Practice ?

There are funny misunderstandings among the Buddhists,  which lead to the even funnier

misconception of the Buddhism.

Due to the each sect’s tactics to monopolize the Buddhism,  each sect having their own practice,

banging a drum or chanting the name of mantra or sitting etc etc what so-ever.

But,  one shouldn’t forget,  they are just a mean or tool to learn Buddhist’s Teachings.

—

There are hundreds of practices which bear the name  ***** Dou such as Ju-dou, Ken-dou, etc.

Dou mean  A Way / Pathway —– to reach Buddhist’s enlightenment.

It is a vessel to cross the other side.  In metaphor, a finger  pointing the moon.

With an unfortunate confusion in the English translation,  the word  PRACTICE was taken like

a  training exercise. But,original meaning is To apply the teachings to a real situation and Do it.

Medical practice mean actually cut a stomach and stitch it —— Oh, c’mon don’t cut it for practice. 😀

To reach Olympic Medal in swimming, swimmer needs the basic training of running, push-up etc

though, no-one would think, do the running is swimming.

—

Yet still, lots of  self-proclaimed  Buddhist believes  ” As I’m chanting the name of mantra, hours

every day —– so I’m a  Buddhist ” —– so, I asked ” How come, your joint (hashish)”  ” Oh, with this

I can reach even higher spiritual level ” ——- m m m ?

Buddha’s followers literally followed him, And copied exactly the same what he was doing.

This is the PRACTICE.  Buddha was the living sample of How to live as a Buddhist.

Buddha was not doing any training exercise.  When he want, just sit and took a rest.

But never tortured his legs.  ( So, he could walk by his own till 83, to his Nirvana —— in comparison,

all the Zen sect high Priests  end up in wheel-chair when they got old, due to many years of torture to

the legs. —— when Master Dogen said  ” Just sit ”  on that time life-expectancy was mere 40~50 years,

long before the body started to show the symptoms of old age)

So,—– sitting is just sitting, take a rest ( away from the life’s all other activities / actions ) — hence,

no need to think or worry —– have a break, that’s all.

It is so funny, sitting itself was mistook as to be a Buddhist. —— No, It’s a misunderstanding to think

” Sitting is to reach the Dharma ” —— No, we are with Dharma 24 hours, every fraction of second.

Our life itself is the PRACTICE.  To achieve the best in the PRACTICE is the Buddhism.

___/\___

PS:  As I wrote in the earliest posts, those ” Repeating Buddhist’s Practices “ are the

training Practice to learn ” Do the things without thinking “ ( by means of ware-out the mind )

which is aimed to attain the State of the Mushin.

The Key to the Buddhist’s life is To live the life in Mushin—— hence, life is the PRACTICE to

apply the way of Mushin.  And the Mushin is the synonym to the Clear Eyes to see the Truth.

Mulberry

Every year, in the middle of August, there will be my annual event to go to see the Mulberry tree

and eat its berry, as one of my special ritual. ( After this, it will be the Blackberry’s season  🙂  )

—

There is a Japanese song called ” Aka-Tonbo ” ( Red Dragonfly, and its appearance heralding the coming

Autumn  /  end of the summer) —— it was dubbed as the second Japanese National Anthem.

Some Japanese expatriate would tear when they sung this, even though they may not necessary ever

eaten this berry in their life.

Song is about a childhood memory,  when he (she) was piggy-backed and  saw  the red evening sky,

the flying  Aka-Tonbo,  and the memory of picking the Mulberry. ——– (sob  sob)

My childhood memory itself was nothing like in the song,  still when ever I saw this Mulberry tree

my thought just goes to this song.   ” This is the Mulberry of  Aka-Tonbo song ” ——– still,  it is

almost a mystery, why this Mulberry having such significance and  Aka-Tonbo song  makes the

Japanese cry ——- though, it is a touchy subject I never dare to ask others ” Why you cry ? ”

—-

I can describe,  the size and how its berry looks like (it looks similar to Blackberry —– if  you click

the photo and enlarge it twice, it will be about 80% of the life-size) though I can’t tell what is the taste

and how it is distinctive.  Unlike the light or sound, there is no chart to plot or even measure its

distinctiveness.  (We only able to measure the strength of each taste,  very strong to very weak.

But we even don’t know what sort of difference or similarity  between the taste of apple and the grape)

So that, we can not objectively describe or think about the taste— Only able to detect, it’s there or not.

—-

Among the sensory stimuli, the visual signal is the most indirect stimulus.  It detects the light

reflected on the surface of the object and the signal has to be reconfigured as a pattern in the brain

—– otherwise its  signal / stimulus wouldn’t have any effect as a stimulus,  as if it is not existing.

In comparison, sound signal stimulates  the hearing nerve direct.  As long as it’s there you can not escape.

But the sound is a by-product of something vibrating, and transmitted through the air, if we block

the air path we can annihilate its existence.

Though, taste and the smell is the direct chemical effects created by the particular monocle of

the material or ingredient, so the monocle itself needs to touches the nerve.

Second direct sensory are the touch feeling.   It will be detected by the direct touch but needs to feel

and assess.  So that the same stimuli of such as touching a wire-brush —— very slight ticklish feeling

to itchy feeling and if it was pressed too hard it is painful —— its dependent to the interpretation.

Some people feel even pleasure by piecing the skin by needle. (I wonder what sort of process there ?)

—

The more direct the stimulus,  its effect goes deep straight, even hit one’s physiology straight, since it

by-passing the process of the brain,  and evoke the subconscious reaction, revive the latent

memory and hit the emotion direct, we can not control —— sob !

When a monocular of chemical which is unique to the Mulberry, touches our taste-bud, specific

signal was transmitted from there (scientists still don’t know the mechanism, is it the pattern of pulses ?

if it was the case, can computer mimic the pattern and recreate the same sensation of taste ?

or even create the similar but slightly different pattern hence new taste ? ? ? ) we perceive specific

sensation and  as its sensation is unique, it will be strongly associated with its particular

situation —— hence, its revive the strong memory and the associated emotion.

—

Yet, me to go and pick Mulberry is not only for indulging child memory,  but I rather feel a kind of duty

to remember  our humble origin.  We human being came from the savannah  as the hunter gatherer.

We survived while picking fruits, plant roots, sea-shell etc etc —– thanks to the nature and

ultimately the energy-source, the Sun. ——- (Fruits comes from the tree, not from  Tesco 😀  )

We never created foods.  We are just a sucker of the nature and a part of the food chain.

Especially to be a Buddhist, we shouldn’t forget that fundamentally  we are the  bikku (beggar ).

So, thanks to a tree in a park, I can pick this Mulberry, free of charge.

( Though, I’m not alone.  It seems I’m competing with another picker and the Birds —— early Birds got

better chance and upper hand / upper wing  to reach top of branch.  I got only few left over.  Sob  😀  )

——

Zero = Infinity

Watch this Space.

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This is the Space supposed to accommodates whole Universe end to end.  Therefore if you type here, the

space would be enough to have the whole Buddhist’s mantras scripts trillions of trillion times,  though

WordPress is a small provider in the cyber space and myself is an ever minute blogger,  hence the

appearance of the space is just this small.

Yet,  you can see the infinite spread of the space ——- since this is the expanse of the Dharma.

Did you see it ?   You convinced ? ——– Well done.  Then, watch the inside of the circle —– zero.

— ——————————————————— ——o

Do you still see the same expanse, whole Universe ? ——– Since,  this is the same Dharma.

——-  Now you know that  with Dharma,  you can be whole span of the Universe,  in the same time

you can fit inside of the space zero.

Once you free your mind,  you can be in anywhere,  you can live anywhere in any shape.

With its blank space of the mind ( Mushin ) and the complete open perception,

you can embrace Infinity and the Zero in the same time.

This freedom is the Enlightenment.  There would be no limit or any hindrance in your life..

___/\___

Nature = Dharma

–

—————————————–It’s a summer, have a brake, have a kitcat.

—-Photo by :  Canon 5D Mk-II  ( It’s a good Camera)  /  Nikon Fish-eye 16mm  ( It’s a good lens ) 😀

Talking blah blha, typing tick tick —– is a tiring business.  It’s nice to be in the nature.  Its teaches us more.  🙂

Please click the image to enlarge, and click again even larger.  Nature is not necessary posing us in orderly

esthetically pleasing alignment —– they can be just wild —– yet this is still their equilibrium / harmony.

Try to see them in esthetically orderly frame is our Ego.  Mahayana accept its disorder as it is.

This is the Dharma.   ___/\___—-

Creative Mind (2)

In my life I might have seen billions of images,  I’ve seen hundreds of thousand of Art images include

the artistically well designed commercial products.  And I met hundreds of artists. With a curiosity of

how those artists create their art,  how they conceived the original image or idea. ( Secret of Creation)

It seems there are some distinctive types of creative mind and its mechanism and the tendency.

In most of the cases,  there is the original image or real existence which inspired the artist.

The great artist, Pablo Picasso created many ( too many  😀 ) mind-boggling extraordinarily images,

yet he never created any new image.  He only created new style to show the same subject.

Even heavily decomposed, deformed cubist paintings still maintain the image of the original subjects.

Same apply to Salvador Dali.  Unless the clock with needle hands exist, his melted clock never appeared

in this world. ( Think if it was a digital clock with LCD face, the image couldn’t be so striking as we are

much familiar with  funny shaped plastic products )

So, only pure abstract art deals with totally new image, still, what inspired Mondrian was the Japanese

house interior design which Bruno Taut brought to the attention of the west.  And even looks like abstract

expression of Henry Moor’s sculptures still shows the woman as woman, unmistakably.

Yet still, some artist create utterly incomprehensible image which is not a result of random chance.

Some people are able to conceive pure image which seems to have no origin.

( Here I’m not talking about the twist of ordinary idea such as ” If the bloom handle is straight stick,

why not an useless twisted metal ” or ” If the public display has to be decent and acceptable, why not

smelly animal dung ”  kind of idea ——- it’s still in the logic, only a negative process.  Nothing  new.)

I had chances to talk with those artists who create utterly incomprehensible images and found

they are not necessary aware creating strange image  ” Ah,  I just like it.  It’s  who I am ” —–  ! ! !

It seems there is a completely different type of brain exists.  Naturally they seemed to have very

different perception and the handling of their life style too. —— not necessary street-wise or

smart to sell their art, since they are neither a good communicator. ( often talks incomprehensible

though, the line on the palm indicating, the person got well developed brain )

___

They are the person of  True-Self as the one born to be = as the Dharma created. ——– So, would they

make an Enlightened person or at least good Buddhist ?

Good question, and this question signify the clear distinction What is the Buddhist.

——— Once, Master Dogen questioned  ” If everybody born to have the Dharma within, why the past

Great Masters needed to have practice to get it ? ”

The small children are the angels, as they are so natural and innocent ——- as they are in their True Self.

So, the cliché was created.   Of cause, it is only a nice flirtation and the myth. If it has even a shred of

viable significance, 99% of world population is the great artists and the Enlightened people, —— and

the Child Parliament with Child PM governing the country. ( Why not  😀  )

—-

True Self in the Buddhist term is not simply the self as a person happened to be born with.

It is the Self once denied Self.  ( So, the process is much more important than the result —– in the first

denial,  Selfish Ego and the Emotion would be eliminated.  Hence, in the second denial when the Self was

revived, the Ego and Emotions are missing —– or came under the control.  Self itself looks the same though )

T—

In the zoology, to define whether the particular animal can recognize the self / if the conscious

of SELF exist in them, scientist use a mirror to observe their behaviour. (If the animal can see a   reflection

of him as him or the other animal —– and become aggressive or see behind of mirror etc )

Just to be the Self as he was born, is easy as all the animal is living in this way.  But able to have the

conscious of Self and able to differentiate behavior ( control ) needs to have much evolved brain.

Control  what ?   Control, mainly the instincts, and suppress the emotion. Then able to do something

more complicated projects / preconceived plan with observation feed-back and judgments.

To control the behavior in order to have a harmony with environment,  the observation of outer world is

of cause essential,  and in the same time observation of  the Self too.  This is the Self-conscious.

So that the matter is  if the one can detach the view-point and watch the Self from a distance, objectively.

But, this is nothing but a  Self alienation.   This Self alienation is the trade-off, necessary compromise to

survive in the social environment.  Hence, we social animal / human being was forced to live with the watchful

eyes of the Self.  Then, where is the estranged True Self, became a perpetual conundrum.

—

In the Buddhism, the matter of Self and the  Selflessness seemed to be a bit over emphasized  because of

Buddha denied its existence in the first place,  in order to differentiate with the popular Vedic teachings.

But, as I explained afore, the restrain of the raw Self / Ego is the basic rule to live in the society.

( So, we often use the expression ” Play a roll ”  ( Away from  being in the Self )

Even in a pack of the animal, pecking order (control of the greed ) or breeding right of the alpha-male

(control of the sexual desire) etc —— the denial of one’s Ego is the essential rules of the survival.

Buddhism is not asking the follower to do anything special —— just be a sensible member of the society.

Same apply to the Ten Commandments, it didn’t need to be given by the God. It exist long before the Myth

was invented.  Otherwise the primitive society could be fallen into disarray and couldn’t be survived.

—

Japanese language having one of the most complicated honorific expression system.

How polite,  has to be exactly matched  to the social scale —- too polite to a junior person mean blunt despise.

( Even a man of respectable position in his forties could lose the trust in just one word . —— I still regret

a word to my professor when I was 25 —— even if it was meant to be a joke )

So that, it is very easy to assess the quality of the person (and their up bringing / family ) just see the wording

in a letter or listen the tongue. —- trouble is, the person  may not aware the situation and what he is speaking.

Here, the clear eyes to see the Self and the reference data to judge the situation is essential.

Yet True Self is ever more reclusive.

___

Help = be Helped

Yesterday, when I popped out, my neighbour was struggling to disassemble a kind of machine saying

he doesn’t need the mechanism but just want to use the frame as a furniture.

It was a well made German machine though having strange construction and looks almost impossible to open.

M m m,—— ? ? ?  Interesting.—  Any machine constructed by a man should be disassembled by other man

since we share more or less same brain. (So, the theory says —– yet practically not necessary true —– some

latest electronic gear is not designed to be repaired or serviced —— very thin outer shell couldn’t be opened

without clacking the plastic )   Anyhow, I offered him to help and brought my tools as I got comprehensive

professional grade tools. ——- still, it was the puzzle to find how and what order each parts were assembled.

——- On the end I’ve succeeded to open and dismantle the mechanism, leaving only outer shell.  

Holley ! It was a lots of unscrew and tapping shifting losing the each fit next by next —–

Then,  I asked him what is he going to do with the removed motor, gear train and electronic controller.

He said  Oh, just chuck it out. —— So I said, May I have it, I may able to utilize them.  Oh, yes please.

————————

Brought back those mechanism and the electronic parts to my place —— reassembled, connecting electric

cable again and switched on ——– wieen  wieen click !  It’s works ! ( as a  power drive mechanism )

German Bosch motor with its heavy reduction gear, it seemed to produce 50 kgm power.

It’s very useful in deed.—— So, I can design much larger heavier kinetic pieces.

Just help someone, just do it, then I received such valuable gift ——- they are no longer any use to him

though  It’s a  very useful materials to me ——– So, he got the frame without heavy useless mechanism

and I got useful motor  for my yet another kinetic project —— everybody happy. 🙂

—

When you see anybody needs a help, just help, Just do it.

You may rewarded much more than what actually you worked.  Though, don’t expect such things. Just do it.

( Any calculation, greedy thinking spoil the good deed.  To make somebody happy brings your happiness

It’s mean, work first.  Not the words or thinking.  Just do it in Mushin, is the matter )

So, Don’t comeback to me complaining if you were not rewarded —— It’s a Karma of the greedy mind )

___/\___ 🙂

PS : Only a drawback of this Help in Mushin is, some time it was misconstrued by the people —–

especially by the woman.  As they couldn’t think the life’s events separated from the male-female relation,

” Man will approach me with only one intention — want fuck me”.—- May be that is only a thing in her mind

and an art project etc was just a pretext to meet a man. 😀 —— A female artist who asked me to build a

structure for her installation, came more than one hour late and said ” I’m a demanding expensive woman ”

—– ? !— I don’t care who she is.  I’ve just interested in her idea of installation and how it can be materialized)

Or even a respectable businessman mistook it ” This man must have a weak point and desperately need my

favour.   Otherwise no need to work such hard.  It’s must be an opportunity to exploit”  He might thought, He

got upper hand, then started  to ask more and more.(since its free of charge). ——- I only helped them just

for fun or I saw them  need my skill —— yet I had no obligation or expected any  return  from them.

In such situation,  I just terminate it. (And delete the contact and never see them again.  I loose nothing.)

Regardless even the project was only half done and the plan collapses. —— It’s their choice and the fate.

Since Zen preclude any emotion and have no attachment, some action may seemed  harsh and sudden.

But this is what the Zen is.   ( Zen react instant.  And Zen only has 100% otherwise  0%  Nil )

—-And what the ( Mind of No-Mind / Selflessness ) means.

Dharma and Heaven

( This post may read as an addition to the previous post  Dharma = System )

In the east a word Heaven ( Ten in Japanese, Tien in Chinese ) having somewhat similar meaning like

the word Dharma.  Heaven  can be just a sky above but not necessary a Paradise like in the west.

Heaven is where the invisible but ultimate power,  the Ruler reside.  Or the Rules itself.

As the Heaven cover everything on the earth, there is no escape therefore this notion affects every other

notions and the fundamental philosophy and the ethos.

Unlike under western humanised or personified notion of God, in the east there is no margin of negotiation

to the morality, like the situation of crime and punishment.  There is no such things like ” If the God doesn’t

arrow this I’ll go to another God, or our church justify this killing since enemy is pagan”.  Killing is killing.

( I’m not talking the sheer number of execution in China, or having  sever  punishing flood and earthquake)

Without having the insight of this fundation of ethos,  ” Wrong is wrong. There is no escape” it is hard to

understand the hidden psyche of Fatalism in  Taoism or  Zen Buddhism.

As the basis of the Buddhism lie in the word / notion of the  Dharma which is all the Existence /

Nature and the Rules behind or Existence / Nature itself is the Rules, it is naturalto see why

eastern culture is so well harmonized with the nature,

or to see why the Hinayana Buddhism says The man’s life itself is the Enlightenment —— as

the man born with the Dharma within.

___/\___

Great —– or Rubbish ?

One of my friend who is a Computer-Otaku read the latest three posts in my blog  (this blog  🙂   )

And questioned me  ” Obviously you are not try to sell anything by the spin,  though what actually

you are appealing ?     Try to expose flaw of Buddhism or How it is useless ? “.

———— ” Yes I know. You are absolutely right though, this is what the very Buddhism is.

I’m trying to show it “ ” Show what ? ”   ” Paradox in Buddhism “ ” Such as ? “

” All about Buddhism is in its state of Musin.

To be in absolute Mushin,  one can not have even a notion of Buddhism  or any expectation.

Expect its benefit or super natural power is nothing but the one’s greed and the arrogance.

Expect benefit such as I can change and find true Self and get Enlightenment is one’s thinking.

And see the Buddhism in such expectation  is nothing but a delusion.

All the benefit and the phenomena of the Buddhism would come beyond this,  never before.

So, it may come 10 years later or may never come “

” What a mean religion isn’t it ”   ” That’s why it was seen as an Enigma “ ” Rubbish “

———  ” Ha ha ha,  So, somewhere in the earliest post saying  Dog Shit “

” How many people ever reached Enlightenment ? ”   ” I guess, historically may be only handful “

” What ?  In whole Buddhism history ? ”    ” I think so,  may be less than 100 “

” Utterly Rubbish isn’t it ”   ” So, it’s a Dog Shit.  Ha ha ha   😀 “

” So that, it’s really Great, isn’t it “

” So,  you are selling  iPad  saying Don’t expect this one would work “ ” Thaaaat’s right. And

when people smashed it, it start working and show all the fancy things “

” That’s nice.  So, this is the Zen ? “ ” Thaaaaaat’s right ! “ ” How fascinating ”  😀

Super Natural POWER (?)

There is a popular misconception,  the religion has super natural power. Or super natural vision

can reveal the truth.  If such claim is in the market, of cause it is only a spin to sell dubious products.

Same as ” Use this special formulated cream, you will become Hollywood beauty at once”.

If such claim has any substance, all the population in the world should be the Holly Man now

and never had war or mass killing.  And the Amazon natives who said to have “Vision” by the

hallucinogenic  chemicals from the magic vine,  shouldn’t have marginalised.

I never hard any positive contribution from the Vision made by drugged brain or the people. (Have you ?)

Russian government had spent millions of  money to research those Para-normal power for

military, espionage purposes without single positive result.

Yet still, everybody knows something is still there and I too believe now. (with my 8150 story)

Though, the trouble is they are beyond the human control.  We can not resort it to the intentional purpose.

( I still couldn’t figured out how my parents could able to predict somebody’s fate, and what is behind of

Chinese I-Chin)

Yet still, the Power over there, what Buddhists calls Dharma is active and makes no mistake.

This is my understanding,  some may calls it my belief and religion.

So, What ?

What is BUDDHISM (2)

Belief system is a peculiar existence.   As the word, System imply,  it is a huge complexed  system of the

abstract  Idea.   Since,  it consists hundreds of thousands of lines of program,  it is hard to comprehend in

short summary or clear image.  So that when new comer or young person was interested in to know or

join, the person was attracted by the so-called beneficial effects or most likely the false image.

As a social phenomenon,  its out look or proclaimed form and reality is never the same.

————————-

Under the name of love / Christianity,  how many war and mass killings were happened,  and  25 years

long  Sri Lankan war against the cyanide capsule carrying Tamil Tiger fighter was fought by the supposedly

peace and calm loving Buddhists, not mention about the so-called  Muslim terrorists.

As a nature of ideological notion,  people who believe and practice its religion always say ” Oh, it wae

done by not real believer,  we never justify killing ” —— exactly same as ” Oh, it was not real Communism “.

Ideal  *****ism  is always somewhere beyond,  yet still the people who practicing it

always says ” I’m a true believer”  with formidable authority in his face.  😀

————————-

After 30 odd years  ? ? ?,  still I’m not sure how much I learned about Buddhism,

if  there are any at all. ———- Fundamentally,  is it Buddhism ?   Who said so ?

If there is the BUDDHISM in the World,  show me.  I want to see it.  ( I’m not talking about

a Mandala poster which you can buy in the Camden Market £5 or twisted leg sitting etc /  The Form )

——————————–

Long time ago, a Master of Aiki-do,  Mike of Watford  said ” Oh, you got very strong Chi ” —— though,

I was just toppled by him after 10 minutes stalemate.   Yet,  I have no idea what the Chi is —– if it is there

at all,  it’s there as a part of me ( without my permission  😀  —– as I’m not practicing  Martial Art ,  if it

looks like Martial Art it is a misconception, it is just the way how I move )

Same as this,  it seems  I’m living in Mushin,  all the daily chores  were carried out almost automatic,

some time I feel a  De-ja-bu  ” Waite a second, haven’t I done this already ? ”  I’m not aware the Mushin.

So,  I have no idea,  is this practice of  Mushin is anything to do with a kind of good luck, such as I don’t get

ill (after 35 years live in this country,  I still don’t have registered doctor ) or if I need to go somewhere,

it is always blue sky ( may be I don’t go out if it is rain.  Ha ha ha  😀  —— ask Dorkbot or Space Hijackers

people about this phenomena ,  yet it might have been just a coincidence ).

So,  neither  I have any idea,  whether  Buddhism  is anything to do with those phenomena which

I described as 8150 story.   Is it a part of Buddhism ?   Or am I just a nut.

( Still I would say if it is a part of Buddhism,  it is not too bad to see the guidance is visibly posted )

———- As  I didn’t know such things could be there, as I never read nor no one told me before.

So,  I’m anxious to hear from the person  ( Master ? ) who knows all about Buddhism and

Enlightened say how the Dharma appears on front of us or it should be.

( Though,  I suspect,  there is no such things like an Enlightenment,  that’s why it is Dog Sit )

And this is why, what Buddha taught was so grate and power full ——- there is nothing to

think (nor teach) about,  just do and live.