Mindfullness

” Understanding the Buddhism by the translated word carries the burden “

The most fundamental difficulty in the approach or to seek

Buddhism is lie in its English translated word.

From the word such as Fully minded or Mindfullness the people start to

think  ” What is the Mind ? ” and end up in the endless puzzles.

The trouble is, the mind has hundreds of layers like an onion. We only see

its outer skin.

Especially if the one thinks  ” The mind is where the thought is being processed ”

it would end up against the wall.

The mind in the Buddhism is  not exist or not noticeable.

It is deep inside of the onion. (To see it you have to shed a tear or two.  🙂 )

Or in human term, it is in the subconsciousness.

——————–

So that, the word  ” Mindfullness ” is, in fact, has to be exercised  subconsciously.

This is the fundamental trouble to think about the Buddhism and this is why the

study or aproach to the Buddhism by way of thinking or try to understand it,

is utterly wrong.

And this is the reason why all the Buddhism sects employ the practice.

The practice is there to teach or lead the people to learn to do it

without thinking or empty the mind.

——————–

The another trouble or misunderstanding lie in the word  ” Meditation “.

The word Meditation is almost a synonym of the Buddhism though,

the popular understanding of its meaning  ” Think deep ” mislead the people too.

As one of the practice in the Buddhism, the Meditation is also the way to lean

to do it without thinking.  This is why even the Master Dogen said ” Just sit “.

And this is why the Buddhist has to get rid of even the notion of the Enlightenment.

When you forget to reach to the Enlightenment and get on your life, You are Enlightened.

This is the biggest Paradox in the Buddhism.

Fuurin / Wind Bell

There is a very memorable ZEN story;

When a Zen master and a novice were sitting in the Temple,

a wind bell out side tinkled with very beautiful sound.

As both master and the novice were so deeply struck by

its sound,the Master asked novice Why.

The novice answered ” Since, both of hearts are calmed still ”

(Nishin sizuka nareba nari) / (The heart of the listener and the

heart of the bell are both in the dead calm state, hence both are

in harmony with the Dharma )

———– By this answer, the novice was ordained. ———-(Read this story tens or hundreds of times again )

This must be the most beautiful Zen episode among the rather harsh vigorous stories of them.

———– But in the same time, this story imposed me really awkward questions.

As all the Mahayana Mantras repeating, all the senses include hearing are the false.

And the self who is supposed to listening, is also false.  ——- Even if we take the explanation,which is,

the selflessness is in fact detached mind, —-? ? ?, in any view, this story is the contradiction.

————————

But, I definitely take and believe this story than 1000 of the words in the Mantras. This is the Zen.

How do you think ?

( Photo / From Frickr /  By Kamomebird /  Fuurin in Mino-town )

Zen in Action

” With the ZEN you can still live and kick, like Micky”

There was an opening of an exhibition called  ” Sign of Revolt ” in east end of London.

It showed wide spectrum of the artistic  by-product of the Protest Campaign, such as posters, fliers,

props, appeal installations, video images etc etc.

So that, this exhibition can be seen as from the Art with Social issue to the sample of Applied Art;

ie Graphic Design and in the same time it was the appeal of its issue like Eco to Police brutality.

———-One of my friend, War Boutique, exhibited an Armoured Vest of British Army standard, but

with Arabic script printed on it.——- m m m ?   ” Is it an instruction to the enemy,

how to dispose this dead body ?”  ” Oh, that is the script of the Coca Cola can “ —— ! ! !

I like this man’s twisted humor.

——————-

In fact, I got a Police bullet proof vest made by him which got [Metropolitan Peace] tag on the chest.

One opening night of my another friend’s exhibition, I was standing on front of the gallery wearing

this Police vest, walky-talky on the shoulder and huge black dildo instead of a truncheon hanged

from the belt.  Then, out of blue, a real Police car came and stopped on the front.

Two officers in the car seemed puzzled (of cause my attire looked genuine / save some details)

and watched over me 10 minutes, may be wondering ” Is he one of us ?—- If not should we arrest him

for the false impersonation ?—– No  no, it might be an art-performance to take mickey out of us”

When they leave an officer rose a hand and gave me a salute, and I gave salute back.   Ha Ha Ha  🙂

(back to the main story)

This Revolt exhibition has much more relevance to our life today than in pure art exhibition.

( More information ——- Click right column / Associates / Spacehijackers )

Incidentally,

I’ve joined Spacehijackers  ” Training Camp 09 ” (scroll down the page in their website and /Read more )

It was the extremely funny enjoyable few days as you can see in the photos.

—————————-

” What a hell, Zenist doing in the Anarchist’s camp ” you might say. 😀

Yes, this is the Zen in Action.

Buddhism is not to become vegetated state of the life.  It is for focused, selfless state of the mind

and live in full with empowered action.   Don’t afraid to be a Micky.   Live as a Top Micky.

(Hesitation came from one’s self preservating ego. Micky may need to be there to stimulate the society )

😀

_____

Mandhara

A while ago, I was invited to attend a gathering of

the Tibetan Buddhists.

As a Tibetan Buddhism, it belongs to the Vajrayana Buddhism.

So that, the gathering went through an elaborated ritual rite

of which the participants taking part with chanting the mantra

and practice hand gestures.

—————

Elaborated rituals impress the people.

The people who attend such ritual, seeing gorgeous costumes

or strange regalia, never rise question but just follow.

People instantly accept it as it is, since it supposed to have ultimate authority with mysticism.

Anyhow it is beyond the comprehension of the ordinary mind, almost like looking inside of a computer.

The more elaborated, looks expensive, looks remote from ordinary knowledge, it precludes the question.

And deep impression becomes an imprint in the subconscious. (Then start to influence the person)

————–

A clever part of this sect’s practice is, as they ask the followers to visualise their Guru, the visual memory

of the rituals together with the feelings of the atmosphere comes back whenever the person meditates again.

This technique might be much easier to practice for the beginners.

Instead to vacate the mind, totally fills it with the image of Guru is, in effect, it is the state of non-self———

—–somebody-else is definitely not oneself though, this is not Buddhism but Vedic practice.

When the mind was filled by an image or notion, it is impossible to see the things in clear eyes.

This is the very reason why Buddha taught to see with empty mind / selflessness.

————

From this gathering, I brought back a flower which was used for a gesture of offering, thrown on to the

air and most of them end up on the floor.

After 10 days, this flower is still blooming in my kitchen. And this must be the best gift I received at the day,

since I don’t need to question this flower of Natural Mandhara, created by the Dharma, or this is

the Dharma itself.

Why do we need to see a man-made print of  Mandhara.

——————————

PS: Funny phenomenon is, this blog received loads of virus spams.

(though they are all filtered out by the security program)

It’s not a Buddhist like behavior. So that, in deed this is a proof of

its not done by the Buddhists.

If the eyes has been deluded by a false vision, one can not see

even oneself, nor can not see what oneself is doing.(What a hell)

——-I rather like to see the daughters of Mara dancing naked,

than the spams. Ha Ha Ha     😀

Buddha’s Foot Step

This is the foot print of the Buddha——well in fact it was the first attempt to

make “Buddha-2009” ‘s right foot, and I made another to attach

to his body. ——–so that this one was left as independent piece.

With up side down, it looked just like a foot print.

Yes, this is the Buddha’s foot print. It lead us, humankind for the

past 2500 years as the guiding light.

————–

It was created from a sheet of aluminium panel by just pressing it by hand.

If you press a sheet of metal, it will bend. And if you further press bent metal

it will be curved further. Keep pressing it again and again, just do it.

On the end flat metal may even become round sphere.

——You might have read a Zen story telling the rain drops curves the rock.

Well this is it.

Odd News

Strangely you may think though, I have appeared in the BBC News Site,

but not as Yoshizen, but aka /  Yoshi Imamura, demonstrating

” Psycho-kinetic Motor “ and in the video clip ” Pendulum Clock “

made out of computer HDD, and above all, the figure of the

” Buddha-2009 ” also appeared ( with the rotating light as his heart ).

http:// news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8125259.stm

(or Click top right column / ASSOCIATE / BBC News)

—————

I’m going to put the Buddha-2009’s full picture in this blog

in near future, though just give you a brief explanation how and why

the Buddha was depicted in this manner.

——- More than 20 years ago, I saw an image of a stone carving of

Buddha in his asceticism practice, almost skeleton like figure from

Gandhara, and I was deeply struck by it.

So that when I decided to create Buddha’s stature 7 years ago, I designed

to make him like a skeleton of which the head is a clear glass sphere

as the Buddhism stands on the selflessness.

The heart shows perpetually changing pattern of light, since

nothing stays permanent. —– etc (all the Buddhism teachings

are symbolised and depicted in here)

——-This is a sample of the Zen Buddhism in action, not in talking.

And my way to the Nirvana.

Shaolin Martial Art / BodhiDharma

Somewhere in the Internet, there is a story telling an origin of  Shoaling Martial Art, which

says it was started as Bodhidharma taught an exercise to the lazy monk. ———-m m m ?

I quite doubt this story.

Bodhidharma didn’t come to China to open yet another talking shop.

He came there only to bring the way of the direct transmission.

Bodhidharma came from Southern India where many types of Yoga,

include so-called Dancing Yoga has been widely practiced.

——- As all the Buddhist sect using each unique practice to deepen

and sublimating their teachings as a part of study or training,

the practice is the essential part of the Buddhism’s teachings.

———————

When Bodhidharma came to China, spending three years of harsh

journey, he must have had definite purpose and firm idea what to do in China.

And well-practiced Yoga Guru, he must be an expert to see the Dharma within the ultimate movement of

the Dynamic Yoga. (Which later developed into the Martial Art infused with the local culture )

—— Anybody who practiced the body movement, such as gymnastics, dancing or martial art etc knows,

its technique evolves and skill deepens just by doing it again and again.

And on the end, body gains almost super human like movement, speed, balance, rhythm and harmony.

And all those movements are programmed into the Motor region of the Brain, to do it without thinking,

its mean no Self  there. Most importantly, its potential was there from the beginning as everyone has.

This is exactly the Dharma what Lord Buddha taught.

——- While having a simple life in the Temple as a monk, and watching own body movement

evolves, the awareness to be with Dharma deepens.

This is the very direct transmission of the Buddhism what Bodhidharma

taught in China. —– in there, no words required.  Just Do It.

———-

Legend in China says that Bodhidharma had blue eyes though, I quite doubt it.

While live in London I might have met tens of thousand of people from southern India

such as Tamil people, I never seen even a single blue-eyed dark-skinned Tamil man.

It must be a made-up story to elaborate him, as

Lord Buddha also had a legend having had the blue eyes.  (This must be also false )

[]

Dog Shit

After years of practice, when Zen Master found what is the Zen,

—– as it was simply the detached mind, hence selflessness (Mushin ) and

nothing but ” Just Do It ” with no mysterious secret, ALL of them

described  What is Zen  with rather insulting words, such as ” Its a dog shit”

even  ” Toilet Paper ” (well, equivalent of it — real expression  Shiketsu-kan

is not printable ).

They must felt almost the annoyance ” What all those years’ practice for ? ”

——- This is the beauty and the paradox, even an irony of the Buddhism,

as its says ” Everybody has the Dharma with in ”

—— You see ?  I told you !

This is true, and it is so easy as there is no complication. —– Though,

in real life,simplest thing is hardest to understand, especially to the people

who try to understand.

( Hidden secret here is, to attain selflessness, one has to Re-Program

one’s subconscious through repeated practice, not by thinking, because

higher level of the brain activity has less effect to the subconsciousness )

——————

This is the reason, why people see the Buddhism not as a Religion,

or even as a  Philosophy.

There is no Mambo-Jumbo to believe or worship, hence it is not a Religion.

And no systematic structure of the understanding of the Dharma, but

simply just accept it as it is, hence it is not Philosophy.

——–But on the end, Buddha’s teachings freed the people from their

deluded idea  such as a fear to reborn as a dog , and made them to live

their life with firm confidence and able to live quite creatively.

Isn’t this, what Buddha intended with his teaching ?

Try Bicycle

What the Buddhism teaching is, its behaviour pattern to be a Buddhist or

the way of thinking.

In the way of thinking, thinking itself or notion is not a goal.

A type of behaviour which reflects the way of thinking is the matter.

The way of thinking, which is totally detached from the subject, even

oneself is the matter.

——–Why detached ? Because there is nothing which is reliable,

certain existence exists, include the one who is thinking, the Self.

Without attached to anything or anyone, in other words, without

clinging any idea or delusion, open the eyes and expose all the sense

to the Dharma, and live.

——–In this way you can live as a part of the Dharma or you are

the Dharma.

Because the Buddhism is the way of the life, there is no golden words

to worship but only  the guide lines how to live.  Rest is, one has to learn.

Because of the way of life is not possible to learn by the words, the one

has to learn only by the try or practice.

——- Same to learn riding bicycle.

There is no word ever explained how to ride it.  The one has to try to master.

——————-

To the people who is ” thinking the Buddhism ”  the hardest part  to understand

is, ” One has to be immersed to do the subject wholeheartedly ” in the same time,

” Completely detached from it ”

It looks utterly contradictory for the person sitting in a comfortable room,

though a person in the arctic weather, under a snow blizzard, there is

no choice.

The one might succumbed to the situation with the fear of the own life.

But the other may able to hear the rhythm of the wind, and walked

farther to find a rock to shelter —— and survived.

( Overcome a fear is not come from a confidence,  but accepting

the death ——- detached from the life and the self )

——- You may drink a cup of Hot Honey Lemon with the intensity

to hear the snow blizzard.

This is why the great Tea Master Rikyu described ” Take it as if

it is the occasion only once in your life “

—————–

Absolute concentration to the subject, in the same time to see the

subject clear detached eyes,  this apparently paradoxical practice

lead to the ultimate refinement of it.

It was the quest to the Dharma and the way how such as Shaolin

Martial Art or Japanese Sward  etc has been perfected in its ultimate form.

——— By the way, the expression ” Storm in a tea-cup ” is nothing

to do with this subject.  🙂

Lemon Zen

To start the Zen practice, you have to forget all the blah blah— so called Zen talk.

Such as the question of whether Self is exist or not.

The question only arise when you reach the state of the mind which you can

do the task without thinking or able to do it unconsciously.

——– Before this stage, you haven’t seen the situation neither need

to make this question.

——– And when you reached this stage, you must be aware it is no point

to make this question because you are already in this selfless state.

A person, who couldn’t get this stage keep messing around those questions.

As those people had to do the guess work, they have to keep asking what

is Zen. Though, as long as talking continues, the Brain is fully occupied to

process the logics and the words, there is no chance to vacate the Brain

and attain selfless, subconscious state.

The more struggle in the puzzle, the farther stray away.

——————–

Zen practice can be anything, say cutting a lemon or cucumber into thin slices.

If you find your knife is too dull, start sharpening it with a good oil stone.

( Few pounds Chinese stone is not good—– you can use one good stone all your life)

Knife has to be as sharp as cut through a news paper held in air in ease, without

making any tear.)

Then slice a lemon to somewhat 1mm thin.

(You may start from 3mm thick, then improve it )

While doing this you have to repeatedly or continuously think ” I’m doing the Zen ”

( You don’t need to know what is the Zen theory—– what you are doing is the Zen )

——-When you finished slicing, you may make a cup of Hot Honey Drink.

Enjoy it and do this every day.

( In fact you may end up drinking a lots of cups—- with lots of Vitamin C)

——-After a while, you may achieved to make perfect 50 slices or so from

one lemon.

Its mean, your hand holding a knife has gained the absolute steadiness

which mean you have gained the absolute calmness and concentration

of the mind.

—— Here you are in the crucial point.

Once you managed to make 50 slices you might think, you have achieved

and reached to the goal, though you have to keep doing farther, like a

dairy routine. When it became routine your hand is accustomed to do

the work almost automatic and able to do all the preparation and after

clean up as one flow of the process.

—————-

In the same time, you must be noticed, your observation and attentions are

so refined and goes into the minute details, such as the position of cutting

board is exactly the same every day or found the way to move the knife to

avoiding the juice drips. etc etc.

——And you might be noticed you can hear the faint sound of the wind

out side or even a flower in the garden, which one is the one opened today.

Now you are in the Selfless state of the mind.

( Some may says, even the mind is not there and only sight and sound

surrounding you )

——————-

On the beginning, you might feel something strange in your sight.

Everything looks somewhat foreign and distanced, and looks fresh as if

it was the first time you see it. And it looks so clear.

And strangely, it spread the corner to corner of your eyes 140 degree wide

and still able to see the details all in the same time.

You can see even the small things move in the 140 degree view and still able

to respond instantly if it is necessary, like when you are on the road, you

almost see a coming car behind on the corner of your eyes.

( This is the way how Martial artist see the attack from behind )

——————

In the Brain term , now your brain is scanning all the visual signals from the

corner of peripheral vision to other corner without weighing the information.

Just see as it was seen.

Because of your mind is detached from even your SELF , what you see is

also looks like foreign land scape.

But it shouldn’t cause any trouble, since if it is necessary you can go into a

subject at once even deeper than before.

——- Though some of your associate might feel, you lost a passion and got

quieter, as you no longer have obsession.

———————-

I agree with the view, blood and thunder excitement of the obsession is also

very exciting on the life, though it comes with quite high cost.

And obsessive approach doesn’t have high success rate, as it is prone to

brake down. Dramatic success looks grate and exciting though, step by

step improvement and refinement would produce more reliable result.

——Quiet, tenacious Zen approach seems to achieve more in the end.

As a humble man, I took the way of the Zen Buddhist.

You also have the choice.

————————–

PS: We only see the world as we wanted to see.

Anything we don’t know already, we don’t notice. ( as its visual pattern has

not been registered in our data bank.) Such as, if you are not familiar with

plant, all of them looks same, and foreign language is just a noise.

And anything we don’t want to see or want to know , we refuse to take its

signal in. We just filter them out.

——

In the same time, we see a preferred subject with photoshoped image.

In the dark, all the women looks beautiful since the visual information

is not complete, we fill the gap with ideal image.

——

So that, when your mind is clear and open, without your wishful selective

view, world looks different as its shows true image.

And you may first ever see a lots of things you haven’t noticed before.

That is why, the world looks foreign and fresh.

——- Able to see the world as it is, with selfless eyes is the one thing,

and what to do with this, is the another matter.

——-( I’ll talk about this later in the other post )