Greetings Kio,

>>Well, I don’t know what you have been eating lately, Eddy. But the cosmic energy
coming from the basement in the Far East is certainly received even with my often-defunct antenna.

It's not what I've been eating; it's what's been eating me. The casual acceptance of dogma such as karma & reincarnation--with nary a shred of evidence--has always annoyed me...ever since I used to be Cleopatra.

>>Anyway, after referring to my Webster several times(BTW, when this happens, it means Eddy is going full blast and I need to be careful not to miss his often *aimless* aim.), and using my intuitive sense more than anything else, the vibration is still felt and my body is shaking after the "challenge" was placed in such a manner.

The expansive vocabulary was more for Wendy Roshi & perhaps Prof. W. I trust you will share my original California Dharma Report with at least Wendy Roshi? --And I'll bet you would enjoy doing so.

>>On top of that, what a comment from Einstein!!

A killer quote indeed! I nearly fell over right there in the book store, (where I came across it one day after I'd already posted the first two pages of the California Dharma Report.) What took me two pages to vaguely accomplish, old Albert crushed into one lightning bolt sentence. Such is the difference between a wise guy & a genius.

>>So….find the third eye! Where is this third eye, Eddy???

Eddy has only two eyes of standard issue. However, if this third eye enables him to see through women's clothing, I believe he would make a special effort to obtain one.

>>Eddy, what is the relationship between the shop floor and basement? Nothing???

Please remember, Kio, we have different ongoing definitions here. You refer to (my) basement as the unconscious mind. Whereas I refer to basement as a kind of joke. If I've signed some of my email as "Your man in the basement" it is perhaps mostly in contrast to the myriad other Buddhist folk who like to elevate themselves with an exaggerated sense of religious understanding. (See other clubs.) Two of your earlier quotes come to mind:

Hisamatsu: "I have no bonno" (worldly desire).
DT Suzuki: "I am full of bonno."

Lovely contrast, don't you think? I found new respect for Suzuki, and lost plenty for that wag Hisamatsu.

Also, as a man in the sanctuary found him as a master of his universe, then. "So what?" Nothing???)

Your first question is not very clear, but I think I can guess what you mean. By way of response, here's a second hand quote, from memory, supposedly attributed to our friend Prof. W. "(With satori) we become gods walking the face of the earth."

Perhaps it will help you understand me, Kio, if I attempt to clarify several of our discussions with a single metaphor. It seems to me that most religious folks--regardless of faith or sect--are straining for that magic pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You certainly are--and I certainly used to. But no more, thank you. Your pal Eddy is perfectly pleased with the rainbow itself.

And, no, I don't even bother to look for rainbows.

Eddy

==

<<From Me>>

Back from Europe, back to Yako - the wild fox. Here is that Koan:

Hyakujo Yako Koan (#2 case in Mumon kan)

This is a long Koan. The essence is as follows:

Very long time ago, a master asked a question, "Does a person fall under the law of cause and effect after all training is done(and enlightened)?"

When a man answered, "He does not fall under the law of cause and effect," this man’s body turned into a wild fox(Yako) and he was reborn 500 times as fox.

As he wanted to get out of the body of wild fox, at one occasion, he asked Hyakujo the same question. To this, Hyakujo answered, "He does not evade the law of cause and effect." With this, the wild fox got enlightened.

Later, as instructed by Hyakujo, monks found the body of wild fox in the mountain and cremated it.

Hearing this, Obaku asked to Hyakujo, "Why did this man turn into a wild fox?"

Hyakujo said, "Come close and I will tell you"

Obaku came close and gave a slap to Hyakujo.

Laughing at this treatment, Hyakujo said, "Foreigners’ beard is red. People with red beard are foreigners."

Mumon’s verse on this Koan:

Not falling, not evading..

Two faces of the same dice.

Not evading, not falling..

A thousand mistakes, ten thousand mistakes.

FYI, the last sentence of beard seems comparing deduction and induction. The original sentence is hard to translate. So, if interested to work on this Koan seriously, I suggest finding better translation.

>>It seems to me that most religious folks--regardless of faith or sect--are straining for that magic pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You certainly are--and I certainly used to. But no more, thank you. Your pal Eddy is perfectly pleased with the rainbow itself. And, no, I don't even bother to look for rainbows.

What do you do when you have found the pot of gold anyway..? Aren’t there gods walking the face of the earth anyway? Or are there million mistakes that need to be fixed?

While such discussion goes on, X – the laws of universe – is in front of us expressing itself:

Rainbows appear and fade away.

Trees grow and evolve, or extinct

Men explore the universe in myriad ways

So may we let Wendy Roshi express the way as she likes?

And let the fox fix up the foxhole as he likes?

Take care, Eddy!

Btw, I sent your post as e-mail to Prof. W and asked to send to Wendy as he thinks it appropriate.

==

It is cooler here but very pleasant these days in our neighborhood. As we move on our life, we reflect every now and then. After the trip to Europe this time, I feel it is time to reshuffle my priorities. A good friend of mine from Spain brought an idea and insisted that I should complete what he calls a "Green" book – after my Red and Blue books. It is an extension of my previous books, thinner in pages but broader in coverage on the topic of Mini-company. Green is for the hope as he commented.

As you know, I have been working on "White" book on the subject of mind. Zen is certainly a cornerstone of this work. After traveling this time and also reflecting the comment from Nishimura Roshi as to keep doing the management consulting work, and other things I reflected on, I realize that my work on this "Green" book may be more fit to my immediate needs (and perhaps that of the society).

Previously, somehow, I thought of devoting my life on Butsudo, and felt that I spend 80% on that and 20% for management consulting. But what I realize is that there is no Butsudo to be found but in our daily activity (of course). Then, I also realized that the company I helped in Spain (which got European Quality Award) still kept working on my Mini-company idea after ten or so years with great improvement. But it has some problems of being too successful in the mature market. (Company is making profit but people’s advancement potential and challenging vision is now somewhat limited.)

While I cannot explain the detail in the space here, I felt a strong need to provide some vision when I met the people from this company again during this trip. Actually, I was also impressed that there are more companies showing great progress with this Mini-company idea (I did seminars on this topic in three cities in Spain – coinciding to Spanish translation of my Blue book.) In short, it was like children growing up and showing how they have grown to grand parent (me). The business environment is turbulent. Mini-company idea will succeed in many ways. Yet, certain care is still needed. I feel I can help provide more care.

So, even though I have shrunk down my management consulting practices, here came a need to do another book on management. Perhaps, I can do this in three months or so. Who knows. But in any case, I thought I would let you know that I won’t be around here much in order to focus on this project. As you know by now from our ping pong ball match, etc. we did before, when I put my mind into it, I may really devote a lot of energy.

I will swing by this club as usual, I hope. But I have to get into Butsudo in Management for the time being. I plan to post related information on my homepage. So, please stop by and give feedback as you like. I may post some text on BusinessManufacturingExcellence club as well.

It looks like there are few more members who are around and somewhat active in Zenhell recently. I hope you have an interesting ball match coming up with them. Take care, Eddy. And thanks for the fun and serious time we had over the net and in person in Japan! Green book may be a struggle as much as the White book. But I will let you know the progress and hope that we do more matches over the net before too long.

Kio

==

Joshu and His Compassionless Compassion

Old woman asked to Joshu," How can I get out of the body with five senses that bring so much trouble?"

Jushu, "Wish all to be born in the heaven. Wish this old woman to stay in the depth of struggle."

Rochu asks, "Do awakened ones go to the hell?"

Joshu, "I go there first."

"Why is it so?"

"If I am not there, how do I meet you?"

Joshu also said, "I take a dried leaf to bring out the Buddha, I take a Buddha to bring out a dry leaf. Buddha is Bonno. And Bonno is Buddha."

"For whom does Buddha have Bonno?"

"For all people Buddha has Bonno."

"How can we escape from Bonno?"
"What do you do when you escape from it?"

My translation from Joshu roku (Referred from p263 of book given by Nishimura Roshi)

==

Mumbling (6) More weeping…

Einstein, Kant, Second Floor, Basement, and Prajna

I stumbled into the following quote of Kant by Daisetz that sprung up some memories of our months-long dialogue:

"The intuition without concept is blind.

Concept without intuition is meaningless."

After referring this, at p.123 of vol. 4, Daisetz further comments, "it is too bad that he stopped there."

Here is Einstein again

"Science without religion is lame,

religion without science is blind."

Then, here is the copy of my previous post.

… what a comment from Einstein!! Actually, this is precisely the point I was using in my recent seminar …. -except that I forgot where I got the idea, so I improvised to:

"Only with right brain, we will be lost. Only with left brain, there is no meaning. So, somehow, we need to "Connect" these!!"

Or,

"Only with intuition (soul), there is no direction. Only with intellect (brain), there is no meaning."

So….find the third eye! Where is this third eye, Eddy???

To this you responded:

Eddy has only two eyes of standard issue. However, if this third eye enables him to see through women's clothing, I believe he would make a special effort to obtain one.

So, with these, Eddy, weeping continues. Actually I do not know who is weeping anymore. Or,… is this just another joke being played at the garden of Eddy anyway?

Kio

==

It is a bit funny that we may be doing the very similar thing in a bit different dimension - me here in management and you there in Zen. I was on CBS and on business papers and magazines some years back. And now I see you stirring up the water there.. nothing to lose, just do it.

I talked with Mihiko san few days back and talked over Roshi's "narrow" world of Zen monastery life. (and even their often "arrogant" "powerful"(?!) posture.) Just like you mentioned that they need to go outside world to relate to, I hope that your media appearance may help in opening up the closed yet supposed to be boundary-less world.

Going with the flow you are on now, you might well answer my original question - one of the earlier posts - what are you going to do about IT (Zenhell)?. Be a Kurofune! Wish the best on your endeavor!

BTW, recently, I am pondering about the subject of "dream." While child has so much, adults loose fantasies as they grow up. Dream, mission, exploration, Jizai, free, imagination, creativity, etc. has so much tie to life energy, liveliness, etc. Saving people and us from suffering may be said as a dream for Zen, Buddhists and other religions. But the "appearance" in Zen training, Kaatz, Hishiryo, Shikan Taza, here and now, nothingness, etc. seem to contradict to this dream topic. (unless it is seen as catchball with X)

In Zen, dream is more viewed as connected to Bonno, illusion. Or perhaps, Shikisoku Zeku. And if so, then what? Where is the nice smile of Zen Masters? How many Hotei san (tenth picture of ten cow herding pictures) have we seen? Is this because they had a great doubt that totally blew their dreams away in their early life - forcing them to look at the "reality" but nothing else? - to the point of losing "Why" anymore?

I think Zen is broad enough (limitless) to accommodate dreams quite easily. If so, where is the proof? OK, Bonno soku Bodai, or illusion is enlightenment. Is it not true if we see Bonno from Bodai, there will be smile as opposed to Bonno trying to see Bodai with the square face? Is this the image that is created as Daisetz mentioned about lack of compassion in Zen??? Again, the point being, what is the use of being in Bodai, the other shore, there is nothing to do. And therefore, Joshu’s compassion?

Or, is it that they(many Roshi’s and monks??) have not gone around to look at the dream in a different light - and therefore, have to keep working on being awake all the time with Koan, Zazen training, etc.? Why not also to live in the dream, being awake that it is a dream. And behave as if that Santa Clause is here. Is it not compassion?

Or is this the contradiction/paradox where it requires awakening to do so, thus endless training, sitting, koans, ? Yet, wait, of course it is endless. And is it not a part of awakening to know that it is endless?

Or is this the point of Prof. W's and W. James' religious optimism? In a way, I sense that dream is not dream, and it is dream. (Hannya) Then, this is not the dream of child and of illusion. Once, awakened, and still live with the dream knowing that it is the dream – with smile. Is it not this point to say: "When it is not amusing, it is yet amusing."?

Picasso, Mozart, Soichiro Honda, et., al had their dreams...Now is it that Eddy's dream to be conveyed over the air?? In my last visit, you gave me a little painting, titled The Zen Sleep. Let me see, what happens when Eddy wakes up. What kind of dream does he dream when he is awake? (So, not fall under the law of cause and effect, and at the same time not evade the law of cause and effect, finally?)

Have a happy life! Say hello to Santa!!

Kio

BTW, look the audience on the air is millions times bigger than here in this club. So, do your chat there and even sell some of your little paintings on the side as well. (^__^)

==

When the Master Appears:

When the master appears…

Is it not when a master singer sings a song from his heart,

- instead of singing from the score?

Is it not when a master painter wants people to understand the song of a bird,

- instead of for them to understand the art?

Is it not when leaders touch the spirit of people with his spirit,

- instead of giving the task to them?

Is it not when zen monks work on koan from his breathing,

- instead of his mind?

Is it not when a writer communicate from his inner voice,

- instead of relying on his words and concept libraries?

Is it not when we walk with our feet,

- instead of trying to figure out how many inches this way and that way, etc.?

Is it not when we find the state of oneness

- instead of separated self?

Is it not when inspiration or solution comes up by itself,

- instead of searching for them?

Is it not when tools and user of tools become one in accomplishing the mission,

- instead of being used by tool?

Is it not when self is forgotten to realize that we had the answer to start with,

- instead of searching it elsewhere?

Is it not when we are totally vulnerable beyond any hope, yet have faith,

- instead of behaving as if we know the answer?

Whatever the case is, a master uses tools instead of being used by tools. He is not a tool to be played upon. He is connected to the origin of the universe. If not, he is the universe! He hears, sees, smells, scratches, paints, writes, sings, cries, laughs, weeps, lives, and dies as the universe, as the truth, representing the laws of universe! He never stops. He continues to express his mission. He is in the circle where any place he is the center.

Then, he recognizes: "When it is not amusing, it is yet amusing." How amusing!!

==

Master and His Tools

When tools are seen as tools and lose its connection to its mission, it loses its life. When we talk about our life, it is always new, every moment. The same is true with words, concept, etc. Tools need to be connected to heart to function its life. Those who see the connection use tools like a part of his being. In fact, he is one with it and whole entity expresses the life. (Zenkigen)

Tools may use us as well. Think of a case of riding a bicycle the first time. We were separated between bicycles and us. When we learned to ride bicycles, we become one to accomplish the mission – of riding the bike. When this happens, things are one and are in harmony, i.e., bike, mind and body in one. At the same time, there is certain tension. Bike is alive and so are we. Some call such state as zone. When we see professional riders like those who we see in circus, we see how they do the job so effortlessly. As we master any skills, like walk, talk, eat, and respond to a call, the same thing happens.

For painter to brushes and paints, for musicians to violins and music score, for writers to pens and paper, these are tools. Unless we become one with the mission, subject and object forgotten, and reach the state of oneness, the mastery is not found. Also, if we think we have mastered the subject, as soon as we think like that, it means we became slaves of such thoughts. True master does not recognize that he is a master just as enlightened one does not recognize he is enlightened.

If we are in the position of being the slaves and we recognize that to be the case and still willing to behave knowingly, we may be the masters to be in such a state. When the wind shifts, we can adjust the sail to reach our destination. And when it is time to meet the disaster, let us meet the disaster. This is the point about tools, and for us to be the master of tools but not the other way around.

Every body is a master of some field, e.g., walking, riding bike, or even management consulting. Masters can easily see how people use tools. He may provide few pointers for students to acquire the skills. Important point is that masters know that these skills need to be internalized for people to grow, and express the ability they have. Too many tools may be much worse than mastering basic tools. If we can internalize one tool and use it with integrity, such experience will help learners to acquire more tools easier than the other approach where confusion and lack of integration may be a result. We should however note that there are new karmas (mind programs) god or bad being built throughout our life that we need to deal with.

Now, if we, ourselves, are a tool through which the truth is to be expressed, how can we best use such a tool?

Koan: Bashihenzo

A monk asked an old lady, "Which way is Taisan?"

"Go straight." An old lady answered.

As the monk went ahead, this old lady laughed, "He got trapped to my lie."

So, many monks got into such a trap set by this old lady.

Hearing this, Joshu said, "OK, I will take care of this."

So, he went to see the old lady and asked, "Which way is Taisan?"

"Go straight," old lady responded.

As Joshu started to move on, she laughed, "Here is another one!"

Joshu went on and came back to the temple and said to the monks,

"I defeated that old lady for you guys."

(My translation from Shinji Shobo Genzo, p.64 Koan - Nakayama)

==

D.T. Suzuki -- Conversation with Mihoko_san (2)

Another 1.5 hours over the phone. Here are the summary of the talk. There are two main parts.

About "Maturation" of Enlightenment – to be free-er

• Roshis may have narrow view of the world -- power tied to clothe, etc. and their background in the monastery may bring such influence. (Also, we can refer to Joshu’s life for 30 additional years of training.)
• Their satori may be limited because of that… (Here, free-er is a notion that came up again, i.e., need to keep working on it, e.g., 3,000 koans. Does this mean they may be emancipated within their universe, within their talent, at the time? Say, masters are masters of their field, then Zen masters are in their respective subjective "life fields" of conscious and unconsciousness? As much as many so called religious leaders/masters appeared in history, religions represent such specific life field? Is this the reason why when Dogen says, realize illusion is enlightenment. Howard says, individuals will enlarge the field or something like that, as their training proceeds – and masters as well?)
• About great doubt: Daisetz was lucky that he had doubt due to his loss of father at early age and family’s poor background (perhaps tied to compassion?)
• This "life field" idea may tie with mini-brain concept, to becoming the master of mini-brain
• Thus, we may need to work on koan to be free-er. (Finding illusion as we go and finding Bonno is Bodhi.) Yet, there are many live koans in our daily lives.
• We are always tested --to be free-er. Thus, more koans through out our life. Koan always given. (--Why not especially when we live and face with bonno/karma anyway!)
• Mihoko san’s case: Comparing Daisetz and her own behavior was a koan by itself. (If I imagine Disetz’s case: Doing a Suzuki, a minute of contemplation before his answer. While he speak, confirm the core of the talk step at a time, even on the same topic he talks. Thus, every time it is new! Catch ball with X.)
• Koshiro Tamaki: She felt him as a perfectionist (First question to her right after the death of Daisetz: Did Daisetz die because of natural death?) - So, he may have had a hung –up (What then is his Kensho/Satori experience? Narrow Kensho, was it? If so, so what?)

Questioning/Consciousness, and No-mind

• Out of Eden, how to go back? Back and eat apple again! Need to continue… (Catch ball with X)
• Question is living proof as human. If no questioning, we are robots – (link to cons. and uncons. discussion. Also, catch ball with X)
• More we know ourselves, more we may become clear about the pattern of how our mind may function, e.g., how we get stuck, hung up, what is our individual mind habit, etc.
• So, no perfect enlightenment: Realize the pattern. Work on it.
• Go to zero was her expression similar to my catch ball to X idea, or zero-base mind (like from high meter point to back to zero, perhaps beta wave to alpha as well)
• This ties to the discussion of mechanism of mind….then we went to the topic of consc and unconsc., leading to Kaatz and the third eye.
• Btw, we need ego.. ego as double edged sword….negative part of ego we know, then, positive part - "Because of ego, we want to let go of ego." (LOL) So, initiative (why for example, and the direction) comes from ego (again catch ball with X).
• Cons and unconsc. – enlightenment ; be aware of it
• Einstein, and Kant: division is in fact no split: concept-intuition.. that is katz of Rinzai (this ties to Hishiryo)
• Water and ice analogy…. For consc. and unconsc.
• Suzuki’s "Sono itten" is katz, lion’s hair….his God nature….yurugasenai!!
• Spain matador (Referred in Zen and Japanese Culture): That point of the final kill of bull fighter.. is oneness
• Soto may have to go to Rinzai to go through the final, i.e., may need koan (at sesshin, monks may be dragged into hojo to say "words" to his koan. May need to be forced to break through! Eddy: Pulling your own teeth!)
• However, Dogen is a genious –impurity is someone else’s writing style as a part of it (Re: Shobo genzo)
• Yako zen: Cannot stay away from conscious world. Be aware of that.. "not fallen into it" …is unreal
• Consc. let us not be upset, etc. and be free.. (be a master)
• Referred again Dogen.. enlightened from illusion mayoi ni satoru kan..ari
• Daisetz and his near drowning experience at his early age: Almost drowned and while he was under the water, Daisetz thought if he hit the bottom then he can kick and raise himself up, etc. This is consc. power (Not falling into cause and effect, does not work like this. Yes!!)

Few questions answered:

• Future of Zen, and other approaches: No clear view of Daisetz. He wanted to show to the West that power is not the solution.
• Lecture notes, records in Columbia Univ. etc?: Her class mate from Columbia gave her the entire lecture notes (Fast hand like..)
• About other writings of Daisetz to be published in English….still have to wait.

I encouraged her to be on the net…

Tying to Joshu, maturation of enlightenment…. Mini brain to free-er barrier.. about life’s master….is the process. Even in Rinzai….That is Daisetz’s view. Perhaps, this ties to Buddha’s meditation process (his liking to do his catch ball with X perhaps. Doing Buddha, perhaps.). (It may relate to understanding people’s suffering and come up with inspiring solution as his teaching.)

Here are few points to be checked with Mihoko_san next time:

- Just ask her time with Daisetz, memorable moments, etc.
- Did Daisetz often carry Rinzai roku as the main book of reference

- What is his opinion about Joshu?
- Did he study Suttanipata, Dammapada, etc? What is his opinion on these?
- Point on Kegon sutra
- Zazen, breathing – Daisetz working hard yet very quiet…..(Zenki..)
- Blyth, his death – any knowledge?

- To say in one word, about Daisetz. Nishimura.. People come to Zen with romantic sense …?

- Compassion story of Nishimura.. p260

• Furyu narazarutokoro mata furyu

==

Someone once said "Defy description" as if the third eye does not require description to see through the truth. Koan challenges description. Description is human invention to put head on top of head. Yet, such head helps us to communicate and make human judgment. Koan challenges us to see through this through prajna, the Hannya’s wisdom. Seeing description, words, concepts, and associated emotion is to realize our human world is a dream - detached from the reality. The challenge is for us to live upon un-faltered foundation of emptiness/faith with such awareness.

See things as they are and not to be attached. Being anywhere but not dwell in one place. Let go of – comparison, self, dualism, words and attached H-values (Happiness or Human values), but to be free. And free from wanting to be free as well. So, suchness, as-it-isness. When hungry, eat. Sleepy, sleep. Meet disaster, meet disaster.

Who tells you that you are hungry or sleepy, then? Find peace with him as he is the truth itself. He has been with us from before the time had begun. As we defy description, illusion, overusing of our brain, we find a glimpse of him more often. Perhaps, it is a burning fire we find in our heart. Then, we may realize we are nothing but the representation of such a fire.

I have been reaching out to "him." Perhaps confirming this point from discussion, literature, and observing myself, making sure enough proof/conviction/faith is there before jumping in. It was almost like tasting the samples before finally starting to eat. Still, it was not so much of X and me as oneness. Yes, meeting God or truth sounds like an intimidating thing. Here, a bird in a cage realizes that the door is open to fly out to the unknown world away from deceptively comfortable cage he lived for so long.

Can I face reality, and give up all of me to meet X, be with X and noting left of me? Total vulnerability without any assurance of what to expect, or what to happen. And with faith, jump, finally. If there is vulnerability, there is still someone feeling vulnerable. So, die. And let X take care with total faith. Would my human values be gone? Would all what I have accumulated (illusion) be gone? Would my questions be gone? Is that the final answer to "So what?"? In fact, if we totally die, these questions will be gone… but just be and see whatever the Answers.

So, it is not to reach out to him, in fact. If I do, then I have me to reach out to him. To be with him, this "me" has to be gone. Then, it is beyond catch ball. It is the puncture. And, puncture the puncture. So, the puncture is gone as well - absorbed by the total emptiness --- in the sound of one hand clapping. Beyond religion and science, brain and heart, us and X, until the point where there is no catch ball as we bottomed out our self. (After completing the work, an ancient Greek sculptor is said to have worshipped his own creation with tears for its divine nature.)

It is like a donkey looking into the well as opposed to the well looking up toward the donkey. In other words, I was more of Shomon, to listen to the teaching and to digest. For Shomon, he has to jump to the point of letting go of the teaching and be totally empty. To fly away.

Koan: Sozan, Well

Sozan: "Buddha nature, is like a vast sky. Depending on the situation, it appears like moon on the water. How do you teach this point?"

Toku: "It is like a donkey looking into the well."

Sozan: "Yes, but it is still eight to nine point."

Toku: "How would you say, then?"

Sozan: "It is like the well looking at the donckey."

==

A master once closed the gate and demanded the monks outside. "Say a word if you want to get in."

Nobody could say a word.

Then, Joshu came and found the situation. He said, "Oh, heavens!"

And the gate was open.

==

Kaatz, Thundering Silence, Stick, Thumb up, Makumoso

"What is the absolute doctrine of non-duality?"

Someone remarked, "Thundering, indeed, is this silence of Vimalakirti"

To such a question, Rinzai may have answered with his, "Kaatz"

Tokusan, (30 Sticks)

Gutei, (Thumb up)

Mugo, "Makumoso" (No illusion)

Joshu, "Mu"

Or the answer may be three pounds of flux.

Where there is no creative originality, there is no Zen, no life, but dead words and mechanics.

Daisetz comments, "Taking it all in all, Zen is emphatically a matter of personal experience; if anything can be called radically empirical, it is Zen. No amount of reading, no amount of teaching, no amount of contemplation will ever make one a Zen master. Life itself must be grasped in the midst of its flow; to stop it for examination and analysis is to kill it, leaving its cold corpse to be embraced." P.132, Introduction to Zen Buddhism

So… What?

==

Being Clear in Our Mind and Fully Alive in Our Heart

To be clear and feel right in what we do, we need to address the issues of brain and heart. But, if we look carefully into our own nature, we may find that there are various levels that are to be integrated. They are logic, principles, foundation, conviction and faith. Logic may stand by itself, yet it may need to be supported by some basic principles to be justified its worth. The principles may still need some basic foundation to stand on or basic values to relate to. Then, such foundation may be supported by some conviction with sincerity and truthfulness. Conviction, then, can be only supported by faith that reaches out beyond human limitation.

For example, we may say we are worried in facing a problem,

- We try to figure out in solving the problem. (Logic)

• To come up with an idea, we need to work with facts. (Principle)
• Then, we may see it is okay if we do our best no matter what the outcome is. (Foundation)
• This is because we are doing the best to accomplish the mission we believe in. (Conviction)
• Yet, we may feel vulnerable, as things are not within our control. So, we pray, have faith, or go into the state of thinking of non-thinking/Hishiryo. (Faith)

The other example is the process of our developing logic.

• Life energy, or X, is moving inside us to express the potential. This energy (Bussho) is beyond human comprehension filled with unknown possibilities. (Faith)
• As we experience things in life, depending on the situation, something feels good, while other do not. These experiences create certain feeling down deep. (Conviction)
• As more experience is gained, we want to try even more things. Experiences gained here form our personality and certain values. (Foundation)
• With enough experiences accumulated, certain principles become clear. (Principle)
• So, we keep trying to see what seems good and desirable. (Logic)

Here, we see brain related to hard stuff like logic, and principles, while heart may correspond to soft stuff like faith and conviction. Then, hopefully, there is a firm foundation or values to balance the act. And this is the point of referring Kant and Einstein before, e.g., concept vs. intuition, or science vs. religion. By the way, the purpose of this discussion is not that we want to figure out the detail for scientific reason. Rather, to picture the image for us to understand how we are developed, functions, and then what we can do about it, i.e., So what?

For us to be a person with integrity, these levels need to be connected and coherent among them just like a connection of a tree from root, trunk, branches to leaves. Looking at another way, these levels may correspond to mind, attitude, behavior, habit, and destiny. What I mean is that mind can do its own work, but if we are to find destiny that we really want, we cannot just play at the level of mind but work our way down to get to the root. (This corresponds to catch ball – or playing a catch with X)

The deepest level is the reason of existence. Without being clear about this while being swung by the stimuli from outside is like finding us as a drifting wood in the ocean. If we are young and reckless, it may be okay to experience life as a part of learning. Yet, as we mature, we may want to settle down or to be awakened as opposed to be in the middle of the life’s storm - continuously. If we accept the fate and feel at home being as a drifting wood, it may be fine by itself. But if there is any disturbance in this linkage of brain and heart or logic to faith, nature’s harmony is broken, causing discomfort or suffering within us. To live an integrated life, we need to "find ways" so that all these levels can function without confusion. "Find" does not mean avoiding to address the issues of life or human world. Rather, it may include us being very patient.

Instead of being thrown up and down by various events in life, we are here to look deeper about the process and our own nature. Once well understood and internalized the art in us, this "description" or logic may be forgotten. (Kakuan, 8^th stage, searching for ox?) But if we were to go through the discovery process of our own nature, this description may provide a mental image that might help us as a guide

So, in summary, the structure of mind in relation to finding the destiny is:

* Logic – Principles – Foundation – Conviction – Faith (Connection between brain and heart)

* Mind – Attitude – Behavior – Habit – Destiny (Programming process)

Then, the key points are:

• If we were to find our destiny or truthful way of living, we need to find more about our self-nature.
• As we learn to look ourselves more attentively, we may gain new insight in the way that our brain and heart functions. But be assured that because of the disturbances, it may not be easy to realize the dynamics at the beginning. We just need to study our own nature patiently.
• There may be cases of 1) logic fighting against another logic, 2) logic fighting with faith or values, or 3) inner desire is fighting against certain norm (logic) of human world. So, we need to acquire skills to observe what may be happening within us objectively, and reflect on the experience - before being able to respond wisely to the disturbance.
• The new passage may appear when brain finally realizes something wrong with the way it is proceeding. Then, we will let the inner voice to tell us the message while we throw away unnecessary, useless logic or emotion to simplify and clarify the linkage – or leave them alone. This is to enable the flow of energy to be expressed without human intervention, yet still follows the nature’s law.
• When we succeed in stripping off the unnecessary, we may see genuine human character expressing itself.

At the higher level is human intervention; while the deeper level is nature’s way. Higher level is consciousness whereas lower level corresponds to unconsciousness. To know us is to understand all. Yet, understanding unconsciousness is beyond human act. So, all we can try is that we need to rid of mind to let the nature down below to speak to us. Because of karma, the appearance of nature is different in each person. If we blindly let the nature to take over without check and balance, we may be like an animal with human skeleton. If we let logic to take over, we are like computer without human heart. Logic is checked by intuition, while the heart is checked by logic, utilizing the capability we have and to align and express all.

Driving force is in our heart. Since the human logic is limited, it always has limitation to guide the expression of heart. Yet, it is human logic in a form of ego, karma, or self that also realizes the orientation of nature’s way and the needs of human world. If we are totally one with nature, we have no way of realizing it. As human logic or intellect is the sole reason of realizing the limitation as human, this realization brings the sorrow and suffering but it also makes it possible to realize the work of God, X, laws of nature, or whatever we call that is beyond human.

People live and die. When they die, what are the messages they leave behind? Is there a will, messages, or monuments that are passed to the next generation that they appreciate? We live and die every moment. What is the message? Where does it come? How do we express it? May we hear the message. May we express it. As artist, as mangers, or as leaders of what we do in our areas, we do act on something - no matter how small that is. Then, may we see the life energy more like electricity running through our mission – connected to the reason of existence - like touching a live wire? Asking "So what?" is a way to see if we can connect to that live wire. Listening to heart is to hear the message from our inner self. Our life is an attempt to find the way we find it meaningful to align them in whatever we do.

=======

Specifics of Problem Solving

If logic is to stand by itself and not connected to the basic principle in life or faith, there is no awakening. No life. It is like local optimization, thus missing the link to the holistic nature of universe out there. Kaatz, sticks, Mu, So what?, etc. is to try to bridge this gap when simple logic does not touch the core reason of existence. Equipped with the conscious brain, we can do the best to use our logic. Logic, mind habit, and hence collectively our ego or collective ego of all humans provides ways to get to what we call accomplishment.

The conflict or suffering arises when we have disturbance in this linkage. If logic is just logic, it is like a computer program - there is nothing wrong about it. Logic has to be tied to experiences to make sense. But if this logic has a tie to our emotion or human values, and if the outcome we face could not be resolved with logic, then we have a problem. So if we cannot solve a problem with logic, we search for inspiring idea. Then, it may work, or it may not. We may forget the issue or we may keep repeating the process.

Facing problems outside of us like above is one way to proceed. But looking inside of us, we may find the solution in ourselves as opposed to keep dealing with the various specific problems of life as we encounter in this external world. Because in reality there may be no problems if we realize something that is driving us to make us to see what we see as problem. In other words, if we use tools (programs, or logic) that we acquired to get something done and if there is a problem, we may want to figure out not just tools but the total situation. That is, we may need to understand the nature of the problem to start with, i.e., not just changing tools, or improving tools, etc. Then, we are not confused (at the heart level) even if we are confused (at the brain level).

Clarity is for us to see what is happening in our own nature. There are certain principles to abide by, which is to follow the laws of nature. For example, if we are confused, the first thing is to "notice" we are confused. Then, we try to go back to the zero base so that we can see us what we are doing. Then, we realize certain mind habit in us that was developed from accumulated learning or mind programming that took place in the past. Then, stop, ponder, apply the learning. If not, just try to be clear, settle down, wait, and see. Then, eventually, heart will self-organize the problem itself – perhaps rewiring our mind habit neurons.

Here, we may apply Kaatz, NAM, stick, silence/observe, water in Hawaii, or whatever takes to stop the power of negative karma to function until the clarity is gained and liveliness found - even after staying in long while with vulnerable feeling. It is clarity in brain and liveliness in heart and connecting these is the reminder, prajna and compassion of Buddha within all of us.

Such experience should let us know the principle of being the master:

• When we think we have it, we do not have it. (Always be humble)
• When vulnerable, be vulnerable. There is resolution. (Confidence and faith)

So,
- Look at ourselves in the mirror
- Ask the right question
- Be humble

- Collect the wisdom
- Be convinced that there are solutions
- Do the best we can
- Accept the fate
- Keep the smile

=====

Logic and ego is also the reason that we are who we are with pluses and minuses. When we are little, we had less of logic and just liveliness. It was clear (empty disk) and alive to absorb anything to learn and use the learning as tool to improve to live better.

As we learned more, we also learned bad karma as well. It is a two edged sword we have with our conscious brain. Not to have the conscious brain is not an option. Also, if it does do any harm, we would better treat it, hopefully from the root. With many years of accumulated habit, and network of neurons that built up, it is not simple to treat the bad mind habit. Yet, if there is a will, there is a way. #1 is realization, willingness. Without that and just going through sitting may not do a fundamental cure. It may help relax just like doing the nature walk or flyfishing. But if we want to cure the core of the suffering, if we have, we need to do much more than that, -- with full will to clear up the mess.

Alive is

==

1999 reflection: "It is OK"

Among many things we go through in our life, there are sufferings we face while causing the same to others as we live. When we go through such experiences, as we may be occupied to our own thoughts, we may be unaware of the truth, X, God, ox, original self, or whatever speaking to us. Yet, listening to "the voice" and to be aware of what is really happening is essential if we are to live a "genuine" human life. In other words, to live our life truthfully, we need to be open – with faith in our mind - to receive such a voice and to be connected with it.

Even though we are ultimately one with such voice, illusions get in the way like a noise. So, we need to see our own self-nature quietly and listen to the voice. The voice may be heard in different ways. It may have characteristics of nothingness, compassion, God’s love, wisdom, inspiring message, or clearer understanding of our own behavior or our true nature. Then, we may see the contamination, or illusion in us contrasted to the truth. (Even though illusion is truth itself.) Further, if we are not careful, there may still be a chance that we are still in illusion on top of illusion.

Just yesterday, as I was walking on the hiking trail, I reflected on these points and said to my self, "I am sorry that I did not listen to you." As I reflect my life and see how my mechanical mind took over me, there was no excuse but to see myself causing such pain and suffering. So, I was doing this catch ball with X reflecting some instances that I could remember. Even though I did not intend to cause suffering to others, or myself, I did end up in doing so. With such confession, tears started to run. I wished I did not and would not cause suffering (- by not listening to you).

Then, I heard a voice, saying "It is OK." It was the voice of X, God, original self, or all of my ancestors giving me the total forgiveness. More tears flowed as if they came from the same source as they were shed by other people who went through the same experience, e.g., tears of Daisetz. I knew that such answer was given because everything that went into me prior to that point caused things to happen. And that is the way, and that is OK - as simple as that. I could see how Buddha’s four noble truth, eight noble paths were developed to relate to karma (programming of our mind), and guide us so that we do not to create bad karma, and therefore, more suffering. Also, I could relate to Myokonin who said, zangi(repentance) is immediately kanki(forgiveness/joy). I felt total forgiveness was given and just felt gracious about deep compassion of Amida Buddha or whatever we may call – nothing else.

Well, my journey continues yet to go through more trails in my life. Whatever may be waiting before me, I do not have a clue. Yet, "It is OK" was an answer to my "So what?" question. I still think, I will keep asking "So what?" in my journey -- perhaps to confirm that it is OK again and again. If so, it is OK. If it is not so, it is Ok as well. Also, the book manuscript I post at my homepage is the answers to that question as much as all the posts here in this club while my journey continues. The words once written are dead just like a song of a bird. They may not communicate the life anymore. But even so, they were once alive, the best at that time to be expressed - as much as everything we do in our life at each and every moment. And that is OK.

==

Rinzai/Yakusan

This is what Rinzai says

• The problem is that you cannot believe in your own true nature.
• Because of that, the environment swings you around.
• So, you become the slave of the environment.
• Then, you lose the freedom, and you find that you are not the master of your own.
• If you stop searching for things outside, you will find that you are the same as Buddha.
• Do you want to know Buddha?
• The one that is listening my talk, that is Buddha.
• As you do not have confidence, you look for solution far away.

• My awakening is nothing different from that of Buddha’s.
• There is nothing missing.
• Using the work of six senses, Buddha is free (Yu-zu-muge) as much as I am as well.
• As you recognize this way, you will be taken care of your whole life (Issho Buji).
• The world (San-kai) is like a house in fire. It is not the place to stay long.
• Devils of impermanence may attack us at any moment.
• If you want to be like Buddha, do not look for the laws (dharma) outside of your mind.
• So, grab this true person (Shinjin)
• Who is then talking, and listening the laws?
• It is as obvious as anyone should see in front of your nose. The one that does not have any phase (So), but is beyond the specific dualistic confrontations but is like an absolute thing that shines.
• That is what is talking and listening the laws (dharma).
• If you recognize this way, there is no difference between you and all Buddhas.
• Then whether singing or dancing, you are one with Buddha.

• Yet, as emotional views (Jo-ken) set in, then wisdom will go far away. And when imaginary thoguhts (So-nen) gets in, then your body is not one any more. (Like Kant and Einstein’s words)
• My friends, the mind does not have shape or phase (Gyo-so), it penetrates to ten dimensions.
• The core is one but will find six senses to function.
• When the attached mind is gone, you experience emancipation at any place. ((Thus, Hishiryo, Omushoju nijugoshin))
• Why do you think I am talking like this?
• I am just wanting you to stop searching outside.
• The problem from ancient time for people to stumble into is because of this searching mind.
• You have not gotten this point.
• But true person (Shinjin) can let him be in any circumstance and just follow the karma.
• Any clothes given, just take as they are.
• If desire is there to go, just go. If one wants to sit, then sit. As such is the case throughout the day, or go, live, sit, sleep as it is, there is no thought searching for the fruit of Buddha.

• Old men said, if Buddha becomes the object to be sought after, then that becomes the root of endless suffering (Rinne no kongen).
• So do not waste your time. Do not make a big mistake by looking for things/solution outside of your own self.
• Do not try to attain Zen, or the Way. Do not try to study famous sayings, knowledge, or Buddha.
• My friends, there is only one set of parents. What else do you want to get any further?

Reading these, Daisetz comments that he feels the life jumping around. Yet, he further comments that such attitude may tend to take the organized way of studying very lightly.

(essence translated by me from his saying- Rinzai Roku p.174 Daisetz vol. 5)

A monk came to Yakusan and said, "I have a question, can you help me?"

Yakusan said, "Wait until the gathering in the evening. I will solve it, then."

In the evening, people gathered.

Yakusan, "Where is the monk who asked me to solve a question?"

The monk came and stood in front of Yakusan.

Yakusan, "Hey everybody, here is a monk who has a question." Pushing the monk, he left there to go back to his room.

=

About the Struggle

Writing a book now is a struggle. Every now and then there is a moment of inspiration. But to find the right word, connect to right sentence, have the whole in harmony with logic and heart in it, go back and forth to tweak this and that, it is a surmountable task. When I wrote the first book, every thing just flew, as I remember now. I felt a fountain of energy even when I was tired. Now, some15 years later, a sense I have within me is somewhat different.

I saw words of Picasso recently; "People don’t realize what they have when they own a picture by me. Each picture is a phial with my blood. That is what has gone into it." I am not Picasso. But in us, we all have mini-Picasso. He also said, "Painting is stronger than I am. It makes me do what it wants." Then, "The important thing is to do, and nothing else; be what it may."

Something in me is different, but the other is the same. To touch that source, to touch that energy, the live wire, and do what it may. So, be courageous to enjoy the struggle as much as plants under the snow are to express themselves, perhaps when the time comes. Not rushing to come out, patiently work their way out.

=

Going beyond struggle

Struggle becomes a struggle if there is something separate in us. Yet, there is a state of being free even under struggle. As mentioned, the brain and the heart may be seen as two, or two different worlds existing as one in our universe. Brain sees constraints, limit, dualism, and therefore, brings struggle among other things. But if we live from the heart, there is none of that. It is as it is. So, it is OK.

Realizing that the heart is the master, there is a life lived from the heart and connected to the brain when needed. In such a life, freedom is realized when the heart just observes the struggle of brain’s function and brings out its own answer. In that state of freedom, we follow the nature’s way, and not trying to achieve the human way. So, real achieving by heart is not found in the conventional idea of achieving. That is when the master is functioning. Then, there is the freedom, flexibility, unknown potentials, creativity and openness everywhere. So, we realize that struggle as we find in our brain is not real as our heart sees it. Real struggle is a freedom just as it is.

Whenever earthly desire shows up, our brain gets lost, or our mechanical mind starts to function, that is when we need to see ourselves quietly. Instead of rushing, that is when we need to learn to be patient and be one with the heart. Then, realize what is going on, and let our heart to speak to us so that our limited brain does not get stuck in the cul de sac. Then, we listen to the voice calmly, and find the next step to continue our journey.

This process is basically the same as in strategy development process of mini-company, or idea development process of individuals.

==

<<Mar. 7, 00 from Me>>

Hi:

Back to the cold weather, Eddy san?

I had a lunch with Prof. W today and thought to write an update. (He had his hip operation, etc. and I have not seen him since last November.)

• He is to visit Japan after the trip to India; trip starting from end of April. But he will be busy with students then. Then, in June and July, he will be in Kyoto, again. So, you may have a chance to see him then.
• I loaned 5-6 Daisetz books to him before and he mentioned buying all Daisetz Zenshu from the used bookstore when he is in Japan. Apparently, he liked them and we had a great deal of discussion around him, Satori, etc., etc.
• He also indicated an interest in my Green Book on mini-company so I will e-mail him the manuscript when my wife finishes her editing in the next two weeks or so.
• On the subject of Satori we discussed, there were issues about mastering tool issues I wrote few posts here and there. This is tied to Roshi’s behavior – within his field of life experience as the base. I referred to learning and mastering to ride bicycle as an example of getting inspiration, a bicycle satori as I referred. I also referred satori as a process issue, meaning as the experience base expands as a part of life’s exploration process, new discovery, new insight may need to be woven into Kensho. (Here, he wanted to differentiate Kensho and Satori.) This may be the reason why Japanese zen people often share/talk their Kensho experiences. It is like checking the depth of Kensho whereas Satori may not be discussed by them as it is corresponding to physical death as he referred to in this context. (I realize that this discussion is too simple to mention this way. But because of little time I have now, I just thought to post as it is more as reminder of the discussion on this topic – unless these comments may stimulate some thoughts for the readers here.)
• He commented the subject of "Shin-Gyo-So" (Shin: belief, Gyo:action, So: grass as literal translation.) in relation to the practice in Zen temple and a way to address different dimensions of practice in our training on the Way – whatever that is. (Perhaps to relate to Zenki state, as I feel.) This topic was new to me and he promised me to send me a paper he wrote on this topic. (Eddy: if you have any knowledge on this, I am curious to hear your opinion on this.)

In any way, it was an enjoyable time I had with him with many laughs (and tears to go with them). I should be finishing my manuscript in the next few weeks and will be ready for the next challenge whatever that may be.

Btw, we (he) talked about Eddy san in Japan as well…. As much as you may be curious, I thought I should share his view here. (Of course, I may have misrepresented you to him, possibly like in the discussion you referred in your California dharma report. But with the Edgar correspondence and those occasional discussions as a base, here is just a few comments he made. - Yes, a long preamble.) He referred Eddy san being at 8^th stage of ten cow herding picture, i.e., circle with nothing in it (Kakuan – searching for the ox). Then, referred about Bosatsu issue (as I shared before) to be the next step, i.e., tenth picture, Hoteisan. However, he pointed out your services to the neighbors and opening up the temple to people, etc. may be seen as an act of Bosatsu. (which I thought may be the case as I mentioned to him.) Also, we discussed about basement and second floor, and then tied to Yakozen issue - and therefore Satori/Kensho issue connected there. I even brought in the person who showed up in the Ox club recently, swinging the stick around in this connection as well. -----In any case, this is a short report on this topic, FYI)

<<From Me>>

>>It's easy to know when you are busy: Your English gets confusing…..

• Very perceptive Eddy-san. I did not use "Word" for the spell check. Then, I hit the "post" button instead of "edit" by mistake. Is there a relationship to my book writing?

(Hmm. If we are perceptive to our own nature, and look at it like you do, that’s a mirror* I should have and polish it diligently. I wonder if this is somewhere around the fourth stage of the ten-cow herding pictures, i.e., catching the cow.) ((* I wish I can refer to Yeno on this point of mirror - and dust. But, no time for now.))

>>I sympathize fully with your wife. (About editing)

Just this morning, she said, "The book will be a million seller for those who are insomnia. They will be guaranteed to go to sleep before reading more than a page." Yes, kind words of encouragement, her style. And for her to work more on editing, I may need to do more house chores…. L ! (btw, Before I continue writing, she managed to give me the job to clean up the barbecue set’s clogged gas pipe, and left me with more jobs, e.g., gutter clean up job, cutting branches, etc.)

Anyway, starting from December, I am into this book like 8-10 hours per day for the net two months now (excluding the trip to New Zealand). Now, I am going the whole thing from various angles, e.g., flow, structure, style, contents, etc. Sometimes it flows, but at occasion, I struggle (again), feeling a pain... When I am stuck for a long time, I may feel like throwing away everything - perhaps, similar to a life’s process that we(?!) may find at occasion. And because of that, I may be visiting "zenhell" for a source of relief.

(BTW, Is zen hell a relief or a mirror? When I look back ten-cow herding pictures, and look at the eighth stage, I thought, "No wonder, Eddy-san does not want to talk about Zen in zenhell, or anywhere." On the seventh picture, there is no cow any more, leaving the man alone. If "cow" is discussed as much as I do, it may not be a part of me except for a person like Daisetz, perhaps. It is intellect playing still – to discuss the indescribable – Daisetz does a good job, however. Then, I feel myself jumping around the different stages of these ten pictures in various subjects and moments in life. BTW, for those interested in ten-cow herding pictures, I am referring to p.363 of Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series, by D.T. Suzuki – Grove press.)

Having written this much and contemplating on Picasso, Daisetz’s life, etc., I also thought of you doing the samu at your garden. And my thought went on to mastering samu. (I posted a note here before, referring to the lady at the Zen temple I visited in Kobe.) Here, the notion is, "Samu, the organization of garden, having a discipline, etc. are all related to a life as a process of "organizing" in which our life energy, or X, is expressing itself. Then, it is The Master’s act in doing this. And, we humans do samu, painting, writing, working, doing the chore, etc. to basically do the same in our life’s process where samu may be seen as a most pure form of such an act."

Well, I do not have much more time now to go on mumbling like this…..except to comment, "This mumbling is a mumbling of the second floor. Basement has different mumbling. I am somewhat used to mumbling at the second floor, and to reach out to the basement as a challenge of some kind, perhaps intellectual, but also thinking of others who lives on the second floor. Thus, the mumbling continues….. But, I still feel Daisetz did such a wonderful, sincere mumbling, the master’s art, in living his life all the way through."

>>I have nothing better to do than peck away at my keyboard & TV remote control. Pretty dull.

Hope, above note reaches out to the man in the basement in the Japanese winter… But actually, you should check the sign of spring coming (This may be the ninth picture, back to the origin, Willow is green, flowers red.) and report back here.

Relating these, the following is the quote from page 375, Daisetz First series,

"Return to the origin, back to the source" (Ninth stage)

From the very beginning, pure and immaculate, he has never been affected by defilement. He calmly watches the growth and decay of things with form, while himself abiding in the immovable serenity of non-assertion. When he does not identify himself with magic-like transformations, what has he to do with artificialities of self-discipline? The water flows blue, the mountain towers green. Sitting alone, he observes things undergoing changes.

To return to the origin, to be back at the source – already a false step this!

Far better it is to stay home, blind and deaf, straightway and without much ado.

Sitting within the hut he takes no cognizance of things outside,

Behold the water flowing on – whither nobody knows; and those flowers red and fresh – for whom are they?

- Sugoina ~

"The one that goes out to the world market is not the product. It is the philosophy, the brain of that company."

- Soichiro Honda, p.174, "Ore no kangae"

"Modern industrial society often strikes me as being like a huge self-propelled machine. Instead of human being in charge, each individual is a tiny, insignificant component with no choice but to move when the machine moves."

- Dalai Lama, p.8 Ethics for the New Millennium

"If you want to be a better friend, a richer person, a better parent, a better athlete, a more successful businessman, all you need to do is find models of excellence."

• Anthony Robbins, p.29, Unlimited Power

"I did not wish to live what was not life."

• Thoreau

"Youth is youngness at heart. Youth is eternal for those who are full of faith and hope and greet the challenges of each new day with courage and confidence."

• Konosuke Matsushita, p.16 Not for Bread Alone

"Man is a thinking reed but his great works are done when he is not calculating and thinking. "Childlikeness" has to be restored with long years of training in the art of "self-forgetfulness."

• Daisetz T. Suzuki, vii, Zen in the art of…

"Life clears itself to the degree that we understand how the mind works."

• Vernon Howard, p.17, The Power of Your Super Mind

"Do the work without the desire of the fruit."

• Bhagavadgita, p.296

"All living being, be peaceful, gentle and happy. Whether animals, plants, big or small, long or short … All living being be happy."

• Buddha, 102 Nara, Suttanipada

"What is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world and lose himself?"

• Jesus, Howard 799

"Beware of dissipating your powers; strive constantly to concentrate them."

• Goethe, Howard 176, mystic…

"Truth is too simple for us; we do not like those who unmask our illusion."

• Emerson, Howard 1304

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

• Antoine De Saint-Exupery

"Man is made great or small by his own will."

• Schiller, Howard 502

"Use the light that is in you to recover your natural clearness of sight."

• Lao-tse, Howard 379

"If we cannot find contentment in ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere."

• La Rochefoucauld, Howard 349

"Truth above all, even when it upsets and overwhelms us."

• Amiel, Howard 75

"There is a treasure in every person."

• Sufism, Howard 144

"Know thyself."

• Socrates, Howard 80

>>So tell me, has anyone ever stated that all ten stages are based upon the origin, based upon the source? Probably not. That would take all the fun out of the analysis. We do seem to prefer our confusions.

"all ten stages are based upon the origin, based upon the source?" ?? The quote was for the ninth stage. Kakuan from China made the stages of spiritual progress into these ten cow herding pictures. For your reference, his commentary for the eighth stage, The cow and the man gone out of sight" is;

All confusion is set aside, and serenity alone prevails; even the idea of holiness does not obtain. He does not linger about where the Buddha is, and as to where there is no Buddha he speedily passes on. When there exists no form of dualism, even a thousand-eyed one fails to detect a loophole. A holiness before which birds offer flowers is but a farce.

All is empty, the whip, the rope, the man, and the cow:

Who has ever surveyed the vastness of heaven?

Over the furnace burning ablaze, not a flake of snow can fall:

When this state of things obtains, manifest is the spirit of the ancient master.

I will post the last tenth stage, "Entering the City with Bliss-bestowing Hands" or other stages some time in the future, if you like…

<<From Me>>

Leave It Alone:

"Sorewa Soreto Shi Te" are the original Japanese phrase Daisetz used quite often. Translation in English may be: "Leave it alone." "Be that as it may." "Leave as is." Or "Let it be"

I pondered on this phrase for sometime and realized that this phrase applies quite well in conducting life. Especially when we have a fixed mind or get stuck on something, that is when this phrase is most appropriate.

A question is whether or not we catch the moment to use this phrase to see a big picture and carry on with our life. "Be that as it may." "Leave as is." "Don’t get hung up." and "Carry on."

• When we have a mental movie going on for sometime in our mind, not producing anything meaningful, then let us leave it alone.
• When we get stuck in our thinking, let the thoughts as it is and carry on by changing the point of view.
• When we have our emotion going wild, leave the subject matter alone and it will settle by itself.
• When in meditation and thoughts come up to disturb the tranquillity, leave as it is and they will dissipate.
• When we die, leave it alone. When we meet disaster, let us meet and let us go on.
• When someone is angry or out of control, suggest to leave the idea as it is and change the point of view.

If we have such a stance, we can listen to our heart more clearly, be one with the message it brings and for it to be expressed through us. It may be in the form of inspiration, compassionate sense, bliss, oneness with mission, or whatever that may be – as it is meant to be. So, let the voice from the heart to speak to us. Let our self to die. Let nature’s way to take over. Surrender… and see what happens next.

I use the phrase "So what?" often. This phrase has similar connotation. But it has less forceful and more naturalness to go with it. If we leave everything alone, nature will take care of itself be what it may. Another phrase with similar connotation is: "For those who come, let them come. For those who leave, let them leave." So, it is about non-attachment.

==

Edgar -4

Elbow does not bend backward.

Daisetz responds to Ryomin Akizuki on his experience:

By looking objectively, we cannot get away from Go, karma.

It is the world of necessity.

So, "Not fall into cause and effect."

But looking from inside, within that necessity is the true liberty.

It is the opening of the creative world.

So, "Not to be blinded by the cause and effect."

Then, as elbow does not bend outwards, and flower is red and willow is green.

It is that obvious.

So, in that constrained necessity is the true liberty.

Akizuki comments:

• This is the experience of Daisetz on this Koan on Elbow at La Salle, after his passing on Mu in Japan. It was his breakthrough.
• Yet, he is on Taichi, big wisdom at this moment. Not Taihi, big compassion, that he developed in his later years.

Daisetz later explained his view on this point as "self-identification of absolute contradiction," logic of immediate denial, "Hannya Sokuhi no Ronri." ((Daisetz seem to emphasize the need to connect to "logic." While commenting Rinzai’s words as full of life jumping around on one occasion, Daisetz seems to feel that by itself it still misses the work of absolute affirmation to exhibit its work on human world as Bodhisattva. – This is my interpretation of his view.))

Ryomin Akizuki discusses further:

Kensho (awakening) is awareness of Byodo-Muso, equality-nodistinction (nothingness). Such is the experience when we first realize the world of dharmakaya, Hosshin-Muso. It is to realize that the self nature is Muso(nothingness). But, often, people get attached to this Muso, or become indulged in Byodo(equality) and fall into the trouble caused by "Golden chain of dharmakaya." Then, true master works hard on his disciple to take away the attachment to dharmakaya. It is the efforts for the disciple to move one step further to realize "Equality is In-equality" (Byodo soku sabetsu) "Nothingness is cause and effect" (Muso soku inga)

• Essence taken from p 152-154 Daisetz, Ryomin Akizuki (Iwanami)

==

>>I've never read anything by Saint-Exupery. ….. publishers ultimately decide what & how they want to publish something. I leave such decisions to them.

Here are few quotes by S-E (Famous author for The Little Prince):

"If you want to build a ship, don’t gather your people and ask them to provide wood, prepare tools, assign tasks… Just call them together and raise in their minds the longing for the endless sea." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Antoine De Saint-Exupery

If you live in the basement, limitless, and "It is OK" then, "publishers ultimately decide what & how they want to publish something. I leave such decisions to them." But as a human, typically living in between "It is OK" and "It is not OK," or as Bodhisattva to see the storms and lulls in the ocean, he may have a longing for the endless sea.

But, after all is it about nothingness? Of course, it is.

>>I write for fun. To define it as some sort of mission would be an overstatement. Yes, it is "about nothing". Yes, it is "about kitchen table we all have in our home?" In general, I indulge in capturing & sharing the absurdities of my lifestyle.

So, there is no "So what?" no why, no question, but as-it-isness. Case closed again. Good job, Eddy, as usual.

But….(Even if there is no "but,"ultimately, so, my mumbling continues…) Equality is inequality. And there are many flies hitting the window trying to escape – even if there are ways to be free. Or, in fact, they are free as they are. For example, if they read Eddy’s forthcoming book, they should find out(perhaps).

But, wait…

>> "Sometimes my temple is so full of shit I have to flee."

So, you want to flee as well?

Or, as Joshu said, "Wish I stay in the hell with you all."

Are you in Zenhell, or do you need Zenheaven?

==

<<From Eddy>>

You've already fled Japan once...the most advanced part of the country, in fact. Care to speculate how either you or Saint Exupery would do in my village

==

I cannot speculate for you. But I can do so a little for my own on my end:

When I was to pick up my son at school today, I saw fresh green grass and trees growing… after the rare rain we had yesterday.

O wonderful, wonderful, I thought.

But if I am God, I cannot say that.

So, in human life of It is OK and not OK, we can see an amazing sight of ordinary grass growing.

I go to the second floor and down to the basement, then to come up back to the second floor.

Yes, I fled Japan – longing for the California’s blue sky.. among other things.

And I will keep going on my journey just like grass grows,

- expressing itself, the best it can.

BTW, my wife did not like my green book and thought it might not be published.

She crossed out this and that, and left many comments here and there.

But I kept most of them as they were.

She is not my publisher, and I like to fight….hopefully for the principle.

Still, this disturbed me a bit because she may represent a typical audience.

More than likely, I am in the forest and cannot see the total picture. (Actually, that is given, and a matter of degree.)

But, can I take my blood and essence away from the work?

Well, it may be my obsession more than anything else, and she could be correct in her view.

But even if that is the case, so what?

Let me be the grass as I can be and grow as much as I can.

After all, that is what I talk in this book – to develop a backbone and self-manage ourselves.

Wind may blow and change the direction, but I can trim the sail.

So, I e-mailed the manuscript to Prof. W and Fred.

Spanish friends have not given me any feedback, yet.

Wind, storm, scorching sun….

Will the grass grow, blossom, and bear seeds?

Will the wind carry the seeds to the far away land?

Whatever the bumpy road I may have on my journey, let me keep the longing for the endless sea.

==

Searching for the Ox

Daisetz’s brief lecture on ten cow herding pictures taken from Daisetz Vol. 14, p.191

1^st : Searching for the cow

To search is the beginning of trouble. In reality, there is nothing lost. Yet, thinking lost and we search. Then, to search is to realize that the stuff is in front of our eyes. But it takes lots of searching before we realize that.

2^nd: Finding the footprint

It is not hidden. We already have it.

3^rd: Finding the cow

Since it exists already, there is nothing magical about it. Because it exists, we find it. If there is nothing there, we cannot find it.

4^th : Catching the cow

It is OK to find it, but we may want to get it to our own. To do this, each person has to find his own way.

5^th.: Herding the cow

This is when one is gotten used to the situation. Even if the cow is released, it follows us. This indicates the needs of us going through training (to get to this stage).

6^th.: Sitting on the cow

Describe the state of freedom.

7^th. 8^th.: Forgetting man and the cow

There is no man above the saddle and no horse below the saddle. Forget ourselves. This is the state of samadhi. Here we see the pure state of self.

9^th.: Return to the origin

(He observes things undergoing changes.)

10^th.:

If we do not have this state, there is no Zen or religion. If we just sit in the forest or in the mountain like Rakan or arhat, it may be OK for him. ((i.e., Hinayana)) Yet, in our world, there are inequality, and suffering. It is caused by searching the individual’s own benefit, not considering the benefits of the total society. So, finding the benefit for our own has to become for the benefits of the others. Thus, Buddhists should go into the world of dualism. ((Because public suffers, I suffer. – Yuima)) Not just giving away moneys for those poor, but create something that help improve the social organization. We then use our power and authority not for our own. Those who have academic background, money, those are not for those people alone. These are not to be used for them alone but for the public. If so, we cannot be just quietly sitting here. We need to go out and work. Ten cow herding pictures explain the process of development of our spirit/consciousness.

(For more complete description of ten cow herding pictures, see Daisetz Suzuki, p.371-, Essays in Zen Buddhism, First Series)

==

Enlightenement – Daisetz, p.362 Vol.14 (Original from Columbia Univ. Press, The Review of Religion, 1954, Vol. 18) Translated back to English from Japanese by myself. ((my comments))

When searching for the truth, typically, we start from philosophy. Then, we notice what wise guys said on this subject in the past, noticing that this difficult problem is also what made them wondered or suffered. Buddha did this as well. But this did not help him. By its own nature, philosophy cannot put us back to where before the questions were yet raised. It is the limit of philosophy. It may give a faint view of existence. But most likely, as we try to reach closer, it will fade away. So, Buddha eventually left these people.

Next, he attempted a hard training. For some reason, we generally think that if we restrain our desire from our body, our mind will be cleansed and can see the truth as it is. Yet, such restraining of desire will see self, the one that ask the question of truth, more like an enemy. Then, this enemy is seen as something to conquer, or overcome. And this enemy stands always at where the man having question. No matter how hard this questioner tries his best to defeat the enemy with his all might, the enemy will not be conquered. So far as the self, the questioner, exists, he will create new enemy and have to fight continuously. ((The world of "it is not OK."))

Defeating the enemy does not mean saving our self nor answering the question. This is because self can only exist by having non-self, and this non-self is the enemy. The self is the creator of enemy. The questioner will be a questioner no matter how far he goes. He remains to be the creator of questions.

In the hard training, the questioner is the self. There, the self is confronted to non-self, i.e., enemy. This enemy has to be defeated no matter what. Yet, so far as we have self, there is no way this enemy is defeated. Self cannot exist by itself. ((Unless above heaven, below heaven, I am that I am.)) It always try to express the self, prove the power, and desires to have someone to prove that he is that important existence. When self find that there is no others to prove, or to be proud of itself, it loses its self-nature. Restraining one’s own nature ((by hard training)) is a way of expressing its own self.

One cannot go beyond its own self through restraining one’s desire or to follow the moral disciplines. Unless we go beyond the self, however, we will not find the opportunity to solve the problems that is related to searching our existence. Our self has to be thrown out totally. There should be no trace of conflict between self and non-self.

Buddha realized this point from his own experiences. One day, he tried to raise from sitting but he could not. As he did not have enough food to eat, he was weakened to the point where he could not sustain himself. …. He then thought, "If he who has the question has to die now, he will leave the question unresolved and die." So, in order to search this major problem that encompasses everything, he started to eat and attempted to recover his health and energy.

But, how can he move forward from there? Intellect did not bring solution. Hard training did not help much. He had nothing to do. Yet, he wished to resolve the problem much more than before. If his mind was smaller, and weakened, it may have been crushed under the heavy pressure of this problem.

Being cornered to its extreme, his whole existence responded. He now felt that there was no more questions to ask, and there is no self to fight against the enemy. His self, his intellect, his whole existence was thrown into the question. In other words, he became the question itself. The distinction between questioner and the question, self and non-self, is vanished and one undivided "unknown" was left. In this "unknown,’ he was absorbed.

If we picture the scene in our mind, there was no Buddha left to ask questions, no self to realize the ego, and there was no question responding to the intellect that threatens his existence. There was no sky above his head nor no ground under his feet. If we could stand besides Buddha at that time and be able to look into his existence, what we may have found there would be a big question mark that covers the whole universe. If he had any mind, if we could say so, such was the state of his mind. He was there in such a state for a while. And.. when he looked up the sky, he saw the Venus in the early morning sky. The light of the star went straight into his eyes. This event brought his whole consciousness back to the previous/normal state. There was no question that was so strong, so persistent and caused him suffering left anymore. There was a whole world shining under a new light with new meaning.

==

Flow of Life Energy – and religious experiences

• Beginning from Buddha’s Enlightenment to create the movement in Buddhism over centuries and across the world, we find a continuous flow of life energy. Naturally, the expression of this life energy is found in any human activities or in nature, e.g., from seeds to grow a tree. All organizational development process follows through this pattern.
• Buddha was asked by Bonten, imaginary Gods, to share his wisdom with the public – just like any parents would try to pass the learning to their children. This is an expression of life energy in the form of compassion. As a part of social being, all of us take nutrition from the flow, digest it as our own, and add to it what we can. Not just to maintain the form, organization goes through metamorphoses. There is no stopping. The question is how we add our portion in this flow in our life. The question is whether or not there is life in that process. Whether big or small in scale, as we channel that energy, we see miracles, we are part of that miracle, we are the miracle.
• Ones with money try to increase his possession. There is evolution of religions, reflecting to who we are. Then, our civilization advances over time. These are the expressions of the life energy, or X. It is an organic process, a creative process, a collective process, and a form of evolution of the universe. We may identify ourselves with this liveliness. We are the liveliness, the life energy, the universe represented in us.
• Life is a process of going through suffering. Suffering represents hurdles. God, or X, provides opportunities for us to grow as human by giving us such experiences. Organizationally and individually, we are to grow and seek for freedom, solving problems, and going beyond infinite numbers of hurdles. This is simply following the nature’s way. In the process of going through hurdles, individual’s experiences are tied to organization’s experiences, and vice versa. So, just looking into one’s own experience and not relate to the social experience misses the point. It is a dynamic, interactive process.
• In the suffering is the solution because the whole process is made in such a way, following the laws of nature. Where the problems are, the solutions are found inside of us. In the suffering is the new life growing as seeds of creation to go beyond. This realization is the absolute affirmation of nature’s way. Because of suffering, humans can experience the state of wonder that animals or God cannot experience.
• Once we are awakened, or get the learning, we can tie that to the society, the trees and flowers and the universe. We change the universe, the universe change us. Everything become one. We become one with the flower, stone, suffering of others, everything is an expression of this dynamic flow of the universe. There, wisdom and compassion flows out continuously. It is the continuous, interactive process. Miracle happens as an expression of energy. Wounds are healed, suffering overcome, new species are born, and evolution continues. Whether we are great or not, we express ourselves and feed our contribution forward to this flow. If there is difference, it is a matter of degree we express ourselves.
• Intellect itself does not do much to express ourselves and contribute in this flow. There has to be emotion and will, connecting to the core of our being – as found in the case of mother raising kids. It is an interactive, holistic process. There is no independent self because the society, and everything else constitute self. We are the reflection and vice versa. We cannot separate ourselves from the rest but to constitute the whole. In other words, everything else supports or connects our "self" – like a network. When one moves everything else also move. When there is sin committed by someone, we have collectively contributed in that process.
• When Buddha was awakened, he realized the function of life energy within him - the function of the universe reflected in him. Yet, he also realized that the function is not his own, independent of others. So, he went out to the public to help others. His whole life represents the message he delivered. The first experience is wisdom; the second is compassion. The difference is Mahayana and Hinayana, or Bottisatva and arhat/Rakan. Yet, the origin is the same. It shows how the growth is taking place, how the flow is developed.
• We see such movement in our individual life. We cannot complete our personal development by our own. The same is true for the company, and our society.
• Just like learning to swim, we get the knowledge, practice it, and forget the knowledge when we master the art. We are not there yet, unless we get to the point where we do not recognize who did the job. So, if we are conscious, it is a step. But we need to throw away such consciousness eventually to be a master, for awakening, for total absorption in this flow.
• Then, out of the wisdom comes compassion. Helping our own and others has to happen. Compassion comes from our instinctive sense to feel pity of others and our own. Even a criminal may jump into the water to save a drowning child. Philosophically, this comes from the fact that self can only be supported by non-self. Self-help, then, does not end there but to help others. When there are many of those who are much worse off, and miserable, what can we do? We cannot just sit and watch. We want to provide our resources to help them. It is a part of the whole movement for us to work as our life’s mission.

==

It is a Hand of Buddha

When Mihoko Okamoto visited Daisetz the first time in New York, she was perhaps 15 years old with troubled mind. Daisetz was about 81 then.

She said to him, "I cannot believe people. I feel empty in my life."

To this, Daisetz said, "I see." and nodded.

She felt that they were not the words for affirmation or negation. She felt an impact to her biased mind from this deep vibrating sound.

Then, Daisetz took Mihoko’s hand, opening it and said with tears in his eyes, "This is a beautiful hand. Look, this is a hand of Buddha."

.

Thomas Marton said about Daisetz, referring to the words of Albert Camus, " With those few people, I feel proud of co-existing in this life." Then, he continued to say, "…He is the one everyone really wants to meet. Who else is there? Meeting him and having tea with him, I felt that I met the man. It was like coming back to home after a long journey."

Erich Fromm said, "Should I write about the effect his very presence had on me, on my wife, and so many other friends and colleagues? His love for life, his effect. They tend to make one stronger, more alive, more concentrated….He was always himself, humble, never an "authority."; he never insisted that his view must be followed; he was a man who never aroused fear in anybody….He was an authority by his being, and never because he promised approval or threatened disapproval."

Shido Zenji said, "As we live, like living dead, and dead totally, it is good to do as the mind desire."

We get troubled with small stuff. But as we leave it alone to the great one, X, we realize we are Buddha also. In Daisetz, Mihoko saw Buddha, or perhaps Bottisatva. In his moist eyes, and the words of Marton, Fromm, and many others, there is something, a great thing alive – forever.

==

The Journey Continues

At where the fields of different energy meet is the spark. It may be looked as entertainment, joke, fight, war, torture, or whatever. But it may be also looked at life struggling to find the new solution in its efforts to move forward. This happens because of various reasons. For example, due to ego or interaction between one’s second floor and basement. Or, this may happen within second floor, within basement, between people, people and nature, etc. It is an interactive process, an element of the universe expressing itself interacting with each other. Yes, a fly may also hit the window in his own way. It is happening all the time – a process of exploration. It is as-it-isness in action.

If we symbolize this process of expression as war, when the war ends, there may be dead bodies found in this process of creating new entity - new possibilities. Or, there may be peace, rest, new growth of leaves, sun and the song of birds heard in the new light - perhaps, before the next war to begin. Survival of the fittest is a way to describe such process of ever searching a new light, new meaning, new potential. It may be just exhaustive as it is. Yet, if we see the internal energy searching for the possibilities of future, it may be looked at in a very positive way - simply a nature’s way. So, it is OK in that sense.

Anyway, Eddy, I am ready to devote myself to my next challenge - the white book. The one, I have left behind since last December due to the interruption for the green book that I have just finished. In the mean time, Zenhell seems to be prospering in some way with more people in this interactive process in its own universe. I hope the best for you and all the members for the journey ahead. Personally, I also hope to pop in every now and then to see the action here while I continue my journey and struggle on this white book. Best wishes for the life in hell!

Kio

==

Freedom in the Constraints – Elbow Again

Liberty in Necessity

Many Zen saying touches this very point:

- In the heat, kill the heat.

- Elbow does not bent outward.

Then, a Mahayana’s view of the world:

Man cannot be truly happy if he does not throw himself to a certain mission.

>>More than likely, I am in the forest and cannot see the total picture.

Actually, that is given, and a matter of degree. (2^nd floor)

With Hannya’s wisdom, and from our heart,

We can search the words in the Bible on the net, for example,

Concordance: Search for the word, "Lilies" as example

http://bible.crosswalk.com/Concordances/StrongsExhaustiveConcordance/str.cgi

We can read the Bible on the net, for example,

American Bible Society: Chapter of Matthew as example

http://search.absblc.org/versesearch.asp?selversion=kjv&selbook=40&txtchapter=1&txtchapter2=&txtverse=&txtverse2=

==

Kierkegaard…

In relation to Buddha's process of enlightenment, the movement of existentialists like Kierkegaard is interesting to compare to. Here are two links, I found recently.

http://www.ccel.org/k/kierkegaard/selections/

http://www.webcom.com/kierke/Discuss/Read/1237.html

While my knowledge on him is very much limited, these links (and the knowledge gained from Encarta) made me aware of interesting contrast to my analogy of brain and heart (See intro. to mini-company in my home page for example.) More I understand how different people approached life's problems, more I see how various people may find certain segment of these religious / philosophical movement. Some may go far, while others may not. It is like evolution or the process of tree growing.

Such movement will continue so far as human has brain and heart and keep searching for better living. Some may find the source of evolution, others may not. Since X, the core of evolution, inspiration, or wisdom cannot be described but with metaphor, (HBC, or computer analogy being one of them) unless we have a good grasp of X, we may be easily lost in the vast various expressions about the functioning of X by various people.

In any case, I found Kierekegaard's emphasis on subjectivity, might be tied to the notion of mini-company, both addressing self sufficiency, and freedom. In my term, it is the life more based upon "heart" but not "brain" so much. As I see, some prefers to live in the "Heart" while others live in the "Brain." Then, there are those who live their life by going back and forth. Not to say who is better or worse, our society evolves by combination of everybody’s efforts. If we find negativity, we find positive force to overcome the negatives.

My mini-company idea tries to strike a balance/link between heart and brain. Or, it tries to find a good framework/platform to use the best of what we have. In modern day world, heart is often forgotten and that is the reason why I emphasized the importance of heart in my green book. One of the key messages was to listen to our heart. If we categorize, we may say entrepreneurs live more from the heart and operations managers perhaps more from the brain. As much as some like to live in mountains, others like to live in cities. Then, there are those who are more oriented to intellect, while others are oriented to emotion. Wisdom and compassion may be another aspect of this like different side of the same coin. Then, Mahayana and Hinayana, heaven and hell, entropy and life energy, ying and yang. If there is force applied, there is reactionary force applied as well.

A recurring concern for me is the notion of "compassion." Compared to Bottisatva's approach to "save people," I feel Existentialists orientation is more like Hinayana to focus on the state of "present." I thought it may be seen as self-indulging. My view is that after blessing from the heart, we need to not stay there but to come back to the world of objectivity/dualistic world, and do the work – connecting to the heart. But again, this may be just a matter of preference. Then if preference is karma and represent cause and effect relationship like a program developed from the past, and if we want to be flexible and to go beyond the constraints, we need to listen to our heart again. So, this is a never-ending process of evolution as each individual and for human to go through. Our journey continues.

If we are enlightened, it seems to me that the path we took become clear to us, and we may want to share the learning related to suffering and the way to overcome suffering/constraints with others. Zen may be more for the intellect, while pure land sect is for less intellectual people but with warm heart. After all, they are different flowers blooming from the same tree.

==

<<From Eddy>>

From "Zen and Zen Classics", Volume One. Hokuseido Press (Tokyo) Heian International (San Francisco)

The reader of this book will be confused by it, but this the destiny of man, since many are the roads, but all lead to the same conclusion, confusion. If I am asked "Are you for, or against Zen?" the answer is, both, not neither. The great fault of Christians is that they never criticize (fundamentally) Christianity. No one, or almost no one, criticizes democracy or communism (fundamentally) in the countries where they are the "national treasure." No Buddhist ever calls the Buddha a bit of a fool; blasphemy laws still exist in England. Japan is perhaps the freest country in the world, and perhaps always has been, spiritually speaking, because it is the least unpoetical, and the least unhumorous.

Zen is the essence of Christianity, of Buddhism, of culture, of all that is good in the daily life of ordinary people. But that does not mean that we are not to smash it flat if we get the slightest opportunity. And we are not going to attack foxy (false) Zen, or the hypocrites and time-servers who support it, but Zen itself in its highest and sublimest forms. Nothing is sacred but one's own foolish and contradictory intuitions. By "intuition" is meant here that which I myself find in common with all so-called "great men" without exception, and with a good many "little" men. It is thus purely subjective, dangerous, and indeed variable, but the great thing is to have courage, and say again and again, "All that can be shaken shall be shaken!" and if nothing remains, let it be so.

R.H.Blyth
27 Aug. 1959

<<From Me>>

R.H.Blyth committed suicide, as I overheard form someone, somewhere, sometime ago. If that is true, I wonder why. Does anybody have clue? Perhaps, he went out of the middle way? If Zen is tied to creativity, life jumping around fully, Buddhism stay away from killing, and that no animals commit suicide, somehow the end does not meet in his case.

<<From Eddy>>

>>R.H.Blyth committed suicide, as I overheard form someone, somewhere,
sometime ago. If that is true, I wonder why. Does anybody have clue?

That someone, somewhere, sometime ago...was me, here, the last time you were here. I myself heard it first from our mutual friend Prof. W., who attended Blyth's (and D.T. Suzuki's) lectures in Kyoto during the 1950s & 60s. (Prof. W., by the way, will lead his Asian tour group to my temple on May 18th.)

>>Perhaps, he went out of the middle way?

Judging from uncompromising tone of his writings, Blyth, like Hamlet, never had the equilibrium to remain in the middle way to begin with. Therein lies Edgar's attraction to Blyth and Hamlet.

Quite by coincidence, Kio-sama, I was reading the first few pages of his book just this morning (over breakfast at McDonald's) and came across the answer to your question even before reading your latest post. Though I have not read Blyth for more than 20 years, I still have some of his books with me...all of which, you may be interested to know, are dedicated to D.T.Suzuki, frequently with the following comment: "The only man who can write about Zen without making me puke."

By his own account, Blyth left England due to lost love. He spent years following the trail of Buddhism through India, Thailand, Korea and finally Japan. It was in Japan that he fell in love again--with Japanese culture, Japanese people, Japanese Zen and a Japanese woman. Alas, the relationship with the Japanese woman did not work out and as a result, Blyth committed suicide. Poor fellow. Had he the good fortune of knowing Edgar, I would have gladly imparted to him the obvious fact that there are thousands of Japanese women worth dying for, therefore, not a single one worth dying for.

Anyway, returning to your questions regarding Blyth, suicide & straying from the middle way...by coincidence, the passage I came across shortly before reading your post is as follows: (Quoted from "Zen and Zen Classics", Volume One, chapter one, "What is Zen?", page 17)

"...but there is a third alternative, not the Middle Way, of course, but another extreme, mentioned before, the way of poetry. This has practically nothing to do with iambic pentameter, but consists in giving the highest possible value to every moment. We are to be painting or looking at pictures, *or* composing or reading verse, *or* thinking deeply or making things grow, *or* having sexual intercourse with someone we cannot bear to be parted from even for a moment, --*and* when we die we shall sleep the sleep of the just."

>>If Zen is tied to creativity, life jumping around fully, Buddhism stay away from killing, and that no animals commit suicide, somehow the end does not meet in his case.<<

This brings to mind an observation made by D.T. Suzuki. Though I am not sure of the source (book?), I believe I might have heard it on a tape recording of one of Suzuki's speeches. Anyway, Suzuki pointed out that there is a surprising number of monks / people who commit suicide within 5 years of attaining satori.

Why? And what about this thing called death? Consider the following mosaic of mostly recent opinions:

From Blyth (ibid., page 13)
"It (the universe) tells me to cause no pain or death while I am alive in pain between my two deaths, that of birth and that of annihilation."

From Hakuin
"Die once and you'll never die again."

From a song I once heard on the radio, artist unknown
"I don't mean to spread any blasphemous rumors /
but I think God's got a sick sense of humor /
And when I die, I think I'll find him laaaaauuughingggg."

From LA Zen Center, Evening Gatha
"Let me respectfully remind you:
Life and death are of supreme importance;..."

From Zen Hell, Eddy's Evening Gatha
"Why should I bother to remind you:
Life and death don't matter a hoot;..."

...Now then, Kio-sama, back to your comment: "... somehow the end does not meet in his case." Well, perhaps. I understand what you are saying at least. Mind you, hundreds of Zen koans deal with death--the answers of which require a logically impossible dip into the bottomless well of extinction (to quench the unbearable thirst for existential knowledge.) In defense of Blyth, I would say he knew what he was doing, and where he was going. Rather than merely waiting for the door to open, he decided to break it down.

In post #366 TheFirstBull states: "Read and be led astray, Do not read and die ignorant." To which I reply *sans* Zen encryption: All things lead astray (because they are designed for that [delightful] purpose). Consequently, all of us die ignorant. Yet, some irrepressible freaks of nature--your Edgar among them--live to tell the tale of their own death.

Our ignorance is unavoidable. The enlightened, willful use of ignorance results in Ignorance. (No cigars for those who guess which is more fun.)

Ignoramus Rex,
Edgar

==

At the beginning was the puzzling feeling on Mr. Blyth’s death. Then, more information was given by Eddy in the last post to give me more clarity. Reading that, my mind went through the steps that are described below.:

Intuitively, I feel that poets and writers like Cervantes, Henry Miller, Hesse, Goethe, Yasunari Kawabata*, Yuko Mishima* exhibits certain characteristics that may be also found in Blyth. (* committed suicide) Utmost concern on life and pursuit for ultimate way of life/beauty/truth with huge emotional/(Spiritual!?) drive seem to be a common characteristics. Creativity, genius, and "craziness" may be intertwined in their personality.

For the sake of comparison, we may also notice that there is artist like Picasso, inventor like Edison, or businessman like Konosuke Matsushita who devoted their whole life in their life’s mission. People like Kierkegaard, and Krishnamurti may be added here in their earnest pursuit of investigating/understanding the human nature. In spite of these people’s different appearances, we may picture that their basic human nature is the same. ((Yes, this is my second floor talking and playing with the limited knowledge I gathered.))

Noticing that they are all males, somehow, I thought of taking a view of women as well. ((My mind is just wondering around.)) For example, I picture myself to be the mother of Mr. Blyth, Kawabata, Mishima… and picture how I, the mother, may relate to the events in my son’s life. Likewise, I may play around so many viewpoints to look at the world, or I may think of so many possible interactions to produce men and their life, and so many various ways to express their life. Many cul de sac, many breakthroughs, many failures and myriad passages for evolution are then observed.

Then, the question was: So what?

I thought that this imaginary mother may stay in delusion, worrying and hoping the best for her son’s life, and his fate, praying what she can. She cannot help but behave this way as she find no boundary dividing between her and her son. Also, I thought, she may be the MOTHER, or X, to let these men to live in this world, following the laws of nature. In either case, mother/MOTHER always stay behind and keep her silence. She/SHE just wishes the best for her son’s life. SHE knows all; SHE forgives all. SHE is the quiet center of the universe. The word that comes up in my mind to describe such state is "compassion" ((Ooops! Puking anyone??))

Hesse wrote as his dedication to Demian, "I wanted only to try to live according with the prompting which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult?" Do we hear such voice coming from late Mr. Blyth? Then, do we hear such voice coming up from here and there? If so, how do we deal with the elephant tail swinging outside the Shoji door knocking things around? What then our silent MOTHER has to say anything about this?

Later, Hesse said in Demian, "There’s an immense difference between simply carrying the world within us and being aware of (doing) it." My release insight then is: for late Mr. Blyth, and for those voices coming up from here and there, let our tears flow. Perhaps, we may find that that may well be the tears of our silent MOTHER . ((At this point, I went on to play with my son, moving forward in my life’s flow – with certain lessons gained in this small exercise in my mind. Or, was it just a dream on this Sunday afternoon, or play of words that happened?))

==

Blyth

>> By his own account, Blyth left England due to lost love. He spent years following the trail of Buddhism through India, Thailand, Korea and finally Japan. It was in Japan that he fell in love again--with Japanese culture, Japanese people, Japanese Zen and a Japanese woman. Alas, the relationship with the Japanese woman did not work out and as a result, Blyth committed suicide.

According to Mihoko Okamura, who pretty much lived every single day of the last 15 years with Daisetz Suzuki as a secretary and helper, the story sounded quite different. The following information is from my phone conversation with her, last night.

She mentioned to me that Mr. Blyth passed away due to a brain disease. She said with the tone of big surprise, "No way, he committed suicide." She went to the hospital where he passed away. She knew him, his wife, and his secretary quite well.

She mentioned, Mr. Blyth taught at Gakushuin, became a tutor to crown prince, i.e., current emperor, translated constitution of Japanese constitution into English, and played a role of liaison between Americans and Japanese Imperial family. Prior to that, he was the prisoner of war at Kobe. He kept a long friendship with Daisetz.

>> This brings to mind an observation made by D.T. Suzuki. Though I am not sure of the source (book?), I believe I might have heard it on a tape recording of one of Suzuki's speeches. Anyway, Suzuki pointed out that there is a surprising number of monks / people who commit suicide within 5 years of attaining satori.

Ms. Okamura could not believe such a story is reported to come from Suzuki. She does not believe such is the case.

==

* How is life after NHK, and Prof. W's visit, Eddy?

==

>>How is life after NHK, and Prof. W's visit, Eddy?

The NHK documentary aired three times last week. Although that documentary series--specializing in foreigners with unusual occupations in Japan--has been around for several years now, NHK just called to inform me that my show broke all viewer records. (Due in large part to the interest most folks have in the subject of religion). I also requested that NHK *not* give out my address & phone number, nevertheless, all manner of folks are dropping in & telephoning for all manner of reasons. Some ridiculous, some serious, some just wanting to chat with someone they saw on TV. Thus far, roughly 50% of contacts are an annoying waste of time; 50% might be defined as genuine or of potential value. Either way, a sudden surge in my social workload. As expected, total strangers accost me on the street to talk, only to be interrupted by other strangers doing the same thing. Sometimes it's flattering, sometimes it's annoying. I expect the public's memory to last about another month or so. But then another TV station has me lined up for another "mini" documentary early June.

Anyway, Kio, since you've been through this process before on national TV in America, you already know what it's like. Except in your case, that of a professional businessman, you must have profited nicely from all the free advertizing. In my case, that of a man with no readily tangible product to sell, I hardly see any financial benefits on the immediate horizon. Just some speech gigs lined up. In short, tangible assets are not expected to mushroom anytime soon; I expect I'll still be dining at McDonalds for the next few years.

Yet, I'm happy to say that--as I expected--this sudden spike of media attention has effectively made Little Eddy a nationally recognized "brand name", temporarily at least. Though the cost to my privacy is as high as I expected, offsetting this is the fact that as a brand name I can and will leap over the decades of silent suffering expected of me by the pathetically small-minded potato heads I have as executive members of my temple. The neighborhood gossip has it that the chief executive member is rolling in his grave--and he's not even dead yet! Alas, the three executive member's "vision" of an easily managed & private "village temple" manned by an easily manipulated pussy of an abbot has inexorably exploded in their Easter Island faces. Though the various newspaper articles on me last year set their thunder clouds a-grumbling, television is a far more powerful medium. Fancy editing by the NHK team makes me out to be a happy, diligent saint.

Regarding Prof. W.'s visit, I must say we all had a magnificent time. I was overjoyed to see him & his wife again (after 10 years). Though the visit was all too brief--perhaps 4 hours--I don't imagine any of us will forget it during our lifetime. His group of students were a hoot too! Quite a bunch...though I fear--as usual--I may have stunned & offended some of them (especially the devout Christians) during our casual Q&A sessions. Initially, I incorrectly thought they were Prof. W.'s students, so I answered their questions assuming they knew plenty about Buddhism & Zen. (Boy, was I wrong!) To a vague question about Zen, God & forgiving sins, I let fly with: "I think Christians got it backwards in seeking forgiveness from God. Personally, I believe the big Son-Of-A-Bitch has an unforgivably cruel sense of humor." To another question regarding Zen & agnosticism, I replied: "The only way a person can ultimately prove that God does *not* exist...is to meet Him. Only then you'll know He doesn't exist". ...Such lines, of course, (with my special delivery) landed upon our room like giant turds dropped from the sky by a passing pterodactyl. Later, in a private conversation with Prof. W. on the way back to the train station, I asked him if I'd accidentally "overdone" it with the students. He was good natured about it & stated, "No, I think you got it about right. It's just the sort of thing many of them need to hear." Well, I hope Prof. W. is correct. Yet, I wonder....

Anyway, Prof. W. now has a copy of the NHK documentary. If you sit in zazen with him for a week, Kio, perhaps he will give you the pleasure of viewing it. The price of admission to Edgar is going up.

Still your faithful misleader,
Edgar
==

Thank you for the update, please continue to mislead us as you are destined to do so. I smiled by reading the line, "The only way a person can ultimately prove that God does *not* exist...is to meet Him. Only then you'll know He doesn't exist." You raise questions and different viewpoint of our often conditioned way of living. It may irritate people at times (most of time??), including me. But if anyone is to do that job, whatever that job is, you have your way of doing it. Like Ikkyu san who strolled around on a new year’s day with human skull attached on top of the stick to send the message to people, you may be destined to do your version of Ikkyu san.

I may have shared this story before. But, I remember someone telling me (as I forget to remember these stories myself) when I picked up a cigarette butt at the factory floor, I asked a question, "What is this?" to a manager touring with me.

He replied, with a troubled look like why are you asking such a question, "A cigarette butt."

I asked, "What is this doing here?"

He replied perhaps irritatingly, "Someone threw it away after smoking."

"Why is it sitting here?"

--- "Because someone just threw it without thinking."

"Why?"

--- "I don’t know…. I cannot think for him."

"Why should it be here?"

--- "Maybe we don’t have a tray near by."

"Why? What does that mean?" "What do you think is going on?" etc., etc.

I may have continued grilling this person, his way of thinking, etc. on this incident to make some point that is something I do not know what I am talking about. Perhaps, I was misleading. (Mind you I got paid doing this.) But the guy kept a question to himself. Then, he asked more questions to himself and came up with answers by himself, and the company started to change…

Anyway, such was the way I did my "So what?" in business. I liked the unknown. I liked the challenge and finding and touching the live wire of various organizations. I went around the world to pick up more cigarette butt or whatever necessary to do my way of Katz in business. I met various people, gained more experience, got paid, and had fun in doing it at least for some 10 to 15 years until I got bored – more or less. And shifted that "So what?" in my life more seriously. So, this may be the reason I was looking for the recipe in the form of "white" book, even if it is a recipe of no recipe, to get into the door of others and mine to play this game again. (Yes, this is confession, as well as the reflection of how you have played game on me – not intentionally I am sure.)

So, thank you again. And wish you keep doing a good job! While you say the price of admission to Edgar is going up, I hope you do the priceless job like that of Ikkyu.

Kio