “.

In another occasion,  ” How many times you rinse the cups and dishes ? ” —— ” How many times ? —– It is

not the matter of number, but until it become perfectly clean ”  ( Unlike western people,

We Japanese don’t put the cups into bowl  / sink of water to rinse but rinse them under running water,

because stagnant water accumulate dart.  It may takes a minute longer for washing-up though what this

one minute mean for you ? ).

From those words, you may feel strange though, I don’t use so much washing-up liquid.  Since I moved

to this flat 9 years ago, I consumed  3 (yes three) bottles of washing liquid.  I’m sure as I’ve used the emptied

bottles to another purpose and still have them. —— How is it possible ?

First, I dilute the liquid twice and put it into another ( for hair conditioner ? ) bottle

which spit only one small drop in one push.  And I only use it if the dish or pan is oily.

Second, I don’t waste even a single grain of rice and eat all the food I’ve cooked, literally completely.

Hence it isn’t much to wash.  🙂

Third, I don’t buy cooking oil, hence my cooking leaves little oil residue —– oil comes from the ingredients

such as chicken.  Though, I buy batter to make toast and prefer cream to put into a tea. (not just lemon  🙂 )

—–

——- Some people may feel ” Isn’t this paranoia ? ”  or  ” Why fuss about so much ? ”

I’m not fussing about at all.  They are just a life style and accustomed and refined practice,

over the years. Buddhism is not pretentious abstract brah-brah talking.

It is literally the practice.—– Do the practice / life in general, in Mushin —— hence achieving

maximum efficiency and having smooth life, is what all about the Buddhism.

Abstract talking may make one feel somewhat noble and satisfy snobbery though it is exactly

the arrogance and the ignorance what Buddha despised.

Observe cups and dishes and if not perfect, feed–back and refine the practice —– is what Mindfullness

mean.  And able to do it without thinking almost like a machine —— is what Mushin mean.

And apply this principle to all aspects of the life.

Only the Fact and the end–result count.  This is the Buddhism.

If not Happy still —– it is not Buddhism yet   😀

Do you know, the Enlightenment is in a nice cup of tea which is perfectly clean —– Ha ha ha 😀

___/\___

—

Hygiene of MIND

It seems the explanation of the Self : True Self in the previous post was not enough or messy.

So, I need to clear the mess in the better metaphor. 🙂

Looking through the Buddha’s teachings, long since I’ve been thinking the Psychological profile

of Buddha and realized, to think Buddha as a Guru of religion will miss the point.

If we think his mind-set like  a scientist or physician, it would be

far easier to understand what he taught.

And it would explain more, why the Buddhism having such character, not like a religion nor philosophy.

Just see the very blunt words of his Four noble truths ” Life is suffering —-” are not a kind of words from

would be a savior trying to be very popular,  but more like a doctor diagnosed a cancer, telling the truth.

Why ? —– Because in his Enlightenment, Buddha saw the Dharma is the rational mechanism,

like the Science, not a mythical mambo-jumbo. —

And he was able to see even the invisible. (Say, Micro Karma inside of our subconscious and unconscious

physiological dynamics reacting to the given environment / stimruos, moment by moment.  So that, his

teachings of the Noble Eight fold Path are to curb the possible cause and environment in the first place ).

This was the reason Why Buddha ordered his disciples to see the things include the Self and

think by themselves, not blindly follow what others say (its mean even the word of Buddha,

teacher, scripts).   Buddha’s contemplation to settle middle way, away from the extreme, such as

extreme austerity was simply based on his experience.   It wouldn’t give any Enlightenment but

the illusion, bore out of tortured body and the mind   ( he didn’t take those illusion as a super

natural vision like his teacher ——- he was a cool headed man = like a scientist or surgeon).

(Though, the disciples and later followers  who couldn’t understand the invisible, just named it as the

” Pannya Paramita”  / Supreme Wisdom, and put it in the shelf without touching since,  and created

numerous fancy mumbo-jumbo story which took the idea of Hindu myth into the Buddhism. )  🙂

—–

Think, Buddha was talking about the hygiene of the MIND.

Talking about the cause of illness, and the germs, how to keep cleanness to avoid the infection.

His eyes are very analytical, and thinking based on the observed facts, in very rational way.

(This was the reason, why I even felt it was the psycho–engineering.)

We ordinary folks can’t see and couldn’t guess what lies behind and causing the pain from illness.

The medical scientist knows which germs infects where and how, but not us.

Buddha saw the cause of our sufferings are lay in the infection of our Mind / the infected Self.

Since we couldn’t see the germ,  it is very difficult to see how this Self was infected.

Buddha explained the cause of disorder of our Mind, like a system how the lung exchange the oxygen

and the carbon-dioxide, which we only know the superficial phenomena / breeding.

So, he explained the mechanism of Karma —– cause and the effect, which is constantly taking place

and never stop, affecting our Mind too.  Hence he saw, attempt to imagine it as the static entity is wrong.

—–

Without knowing it was the science, and without knowing the existence of germ which

we can’t see, the past monks tried to explain what the meaning of Buddha’s teachings are.

And messed up.

The Mind looks the same but it was infected, hence the patient is suffering without knowing the cause.

So, Buddha explained the cause and taught how to cure the infection and regain the clean and

sound Mind which we were born with it on the beginning.

—-

Mind is the center topics in our life and the Buddhism, hence, it is having so many implications.

In relation to the Karma “static Mind couldn’t exist” and in relation to the repeating practice ( practice

is the vessel to sublimate the teachings into subconsciousness) but subconsciousness is invisible,

“hence hard to know its existence”, and in the Epistemology and the Ontology front, what is really

existing —– is it only in our Mind / or Mind itself is reliable —— is a perpetual question.

Above all, as Buddha established his view against the Vedic idea of Atman, which says

that the soul exists and remained after death, he took the firm stance, the Atman / Mind is not exists.

In deed, the idea and effect of Mushin / No-mind and its power is the center of the Buddhism.

And the Self which was imagined by such Mind couldn’t be there neither.

What really exists is the pure Mind which is in fact the Dharma, and the true Self which is

in fact a part of the Dharma too ——— they are no longer called Mind nor Self,  that all.

Yet in the same time it is undeniable, whether it was deluded / infected or not,  without having

the Self and the Mind’s existence, the Self and the Mind couldn’t be enlightened. ——- so,

with pragmatic reason, they are just called Mind and the Self,  for convenience.  😀

——– We have to see, the Mind and the Self —— which looks the same though, what the Buddhists

talking about has the invisible difference, either it was germ infected one, or the clean one. 😀

( Trouble is, we can not see the Clean one —— because it is not existing / in theory.  Ha ha ha 😀 )

———-

It is the same Mind, same Self though, its change the state,  just like riding a bicycle,  the person

suddenly become able to ride and gain the freedom. No one can explain why but it just happen.

In the same manner, suddenly the eyes open, and the conscious of Mind and the Self disappear,

or its become irrelevant —– effectively clear the infection  🙂

The task is in your hand, clean your Mind, and your Self germ free. (or Hinayana approach

would say, don’t bother the germ or Mind /  Self all together, just get on your life ! )

This is the very path way of the Buddhism.

___/\___

PS: This wouldn’t devalue the Buddha at all ( — may demystify him a bit though ).

——I only add a line, Buddha had the eyes and the Mind of the Scientist.

——Look, all through the human history, who else could see and explain the human life

——like Buddha.  He is the only Buddha.  Greatest teacher to the human being in the history.

—-

Which DIRECTION ?

Time to time I was asked to give an advice to a friend or friend of friend etc, in all sorts ——

Some time, how to deal with family or woman to electronic circuit ——- 🙂

While talking with computer programmer, a man (say Mr.A ) told me the pressure he is feeling from

the family or relatives who expecting he should be a genius and become a millionaire.

After that meeting, while dealing with Emails I just got a thought, why not Mr.A develop an  App

for mass user of such as iPhone etc —— may make him quite rich as his concept to deal with programing

is rather novel.  Market system, whether its got bad name of capitalism or not, it is quite democratic,

if it is good for the people it sell.   Not Mr.A  not me having wishful thinking —— let the people to decide.

So, I send him short Email saying  ” How about, to develop App for iPhone kind”.

Soon after,  I received his reply in which he explained this and that, and mentioned  ” By the way I just

have  received an Email from Intel’s development director, asking whether am I interesting to take part of

their development project ” —— then I realized the time-record of his Email was —2010  8:15 — M m m ?

( I hope I’m not paranoia though, as it happened in the same time of me to suggest him, and it must be a

peculiar coincidence )  I took this as a sign and Email backed him mentioning this number

” Be honest, do what you want.  Dharma is watching you “)

As he knew about this number, read of my post / 8150 Story,  he replied  ” Oh, dear God,  SCARY !”

Exchanging the mail with Intel, he found he is not very keen with their business, and found his

direction —— not the money but to keep what he really want to do.

Which he said ” Keep my path is what Dharma directed”

—

Despite popular misconception, DIRECTION is not an external menu which we can choose by will.

It is what we ourselves having in us.  It is in fact synonym of the self.

Here, the source of all the misconception and confusion lies, to be true to yourself, reset your mind

to the default state, have a blank space in your mind is in fact Just to be yourself.

In most of the case, what we are thinking This is Me ——– is in fact The imaginary Self, the Role to

play or the tactical Pretence to chase a goal (such as power, fortune  or delusion to be a Macho Man).

This is why, the Buddhism says, There is no such thing like the SELF ——– so-called Self is not

there, yet Buddha taught Watch it by yourself.  Watch who you are. ——- If the self is not there,

Who is watching ? —— What Buddha meant was, not by such imaginary fixed figure of the Self

(as the Self is continuously changing with Karma, no still photograph exist —– You can’t capture an

image of running horse / still horse is a dead horse.(forget hi-speed camera which Buddha didn’t have   😀 )

but by the eyes, free from the conscious of self.——simply, just who you are.

—-

Unlike awkwardly dressed masquerade, the person inside is the real self who can spontaneously

respond the Situation and the feeling (unconsciously) like natural Flow.  Buddha saw this ability

to respond the Karma is, it is because of the fundamental rule / Dharma.

Hence it is not the SELF but the Dharma. ——- of which everybody has inside and born with.

( As you are born with it, it is easy to be, though, strangely it is a hardest thing ——- so that, when it was

achieved it was described as a Dog Shit )

So, I’m watching what next move Mr.A will takes.

___/\___

—

Flow

An ologist described the 20 century is the first time ever the Buddhism was discovered as its entirety.

In certain extent I can see the point and agree with this.

All the ancient mantras were written as ” Buddha said “ —— and each sect read the certain selection of

mantras as their holy books without questioning or knowing what is the origin or relation to others.

But now, the scholars and researchers who are studying Buddhism, can see all the Buddhism scriptures

in Pali, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Chinese and modern English, German etc  while reading them

in comparison or chronological order.

I’ve read may be only fraction of total volume still, when I read another translation, I realized the more

likely meaning or understanding —— and I went back to the original idea —— if it is common

to all the sect’s, it must be closer to the original teachings, and if it was far-fetched idea it couldn’t be

the Buddha’s own teachings since Buddha didn’t teach educated people but to the ordinary folks on the

street or in the field, it should be based on the common sense.

—— Buddha wanted to save the suffering people not the well off educated.

Regardless whether rich or poor, still human mind and its mechanism is common to everybody and that is

where Buddha started, and gave the deepest insight. 

And those insight is what we can re–discover today as Buddha taught ” Observe it by yourself “.

And it made us even amateurs able to study by ourself in our own way, based on our own life.

( ” Follow the facts you experienced, not the scriptures ”  is also Buddha’s teaching, since

everybody got their own Karma which is unique to the person, hence one’s Nirvana too )

Hence the explosion of the Buddhism / Zen blogging.     And the creation of  Zen blog sphere.

——-

——— I found in the Blog sphere, somebody try to explain the mind in creative front, using the word Flow.

When our mind freely flow without stuck to an idea or things we can be most creative.

Thanks to comprehensive coverage of the observation of human mind and the phenomena, by  Buddhists

it is not difficult to relate this to the Flow of mind and the changing phenomena / nothing stays the same ——

hence a mind, stuck to a moment couldn’t see the truth, it needs the mind of  Mushin / No-mind / Anatman.

——— And in the other spot, somebody explaining the understanding or true meaning of this  No-mind.

As I wrote somewhere in the earliest post, the Buddhism is a way of the Psycho–engineering.

Not just a belief system or religion who is saying ” it might come as the God is there, if you believe” or

a Philosophy which saying ” look in this way —– so,you might able to see it in this way”

BUT  ” As you can actually change your perception / mind to see this, then you will see this”

Buddhism can change you / your life, since it will change your perception / eyes and the mind.

( This is the reason why the same technique has been used for a brain wash ——- but it wouldn’t be too bad

to wash your brain clean and see the world afresh  😀 ——- it looks nicer and more peaceful. 😀

Brain wash implant yet another crocked idea though,  Buddhism leave the cleaned brain to the person

enabling the person to see the world and himself by his clear eyes and make him to decide the way of life)

No-mind / Mushin is the core of the Buddhism teachings, hence it is the hardest part to understand

——– when you understand its meaning in real life, your perception has already changed.

( Your brain has washed ! ! ! )

It may sound strange though, this is the magic of the Buddha’s teaching.

And you may feel even more strange is, it is not to put or learn anything new or fancy idea

but just remove the occupying idea or view from your mind / brain ( hence no–mind or default

state of mind) and create a free blank space which enable you to see or perceive your own idea,

creation,way of life, what-so-ever  in natural  FLOW.

So that, strangely,  it is the most easiest things to do —– as a small child is doing.  🙂

Try it your self —– safe to try it in your home  😀

___/\___

—–

Time of Reflection

When we came to the END of something, season, road, a task or a project even a relation etc etc,

it is the time of reflection. —— WHY ?  on that moment ?

As the task had just completed, ( or the relation has ended ) there is nothing left to think ahead.

So that (as our mind is not necessary accustomed to have blank moment ) our mind was forced to go back

to somewhere we have passed.

We start to think the each moment which we couldn’t forget, not only we have actually done but also

the alternative —— ” It could have done, or If only ——- etc etc.”

As it is literally a hind sight, we can see better way to do it, and different outcome —— hence a

lots of regrets. ——- sound sad isn’t it ?

Why can’t we have the life with no ( well, nothing is perfect though  😀 ) regret.

So, why not to have a moment to sit back and think ——- in advance  🙂

—

We have only one life and only one chance.

We can not repeat the same moment in different way.

This is THE reason why we have to put the full effort to the very moment / each instant.

So that, leaving no regret. ( Well, ——- in theory  😀  )

Unlike the life itself, if it was a small project, such as designing small mechanism or electronic circuit,

if it was not perfect ( or not good enough ) I remake it often from the start. ( why not, this is a feed-back )

Though, the real life is not such simple.  Surrounded by so many factors and the occurrences affecting

the decision or others action of which we ourself has little control.

So, we Buddhists call it as the Karma / Fate, or even the providence of the Dharma.  And, we

accept it as it is and effectively wave the right to contest it.  Its mean, Buddhists have no regret.

Whether it was good or bad if it was given, there is no point to argue.  If it was bad, it’s because myself

didn’t do good enough work and the Karma to back fire ——- yet no point to have a  regret, but we have

to learn and do better next time. ( because, we can not change the past —— only look forward )

So, in my case, the time of reflection is not to have a  regret, but to face the music and laugh.  😀

( Oh, c’mon Yoshizen, what have you done ! ! ! —— Ha ha ha 😀  —— like this )

So, Don’t make your life even more miserable with regret, just laugh at it.

( So, life is Happy —— Honest, believe me.  Ha ha ha  😀  )

___/\___  😀

Lost and Found

In many occasions,  we suddenly realized,  Wait a moment where that Thing has gone ?

In my life style, it wouldn’t happen if it is for the daily use.  The item, the thing goes back to exactly

the same position whether it may not necessary be the most ideal place.

Away from the ordinary tool box, strangely a glue-gun and a hair dryer is hanging next to the kitchen

utensils under my kitchen shelf. ——- When I moved in this unfurnished flat, it was before I moved my

possessions from a warehouse storage, I needed to fix something.  So, I brought some tools from the

tool box in the storage.  Unlike hammer or pliers those glue-gun and hair dryer (by the way, this one is not

for my hair but to heat-up or drying the material, and those ladles are to bend the aluminium with its carve

—– they are the  tools for me  🙂 )  having an electric cable,  hence it is easy to hang —– so, they found

a place to hang, and it became their permanent place.

Since, same hardware / tools or materials are in the same

place, the way to do the things, is more or less identical

—— hence it became a routine. —– Its mean I don’t

need to think about each action and only need to

pay attention to a part which is new or different.

You may see on the photo, the cable of the glue-gun or

hair dryer is twisted round its own body —— and the

way to twist round the cable was though out for its

best way round ( —- in fully minded manner  🙂 ),

therefore it is always the same and the plug will come to the most secure exact position.

This practice, place the item always exactly the same position said to be started in the Zen temple

and kept as a Samurai tradition.    Hence a  Samurai was able to respond to a sudden attack, able to

grubb his sward instantly in the total darkness.—— So, it was the iron rules in my family as well.

I was allowed to use my father’s tool, provided me to put it back exactly  the same place, same condition,

and it trained me to memorize where the original position and the conditions were, down to

the minute detail. ( —– Otherwise the teaching would come with a fist  😀  )

——– My photographic memory might have originated from here.

——————–

You may realized now, what I’m talking about is.  This is the Zen.  And the Buddhism. —– in real life.

Zen is not only for a fancy movement of the sword master or incomprehensible  Mondo —– but

in every minute details of the daily life —– to maximize the efficiency and ease of the life.

Then, — Zen ? —– the trouble is not the item in the same place.

Quite often, I buy something strange or fancy, —– might be useful-one-day kind of, such as cheap

Chinese things, toy etc.  As it is not very important and not necessary having  well-defined place ( that is

why it is strange ) I just stashed away somewhere. —— then year later, something bright idea came up,

” Aha, I got That Chinese Toy —– I can use that part of mechanism for this idea ” —— but, where is it ?

Since it didn’t belong to the defined category, it is not in the likely place of its function —– but it might

be placed in the similarity of the shape —– ? ? ?

When we try to think / seek the answer or to find a strange toy (in this case) —– our mind are caught up

to “Likely” direction,  where so-called logical ( but own logic ) thinking is leading.

But in real life, not everything follow the logic.    And not necessary having in the same guise which

I remembered or so-I believed.

The toy might have just dropped behind the box, from where I left it.

Or it may be in a bag, half disassembled.

When we look for something, our eyes (or mind ) is chasing the pattern as our cognitive function works.

The harder we try, we are even deeper caught up with same pattern. —— this is the moment we need

to have open mind.—– NOT concentrate, stop gazing at but take aback, and just to be passive.

Here the paradox again.  The more you looking into, you can not see —– because what you are

looking is what you want to see / your imagined pattern. —– (But how do you know You know it.)

——- Then what I found was, on the corner of my desk, something poking out of a milk-cartoon  was

that Chinese toy upside-down.  Only I didn’t know,  what it looks like the bottom of it upside-down  😀

We need to open our eyes with open mind.  Detached mind can see the world better.   😀

___/\___

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What is the POINT ?

Somebody who read  Spiritual Sound gave me a question saying

that I’m desecrating the holy spirituality.

On the surface, it may look true.  But it is the main purpose of this DIY  Zen Blogging.

I’m not Desecrating  Buddhism  or any holy belief.

To decipher the mechanism of our mind and invisible psyche in relation to the Zen is

the task what I’m doing and all about this Yoshizen Blog. —— May be I am demystifying the religion.

( I don’t need to indulge  Mythical Dream,  as I’ve been surrounded by too many spooky phenomena.  😀

My task is not pretend to be a kind of medium but to find out the mechanism how it is operating. )

As I wrote in the earliest posts,  the repeating Buddhist’s practice is, in fact, ware-out the mind

and make the practice routine hence make the person able to do it without thinking / in Mushin.

Mushin is a state of mind,  and it is nothing to do with any mythical, glorious religious belief.

To open the mind and the perception completely away from any thought,  we are able to see

and able to know the truth as it is —— is what all about the teaching of Buddha.

To complete his teachings,  Buddha ordered to his disciples  Not idolize him or worship himself ——its

mean, to follow the Buddhist’s teachings, even a notion of Buddha / Buddhism have to be removed.

Because,  Buddha knew it is the pitfall of the teachings —— even a conscious of  I’m a Buddhist or notion

of Buddha would utterly negate the effects of Mushin.

Remove the conscious to be a Buddhist or the name of the Buddha,  is not desecration of the Buddhism.

Since it is the very core of the Buddha’s teachings.

Simply, this is how our mind works.   And this is what the Buddha’s teachings.

——

Buddha taught to remove the own thinkings to attain Mushin, in his explanation, since the basis of

own thoughts = the self is not existing.

To fully understand what Buddha meant took 500 years.  Hinayana Buddhists took this to negate

the self, especially filthy part of it, smelly guts or uncontrollable genitals shouldn’t be there.

Then Mahayana Buddhists realized,  if they shouldn’t be there, why the Dharma gave us in the first place.

(Not to be obsessed with it / Middle way , is a commonsense)

The function and its mechanism of our mind / psyche (dynamics of our subconscious) was designed

or given by the Dharma, and it has been refined and refined (evolved) in past billions of years.

Exactly in the same context to see the effects of the repeating practice,  I described the effects of

the incomprehensible hi-pitched tone —— it makes our mind puzzle and open the mind.

I didn’t ask anybody to listen Hi-pitched tone or Mozart Miserere.  I’ve just shown what is the effect of

us to open the mind and the perception. —– then you might able to touch spiritual world.

Whether this spiritual world is sacred or holy mythical world, is in your belief / Mind —– but

as the paradox of Buddhism is here, as long as you cling its idea, you can not see it.

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