Exists or Not-exists ? —– Where is the SELF ?
Probably the most fundamental matter in the Buddhism is the Selflessness / Mushin.
—– though, this matter questions the credibility of the one who observes its existence, it is
nothing like a scientific objective proof of existence, it’s far more complicated or confused.
[]
Therefore, here, the most funniest paradox in the human culture comes in.
If you deny the existence of the Self, you can not argue or even put the matter on the table.
= because, its notion itself isn’t exists, there is no word to describe it.
= how to starts arguments ?
—– If the society has no system of personal possession, everything belongs to everybody, so,
there couldn’t be a notion of “theft” let alone the very word “theft”.
If the Self is not exists, no word of SELF, let alone SELFLESS could ever exists.
So, without the notion of Self, how to argue about whether it exists or not. 😀
[]
Lord Buddha’s teachings were described as “Explain unexplainable” “Describe indescribable”.
In definition, Selflessness couldn’t be taught. Selflessness itself is exists though, you can’t
detect or noticed, let alone capture it in objective observation nor describe it in the words.
Because, to notice “it is there”, it’s mean the observer, who was separated from the subject
= independent self is already THERE ! = You are the established EGO.
[]
So, Lord Buddha just gave an instruction what to do, but never explained why or what was
the intention. (Like, just let Kisa Gotami to run about, or Churi Pantac to sweep the garden.)
—– While doing it, they will get used with its work or practice, hence became able to do it
without conscious = Selfless —– this was what the teachings were intended though,
it shouldn’t be objectively noticed or talked about. = the matter is, JUST DO IT.
[]
Once it was talked about, it became a NOTION and a WORD, it became independent
existence called knowledge. Once the notion and the words “I’m cutting Lemon” was
established, “I” who cut the Lemon became THE Existence. —– but, you supposed to cut
a Lemon in Mushin, without the Self. Without such conscious, Just Cut a Lemon, slice
by slice —– your knife, the lemon, your action were all fused in one, with the Dharma
= this is the state of Ichijo / Oneness. —– BUT, once the observant eyes started to see the
situation objectively and started to give a thought or two, the Observer and Be-observed
alienated = the harmony to be in the Ichijo has broken.
[]
In the Vimalakirti Sutra, when he was asked about what is this Oneness, he answered with
NO word (= and the silence hit the people like roaring thunder !) In fact this was exactly what
Lord Buddha did when he was asked about “after life”.
Oneness (Ichijo / Fuji) could exists if no Self was there. And as NO self exists, of cause, there
couldn’t be any possibility of After-life or Reincarnation, and no such notion or word to
describe it could exist. Hence, just a silence = Strongest denial !
(If he was to explain, “There is no Reincarnation because No-Self” it’s effectively recognize
the existence of the Self by the use of the Notion and the word “Self”.
—– It is the same situation, if the one says “I’m sitting in silence” 😀 )
[]
It seems that the author of Vimalakirti Sutra did know what the mind of Selfless, as the
descriptions were spot on though, I’m not sure about the other Mahayana Sutra, and the
author (compiler ?) such as Nagarjuna —– he seemed to have written them from the
knowledge just heard from others. They were the scripture for the sake of the arguments
and those arguments, theoretical explanation seemed nothing to do with
actual Selflessness and the Void.
—– Selflessness is everywhere, as you are reading this blog without noticing that your eyes
have been following the lines. = as everybody has born with Dharma, everybody has
Selflessness yet, masking it with the useless thinking and the Ego which has been kept you
away from getting enlightened.
May be just forget those words, Selflessness, Void kind of thinkings, and just take a walk
may open your eyes much clearer.
___/\___
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Hart Mantra — True or False ?
So called Hart Mantra (Sutra) / 般若心経 might be the most well-known Buddhist’s scripture among it’s 3,000 books, except to the followers of the Pure-land sect. (Pure-land sect prohibits their followers to read this scripture !)
[]So, other than the Pure-land sect, all the Buddhist are accepting the teachings written in this Sutra —– are they ?
Its scripture said that “When all-seen Bodhisattva / 観自在菩薩, (suppose to be
Lord Buddha himself though, Bodhisattva is the one yet to be Enlightened = can not to be a Buddha) practising Supreme Wisdom / Panya-Paramita / 般若波羅蜜多, found that the 5 aggregates (effectively everything) are Void, therefore resolved all the (cause of) sufferings, (thence told to) Shariputra that “The existences (Form) are no different from the non-existence (Void) —– which is the teachings of the Voidness in the existences and the Voidness in our own perception, therefore the Voidness of our own existence = hence No-self.
—– sound not much wrong in the Mahayana Buddhism’s context. —– (If we could ignore the silly ignorance in this scripture such as “Bodhisattva who haven’t reached Enlightenment yet still able to have all-seen power and teach one of the senior disciple, Shariputra who has been reached Enlightenment already”)
Shariputra was not the earliest original disciples. He joined the sangha long after Lord Buddha started teaching. If this Sutra has any historical significance, it showed that Lord Buddha found the Voidness long after he started teaching. —– It couldn’t be true at all ! Such fundamentals in the teachings, should have had sorted out on the beginning. Because, that must be his Enlightenment.
The main question what Lord Buddha had to find an answer was, to explain to the people who has been frightened by the idea of being trapped in the endless cycle of rebirth / reincarnation, even to reborn to a beast (= new trend of Vedic belief or beginning of the Hinduism) by showing them “There couldn’t be any possibility of rebirth, because the Self / Atoman (which Vedic teachings said) is not exists”. As he found the answer in the theory of Karma (Moment to moment inter-dependency of the existences) that the permanent Self couldn’t be existed. So, he started teaching of those truths. —– otherwise, what was he teaching before he found this Voidness ?
[]Further more, historian found a funny origin of this Hart Sutra (+Mantra), that this sutra has been written (or compiled) in China in 7th century and then translated back to Sanskrit, therefore, we better not to take its contents as in its face value but to see it as a theoretical metaphor.
—– Of cause, many fantastic story in the Mahayana scripture are nothing to do with original teachings. —– Use your common sense,
Lord Buddha wouldn’t have said any fantasy as he rejected useless thinking as a delusion. Naturally, he never showed a miracle or magic kind and prohibited such practice to the followers. = its mean, that the scripture which contained “Mantra” (or Dharani — which supposed to have a magical power ) is not the Buddhism at all. You know this is why
Lord Buddha taught “Don’t believe what others said or you read, but find it out by yourself”
Blind Buddhists are worse than an ignorant, because he believes that he knew something. 😀
The matter in the Buddhism is, not about to know the words such as Voidness or Selflessness, but actually being Selfless. Actually being Selfless mean, when you read those few lines in here, just now (or few seconds ago ?) you didn’t aware that YOU are reading this. —– so, without having any conscious of the SELF (who supposed to read this), how you could manage to read this? WHO the person reading this blog minutes ago ? = YOU have to sort it out by your self, —– When you were convinced that you don’t need to have your SELF-conscious to DO the things, you ARE most likely found yourself detached from the Ego, Greed, Fear, Lust etc. too, exactly the same practice which
Lord Buddha started to teach 2,500 years ago.
___/\___
[]
PS: If you were confused of “Mantra” or “Sutra” —– The main body of scripture is the Sutra. And last line of the words “Jate Jate, Para-Jate ~ ~ ~ Bodhi-suwaka” is the Mantra, which supposed to have magical power hence never translated but chant as they are. Though, the meaning is = (as those words are infact common with ordinary Hindi today = since I noticed while listening Asian Radio here.) = Go Go, Go more, You Go Further, To be Enlightened.
—– Para is same as in “Para-mount”, Bodhi is same as in “Bodhi-sattva”. 🙂
* Beliefe of magical power in the words = Mantra / Dharani is a practice of Tantra sect. Nothing to do with
Lord Buddha’s teachings. = Last quarter of this Heart Mantra is praising and promoting the “Power of the Panya Paramita Mantra” though, such notion is all in the mind or only imaginary existence. (If there is any power, why India need to spend so much money for their military weapon.)
All the products of imagination are nothing but the Delusion. It’s not the Buddhism. So, those scriptures are the evidence how the Chinese author was ignorant to the original teachings. —–
Lord Buddha left the last words”never idolize and worship me” = so, why needs to worship mere scripture written by a person who even didn’t know the teachings !
[]
Toy for a Grown-up / Rhythm Indicator
This electronic device is —– I may say, Rhythm-Indicator !
When I was a Disco-King (you believe or not 😀 ) often people (other keen dancer) asked
me a question about the way I dance, which is completely free movement hence virtually
no pattern still exactly follow and synchronizing with the Rhythm —– I needed to explain
what the Rhythm is.
Since I’ve been almost a fixture of the club, I also made enormous observation of the
people’s dance movement. Among the many funny discovery, the most interesting
phenomenon was, that some of the people dance with the song, not with rhythm beat,
therefore it looks odd and off the rhythm still, the person was not aware of it but
pretty much enjoying the dance (in fact nothing wrong with it ! )
And another discovery was that the Spanish moves a moment later than the beat. (It is
common with the Flamenco Dance, the movement occur not at the tense moment of the
beat, but the moment when its highest tension collapsed ! ! ! )
[]
Anyhow, to talk about the Rhythm in the noisiest environment, it’s easier to show it visual.
So, I made this Rhythm-Indicator (but only for a Rock beat) which shows the emphasis of
the 8 beat in red, amber, green, small green LEDs. And I explained, the movement what
the Rhythm demands, not what I want to move. = So, the movement was the exact reflection
of the music in each moment, not a pattern in fashion (such as in a film) or choreographed
planed movement. —– Funny things even among the keen dancer was, that they dance
what they want = regardless the different music, still repeat the same movement !
(= What is the point to have different music. 😀 )
My indicator shows 8 beat, strong, weak so on, and having BPM (speed) controller, and a
Selector for x2 and ½ speed. The Reset button was to synchronize with rhythm cycle. —– so,
in operation, reset to the first base drum, and adjust the speed to match the music =
Red LED to come coincided with every base drum of following cycle.
Voila’ the rhythm of the music was visually indicated.
—– To put the circuit and the batteries in a thin cosmetic case, I needed to curve the inside
to make a bit more space. (It was long before SMD components or Lithium battery.)
[]
Though, even in the same music, same song, the speed is not constant and the pattern and the
use of percussion is changing. (that’s the way to make a music more dynamic and exciting).
—– So, inevitably, I had to design more elaborated system such as automatically pick-up the
base drum and synchronize the LED to the Rhythm cycle.
But instead to develop Rhythm-Indicator Mk-II, I changed the direction to design the
Sound-reactive Disco Pendant. = It was a by-product of the Base Drum synchronizing circuit.
—– I’ll show you those Sound-reactive LED Pendant in the coming posts.
[]
Cat’s Story / Haori-chan
When the time to give a birth came, the pregnant Mother-cat come and rub her head and body
against my leg. That is their expression of “I beg you” —– I spread a bath towel on the sofa
and lightly give a massage to her tummy. Then she start to push out the kitten next by next.
So, I take each kitten to her face for her to lick the new-born.
But some time (1 in 5~6), a still-born kitten came out. Once, there was a very hard deliver of
over-grown kitten. Only the head came out, I knew the trouble, and I pulled it hard.
When the whole body came out, the Mother-cat screamed.
That kitten was pretty big —- may be over 400g but I couldn’t save him.
Among the 3rd litter, Haori (of cause, named later) was the most miserable kitten.
In fact, she was yet another (almost) still born. I just took minuscule odds and revived her.
= As in the most of the case, kitten seemed to have drowned by the amniotic fluid, I shook
the body, head down to drain the water, and insert a small paper stick made out of toilet
tissue to the nose of kitten, for sucking out the water further. And massage the body in
a warm water while blowing the air into the nose several times. —– in minute or two, three,
the kitten started to move. = Voila’ one life was saved.
(— Sound, and looks may awful treatment though, I’m not intended to play “Tender Buddhist
posture”, —– if the matter was to drain the water, I needed to use centrifugal force, hence
shake the kitten’s body in Karate speed —– To drain the water from a drowned human by
putting the hand into the throat, it neither be a nice picture, nor revive a person in hypothermia
in the mountain, it is more of the battle field operation than a “hart warming tender story” =
What-so-ever, my practice was very effective and altogether 4 out of 6 kittens has been saved =
this is the fact.
Life is not for talking an imaginary sweet story, but just go through hard act. Just Do.
Revived though, Haori was still the smallest and weakest, hence couldn’t compete with other
5 kittens on the milk-sucking battle. I’ve tried as many times as possible, by taking other
stronger kittens off from tits and gave it to Haori, still, it was not enough, and needed to give
her supplement but, ordinary cow’s milk caused her diarrhoea and needed to buy special
“Kitten formulated Milk”.
On top of those trouble her eyes had infection and having eye-glue stacked on her eye lids.
When Mother-cat try to clean her eyes, she chew-off the dried eye-glue, but in the same time
her whiskers had been chewed-off as well.
(Poor Haori-chan, photo left ! / Photo right, Haori and Pino)
[]
A month past, when all the kittens started to change to the solid food, I trained Haori to eat
Kitten-milk-powder mixed with cream-cheese. Then cheese mixed with cat’s food but Haori
refused to eat cat’s food. —– (One theory said, that the baby (kitten) acquired the taste
(= what to eat) through the minute chemical in the Mother’s milk —– like Haori, who couldn’t
have enough milk from the Mother, hadn’t developed the taste for cat’s food.) Therefore, I
had to feed her frozen Coley Fish (lightly boiled) mixed with cheese. —– sound very special
treatment though, nothing special to Haori herself. It was her norm and she just grown-up
to an ordinary cat. (She didn’t grow Golden Fleece. 🙂 )
She behaved more or less the same to other cat but not so interactive, just sitting and
watching out of window or me. = only not ordinary was what she was eating.
And because of her expensive diet, she couldn’t be adapted by others.
In addition, another cat, once adapted by other family had came back, because she, Pino was
a too clever trouble-maker. Such as to jump to a door handle and open it etc. she was the
expert to open and sneak into anywhere, hence made a lots of mischievous. (= get inside but
couldn’t open it from the inside then shit there, kind of trouble. 🙂 )
(— Though, I could anticipate what she is going to do, hence such as to make the things on the
shelf to fall easily, she instantly learn and never attempt it again.
So, those two, Haori and Pino were the cats lived with me longest, and left many wired stories.
[]
Cat’s Story / Cat with Moustache / Cat’s Mind
Animal’s body-color or their pattern of fur never change —– that was what I believed too,
until I saw one of my kitten had grown his Moustache. 😀
Kitten here (photo, left ) was in his 3rd days in this world, and as a very very young boy, he
didn’t show his Moustache yet. —– then less than a week, a faint sign of it started to appear.
I thought he licked something black and got his nose smeared but it wasn’t. (photo, right)
—– And a month later, he was a well grown young cat with well trimmed Moustache.
He was one of kittens born with other 5 (though, one was stillborn and 3 were adapted by
the friends) and only a kitten remained in the family, he was given a name “Den-suke”
(a famouse Japanese comedian with his trade-mark Moustache = Japanese equivalent
of Chary Chaplin) and became an apple in my eye.
Though, I might have given too much attention, he seemed to become mother’s boy.
Unlike his father, “Kaka” who was quite an out-venturing Macho type —– but Den-suke
prefer to stay with somebody and playing / disturbing each other if not sleeping or
cosmetic-licking. 🙂
[]
As I wrote in the other Cat’s Story(s) before, I don’t believe common stereo-typical cat’s
character. —– If a cat became to a rather solitary animal, it was the reflection of how that cat
was grown-up in its environment. If a cat was left only as an animal in a house and having
only the social interaction, fed twice a day —– what else other than a solitary animal he (she)
could became. In contrast, if a cat was grown-up with a lots of interaction from the Mother cats
and the owner who behave (in certain extents 😀 ) like another Dominant cat, naturally the cat
become like a “Social animal”. Remember, even in the feline family, Lion lives in a group and
having quite complex “Social” activity with Rules and Psychological games etc. —– so, we can’t
tell what genetic trait a particular cat got. At least I can say, all of my cats were more or less
behaved like a dog = respond to each name and come and play (or disturb me 🙂 ) by their will.
Nurture play a big role in the cat’s character and behavioural pattern !
[]
But to grown-up with those social environment while acquiring behavioural pattern like a
pecking-order imprinted into the brain, if a situation change, such as when new kittens were
born, and not only the Mother’s nursing care but also my attention has to go those helpless
small creatures. That was the situation what the Father, who used to be the Star, could not
comprehend at all. —– It was the same situation, when a human male and female couple got
new arrival of their baby. (Husband who used to receive whole attention of the wife, was
suddenly abandoned alone in a middle of nowhere, without having any idea what to do. 🙂 )
[]
To the Tom-cat, those new born kittens were nothing but the other small animals, no different
from mice = therefore, he started to handle (or play) with kittens as if they were the mice.
And neither had a notion of Fatherhood or Recognition of “His baby” he couldn’t understand
why he was smacked when he tried to play with kittens. = To his eyes, I just became a tyrant
who blandish a terror. —– Cats can understand each phenomenon only on its apparence but
not able to connect it to a secondary implication behind, therefore he only thought that he
was smacked because the Boss got bad day, not because he did wrong.
[]
So, he took a strongest weapon he could use against the Tyrant —— spread his diarrhoea
all over my pillow ! ! ! —– ( I was so impressed with his ingenuity. A brain which couldn’t
process secondary implication, still able to have such creativity. I wondered
how he managed to make a connection, “Shit on the Pillow will best annoy the Boss !”
—– Amazing isn’t it ? ! —— Ha ha ha. 😀 )
So I say, I’ve learned enough and greatly deepened my understanding toward the
simple, emotion-based mind, while living with cats. 😀
—– And three months later Den-suke had to face the same situation as
next litter of kittens were born. (So, he became to rotten / fallen Apple ! )
[]
Battery Story
Battery is an animal among the electric devices because of it is an electro-chemical device
which is using “on-going chemical reaction”inside, therefore it comes with all sorts of
unpleasant temperament. Despite their name dry-battery, they are hardly dry solid thing
but contain half wet compound. Such as a common Zinc-Carbon battery, its inside of
Zinc-can was filled with black Manganese-oxide which was wetted by the electrolytic
chemical, Ammonium-chloride, and while producing electric energy, they produce hydrogen
gas as well. (Its pressure causes leak, and it could even explode = when they explode,
popped-up cap break the battery case. ! )
[]
Even though the battery was evolved into Hi-tech age and instead of humble Zinc, Lithium
is in fashion, still it is the same “electro-chemical device” so that, very fancy activity of the
chemical, such as crystallization cover the electrode etc. could be happening inside etc.
Not only the product (battery) is animal, to produce it is really a messy business. This is the
reason why, most of them were produced in the country where environmental, health-safety
regulation is not strict. (Such as to refine Zinc, its process need to use Cadmium which was
washed out to the river, hence in China, Cadmium contaminated rice, food in general is the
serious but hidden problem) —– Imagine, when the battery was mas-produced, somewhere
rather low-standard factory, how about the purity of the chemical, or how minute but crucial
additive such as a rare-earth material was evenly mixed = some got more and others got non.
= It is easy to see that why each individual battery is never the same.
[]
The trouble of the inconsistency of the battery become really a big problem in case of
rechargeable battery, especially when it was used in numbers such as 4xAA batteries
in a camera or a flash-light.
The situation is exactly the same in case of rechargeable lithium battery-pack, of which
in most of the case, battery-pack contains 2 lithium cells. —– After ten of the charge cycles
the difference of each battery started to show-up.
In case with the 4xAA, and if you are
using a charger which is charging each
individual cell (Individual type has
4 separate LED indicators), you must be
noticed that not all of them become Full in
the same time = some of them takes longer
to be fully charged.
This is the inevitable fate of the battery =
some loose the original capacity much sooner
than others. ( So, I can say, the reliability is exactly what we have paid.
= What you can get from a set is, what the worst one gives, not their nominal capacity. :-D)
[]
When the battery has this character, and if you charge them all together, while roughly checking
the time such as 5 hours, 7 hours kind, or worse until they become very hot, you are destroying
them. —– When one battery lost the capacity (such as 2500mAH drop to 2000mAH) that battery
become FULL much earlier than others and became hot. Still if you didn’t noticed and keep
charging, it will be over-charged and makes that battery further deteriorate. — (So, which is the
safest way to charge them. = Use the charge current 1/10th of the Capacity x 15 hours =
If it was 2500mAH Battery —- 2500 x 1/10 = 250mA current for 15 hours. = Standard Charge ! )
[]
Even worse situation is, such as 4xAA were
used in an equipment, when the one which
lost the capacity became empty, its polarity
reverse (Yes, + became to – , same as you put it
wrong-way) then other batteries’ energy was
sucked by this empty battery ! —– Of cause,
it devastates that empty battery further =
in fact, kill-off. ( With the same reason, a
battery-pack of rechargeable tool never last
more than a year or two.
And when we need replacement pack, the same type may no longer in the market.
That is why the professionals only use such as Makita or DeWalt who keep selling the old type
many years. We never seen the same type again among the cheap Chinese tools.)
This worst situation may not occur in a case of latest DSLR because the camera monitor the
condition of the battery, yet still in its battery-pack, one of lithium cell has deteriorated earlier
than the other = So, when I disassembled old battery-pack which lost capacity and no longer
usable for the camera, I found the one of the cell was still usable = I reconstructed an usable
battery-pack out of 2 old packs. (Think about, it worth £50 ! —– though, I wouldn’t recommend
you to try the same. Unlike a simple battery-pack of rechargeable tool, lithium camera battery
has an additional safety device connected between two cells, hence a bit trickier to work-out,
and any mistake could cause expensive damage to the camera.)
[]
So that, when I buy Ni-MH battery, I buy 2 or 3 sets in the same time, and use them in rotation.
And time to time check their capacity to select best 4, which got same capacity to make a set.
To check the capacity, discharge each individual
battery through 1 ohm register and measure
the time how long it takes the voltage to drop
to o.8 V. —– But for most of the people, this
method is too awkward = So, my advice is,
Buy an “individual charge type rapid-charger”
and check the charging time, when one reached
Full, write the time on the battery, —– if the one
become Full, much faster than others, reject
that one. (It’s mean you need to keep a spare,
ready to replace with it. —– In long run, this tactics is cheaper and even if it is the second class,
there always a spare-set is in hand.) —– More easier method is = check the voltage of each
battery with Battery-checker before charge them, (Unlike an ordinary test meter, Battery
Checker measure the voltage while drawing the current, hence it shows the condition At-work)
and mark bad apple (s) and make a selection of “Good 4s” and “Bad 4s” 😀
—– Yes, battery is really a necessary evil. Unfortunately I still need them —- a lots.
——————————————-
Photo above is a battery pack which was dead. Five AAA type batteries inside,
3 were completely dead. —– Anyhow, I replaced all 5 batteries with new set.
It is possible to do like this though, I wouldn’t recommend you to do this.
—– Without a use of Spot-welder, it need to use the soldering = the heat of
soldering would melt the insulating washer and would cause chemical leak and
cause much more expensive damage to the camera than the cost of battery. 😦
[]
Zen in Daily-Life (2)
In the previous post I explained how to gain the Selfless-mind-set with an example
of Tea making though, obviously Tea making is hardly a “Task in our daily life”.
It is more like a not too serious leisurely moment when we have a break.
So, how about a handling business matter such as to deal with Bills.
[]
Zen only deals with the matter on front. And divides the whole task into small section.
And to deal with each section, one at a time. (To climb the mountain, not overwhelmed by
its 8,000m hight, just concentrate to make each step perfect ! = On the end, reach to the top.)
Of cause, our brain can trace the implication of the matter even to 3rd, 5th effects and able
to speculate further though, the further we go it become a products of Imagination, or
pretty close to a Delusion. (As a matter of fact, most of the speculation is nothing but a
delusion and the rest of only few, happen to meet the probability. —- Yet I wouldn’t totally
reject the facts, some people could foresee this probability in amazing accuracy.)
—– So, when a bill dropped on front of you, how you handle it ? This bill is no delusion, and
a fact how much money you got, wouldn’t have so much grey area. (Of cause, if you are
running a business, the money coming in, may have some uncertainty of timing, hence some
speculative juggling may be inevitable. Still, a situation of unknowable wouldn’t give an
excuse to halt the whole business. In a situation,“Can’t pay now” still, just keep a silence, or
send an excuse of delay, would make a big difference.)
If ignored, it would come back twice harder.
[]
To live a life, “Don’t care” is one of THE attitude. The way of Zen is the another attitude, and
I wouldn’t judge right or wrong but just show the resulting difference in efficiency to deal
with the Life. Throw the bills to a bin and leave the payment until receiving a Red-bill, is
also a life-style. Though, Zen chose the way, responding it at once. Because, anyhow a due
payment has to be cleared soon or later, not mention additional Late-payment charge etc.
Unless the amount is in millions and keep it one more day in the deposit account will create
thousands more interest, instead, just clear and see no mess, is the choice of Zennist.
Even just to open an envelope, tear it regardless if it could also tear the document, —– but
Zennist use scissors. (For THE task to open it, take the neatest way. NOT the least effort.)
And to pay attention, whether to keep the envelope together, if the document was
back-dated. (—– I had an experience to argue in the Court, for the serving date of a
legal document with the stamped date on the envelope as an evidence. !)
Zen approach is to make everything into a clearly sorted file, and make a way to handle
it to a fixed routine, and to deal with them automatic = no hesitation, no stammering =
hence nothing bothersome would be left. Even if having a headache of juggling, still see
the balance on a clearly filed order would make the Life easier, otherwise see it among
the piled-up bills, notices and other letters etc., will make the life into a confusion.
It’s far easier to deal with it, one by one in the first place. The more delay only makes
the pile-up higher and such situation makes one’s mental state only depressed more.
[]
Dealing the things with a rule, and make it routine would change the matter from
“personal” to “one of an item among the lots”, hence it became an object, and
separated from the Emotion. = Because of it is under the rule = independent from your
whim, and the rule and the routinised process handles the matter = not your mind = this
is the Selfless state. —– (In fact this is a well known situation, “the customer complained,
don’t handle me as a number but as an individual person”— still, in an aspect of
efficiency, the difference is obvious.)
With a superficial impression, you may not like this though, the Zen originated “Selfless
work Ethics” has contributed to High-productivity and the quality in the Japanese industry.
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This rule and a fixed routine creates consistency in the repeated task, and makes
a person’s brain “Selfless state” —– This phenomenon is all common in the Tea-making or
the handling of clerical work, even the car-making — in fact all the human activities.
—– Behind this phenomenon, there is an crucial tendency of the brain. = Our brain has a
threshold of signal intake = if the same input has been repeated, the brain start to ignore
the signal and respond to it as a pattered routine without involving the Emotion.
It’s mean, when the brain handle a matter without involving Emotion, the feeling of MINE,
or conscious of SELF would not be generated.
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All the sensory signal first goes to the Limbic System to have a reference from the memories
and anything related to one’s interest (gain, loss, danger, comfort) was marked as significant
and the related hormone (if it was a sign of danger, Adrenalin) will be secluded to the
whole body to respond. But if the signal has no such importance and repeatedly coming,
this process in the Limbic system would be bypassed. (Even though, the same bodily action is
still carried-out but “Emotionlessly”).
Because of this Limbic System distinguishes and sorting the signal related to the SELF, if the
signal was bypassed, one’s reaction would be carried-out without the connection to the
SELF, and the related hormone wouldn’t be secluded = No Emotion. — (Emotion doesn’t come
from a Thinking process, but mostly from a Mood created by the Hormone.)
—– Therefore, when the brain was trained (through repeated practice) to bypass the process
in the Limbic System, both Subconscious of the SELF and the Emotion would be suppressed.
—– And this phenomenon is the basis of
Lord Buddha’s teachings of the Selflessness (Anatman) and the origin of Buddhism. In deed,
our brain, thoughts, mind is bothered by the interference from the conscious of SELF and the
Emotion, which creates Ego and the Greed and subsequently all sorts of the troubles in the LIFE,
Lord Buddha’s approach to utilize those Brain Function was a brilliant idea. And without a
bias of Self, Ego, Greed and Detached Emotion, we can see the things much clearer
= We can see The Truth —– This IS, what Zen and Buddhism can achieve.
___/\___
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Zen in Daily-Life
Don’t mistake this title as “Twisting leg everyday”.
Zen is to do something in a Selfless state of the mind. Twisting and sitting (supposedly while
meditating) is a mere practice to gain this Selfless (Mushin) state. —– Though, we are not
born for sitting but to do something to have active life, otherwise we have had extinct long
ago with starvation. So, even Eating in Selfless (ie; in Mushin, and in complete commitment
ie; Mindfulness) IS the Zen. = This is the realization of what
Lord Buddha taught us = Anatman / Selflessness.
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To DO Selfless mean, DO IT without connecting the matter to the Emotion. = This is a state
of so-called Detachment. —– Everybody ever attempted to learn Zen, must heard the words
such as Mushin or Detachment, though, very few had been instructed how to learn it.
(Because in most of the case, their instructor had only an experience to have sat somewhere
in a temple, that all. Still, he is thinking that he had learned Zen.
So, teaching the same sitting (and only sitting) to others. 🙂
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The trouble of learning Zen by sitting is, even if the person (luckily) able to manage vacating
his mind while sitting, to keep this state of mind (whil doing other than sitting) is almost
impossible. Because the mind had been accustomed to “Sitting and Do nothing” and make
empty Brain. Therefore, TO DO anything else, the Brain and the Thinking will come back.
—– Naturally, to learn Zen in the ordinary situation, in a daily life is far better, as the person
can apply the same method and the state of the mind to DO another “Thing” as well.
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Such as to make a cup of tea. (In this purpose, DON’T take short-cut = make a tea from loose
tea-leaf —– (this has the same concept as how “Tea making as a Zen practice” developed.)
The way I make a tea is :
Put a water to a kettle and shake it to wash inside and drain it. Put a water again to the
exactly the same level. Switch on and wait it boils. When the water started to boil,
switch-off (don’t wait automatic switch-off). Pour the hot water (about half cup) into a
teapot where a tea-strainer and a tea-spoon is in. (To heat-up them all together.)
Then take the spoon and tea-strainer out and make the spoon to dry. Throw the hot water
from the teapot. Then, put a spoon-full or two (according to the taste) loose-tea leaf into
the pot (heated spoon takes no condensation of the steam from the warmed tea-pot, hence
no tea lief would stick on it.) Then pour the hot water to tea-pot. Wait two minutes then
serve a tea. Put sugar or milk when I want.
(In fact, when I pour a tea to the cup, I add the (still) hot water from the kettle for next cup.
(I’m a chain tea drinker, anyhow.) (Hot water was not as hot as before though, tea would be
brewed longer in the pot = it prevent the tea become too strong !
— Second cup doesn’t have fresh flavour though.)
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—– The process may seems too much details. But they are all for a sake of good tea-making,
and to concentrate for this purpose IS the Mindfulness.
By doing the whole process always the same as THE Accustomed Form.
—– If you follow this, soon or later, you will gain the Formalized body movement and
gradually able to refine the details. And soon or later you must be realized that you are
DOING all the process Just as a routine = without thinking and the process seemed to be
carried-out almost automatic. It goes almost independent from YOU —– (As you know,
Do the same, again and again, you start to Do it without excitement, interest = No Emotion ! )
= Now the tea is ready for you to enjoy. And it was made without your thinking (in Mushin)
and Detached from your Emotion, in other words, Without the Conscious SELF
= You were in Selflessness.
Do anything in a part of daily-life in the same approach = DO only what you ARE doing
= Mindful Concentration to the only subject. (nothing else in your mind)
And DO what that subject demand, in your best. = This is the ZEN in the daily-life.
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= As you did the things, as good as you could, it’s mean “You may do better next time though,
what you have Done WAS the best on That moment = no regret. (Regret can not change the
past, because the past has gone and the matter to DO better would be on the next time.)
= So, you can live the day without useless regret. (You only can live, on its moment !)
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Key point is,
(1) Take it as if it is a Formalized procedure, hence you only Do it as if an imperative form.
(2) No short-cut and Do the best. (3) Establish your way and stick to it. (Stick to it though,
“Do the best” has priority = the way to Do should evolve to even better on the process.)
(In fact, Mushin or Selflessness is mere By-product of this process = Forget them and just Do
what you got to DO = The matter is, you to DO it and only the result count.)
—– So, enjoy your Tea. (While having the tea, think about, when you live in this manner
down to all the detail of the life, from the way to get-up from the bed – – – – – each frame of
picture to picture, you did your best = in total you had the best satisfying day, and next day too,
so does next year = in total, you have satisfying LIFE.
As you been doing the best, others will know you are the most reliable consistent best,
because you are the Zennist. What you wish more on your LIFE.
—– (without able to make satisfying tea, able to have satisfying day, you are far behind
of even start to talk about Zen, let alone Enlightenment.
But when you achieved to make a good tea, and had satisfying day, year, life = then,
you don’t need to have any Enlightenment on top of your life, since you already had one.
—– Life has full of funny paradox. 😀
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This was the reason why, when the Zen Masters found their Enlightenment,
all uttered “It’s a dog shit” = after all, all of us walking completely in Selfless Mushin
= nobody need to think how to move the legs. We were born, able to live Selflessly
= So, it was explained as “We are born possessing the Dharma” which enabling us
to Live without relying on to the Self. In fact, The Conscious of SELF is obstructing us
to Live Selflessly. —– When the Master discovered this, after spent years of practice,
he was annoyed to feel ( as the years had been wasted,) hence “What a dog shit” 😀
___/\___
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Flower of Fig-titiosa
With a request of HM Bente, a servant,
Plant Hunter, Yoshizen took an expedition
to find an elusive legendary flower of Fig.
After a great journey and the hard work,
he discovered it and brought back a flower
for the world to see it, first ever the time
in the history of mankind.
(though, this photograph was too
over-saturated, hence the color is not
very faithful representation of its nature.
—— you are better advised to refer to the next photo. 🙂 )
The formal name of this plant is [Ficus. Figtitiosa var Brag] !
Yes, honest, this is nothing other than the Flower of the Fig.
You got open your mind and the eyes. —– Convinced ?
(A wise advice is, eat this with a pinch of salt.) 😉
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