Spiritual Sounds

While ago I talked about the sounds which gave us a spiritual feeling.

In there, I wrote ” Something slowly moving continuous rather hi-pitch tone make us feel spiritual.”

And long time ago, when I talked about J.S.Bach and Baroque music —– not melodic but continuously

changing polyphonic sound makes our brain to stop thinking / abandon the thinking process =

attempt to figure out what this sounds mean ——- is good for the Zenist to empty the mind.  😀

——–

Unlike a visual signal, sound signal is a basic stimulus, goes directly into the subconscious.

If you encountered a scene in a huge Buddhist Temple, hundreds of monks chanting a Mantra in unison,

( I’ve listened it at Eihei-ji and Daitoku-ji.  You may find a recordings of Tendai-shormyo of  Enryaku-ji )

you might have felt its low voice is more of a demonic and gave awesome impact to your perception.

The Gregorian Chant in a monastery gives similar feelings but the sound is less demonic.

Then somebody suggested, how about the Gospel Song ? ——- Those musics are surely Religious but

not necessary sound spiritual as its use of normal voices range and the meanings of words’ limit the mind

to be open. One of rare exception might be the back-ground hi-pitch humming of a Gospel group Take6.

(In  purely sound term, not the connotation of the songs).

————————

When we hear roar or beating drone like low sound, it resemble the sound of earth before an eruption

of volcano or a big predator / lion, tiger etc,  we feel a fear ( instinctively ). ( Huge fearsome body

never chirp, as the resonance of big body cavity is pretty low / earth’s magma chamber is huge  😀 )

So that the lower sound is the sign of larger and more powerful body,  hence used to appeal to the female

who is seeking stronger gene —— from flog to golilla.  (and some human as well  😀  )

Since the lower roaring sound gives the feeling of awe and  hi-pitch slow-moving tone gives

spiritual feeling, the religious organ music utilising those effect very effectively in its three-part

polyphonic composition.

So,  why hi-pitch tone (when its sound slowly moves but not too melodic way) gave us spiritual feelings ?

Try this by yourself now. —– Make high-tone on your mouth, pieeeee —– then, booooo —– you must be

noticed, high-tone resonate in your head / nose cavity,  but low sound resonate in your lung cavity.

Lower base sound shake your body,  but hi-tone hit your head / brain though, if the sound is not

comprehensible —– not a whistle of train or alarm sound, nor soprano song —— something unknown

but as it keep hitting the brain,  we just open the perception and we were nailed down just to listen.

As we couldn’t figure it out, our confidence in our ego melt away, and the mind evaporate into air.

With completely open mind and the naked perception, we started to feel, something is there.

You are standing on the edge of spiritual world.

—

Just open the perception / mind, and become totally passive without attempting to give

any own thought / thinking,  is nothing but the state of Mushin in the Buddhism.

Of cause, Hi-pitched tone itself has no spirituality, it was just happened to be a typical sample

to make us feel the uncertainty which forced to open our mind / key to see the function of our mind.

And this key is showing us, No-thinking/No-mind/Mushin is the pathway toward the spirituality.

Buddha, in his ultimate wisdom, decipher this phenomenon and gave the explanation. 

What beyond there is, the Dharma. —— As everybody can be hit by this spiritual sound,

its indicates the fact, everybody has its perception, and the Dharma is not beyond the sky, but

in front of us.  In fact we ourself is a part of it, that’s why everybody got this perception.

Unlike the Gregorian Chant of Gospel Song which needs to know beforehand and learn what it is,

the perception toward the spirituality is inherent to all the human,  Buddhism is teaching how to open

the perception/mind, and see the Dharma through its practice. ( without listening a hi-pitch tone  😀  )

—— still, one of the Zen sect Fuke-shu use the sound of Shakuhach / Bamboo pipe  to reach  Mushin.

—— ( though, to master this instrument is as hard as to get enlightenment ). ( Still, sound is good  😀 )

In fact, to some people, it is not necessary a hi-pitch tone, but it can be a sound of the running water,

wave sound of the sea, wind through the tree  though, those sound sources are surrounded by too many

visual signals too.  We may not able to just listen the sound of wave —— mind might be destructed

by a passing nice Bikini Bottom.    ( Ha ha ha  😀  —– In fact, Bottom is a part of the Dharma, so, nothing

wrong with it though, if the mind was stuck with it, it break off the  Mushin and stray away.

You can deal with it in Mushin,  but on a bed,  not on the beach.   Ha ha ha   😀 )

—— Still, once got know how, it can be done in any way.

Just open the mind and perceive the Dharma.  ( People describes this as Meditation )

___/\___

—-

Poor Nature (2)

Last night, something was creeping up on my leg, inside

of trouser.—- M m m ?

I slapped it over the trouser. —— What came out and

dropped on the floor was a wasp. (By the way,  I didn’t

know, the wasp here is so hairly. —– Click photo to see )

I realized, I’ve just killed a queen wasp who seemed to seek

a place to hide and wait the next spring.

I can guess, inside of my trouser must be warm and good

place to hibernate —— though —— ? , its not very

convenient place for me at all.

——— Still, it could have created a beautiful story

” A  Zen Buddhist kept sitting, in order not to disturb a wasp sleeping inside of his trouser,

and waited the next spring “ —— how heart warming nice story.  😀

Don’t be jokey,  I’m a convicted notorious potato killer and terminating the life potential of 40~50 Kg of

onion etc every year.  I’m not such generous warm-hearted existence.  I’m living on the sacrifices of

millions of another lives,  not mention the billions of germs came into my body and encountered

the T-cell in my white blood.—— I wouldn’t pretend to be any special noble creature with sweet words.

I’m just an another life in the food chain and the minute part of the Dharma in this world.

——————–

Long time ago I read a story ” A Jain holy man offered himself to a tiger and eaten by the tiger”—– ? ? ?

Was he intentionally walked into a forest to meet a tiger on purpose ? —— I quite doubt of it.

And when he was attacked,  was there any another choice, otherwise not be eaten ?

I don’t think so neither.  Even holy man was just a part of the Dharma.  To the eyes of tiger he was just

another play —— yet as a story, we can make up anything sound nice.

——

Anyhow, see the season (as the rest of wasps are dead already) and her body size, it must be a queen.

Its mean, not just a wasp, I’ve terminated her potential whole family. (and her ancestors as well)

But the question is, —— why she choose to sneak into my trouser ?   There must be somewhere

another warm corner in my flat.  She should know, such place was the last place to choose ?

Or am I smelly —— smell of flower ?    I don’t think so.  😀

Unlike blood sucking female mosquito, most insects avoid to encounter animals —— so, was she

thought I’m a kind of furniture ?  Am I  😀

Anyhow, to an unfortunate queen wasp, peaceful Nirvana for her. (I hope, she didn’t leave

a marker to branding me as a public enemy of wasp and make them to attack me next season  🙂  )

—— While I was editing this, on the other side of the world in Chilean desert, last one of 33 miners

came out from the 2000 feet deep mine. —— one small life ended here, yet 33 men were survived.

Congratulation. Viva Chile. 🙂  ( It was an extraordinary story but not just a story.  It was the fact )

___/\___

____

Girlie Pictures

One of my bad habit is to make a collection —– in fact, too many kind of objects, from the stones

I picked up on the top of mountain to ordinary post stamp, small sticker on the fruits, one day it-might-be-

useful kind of all sorts of motor etc.  And I stick those stickers on my PC, Cameras etc etc.  Sigh !   😀

So that, when I made pilgrimage of the Pipe Organ while traveling all over the Europe ——

On top of the necessary tourist information and the town map, I’ve collected the information about

the history of the church and their pipe organ —— all together more than 30 Kg.  😀

—————-

This habit started with a collection of the insects and the plants specimen. ( If you do a lots, naturally

the skill to handle it become sophisticated. —— I received prize, many of it )

When I was a photographer, I had somewhat 50 SLR, not necessary I bought, many of them were given

by the manufacturers, as I was doing camera critics as well. —— And I have about 50 antique cameras.

(To repair those cameras and make them work —— I’ve learned the skill and the knowledges inside of it)

—–

So, when I got inter net connection and discovered Net photo-site,  I realized it is a good collection of faces

——- literally millions of it.  I found a face somewhat resembles a friend in my school time —– saved it,

then another one, and so on.

Then I started to accumulate the faces which give me a tick, somewhat pretty but not necessary beautiful

—— and started to think why ?

Looks very similar but why this one give this impression but why this one doesn’t ?

And end up, now having 30,000 photos.  ( As a by-product, they are good references of body shape for

making sculpture.  Though, when I made Buddha Figure there was no such reference photos, hence

his lung cage has wrong bone structure —– never mind it is not an anatomical model.  🙂  )

—–

Some of those female models showing identical faces in any photos, even keeping exactly the same angle.

And some others are showing very vivid different expressions in each photos.

We know,  we can guess the character of the person from the face —— and even from the photos.

We only have to be careful not to speak out those observation and judgement because of the so-called PC.

Yet our preference and the attitude toward the individual is judged by the person’s face and facial

expressions / mannerism / subtle difference in the body languages, since we know it in our subconscious.

And some of the people even shows so-called aura. (No explanation.—– I only know it exist as I had seen it )

—— Whether it is politically correct or not,  I can judge ” I like this photo, and save it.  Oh, no I don’t want ”

I have no obligation to spare my  PC’s  memory for unwanted photo. —— There can not be a Buddhist’s

generosity here. Ha ha ha  😀      ( Yet I have an album of skinny bodies collection, even though I hate skinny

body but only for a purpose to see the bone structure in live posture, not by the generosity.   🙂  )

——-

Anyhow I just gave a thought on the assumption of, the expression on the photos reflect the

daily behaviour of the person —— as those models may one day marry to somebody and live together,

then  how it would be the relation and the life there ? ? ?

Of cause,  even the person who showed identical faces in all the photos  has another face hidden behind.

Though, it is about her attitude —— to show only the face she believes her best and able to keep it,

this determination and the stiff will. —— How do you think if this is your wife ?    As she might be a person

of principle, and able to stick to what she want, hence predictable and may be reliable, but is she stable ?

Old wisdom / Common sense says, hard stick breaks.  (When its happens, spectacularly )

In comparison, the person showing wide varieties of expressions —— obviously this person has very

live perception and quick response.  Surely,  she is a kind of person we call  Lively Character.

So, naturally we guess, even in the married life, it would be lively and joyful,—— but can she reliable ?

She may not necessary very thoughtful and may not be very intelligent, so, it needs to be the husband’s task

to pay attention.  Still happy fun-full life may compensate occasional mishap or even a havoc.  😀

—— When I was asked, I’ve been giving the same advise to young man, how to look for the best woman,

” Good lively smile is good, but more importantly, look at the face when a woman expressed her disgust

—— if that face is still acceptable, go for it. Since, in the life, not every day is the happy day, time to

time ugly situation would occur,  and in such critical situation, the ugliness of the face,  which you have

to face, of which  woman can not control,  would make it even worse,  so its better avoid” 

(We can make up smily face but can not control the expression of  disgust )

In any case, go for a type “Girls next door” would be the safe bet.

Better nothing extreme, include the tattoo.  Ha ha ha.  😀

Strangely,  what type of woman you chose is genetically programmed in our subconscious.

And often it is similar to your Father’s taste.  Since, its gene is on the Y-chromosome which

is identical to your Father, as Y-chromosome only comes from the Father.

——————–

You may remember your first love in your school time, suddenly you started to like somebody who all

your friends said  ” Why such funny girl ” —— she was the type you were programmed to choose.

As human being was originally programmed to get marry 15 years old ( This is why in all the culture,

boy’s initiation is about 15 ) the girl you loved on that time was in fact, you were supposed to get marry.

Because it was genetically programmed choice, that love was almost chemical, nobody else understood

why this girl —– still, it was to say Dharma’s choice.   So, the boy couldn’t see her objectively.

It was the unconditional true love (in Buddhist’s term, this is the Fully Minded Love and in Mushin —–

Mind of No Mind = without Thinking process ) hence regardless whether she was a funny girl, it was the

true love. —– to see a girl in objective eyes and consider the other’s eyes or to compare to Pop Idles etc

comes much later —– as the boy learns how to override the subconscious judgement / Dharma’s choice.

Unfortunately we human being had to adapt and bend this natural choice for a sake of artificially

created social system. —– And we grown up were heavily influenced by the false environment of

mass-media and so-called Thinking / social consideration etc etc.

We lost the eyes to see the truth, and lost the ear to listen the voice of the Dharma in our subconscious.

So that, to rediscover where your original taste / choice was, can be the first step to

see who your true self are. ——- (Provided you don’t waste too much time watching boobs  😀  )

So, it was interesting to see from those thousands of faces, after half century,

my own taste haven’t changed a bit.

___/\___

—

PS :

Following the previous Post, there was some exchange of opinion in Emails.

And this is the extract  in which,  I found,  it is highlighting the point of

” How to make a perfect music piece which will hit the guts of others “

————-

Though, important point is, —- What  are the guts.

Everybody got more or less the same guts, having it

tens of thousands of years.

Its mean, what will hit it, has been tried and sorted out

spending thousands of years of time, by millions of people.

That is how most of the culture in the world came to

have pentatonic —– same conclusion.

The reason is, it was written in the Dharma. ( Ref; Harmony

in Dharma )

And the guts is ruled by the Dharma, not by one’s brain.

Deviate from the Dharma, yet make perfect one is hard,

if not impossible. ——–

—–

Equidistant Tonal system was perfected in the time of  J.S. Bach, though it has been only utilized for

the convenience of key-tone change.   And its use became universal, despite of the existence of some

discord (which has been simply avoided to occur as Taboo, by the composer.)

So that,  Arnold  Schoenberg is the first one to fully explore the musical possibility of its system.

But, big but, do you or anybody on the street, ever listen, let alone remember his music ?

Some (very rare person, may be a student / ex-student in classic music) may say

“How about his organ music [ The Ascension ] it is spiritually very striking isn’t it ?”.

I can agree, its sound very spiritual though,  as I wrote in ” Blank Space ” it is because of slow-moving,

continuous high tone, which is vague and undefinable,  hence our brain abandon to define its

meanings,  then start to feel  ” Something Unknown there”.

This very feeling, “abandon to impose own thinking, and leave the Mind open” is happen to be

the same to Buddhist’s Mushin —— we describe it  Spiritual.——- All of us share more or less

the same perception and the same guts.  Simple  😀

—– So, departing  from the tradition, and explore complete freedom in sound making,  is a good attempt,

though,  better not forget, we and yourself are still within the Dharma’s  rule.

Other’s guts is under this Dharma too, so that better chose the direction accordingly.

( The Expression —– which is also common with others, mean Communicable, has to be

emanated from own guts” Blank Space ” too —— not from the thinking or technical possibility )

Please read the Post ” Freedom in Restriction “. (Under a category [Music] )

___/\___

—

Life to be Artists

I’ve received a question from a keen reader of this blog / Jaganathan, who is

creating / developing  fancy program of creating even fancier sound, out of computer.

————

anyway id like your thoughts or a blog post 🙂 Why do many artists end

up depressed, do drugs, kill themselves.  And how to keep doing good

work irrespective of whether it is a success or failure.  How do

continue doing sincere work even if nobody gives a sit.

—————–

In anyone’s life,  to see what is the success, having many facets —— Financial ?, Social recognition ?,

Historical importance ?, Personal Pride and Confidence ?, Made people happy and became local Hero ?

All those may satisfy the ego.  But in reality, before think about success, most acute needs are to survive.

—-

When I finished hi-school and chose the direction and Uni’, I hated to go to science and technology side

as I didn’t want to be enslaved by the technology —– I’ve applied to Art College.  Though I was told by

the member of  Alpine Club in that College  “Want to become Sculptor ?  Oh no, even studied in here,

its impossible to live on the sculpture.  You may end-up an art teacher in a junior school or a craftsman

making dummy for the shop” —– What a hopeless situation. I gave up and next year I went to a Uni’

where we don’t need to fix the direction / Faculty / Major  for the first year —– then end up to take

Sociology by accident.  Before apply the Art College, an art teacher told me ” The success rate of

top Art College ( Where I wanted to go) is about 50%, and the other would be less than 10% ”  here

success mean, able to live / survive on the skill or the art which was studied in the college.

This was the time, Art was the traditional Art, long before such as Conceptual  Art became main stream.

Art is a very subjective commodity.   Commodity mean, the objects which can be sold and owned.

Though, when the type of art, and the educational direction has changed to the Pure Art and a theory

of Conceptual Art, sellable art became the dirty word as it is Commercial / Crafty, to live on

the Art become even harder. Who want to buy a pile of dung / (said to be) conceptual art installation. 😀

——- So, the question of Jaganathan is a little bit out of time or not a kind of the matter to rise a question.

Depressed, infested by Drug, kill oneself or even kill others —– may not be anything unusual.  😀

Even worse, as the art education is aiming to the concept, not the skill, actually no skilled useless persons

were flooded to the labour market ( it include the Media study as well).

Under such situation, if any artist want to have satisfying life should better take Buddhist’s paradox.

Forget success, forget recognition, forget financial reward and just make own art —– but perfect one.

Perfect Art would hit the guts feeling of the others. It impress the people and make their mouth shut.

——- so-called success will follow. ( But, as long as the one is hoping and expecting the day will come, with

ego and greed there will be no perfect art or success. —— in this aspects, Dharma is very harsh )

So that, so-called  Positive thinking, or Keep your hope live etc etc are all but just the sweet words.

The Buddhist Mushin is the very strict term, if not perfect, it would be all in vain.

If Jaganathan is developing new program, if it is exciting enough, he could be absorbed into its work,

he couldn’t be disturbed by useless thought —— its mean, he needs to make his work interesting,

important enough —– here, crucial inspiration, key idea which he may get it in the Blank Space

may become decisive factor.  So, to see its new idea, in complete open mind / Mushin holding the key.

( Here, chicken and the egg,  Exciting project absorbs person’s mind and make him into Mushin, though

to get exciting idea need to have Mushin —– shut up, just start.    Ha ha ha. 😀 )

——- So, how about, take a walk, —— Do a Walking Zen and get Mushin first  🙂

___/\___

___

Four-Leaf Clover

I know, everybody have a memory, once (or many times) looked for the four-leaf clover when we

saw the patch of ground covered by the clover.  Of cause I have, and in deed I found few of them in my life.

Yet, I don’t think it brought me any better luck —— and I’m not talking about the good luck here.

( Still, this post deserve to have a title of  Four-leave Clover —– you will find it  🙂  )

——

When you were looking for the clover, do you remember what you were thinking ?   Kind of play to the God ?

“Oh my Load, please give me a Four-Leaf Clover” —— I don’t think so.  😀

(May be you were thinking of your girl friend or boy friend —- to present the precious findings. How sweet ! )

When you are scanning the field with your eyes, I don’t think any thought was in the brain.

Eyes were just scanning and just concentrating for the task.  In fact any thought would be a distraction.

And, do you believe the concentrated effort, will power would help to find it ?   I don’t think so neither  😀

And if you lucky to find one, was it in the center of your eyes ?  —— it doesn’t necessary so.

Quite often we find the intended object somewhere periphery of our vision.

We read the small letters in the center of our eyes, other than the center, we can’t read and understand

what was written there.  So that,  when we need to find a file name in the list, we have to concentrate

and pick the pattern of the word in the file name.  It need to have a will to read.

In comparison  we can detect the pattern which we know already in the periphery of eye field.

But this vision were controlled by our subconscious,  not by our conscious  will.  When  noticed

it’s there,  we move eye-ball and capture it in the center of vision,  then confirm it,  Gotcha !

___

When I was in my Uni’ I was asked to join the research expedition to the remote corner of Japan or pacific

islands, to help the botanist.  ( As I was a member of Alpine Club, specialized in yet traced area or jungle

kind of terrain and doing botanical photography as well —– despite of I was a student of Sociology.  🙂  )

Strangely, in those occasions,  many times I was the first or only one to find out the specific plant, while

going through the field or jungle.  I have enough knowledge of botany but, professors knows a similar type

and so on far better,  and the information I had,  was only a line drawing of the plant from the botanical book,

encyclopedia etc otherwise 70-year-old dry specimen, of which the plant haven’t been seen 50 years,

kind of rare species.   Everybody was amazed  ” How you could see this.  You must got very good eyes ”

( Though, I’m heavily short eye-sighted )  “No no, I just noticed, it looked different ”  ” In 10m away ? ”

Of cause, the plant didn’t come on front of us.  I had to catch it in my peripheral view.

——- In deed,  our eyes or cognitive function of our brain is possessing remarkable ability.

Just learned  from 2″ size line drawing to distinguish real plant ( which is not necessary having flower to

stand out )  might be akin to a Policeman to apprehend a suspect, from a vague photo-fit.

It must have a very intuitive creative work to fill a gap.

—-

But before work out to reconstruct the image,  we need to catch it in the first place.

So,  how our eyes can catch the Four Leaf Clover in distance,  even by the peripheral vision.

In fact, the answer lies in this peripheral vision, and its subconscious process.

It’s all came down to the same paradox ” When you want to see, you can’t.  When you abandon  to

search, you start to see”.  And here, the same Blanc Space in the Mind is playing the role. (Refer the Post)

If you don’t know about the Zen, you might think this is contradictive though,  this is how our brain works.

Expose the perception in open-minded way,  which Zenist call  Mushin (Mind of no mind),  the brain can

receive far more information / visual signal,  and able to process them far more efficient way.

( Many years ago,  I met a man who is working as a railway station staff told me “How to find a railway pass

cheat” saying ” Standing and checking the passes one by one by reading the date on the pass is impossible.

So, we just standing watching the incoming passengers.  Then anyone caught eyes,  we look at his / her

pass and read the date.  We are reading the behavior and the mind of the passengers.  Standing and just

seeing the flow of the people, still we can distinguish who is cheating, far more accurate” —– Well said  :-))

——- This is why I wrote in the earliest post,  ” Just walking the street. Just looking forward without focusing

any point or taking any notice of street scene,  open and spread your vision from the side to side.

This is the Zen ” ( in easiest way —- called Walking  Zen   😀 —– The advantage in Walking Zen is, you

can observe your state of mind from your Peripheral Vision  (able to notice, both end of images are keep

moving while you walk) —– though, tricky part is, you only have to feel them without the conscious mind.

Still it is easier than to observe the state of mind of  Sitting / Meditating without Thinking —–

Thinking the state of Not Thinking is pretty hard to achieve —— Make your subconscious to observe

your conscious mind which supposed  to be not thinking = This is the nut-shell of  Zen training —- Training

because the aim is to achieve Let the subconscious to think and deal with the life —– Because of the

subconscious is thinking but you do not notice it = Hence you are not consciously Thinking.

—– Most important point to remember is, All the thinking process was actually done

subconsciously, then, conscious consideration such as tactical maneuver, social pretence  etc

intervene and mess-up the decision-making and push the life into unnecessary trouble.

Buddha’s suggestion was simple, Be straight and simple, don’t make a life complicated by

being messed up by unnecessary thought.  This is what the Buddhism all about.)

So, why not try your Zenist eyes by looking for the four-leaved Clover.  (Provided, if it’s there at all.  😀

Zen can not create something out of nothing.  Zen can only help you to see it )   Good luck !

___/\___

—-

State of Zen = Dharma

Through  email,  Jaganathan  asked me pretty significant question.

” It would be helpful to know, by doing what a person in  Zen can fall back into  NOT being in  Zen  ”

In fact there was a popular misconception behind of this.

Zen or ultimate state of the mind in the Buddhism is not a newly acquired fancy addition of

the Mind.  Far from it, it is just the default state (if I may use a computer term)  of the mind.

( Hence, it is the a crucial marker to distinguish out a sham  Zen instructor —– if he says ” You will get

something new” it is the indication of that he doesn’t know the Buddhism )

This is Why everybody has it and born with it.

This is Why all the Zen masters in the past, when he realized it, described  ” It’s a dog sit ”

And this is Why a small children often shows it,  even a small animal, the Nature itself  shows it.

And this is Why, the Buddhism asking and asking ” Get lid of your thought (which is the products

of the complicated brain activities)” —— so, it was described as, be in the Mushin / Selfless.

Of cause,  Buddha was fully aware of this.  That is why he showed it by doing, not by the words.

And this was Why the followers had to follow him and mimic (and repeat as the practice) what

Buddha was doing.  (so the tradition was created )

——- being in the Default state, even the perception of  ” I’m seeing or listening etc ” are not

there ( hence, later description of the sense itself are not existing  were appeared in the Mantras )

( You have to remember that the all the Mantras were written more than 200 years afterward  by

the memories and the guess-work —— since, often with misunderstandings)

All the conversion to the categorized notions or ideas are done by the additional Thinking process.

Still, without all those conversions,  our eyes are seeing. And to see it, as what we have seen in the

first moment, without conversion or additional process is  what we call as the Clear view or Clear eyes.

And without the complicated brain process, which mean without any masking of the thoughts,  we can

see the Dharma —– or one might say even without seeing the Dharma, but Just be with Dharma.

So, be with it —— its mean forget what you have just read here — blah blah blah, Just Do It.

—-

Therefore (back to Jaganathan’s question) as the  Default is the basis, one can not remove it,  though it

would be easily masked by any setting of  thought,  pretension,  borrowed buzz-word,  fashionable

popular idea,  useless Ego,  Greed  etc etc,  but with the price of the Karma.

That is why,  stay humble,  without any masking  or dress-up  would be better,  as it will lose nothing

——- so, peace in simple life is what the Buddhist’s choice.  ( Though, paying some price to the Karma

and have small pleasure may not to be too bad. —— If it was not forgiven,  we human being had been

eliminated long ago.)   Still, choice is yours.  Don’t blame me if its happened.   Ha ha ha   😀

___/\___

—

Worship ?

If anyone think the Buddhism is one of the religion, soon you will be realized

“If it is the religion, where is the God and what to worship ? ” —— Then you might be

realized, something peculiar or even something wrong.

—

Since, on his death-bed,  Buddha ordered to his followers ” Don’t idolize or worship me”

In the Buddhist’s Mantras,  there is even a single line of script which described that

Buddha himself bowed to anything, exist.

Buddha respects the Dharma and its rules, though  rule is just the rule.

Rule is not the God or an object of worship. ——– Gravity is one of the physical phenomena.

Its rule is absolute.  No one can escape —- though, no one think gravity is  God  nor anybody worship it.

Dharma rules the universe though as it is not like a  personified western  God,

Dharma is not answerable, even communicable to the human,  it is not an object to worship.

Hence,  Buddha didn’t need to worship the Dharma  but he just followed and lived with it.

Because of this, the Buddhism has been often  regarded to be NOT a religion,

and often mistook as an atheist.

( Lots of you may think,  if this is the case, what about the many Devine figures in the temple and

worshiping rituals  the monks are performing ? ? ?

——- It is just because of a mix-up with Hinduism.    It is not the Buddhism )

In the same kind of misunderstanding, lots of people think the Buddhist practice is a part of rituals.

No, they are a training exercise to gain a state of the mind ” Mushin “.

( DO the things without Thinking —– leave it to the control of subconsciousness / Dharma )

Darma has unknowable mystical power ——- though, it is not because of Buddhism.

Since,  Dharma and the Karma are ruling anybody, regardless one’s religion.

Believe or not, everybody you too, are under the Dharma —— hence, it’s better to aware it.

To become aware it ——- you are wiser.        Which we call ” Enlightened “

Buddhism itself has no mysticism or mumbo-jumbo.

Buddha’s teachings or Buddhism is the way to see the Dharma and live with it.

Following and living with it, mean more smooth natural life, hence having the Peace.

___/\___

Short POEM ( but not HAIKU )

( may be titled as ) [秋]———————– Aki / Autumn

————————ある————————–aru / one

————————雨の————————-ame no / rainy

————————朝—————————–asa / morning

————————アスファルトに————asphalt ni / on the asphalt ( pavement )

————————アシナガバチの———-Ashinaga-bachi no / a Wasp’s

————————死骸————————–shigai / dead body

————-  Well, this poem was composed in my twenties when I was having evening class of

an   Advertising Copy-writer’s training.  ( Since, I didn’t expect Industrial Sociology BA may not enough

to go into  Advertising or Publishing industry)   I wanted to have a skill to compliment my photography

and  I was writing lots of poems.  ( Preceding to this,  I was a  fanatic of  Jean Arthur Rimbaud )

————– In one glance you may noticed there is no subjective word / Who is watching a dead wasp.

This is a deep and long tradition of the Japanese language —– not clarify the subject word.

This is a part of the Buddhist’s culture combined with Confucians ethos.

Name Me is arrogant.   Self shouldn’t be there.   And name You is disrespect —— it should be only

implied by the proper use of honorific expressions. —— hence, all the HAIKU is missing subject word.

More importantly, without seen by anybody, the pavement and the wasp is still there. We were not the

designer of the world or control it —- How, Self can be there.  Why we need to assert I am watching.

( Hence, lots of old Haiku is based on a  man’s vulnerability,  a powerless observer’s sentiment, Wabi )

Japanese has been using the same language all through the history ( well, classic style is a headache

even for me 😀 ) and having such thousands of years history with Buddhism culture in the bottom,

translate it must be a daunting task, much harder than a Japanese to read Chinese Buddhist’s Mantras.

(So, it is no wonder to find lots of misunderstanding of Japanese Buddhism and wrong translations there)

In comparison, when I read an English translation of  Heart Mantra, translated from

the Sanskrit, I was rather amazed ( and disappointed ) with its clarity as there wasn’t enigmatic

[ Mysticism ] left there.  🙂    There was no mysticism in the Buddha’s teachings.

It was our own creation with over jealous expectation. (save my 8150 story.   It’s not my creation.  😀 )

In the Paradox of Buddhism, mysticism  never appeared where expected.  Because the expectation

is a thought emanated from one’s ego —— which against the Mushin / No-Mind.

—-

Here another poem which I wrote when I left Japan. ( No need to have a title )

( In hind sight, this was the moment I became a Bhikku )

—

美しい手紙を書こうと思った—–Utsukushii  tegami wo kakou to omotta / I wanted to write beautiful letter

私は詩を勉強した——————Watashi wa Shi wo benkyo shita / I studied Poetry

* * *

手紙ー通——————————Tegami, ittsu  / A letter

母へ—————————-———Haha e / to my Mother

—-

ありがとう——————–———Arigatow / Thank you

ごめんなさい———————-Gomen nasai / Forgive me

さようなら————————–Sayou-nara / Farewell

—

( This could be the shortest poem as it using only three most ubiquitous mundane words yet to describe

a man’s whole life.    As after 35 years I still couldn’t find any shorter, fewer word could do the same.

The space inside of  Zero could have whole life history and all the thought —– yet no need to talk

or discuss.  Just shut a mouth and a thought. ——– it is almost like the Zen,  isn’t it )

___/\___

Poor Nature

This poor friend is what I found on the pavement. (The actual size is 45mm across)

He is the largest Stag Beetle I came across in this country ( Japanese Stag Beetle is twice big.

—- Notorious Killer Wasp which we call  Suzume Bachi ( Sparrow Wasp )is 2″ big, by the way ).

Though,  when somebody saw this Beetle on the pavement, the person might have thought, this is

a big cockroach and stumped on him,  hence his broken stags and crushed body.—— How shame.

—

Once before,  I saw the collection of the cockroaches came from all over the world at a Lab’ in

the Imperial College,  from the hissing cockroach to 4″ big sandy brown / black striped beautiful one.

Though, common cockroach is the public enemy number one.  This hatred is almost chemically

programmed in the mind.  Therefore the person who saw a black insect, wouldn’t have given a shred of

thought or time and instantly crushed him with almost automatic reaction.

So, it must be too much to ask to give a close look and distinguish him out.

So, I only can  say, it was his misfortune to venture out the woods and came to the building area.

—

Zen asking instant judgment and reaction though,  preceding to its action,  the clear eyes to see and

distinguish the situation, has the crucial importance. ( Of cause, I wouldn’t expect to the people

able to distinguish a stag beetle, as they may never seen or learned it before —– even myself have seen

it less than 10 times over 30 odd years living in this country )

—– So, I only hope, behind the one dead body,  yet another 10 are still surviving somewhere in the woods.

And I’d like to ask the people who got a big garden to leave the pile of log or trunk of dead tree ( leave it

as 3~4 feet high ) for them to nest inside.

In south London,  there is a green area called Peckham Rye Common and it was once named the dirtiest

park in London by a news paper. Then the local Council / Southwark  took an action —– clean up all the

dead wood, concreted the pond floor removing all the water plants.  Pond used to have larvae of such

as Damsel Fly, and Newts were crawling among the water plants.—– I complained to the Council and

they replied that they are having consultation of naturalists —– What sort of scientists ?  Bollocks.

” Who the Scientist ?”  ” We can’t reveal the name, to protect identity ” —– It’s just a smoke-screen.

Utterly bollocks and nothing but a vandalism to the Nature.  Clean up,since insects gone hence birds gone.

Nature is not clean and tidy.  Dead tree and rotting wood is the essential part of it.

We shouldn’t forget —— We humankind is the most dirtiest, harmful toxic part of it.

With a kind of guilty conscience  we need to pay back to the Nature —– we should be humble

since, soon or later the Nature will kick us back.  Look, the Planet Earth is becoming barren land.

Pakistani top-soil was washed away, Russia and Amazon are burning, American mid-west,

north-west Africa, Australia are drying up ——- to mention but few.

And this is the manifestation of the Karma.  We are picking our fruits.  Toxic bitter fruits.

___/\___