These are my notes written from Dec., 2000 to early 2001. There are ideas that correspond to part three of my white book. That is: Mahayana is equivalent to management of life and business with spirituality as its core.

Spirituality and Business, Mahayana, Individual and Organizations, Mid- Alpha, Conscious and Unconscious, etc. *

I just returned from a business trip to Michigan. In this trip, I gave a seminar titled "Finding a Spririt in a Company" and conducted management consulting work to a few companies.

Having had some interesting experiences in this trip, I would like to summarize the key points surfaced up in this trip. Also, I would like to tie this experience with the thoughts I have had for some time. This is about the link between individuals and organizations - tied to Zen, Vipassana, Life energy, H-max idea, Kegon, etc. While I have touched these subjects before, I now feel that it is time to focus my efforts to tie with the business aspect of our life as well.

This is like tying Vipassana to business. It is an issue of our inner life and its link to our society. Buddha said, "The wise ones, ever meditative and steadfastly persevering, alone experience Nibbana, the incomparable freedom from bondage." Dhammapada 23 Then, he shared the way to save people from misery to live a happy life. Certainly, management is to practice such an idea as well. This is about finding spirituality in our business and develop connection/harmony.

There is Zen in business. There is an art. We can find it, practice it, and make our business fully alive. So that we do not forget the basics, here is Daisetz Suzuki...again:

From p.63-64, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism

…logic has so pervasively entered into life as to make most of us conclude that logic is life and without it life has no significance. The map of life has been so definitely and so thoroughly delineated by logic that what we have is to do is simply to follow it, and that we ought not to think of violating the laws of thought, which are final. Such a general view of life has to come to be held by most people, though I must say that in point of fact they are constantly violating what they think inviolatable. That is to say, they are "holding a spade and yet not holding it", they are making the sum of two and two sometimes three, sometimes five; only they are not conscious of this fact and imagine that their lives are logically or mathematically regulated. Zen wished to storm this citadel of topsy-turvydom and to show that we live psychologically or biologically and not logically.

In logic there is a trace of efforts and pain; logic is self-conscious. So is ethics, which is the application of logic to the facts of life. An ethical man performs act of service which are praiseworthy, but he is all the time conscious of them, and, moreover, he may often be thinking of some future reward. Hence we should say that his mind is tainted and not at all pure, however objective or socially good his deeds are. Zen abhors this. Life is an art, and like perfect art it should be self-forgetting; there ought not to be any trace of efforts or painful feeling. Life, according to Zen, ought to be lived as a bird flies through the air or as a fish swims in the water. As soon as there are signs of elaboration, a man is doomed, he is no more free being. You are not living as you ought to live, you are suffering under the tyranny of circumstances; you are feeling a constraint of some sort, and you lose your independence. Zen aims at preserving your vitality, your native freedom, and above all the completeness of your being. In other words, Zen wants to live from within. Not to be bound by rules, but to be creating own rules - this is the kind of life which Zen is trying to have us live. Hence its illogical, or rather superlogical, statements.

I view these described below are the essence! With slight modification to bodily sensation, I think this ties directly with Vipassana. In other words, we may be able to test what we leaned in the Vipassana course and how we practice it may be measured against the points described here.

Taken from: Majjhima Nikaya 118, Anapanasati Sutta, Mindfulness of Breathing -- As found in Accesstoinsight website: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/majjhima/mn118.html

"And how are the four frames of reference developed & pursued so as to bring the seven factors of awakening to their culmination?

"[1] On whatever occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself -- ardent, alert, & mindful -- putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world, on that occasion his mindfulness is steady & without lapse. When his mindfulness is steady & without lapse, then mindfulness as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. ((((to the alpha state))))

"[2] Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, & coming to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then analysis of qualities as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. ((((but use brain at the same time))))

"[3] In one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, unflagging persistence is aroused. When unflagging persistence is aroused in one who examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then persistence as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. (((((keep the stance - not wander around))))

"[4] In one whose persistence is aroused, a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises. When a rapture not-of-the-flesh arises in one whose persistence is aroused, then rapture as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. ((((Find the moment of insight, dissolution, and release))))

"[5] For one who is enraptured, the body grows calm and the mind grows calm. When the body & mind of an enraptured monk grow calm, then serenity as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. ((((Not wander around, not be deluded again)))

"[6] For one who is at ease -- his body calmed -- the mind becomes concentrated. When the mind of one who is at ease -- his body calmed -- becomes concentrated, then concentration as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. (((Keep concentration))))

"[7] He oversees the mind thus concentrated with equanimity. When he oversees the mind thus concentrated with equanimity, equanimity as a factor of awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development. ((((Keep awareness and equanimity - always))))

[Similarly with the other three frames of reference: feelings, mind, & mental qualities.] (((Keep working on integrating all faculties of mind-body tied with "spirituality" X.)))

"This is how the four frames of reference are developed & pursued so as to bring the seven factors of awakening to their culmination.

(Clear Knowing & Release)

"And how are the seven factors of awakening developed & pursued so as to bring clear knowing & release to their culmination? There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion...dispassion...cessation, resulting in relinquishment. He develops analysis of qualities as a factor of awakening...persistence as a factor of awakening...rapture as a factor of awakening...serenity as a factor of awakening...concentration as a factor of awakening...equanimity as a factor of awakening dependent on seclusion...dispassion...cessation, resulting in relinquishment.

"This is how the seven factors of awakening, when developed & pursued, bring clear knowing & release to their culmination."

* The task for us, I believe, is to go through these as direct experience, and as internalized wisdom that we can practice in whatever situation we are in.

In my recent business trip, I practiced one-minute meditation here and there in addition to the evening meditation I practiced daily (about 20 min.). The idea of one-minute meditation is just to go back to the state of awareness and equanimity whenever I found time or noticed my mind starting to be caught up. For example, while listening to people going off to the tangent from main point of discussion, or just my mind consuming energy in a wasteful fashion, I practiced this one-minute meditation (vipassana).

Some of the benefits are as follow:

1. Whenever people are lost the balance/clarity and dissipate their energy wastefully in the meeting, I maintained the balance.
2. With clear awareness, I could guide the group of people to a more composed, calm and attentive state.
3. I could connect to the source where I gain the life energy. (I felt the sense physically, e.g., tingling sense in my palm.) Because of this, I was not tired at all even after a long day's work.
4. Insights or ideas came naturally, and without efforts.
5. In meetings, I felt that there was a sense of understanding among people that something productive and meaningful was happening. (This includes lunch and dinner occasions as well.) There was a sense of liveliness.
6. The whole process may be seen as practicing Tao to find the source of productive energy and channeling it in a harmonious manner without extra effort.

Perhaps, we may say that this is just a result of being a bit wiser as we get older in what we do. Or, it may be that vipassana (or whatever we call) simply helped my maturity (how I use my brain-heart). JIT (streamlining material and information flow with minimum waste) and Mini-company idea (comprehensive management principle that integrate managerial information in the organization with coherency) that I give advises in my consulting seem to fit well to this mind state of awareness and equanimity. In short, the management needs to remove blockages from the organization so that people's talent can be best utilized. (H-max.) The process is very similar if not identical to what happens within each person when vipassana is practiced. It is about wisdom, compassion and productive use of our talent without waste.

* The art of living or working may be not so much to do with the extensive use our conscious brain. It may be more to do with how to prevent the wrong use of the brain. In other words, letting go of our hang-up and maintaining the condition to connect with the innocent child's heart or the source of life energy seem to be the essence.

I had a business trip in Michigan last week that included my seminar on "Finding a Spirit in the Company" and few company visits. The seminar was at Grand Rapids with some small group of 25 or so people. Tied to such management principles like JIT and Mini-company, I covered the topics of brain and heart, consciousness and unconsciousness, direct experience, bodily sensation, and development of a flow. I also talked about analogy of individual and organization (Mini-company, Kegon), and suggested that the management's job was to help finding a way to channel the energy of people effectively and efficiently. The following series of notes summarizes the ideas presented.

Organizations' success can be tied to the individuals' success. This means that each one of us has to do the job internally to find the state so that we are not caught up in a "sub-optimized" or "deluded" state but to be "productive" in what we do. Our brain has to be used, but, the link to our heart needs to be established to have a good balance. Being productive here means doing what we do well and be alive fully. Also, it means that we are the masters of our destiny.

If we think about how we spend time at work and reflect back the moment we felt fully alive, I feel such moment may be characterized as if the life energy was expressing itself and us in the state of mastery. A point to note here is that such sense is felt in the whole body, but not so much in the brain. When we reflect on these experiences, our life may be seen as a continuous process of discovering the channel for the life energy to flow and express itself as it is meant to be. Since work is a major component of our life, orchestrating this process as an individual as well as an organization become a very interesting yet important process that we may want to understand.

Let me reflect back my memories for some fifteen years. In those days, I started as a management consultant to a $10million sales company. When I got this first business, there was a sense of joy and confidence. This was right after I moved to the U.S. I still remember well that my future wife at the time and I opened a Champaign bottle to celebrate the occasion. Then, I started to work hard to make this company successful. The company grew and I gained a great learning experiences as well as many memorable occasions. Funny thing is that I was not tired in doing this at all, and I enjoyed in using the best of all I had.

As I gained more experiences, I wrote and delivered papers for various conferences, I gained more customers, and I wrote books to share the insight I captured. When I was working on my first book, I remember writing a manuscript in the airplane. I started to write as soon as I sat on the chair, changed plane, kept on writing, and to the hotel, and I kept on writing. At home, I occasionally jumped up at 3 AM to write few paragraphs when inspiration came up while asleep. I wrote for an hour or two and went back to sleep when it's done. In this way, I wrote the first book in three months. Even though I was busy flying around to visit clients, I was not tired at all. It was as if I was touching the fountain of life energy while I was one with the mission.

Let me also reflect back when I became much less productive. For one, I remember a case of losing a large sum of money in investment. Not just feeling depressed after the stock price went down, I also remember that my greed was prevailing to get into this risky stock to start with. In retrospect, I was caught up with my own limited thoughts. Also, my life in general was at a stalemate then even if I was considered as a success in a typical social standard - being able to go fishing more than 100 days a year without worrying about money. Yet, I was missing something very important then. I did not have a clear mind - and purpose that is meaningful to devote my life energy into. My life energy was thus misled connected to the greed popped up from nowhere, causing the suffering I experienced later.

Having aged and having gone through various life experiences, have I found the peace of mind? Have I become much wiser after going through various life experiences? Am I away from delusion and unproductive or negative thoughts at all times? I am not sure at all. Ups and downs in my life continue. There are mistakes I still make here and there. In fact, my son teaches me a lot by showing me a way to live with positive attitude. Every now and then, what I appreciate now is the life itself. Tree leaves, sky, ants, birds, and clouds. People with compassionate sense or seeing ones working hard to meet the challenges in life. After all, they are Good as they are.

In a sense, the process of living life seems to be one of balancing act. Even if I feel like I gained something along the way, I think the essence of life is always left unknown and the passage ahead seem to be a continuous challenge from moment to moment or day to day. It is like sailing a ship to an unknown destination as various stimuli and challenges are constantly given for me to deal with. Even facing the dangers of shipwreck along the way, there is something absolutely positive in this endeavor. The test is always on, and I work on best utilizing what I have, wishing that I follow the laws of nature (dharma) in this journey called life.

Organization's life is very much like that of an individual. Accompanied with dangers and opportunities, there are learning, growth, maturity, and aging. If an organization loses the vision and energy to create the future, it may respond to stimuli or surrounding noises in a haphazard manner. Depending on the circumstances, it may even become terminally sick. If we find a way to channel the energy of people productively, however, the organization can bring a good result while people experiences joy of work. Then, the health of people and organization may contribute in bringing the happiness and prosperity within and without.

Since organization is a collection of people aiming at accomplishing the mission, it may also realize the state of peak performance. When experienced, it is a very lively state of all people working together as a team. It may be a business organization, or perhaps clubs or a sports team. Even though there are many books and theories written to study what is happening in such an organization, the fundamental process common to all successful organization may be characterized as "using the brain while living from our heart." There is a channeling of energy in a very positive manner.

Of course, an organization may become successful due to some reasons such as invention, luck, brilliant strategy, etc. However, the peak performance of organization involving all individuals is accomplished when each individual taps his own creative resources to be able to express his full potential. (Related to this, I wrote a book called Mini-company to address this point.) When this is realized, it is a joyful state as found in child accomplishing a task of standing or walking for the first time. For grown ups, it is a moment of realizing the unknown talent within us as well.

When we accomplish this, we experience the joy of being able to live fully. Similarly, an organization that has found the way to connect the inner energy of people can have a dynamic and enlightening experience in accomplishing the mission while finding confidence in themselves. There is an art of doing this, and masters who acquired the art can do this without wasting energy in what they do as much as the same can happen in our organization. Then, our individual's life's function and organization's function discovers a connection that brings the sense that words cannot describe.

Mastery is something to do with the use of our conscious and unconscious activities. When we learn to ride a bicycle for the first time for instance, we work hard consciously without being able to ride even a few feet. But as we master the skill, it is not any more a work of our consciousness. It is as if there is a connection to unconsciousness established. The same is true in us mastering any subject. Ultimately, we need to connect to what is within, i.e., unconsciousness. By studying this mechanism carefully, we may discover how our mind works and live according to such discovery to achieve the state where we feel right and not to violate the laws of nature in whatever we do.

Brain (in my definition here) represents conscious activity and is seen more as a mechanical function. Here, words, concepts, etc. are tools or intermediaries for purpose. An analogy of conscious activity is running a software program of a computer. By itself, there is no life, nor energy found inside. Like any other tools like using words, riding bicycle, having a healthy body, or earning some money, it serves the purpose only when it is used in a skillful manner. As much as our concern is something to do with life, mastery is something to do with unconsciousness where the life's core activity is being played out. In order for the brain to provide its use, therefore, it needs to find a good connection with the core of our being - the unconscious part. For our discussion, such core is referred here as heart.

As we seek for a harmonious balance of brain and heart aiming at smooth flow of life energy, the problem may be seen as wrong use of tools to disrupt the healthy function of our heart. In other words, the problem is seen as anything that blocks the flow of life energy. The term, blockage, is used here to characterize such a condition. The blockage may exist in conscious or unconscious mind. Eliminating the blockage and developing the smooth flow, therefore, becomes our key concern in our personal life and hence in our organization.

While we may think that the conscious activity in our mind is the main part of our life's activity, we may realize its limitation when we experience its helpless nature. For example, even if we try hard consciously, we cannot change the heartbeat, cure the wound or regulate the body temperature. If we realize this, we may appreciate the fact of us "being alive" or "being lived" due to the work of our unconsciousness. This may sound obvious - intellectually. But, we may not appreciate this very fact in its totality as an experiential wisdom. It is as if the problem of life starts when we see conscious activity as everything or a main driver of our life.

Another problem is related to the wrong use of tools, e.g., our conscious mind (brain). This is realized when we are caught up with our own thinking and find us in the cul. de sac - entrapped but no where to go. While we may not realize this when we are being occupied with thoughts and emotions, this is the case of tools using us instead of us (heart) using the tools in a wise manner. In short, our conscious mind has a nature to play with words and identities, and create associated images and emotions as if we play on Nintendo simulation game. It is fun and exciting at times to play with myriad of images. At other times when nothing works, however, it is sheer frustration. In either case, even if the game is being played in our imaginary world of consciousness, life's problem may develop when we believe that that is the real world, developing the conflict to the "reality". This is when we lose our ground, the "connection" to the heart.

Still, using the tools to overcome the hurdles and apply the tools for our growth is something that is inherent in us. As baby cats play together as a way to learn the skills of catching preys, we train us to use various tools to prepare for the future. If our mind is unbalanced, however, we may lose the connection to the heart. Then, we may consume life energy wastefully as we get caught up in the game or in the wrong use of tools. In such a situation, we may not know when to stop this game or to realize what the game is for. Tools can benefit us in channeling the life energy, express its potential and promote life. But, as in the case of using knife, it can be hazardous if we have not mastered the skill.

So, we need skills to use tools effectively and efficiently. We need to know when to use certain tools and when not to use them. Also, as we become very unproductive when we do not store tools in an organized manner in our workplace, the tools or mind programs that we acquired in the past may need to be reviewed for its effectiveness. Accordingly, some are to be thrown away if they are not useful or even harmful. As we are to discover in our life's journey, purifying our mind or eradicating the errors in our past conditioning correspond to this process. As a sailboat requires maintenance and overhaul every now and then to realize optimum performance, individuals as well as organizations need to go through such an overhaul.

To summarize, our key concern is about the connection of conscious to unconsciousness or brain to heart and the maintenance and overhaul of our mind programs related to that. There is a delicate interrelationship between conscious and unconscious. If we can master this art, we will be able to focus our action tied to life's main activities as if a sailboat can sail toward its destination smoothly even under turbulence. If not, we may just consume our energy unproductively.

Even though we may "understand" problems that are associated with the conscious mind, and that we may be able to fix it to make any of our mind programs to function more "efficiently", it does not mean we find the state of peak performance in channeling the life energy smoothly. This is an issue of "effectiveness" of using the tools as mentioned before. It is the difference of "doing things right (efficiency), and doing the right things (effectiveness) in our mind. In other words, we do not want to be just good at playing with Nintendo (tools) and having fun. We want to be wise so that if or when Nintendo cannot get us to the state to realize the meaning in life, we have a way to address it.

If we understand this point clearly, we realize that the problems associated with our conscious mind is difficult to fix unless we do something to do with our conditioned mind "habit" as found in our unconsciousness. In other words, we may realize that our mind habit is the root cause of many problems we face or develop internally. Then, we may also find that our conditioned mind habit is connected to the "desire", which acts as a trigger to generate a momentum to operate such a mind program responding to the stimuli. So, to live our life fully, we need to be able to "sense" the rise of the wrong desire which ends up in consuming the energy wastefully and let it be directed for the productive use!

What this means is that, we need: 1) to observe the rising of the emotions or delusions with detachment equanimously, and 2) to eradicate the errors in the conditioned mind at the root as much as possible. Ultimately, we need to work on our unconscious mind even if this may sound impossible. Thinking the same thing endlessly has no use if this does not cure the wound. Constantly worrying over something that cannot be fixed does not help either unless we address the root cause. This is the same as knowingly over-eating or repeatedly doing things that are harmful for life - a sure sign of conditioned mind overtaking us.

Contrasting these, however, we are to maintain a habit like a skill to ride a bicycle or any other learned skills so that we do not have to keep reinventing the wheel. So, if there are good and bad mind programs, which correspond to wise or unwise use of the life energy, how can we use what is good for us and not to use what is not good for us? This is about using the learned programs but at the same time "listen to the heart" so that the application of brain does not lose the connection to the "life" - the very source of compassion and creativity. Of course, this "listening" should correspond to the sensitivity mentioned above,

As we experiment to connect brain and heart to channel the life energy smoothly, we should realize that the wrong use of the brain is the reason why we become detached from the core, i.e., our heart. This is by itself an insight. When the mist is cleared and the life is unburdened from the wasteful use of the brain, however, we feel confident and refreshed. The mind is not agitated any more while our body is not constrained by the undue stress. They become calm, clear, and healthy. The sense is genuine, true and natural. It means that our heart/life is happily expressing itself.

Certainly, we use logic to live the daily life. Yet, this does not mean it should dictate or confine our "Life". Our brain is not to limit the function of our heart. The brain is there to assist. It should follow the laws of nature and help liberate us. When there is an imbalance, this means that there is a blockage to the nature's way. Then, having a "sensor" to detect such blockages becomes an important step to realize our course in life or lead an organization that follows the laws of nature. This is like finding the waste. If we know how to find it, we should be able to come up with the way to eliminate it (not to touch it, or better yet, use it productively) so that the Life can express itself as it should.

But, what are the laws of nature anyway? We can call laws of nature as dharma, nature's way, Tao, as-it-isness, spiritual path, God's revelation, wisdom, love, X, etc. If we use words to describe this, it is pretty much certain to misrepresent the "reality" due to the limited nature of words that leads to various interpretations. Description by itself is like a cake painted on the paper. Truth of the matter is that we create tools and fields of study to "understand" the truth in our (human) way so that we can use that understanding as tools to practice and benefit in our life. But, forms (appearance, description, or tools) and substance (true nature, experience, or spirit) should not be mixed up.

The bottom line is that unless the life energy is channeled in a smooth manner to express itself (-- ultimately as compassion and wisdom), there is no use for the tools or our actions. As human nature, we can invent tools, use them, gain learning, and pick and choose to benefit us - to serve our life - to find the smooth channeling of our life energy. Every tool and activity has to be tied to this realization, ultimately. This is the meaning of following the laws of nature.

So, on one hand, there are tools and activities to express ourselves. On the other hand, they are to be tied back to the origin - the core of our heart. Then, our role is to remove the blockage in order to channel the life energy to make the tools alive to continue our life's journey. This is what life is all about. And, when I say this, such is the moment when we find that everything in this universe is alive with full potentials as much as we are one of them. The whole thing is an expression of Life - miracle as it is!

Since the laws of nature are something that we cannot create but to live by, our number one concern should be whether or not we are channeling the energy, and expressing it the best we can. How to channel the energy will depend on the specific situation. But sensing how we do this is an important skill that each of us needs to develop. Only when we have a good sensitivity to monitor how we are channeling or wasting our life energy, we have a clue to seek out the course of life in a productive manner. If we do not have a good sense of what is going on, it is like playing the game blindfolded with various coaches giving different directions and/or sheer noises. It is not they but we are to play the game with the heart at the center.

Emotion or desires like craving and aversion is a conditioned response to stimuli. If we are sensitive, we notice that it accompanies with bodily sensation even if it may be very subtle. Even though some emotions indicate wasteful use of life energy, other emotions like compassion, joy of coming up with insight or genuine sense of happiness are rooted to the core of our heart, indicating the smooth flow of life energy without obstruction. For example, when we are one with our life's mission to the point of forgetting ourselves, this is when our life energy is flowing smoothly often accompanied with valuable insights. Accordingly, we feel energized and not tired even under difficulties. This is the state when we feel our existence is very meaningful.

What this means is that finding the connection to heart becomes a very critical concern for us to live our life fully. One of the key issues then is to detect how we are connected to that source of life energy - expressed as compassion and wisdom. Here, we may use our emotional state as a measure to check the connection. However, there are problems of using emotion to monitor how we are channeling our life's energy. For example:

1. Since there are varieties of emotions like greed aversion, or craving to take over our senses, our ability to listen to heart becomes difficult. (This is compared to not having a quality feedback system, which results in various types of defects (negative emotion) at work. We need to find ways to detect the problems early on and prevent them from overtaking us.)
2. Emotion is often a reflection of self-identity or ego, thus, detaching oneself to observe what is going on is often difficult once such identity takes the control, e.g., "I" or "me" comes first and get into the way to see what is going on objectively.
3. Emotion has a tendency to multiply or jump around by itself more as a conditioned response while occupying our mind. This is similar to kids playing a Nintendo game. In other words, once activated, it becomes often difficult to contain its self-generated energy because of its self-engaging nature. Then, we have lost the balance until the excessive emotion is discharged and dissipate its often-destructive energy.

Contrasting to these, however, if we are at the state of self-forgetfulness as found in an innocent child, we may also sense that there is a connection made with the core of unconsciousness (heart) as if we are surrounded by the love of our parents. So, after all, there are various states of emotions we encounter making our life colorful. Some emotions or feelings may represent connection to heart whereas others are mere reflection of confused state of our mind. If we realize the importance of connecting to heart to find a peace in mind, and express our full potential, however, we need to find the way to work on this critical subject. Then, we need to 1) detect the signal whether we are connected or disconnected to heart, and 2) find way to engage our brain with heart in a harmonious manner.

* In the following posts, I would like to discuss about this subject of sensitivity and receptivity.

Mid Alpha and Samadhi (12/22/00)

The following is from the pages 75-80 of the book by Shiga, Business Brain Power Development Seminar (Kodansha Business)

"Between conscious and unconscious, typically, there is a barrier to separate the information flow. The conscious is orienting itself toward outside information and functions to collect the materials (information) to make judgment. The unconscious functions to maintain the health of body by autonomous control as well as to store the various information in its memories. To understand the nature, it is convenient to picture a gate that control the information passing through between conscious and unconscious so that the separation and integration of consciousness is done by opening and closing of this gate. Our brain processes the vast amount of information… as parallel processing. ….

Observing the state of a person with strong mid-alpha wave, the gate opens and integration of conscious and unconscious is accomplished. This seems to lead to inspiration….or enable us to store the new information in the memories of unconscious - tied to efficient learning. In contrast, when one cannot perform well, it is when mid-alpha does not appear and the gate is closed such that the flow of information is not done in a smooth manner. ….

Good example of such flow (connected) state is when we occupy ourselves in what we like the best - like hobbies. ……any person can get into the state of mid-alpha with some simple exercise. ..but one has to train every day little at a time. One troublesome point here is that there is no sensation to detect if our brain wave is in mid-alpha or not. This makes it difficult to find out how the exercise is progressing.

However, as the exercise becomes a habit, we start to realize the special condition when conscious and unconscious is connected. This is when we find that our mind is calm, we feel the ability of concentration, and bodily sensation is enhanced as if it corresponds to the enlightenment of Zen or meditation. When we measure the brain wave, we find strong mid-alpha with very small beta wave. If we picture the image at such a state, it is as if there are two parties of conscious and unconscious helping each other."

* To me, tingling sensation on the palms and other parts of the body, salivation (Chinese call it golden syrup?), or calm natural state of breathing indicates the "connection" and mid-alpha state of mind. It is when we stay in present, here and now, zero-base mind, or non-self state. This is the state when we can observe us calmly, or ask what is going on as we are not occupied in some specific concern. Krishnamurti says one minute of attention is enough for one hour of not giving attention. (p.17 You are the world) I believe that this is the sense we are to cultivate in preparation for our life energy to find the "right" path - following dharma. (Re: my note on condition-connection-awakening)

* After my Vipassana course, my palms became very sensitive so that with little attention (effortless effort), I can sense that tingling sense almost at any time. (See my note on one-minute mediation for example) By itself, it may mean nothing. But, reflecting the notes above and the subject of conscious and unconscious I have been writing at PLM(Philosophylifemanagement) club, this is the sensor/receptivity issue (and connection issue) that may be seen as the key to that gateless gate. Qi and life energy certainly seems to fit to this equation.

In spite of the difficulty, our body is made such that it responds to the various stimuli and tries to control the state of health and liveliness the best it can - autonomously. Not just responding to the physical stimuli like the change in temperature, wound, food intake, etc., it responds to mental stimuli. For example, our body may respond by developing:

1. high blood pressure or stomach pain under severe stress
2. headache for facing uncertainty in future
3. increased heart beat when facing threat
4. flushing when embarrassed, or
5. sexual arousal when seduced

If we use our brain for example by learning the lesson from the experience and position us so that we do not get into the situation to cause negative emotion, this is why brain needs to be used as in moral conduct (sila).

Let us think of a baby just born. He cries as soon as he is born. This is a direct expression of life energy, searching for someone to take care of him so that the new life will not be wasted in vain. As milk is fed, warm cloth is provided, and physical pain subsides, the baby stops crying. However, not just physical satisfaction, the baby needs love for him to grow - as evidenced by the case in India where a human baby could not live for long under the animal's (wolves') care.

It appears that all of us need love to connect with others to promote life. Life may be seen as a search process of its own potential. Even though some of us may lose genuine sense of love, fundamentally behind the blockages, it is seen as everybody's true nature. If we see a baby on the street or kids drowning for example, it is most "natural" to help them. This indicates the very inherent nature we have in our heart. In such situation, I believe that we act with the flow of energy beyond any conventional expression of words.

Other human emotions such as greed or hate are developed later along with the development of our self-identity. When these emotions prevail, the connection to the heart is obstructed. Covered by the mist of these emotions, our heart is forgotten. In such a state, we are not natural, compassionate, or free any more. Even what we call a cold-hearted person shows a symptom of emotion as bodily sensation. When the channel is open and blockages are removed, we may feel genuinely good and happy inside. But if emotion is a negative one tied to the past conditioning of our mind, we become off balanced. Since we may not notice the rise of emotion if we do not have a skill to detect what is happening in us, it is important to cultivate such a sensory skill.

Craving, clinging, aversion, hate, anger, greed, love, peace, happiness, serenity, etc., these are the examples of emotions we may witness in ourselves. Here, emotions like craving, clinging, aversion, hate, anger, or greed are "human" emotions whereas love, peace, happiness, or serenity may be thought as "Godly" or "pure" emotions representing the absolute force of universe that human emotions often overshadow them. The "pure" emotions are felt when we are in touch with "heart" and the channeling of energy is not obstructed.

When a tree grows under the sun, when we make love, when we come up with ideas, when baby smiles to the mother, or when a semen find the egg to start a new life, there is the vibration of energy corresponding to the channeling of the life force. (It is compassion - a force finding the counterpart to channel the energy, and wisdom - an insight that there is a connection made.) When such vibration is felt in our body, it may be called again as "Godly" or "pure" emotion. There is a sense of flow, rightness, or bliss, which are not found in the human conception of the world but in the nature as it is. It is a state of awakening in nature from the human world and may be called as nirvana. As it is a state of nature, we cannot seek for it to gain it. Instead, we need to negate what is obstructing.

If this is the case, and that what is obstructing is the past conditioned mind of human in unconsciousness or in the wrong use of consciousness, 1) how can we clear up the obstruction? and 2) how can we use the tools as tools effectively and efficiently and not to be used by the tools?

My "search" has been:

1. To find or identify with the centered state where the channel of energy and the connection with heart is. (by removing the obstruction), and..
2. To eliminate the negative reaction of conditioned mind - craving and aversion to not use the life energy in a wasteful manner

Here, 2) may lead to 1) eventually, but an overhaul needs to take place to facilitate the process as opposed to keep fixing the surface symptom. As in the case of overhauling the sailboat, it requires a dedicated effort - as if taking the boat to the dock to check in detail the condition of the boat and provide necessary remedy. To be healthy, we need to go through this to gain the sense of health, and learn skills to maintain or enhance the health. (Of course, if we do not know what health is, this point is obviously hard to communicate. Also, we may realize the same situation existing in our organization as well.)

When we have negative emotions, we waste time and energy, become unproductive or off balance, and miss the opportunity to experience the wonderful world surrounding us. Yet, interestingly, if we seek for love, peace, happiness or serenity - consciously, we miss the mark totally. This is because as we seek, we may find ourselves caught up in that thought, thus, the process becomes self-contradictory. This points to an important point of finding the state of having a clear mind, which is something that we find when we let go of our self or our constrained thoughts. In essence, this is a no-self state.

The whole idea of being creative, compassionate, or finding love, peace, happiness, etc. seems to depend on this very point. If we study emotions such as craving, clinging, aversion, hate, or greed, we may realize that they are tied to the idea of "self." On the other hand, genuine "emotions" like love, peace, happiness, or serenity are unrelated to such self-identity. Or, we may find these as "absolute, affirmative" state that is universal but not dependent on any specific circumstance. This is when the laws of nature prevail beyond human intervention. This is heart: the origin of love, compassion, creativity and the nature as it is.

Since it is about the connection to our heart, such state is unknowable in our conscious brain but to be experienced as it is. Not connected with self-consciousness but directly touching the heart, such state may be called as the state of nirvana, enlightenment, or Satori. Since it is when the nature is directly prevailing, we should already be at such a state in theory. However, our mind may disturb us to directly experience this as it is.

If we see our life's mission is to channel the life energy smoothly and connected to the heart, we need to work on eliminating the blockages as much as possible. The path, however, is not negating the tools, or our conscious mind, but to use them effectively and efficiently following the laws of nature. So, the state we may wish to accomplish is: "Do as we desire but not violating the laws of nature." Since "knowing" is different from "doing," practice is most important, provided that it is not a blind practice.

Wave analogy of consciousness brings an interesting viewpoint. On the surface of the ocean, we have waves. There are large swells, medium waves, and ripples. There are tide, current, and rip tide as well. Water is the medium and the whole ocean is but water. Essence of waves is the water.

If our thoughts and emotion are compared here with waves, then, our heart corresponds to the water - or perhaps the whole ocean. It is manifested in various forms (e.g., waves) but its existence may not be obvious to waves as waves are busily concerned in their own affairs like which wave is bigger, taller, prettier, etc.

If we see our emotions like waves that change according to the conditions and we see our life from the perspectives of ocean or water, many things we consume our energy may seem trivial. As we (meditate and) connect to heart, we see this point clearly. So what? That is what it is!

When we think of our mind-heart relationship related to this analogy, it may become clear that this is what is happening in us. Ripples are found on waves, and they are in turn related to swells, etc. (This corresponds to mini-company and holon structure.) If one is focused in the detail, the connection or interpenetration among them becomes unclear. This is like zooming into some specifics and lose the big picture. We may work on the specific situation, but we may find that we are sub-optimizing or wasting energy in useless ordeal.

Of course, this discussion itself is found as one of these waves. This is just a thought being created like a wave and expressing itself. Words are like waves, too. Alphabets are composed and the combination of them makes words, sentence, paragraph, chapter, books, constitution, etc. They are then interacted with other thoughts to create another thoughts. So, there is creation and change in shape. New words and new thoughts bring forward a new growth just like evolution of consciousness has happened in each of us as well as the history of whole human species.

Organizations are like these waves, too. From amoebas to human, DNAs were created, modified, grew to the point we have in our genes. More intelligence is added to express the potential. Growth was made possible because of what is out there but at the core is spirit, heart, or call it X(the laws of universe). Of course, we are in the middle of the change as well. But do we feel when we breathe, if we are breathing from the DNA level or Unborn? Perhaps, yes, perhaps, no. Do we know we are in the middle of water as we surf on the wave of some kind?

Anyway, we may see that words, DNAs, and mini-companies may have more of organic growth and evolution process in them. In the mean time, the analogy of wave helps us to see the un-seeable so that we know the game we are playing in a different dimension. The questions here may be "What is propelling us to live our life an why - while playing with ripple or preparing for the storms may be fun by itself?"

It is the life energy and driving force that is something each component of forms or time may not be aware of while each component is one with it. But what is the point? It is as it is. Or, shall we say that we should have a root in life, well grounded that the waves (forms) we face or consciousness we use should not be more than what it (substance) is? Also, is it to make sure that we are not creating more (as illusion) than what it is. So, have a balanced view and realize and express it as it is and be connected to the root!

* Beta wave and alpha wave

To connect to the heart (or to be rooted and not to be consumed in life), we want to find a channel. It is like long radio wave can reach the other end of the world while short radio wave cannot. Each wave has its peculiar characteristics. When doing vipassana, for example, we sense when the connection is made we feel the vibrations throughout the body. On the other hand, any emotion may multiply itself if we focus on some issues as if we feed energy to that specific area (the law of multiplication). The previous one is alpha wave connecting mind, body, and beyond while the other one is within the boundary of some narrow (ego) identity and limited options.

Each has its own use. But the fundamental one is the one with the heart. Because if we do not have this, we are like a tool without knowing what this life is about. The language spoken at the level of life (heart) is at the different wavelength compared to the language spoken in our daily life. So, when lost in our daily life, come back to the base, or the ground level, so that the zero-base is established, connection to the heart is made, and the essence of life is regained as it is meant to be.

When water is clear and waves not disturbing, we may see the bottom of the ocean. Or, we see, smell, touch, hear, or taste what the clear water is like. Perhaps, we may find how it vibrates or radiate the light as well. What we find may be called the true nature, or true self. Then, we may realize the nature of noise (waves) we interface in life more clearly.

With words used here and at this wavelength, it is difficult to communicate this point. So, it is as if we use different wavelength to communicate with heart. Heart is the source of energy, love, and creativity. We need to have a different wave (say, alpha wave) to connect and find us being one with it. There is no need for comparison once we establish the connections. It is like finding the love of parents when the child's worry/trouble was resolved no matter what.

With connection, this same world looks different. We feel secure no matter what may happen in the outer world. This is the absolutely secure home we can have once we find the connection. It is because we are then one with the law of the universe. This sense may be described differently by different people. It may be expressed as warm love, confidence, that we can let go (or we let go of ourselves to get there) and find us like floating in the air, water molecules floating in the water, or being one with the universe.

From outer world, this state may be seen as hypnotic state. Or, this may be called subjective truth. Whatever the name is, there is such a state where we are one with the energy of universe, love of God, wisdom and compassion itself. If we find we are there and practice our life from there as if every thing is done by the will of this energy, God or whatever we call, things flow like rains falling from the sky.

We carry spade in our empty hand, swallow the Pacific Ocean in one gulp, stop the rain falling, and feel fine in the middle of heat or cold. Is this real in the conventional sense? No. But it is REAL. If we try to communicate this point, we may find the conversation like this:

odile661: we are connected by vibrations, aren't we?

odile661: yes, very simple

odile661: I like simple things/ yes and we have much to learn

odile661: LOL LOL LOL this is a little too simple,

odile661: well, I would like to say, I am related with the energy and I will be fed by the energy and do not prepare any meal

* After rereading this, I felt love, energy, life force, heart, etc. are a bit too descriptive compared to such expression like "Above heaven, below heaven, I am that I am." Problem may be seen as having a separate object to relate to instead of having the absolute sense in us.

* One should give up anger, renounce pride,
and overcome all fetters.
Suffering never befalls him
who clings not to mind and body and is detached.
- Dhammapada 221

* Referring to Joshu's stone bridge, Daisetz comments, people may not see it but.."Horses, cats.. Englishman, Japanese, Muslims, Christians, spirituality and materiality, the ideal and practical…. They all pass over it….Do we see it? Are we walking on it? .. The stone bridge lies flat and goes on silently from the beginningless past perhaps to the endless future." (P.112 The awakening of Zen) Here, I find water in the above discussion and Joshu's bridge is one and the same - or whatever else I called to characterize IT. (Also, he comments on page 111, "..let us find it in our subjective minds and work it out so as to transform the entire world in accordance with it." Wow, I love Daisetz!)

p.101 awakening of zen

"Everything has Buddha nature. You don't"

"Why not?"

"Because you ask." (p.104 awakening)

What is Zen? Who are you? (?)

(Goals and means in relation to the state is to be discussed and tied to kanjo eko)

Strange experiences...and goals of meditation...
From Insightmeditation club #1430 by swogdog:

=====
When in meditation we sometimes enter states of bliss, see visions or lights, hear voices, have spontaneous eruptions of emotion, as well as various forms of rapture including chills, thrills, feelings like we are spinning or floating, etc. Sometimes we get sleepy, bored, frustrated and find ourselves unclear or doubtful and very far from concentration or mindfulness.

The general rule is: know what is happening.

Don't get caught up in it, just see it. Repeating these experiences isn't the goal. Stabilizing them isn't the goal. Eradicating some and developing others - while productive on the path to the goal, is not the goal. The goal is to realize impermanence, not-self and un-satisfactoriness to the degree that we no longer identify with anything which arises in our field of awareness.

That said, when something arises, watch it until it passes. See its impermanent nature. If it is impermanent it is ultimately un-satisfying, and not-self (as an enduring self cannot be impermanent). Know all things that occur and rest like a silent pilar in a whirlwind of energy and phenomena. Being nothing you find peace from the torments of the things we have so long identified with.

* Swogdog is the founder of insightmeditationclub and seems to be an experienced "meditator" (Buddhist). I copied this post to make a note and to ponder about goals.... There is something here I am not sure and hard to express (will come back) yet is absolutely critical as we experience meditation. Dogen's Shikantaza (Just sit) has significant thoughts if we were to dig into it. Otherwise, why he wrote that Shobogenzo which is incomprehensive to most of us? But, in short, he seems to relate sitting and enlightenement as equivalent - depending on how we practice and mean by sitting. I believe this is the point we need to be clear about - not in our thoughts (only) but more importantly - as I feel it - in our heart and action.

From Odile

>But, in short, he seems to relate sitting and enlightenment as equivalent - depending on how we practice and mean by sitting. I believe this is the point we need to be clear about - not in >our thoughts (only) but more importantly - as I feel it - in our heart and action.

I rather think that the goal in the life is to live our life the best as we can, doing all we can to grow.
I don’t think meditation is a goal, meditation is nothing if it doesn’t lead to do better in our life.
Just sit and meditate is good for people in our modern world for the time of vacation.
It was good or might still be good (I have no idea about that) for people living in India or Tibet.
If you meditate when washes the dishes (I don’t have a washing machine) it is as available as sitting and stay still.
If God is every where He is in a dish too, isn’t it? The dish is then as important as the Guru who teaches his students.
Odile

Meditation is end and means -- it is a state to have to move on. If the state is not there, it is like a machine without good driving mechanism, it may simply burn the fuel. As opposed to live our life the best as we can. To live the life the best as we can, we need to check the engine and lubrication, etc. by regular check up. This may be one way to think of meditation. It is a cleanup of our mind and refueling and changing the oil so to speak.

Also, this check up can be done at small dose (see my note on one minute meditation) as needed. It is to be aware of our delusion and to have quiet time to sort things out and have connection to heart - so to speak. So, meditation by itself is useless, although, this implies that one has attained the state and knows the skill to use this state and be able to listen to the voice from the heart. If one has not, it may be quite useful because this is about knowing ourselves and learning to use mind-heart in the "correct" manner as opposed to running the machine without knowing how to use it or aim of the machine.

To me aim is H-max (i.e., May all being be happy!). Means is the one here, mediation, or shikantaza (Just sit). We should not confuse means and ends as you say (and this is also mentioned by wilbro). One point however is that as Dogen says, Shikantaza, once we know what he means, I think it is OK. (Note: Still the issue of H-max, and Kanjo eko is not addressed clearly.)

Various expressions to describe the state:

• Zazen Stop thinking, then self is gone. Or, let the thoughts flow but not be attached, then, it dissipate its energy, or self-organized to come up with idea.
• When self is gone, observer and observed become one. "I" is gone, or "I" become the whole universe, or God.
• To forget oneself is to perceive one as all existence (laws of universe) - Dogen
• To realize this is to cast off (fall off) the body and mind of self and others. - Dogen
• Hishiryo: Thinking of no-thinking - Yakusan
• Chime, wind blows and chin chara chin - Nyojo
• If you meet the disaster, just meet. If you die, just die. - Ryokan
• When butterfly comes, flowers bloom. - Ryokan
• I climb, because there is a mountain - ?
• Universe has no desire to possess - Genro (p140 Mori, Jizai gaku)
• Truth will set you free. John 8-31
• He generates and yet possesses nothing. 2, Lao Tsu (Relates to self-organizing, vibration.. Zenki, so listen to heart, and become heart)

Here is my brief translation of the article by Roshi, Sekkei Harada (p.10-11 Zen no Tomo, 11-11, vol. 603).

"Shikan Taza means just sit, and do not indicate that there is any particular style. Just sit means to sit, forgetting that we are sitting. It is being in the state of "sit" or sit itself is sitting … A point to note here is not to evaluate if the state of sitting is right or wrong, but by just sitting, forget "just", forget the state of "forgetting", and forget "sitting". There are words of Dogen, "mind-body fall-off" and "fall-off of mind-body". "Mind-body fall-off" means the state of one being one with the situation….. "Fall-off of mind-body" means one forgot oneself and there is but nothingness.

When we train us in sitting, we can accept us without bias. It means we can let us be one with anxiety or un-satisfaction without putting the criteria of good and bad. …. Whether in good condition or bad condition, just be and not to move mind. This is important. This is called being one with cause and effect (Inga-Ichinyo). In Soto Zen, we call this Training and Satori is one (Shusho-Ichinyo).

Cause and effect is going through the cycle of cause and effect one after the other. Yet, because of our own thought, we think cause and effect existing separately. But when we realize this truth, we realize that there was no delusion. We stop choosing one or the other, and lose desiring (attached) mind. This means that Zazen is the gate for the relief (peace and harmony) and there is true peace obtained."

* There is a corresponding comment in Diamond sutra, "Let the mind flow freely without abiding anywhere." (Eno, or Hui Neng got enlightenment when he heard this line.)

* Goal: When we think of goal of sitting, perhaps, we may note the goal of no-goal, or "No benefit" as Bodhidarma mentioned. On the other hand, there is a comment, "Enlightened people are useless" as uttered by Disetz (in his private talk). Here, I see the connection to the idea of Kanjo eko - returning to the original side of the shore as promoted in Mahayana. Then, I see a challenge of us creating the world - beyond sitting! Now, how do we address it? Anyone?!

"Useless" refers to no one to use anything and nothing to be used. We cannot return to the shore we left. Why? We never left it. How? There was no one to leave. Sitting sits itself, knowing knows without our help, realization realizes itself. The effort to try and take over for all these things that have been doing themselves since the beginning is where we go wrong.

One of my teachers said that there is no purpose in life but to give it back. "To what?" I thought. To itself. Let each thing do itself. In this way our identification ends and everything is known as perfect. Pain, life, love, death. All perfect. You cannot create perfection in a world of impermanence and change, you have to discover it.

• If irritated, or mind agitated, go back home - patiently observe for heart to provide with cure (with Awareness and equanimity)
• Check every now and then (with A & E)
• Practice one-minute meditation (with A & E)
• Focus on the job at hand (with A & E)
• Capture lessons learned and use that as a part of wisdom as needed (with A & E)
• Plan ahead with calm mind (with A & E)
• Meditate in early morning and before go back to bed (with A & E)
• Develop sensory skills to detect abnormal condition (with A & E)

These above seem to summarize the process guide.

Here, we should realize that depending on the circumstance and stimuli, there are numerous ways created that we need to handle. This is why life is full of unknowns and the challenges. One person's life is different from other person's life. Still, the fundamental process of life will be the same. So, we are to discuss the core process of our life and mind's function.

(Let us assume that there is an entity, call it spirit, God, X, quiet center, etc., observing what is going on in our life constantly (awareness). Let us assume that we can monitor the way the life energy is channeled or blocked. Let us further assume that we can address the blockage by bringing insight when this awareness functions as if the wounds are cured - or even facilitate the curing when …

So, emotions indicate the degree of balance or imbalance reflecting how we carry out our life's activity. The problem is that when we have emotion overtaking us and our mind agitated, it is typically too late to control. It is not like having a quiet time to read this note when everything is under control.

As we studied the mind from conscious to unconscious level, unless we can address the root cause, which we see here as arise of emotion responding to stimuli,

• If avoidable, not position us in the environment that create disturbance (especially if we are not well equipped)
• When it is too late, how do we recover? Go back to the state… different means for different people
• Catch at the beginning of the rise of problem state.
• Reflect and train ourselves so that we can avoid repeating the same mistakes.

There is no need to create tools for the sake of adding more tools unless such tools meet this criterion. Then, our mistakes are judged if we followed the laws of nature or not. Any violation requires confession, and learning so that we are to not repeat the mistakes.

and that there are no words good enough to explain what life, wisdom, or compassion are, except that we add more words and definitions to explain what the other may mean.

(((-- discuss breathing, tied with discussion in meetings - Jidoka/Pokayoke and unconsciousness)))

On the other hand, heart by itself may not help us to lead our life as human being. So, there is an issue of good balance, harmony, and connection of brain and heart.

As we use brain in our daily life, we often forget how it is connected to the heart. It requires certain skills to realize this and live from the core of this life energy. It is a skill of finding the condition where the unconscious/heart is participating its biological, psychological, or spiritual function so that we are in harmony - not caught up in a sub-optimized state. When we have a connection we are with quiet mind, or zero base mind. It is when we feel freedom, love, absolute affirmation that says, "It is OK." We can get to that state when we create a pause in our brain activity, to see what is going on, and be able to observe - with the sense of equanimity.

In such a state or pause moment, our breathing is natural, calm, and we can sense things in a more holistic manner than occupying our mind in just the narrowly focused manner. While thinking requires efforts and use of energy associated to it, this state requires small amount of energy. Rather, this state helps to relax, cure the strain in our brain. While being attentive to what is going on, our mind rests and store up instead of using the energy wastefully. In other words, it brings out the potential energy in a productive fashion that fits the law of universe. It is a balanced mind state. It is a state when ideas come up as if our neurons in our brain self-organize themselves to meet the needs. It is a nature's way of responding to the needs without human intervention.

It is as if wasteful activity is grounded and our life energy is to find the channel to express itself without being burdened by the limitation of conscious activity. It is as if we can read the map right way and find the passage that makes sense as opposed to be bounded by constraints and find no way out. There is peace in such a state. Oneness, no-self. Not just mentally sound, such state brings a physical health - perhaps less blood pressure, calm breathing, efficient and effective metabolism, less headache, shoulder pains, etc. Internally harmonious person is resilient to stress. Not only that, he or she extends the peace and harmony with others as well - curing the strain in the personal relationship. Wisdom and compassion may be seen in the person and in the organization. Since such characteristics are everyone's foundation of life, we sense as if we are at ease when we are in such an environment and that we feel at home.

Personally, I feel I have gained "some" understanding developed "some" skills of art of this spiritual living while as management consultant I practiced to bring in the idea in various organizations. I see analogy applied here and there as Mini-company and Kegon may indicate the "interpenetration" and the idea of "The One enbraces All, and All is merged in the One. The One is All, and All is One. The One pervades All, and All is in the One." (Kegon(Avatamsaka) Philosophy- p. 67 Suzuki: An Introduction to Zen Buddhism)

When our mind wanders, it is as if we live in the past or future. Yet, we cannot live in the past. We cannot live in the future. Still, we may waste lots of energy in doing so. Someone once said, remembering the past and giving thought to the future are important, but only to the extent that they help us to deal with the present. What does it mean? Or, how do we operate our mind for what purpose?

The wise approach seems to be addressing the means equating to addressing the end at the same time so that there is no conflict. This is because if we think or do things for some purpose, there is difference from what we can get now. Also, we may later find us in the undesirable position thus still generating a conflict. If we do things for the sake of doing, however, we do not have such a conflict. This is being honest to ourselves, where ourselves here represent our true nature.

But, what is our true nature anyway? Or, how do we find IT or to get to the state where true nature prevails? Is the state living here and now - as it is meant to be? Or, how can we avoid wasting lots of energy, resources, talent, or potential in not living now? Are we in conflict always? Are we, or are we not? How can we find the answer? What is your answer? If there is no answer to satisfy ourselves, how do we live, then?

* How do we live? It is easy. When we eat turkey, just enjoy!

Happy Thanks-Giving!!

==

They do not lament over the past,
they yearn not for what is to come,
they maintain themselves in the present,
thus their complexion is serene
--- Samyutta Nikaya I, 5

When our mind wanders, it is as if we live in the past or future. By itself, it may not create any harm except that such state may be seen as unproductive. Do we care? Or, if so, how do we live? When we eat turkey in Thanks-giving, just enjoy! Well, it is easy to say. But how do we practice? Looking around, innocent children seem to do just that. But, we are different from them - at least in some areas. So, what do we do? Or, where do we start when our mind wanders? So, my mind wanders to continue this mindless story…. (As always, please comment. Hopefully, this could be a mutual learning process.)

We may think of the past or future or to create any image presently. Yet, such state may not correspond to living "here and now". The image that is created in such process may or may not materialize. The worst case is when we find us in misery, dwell in it, and cannot get out of it. Not accepting what is, we may play this game without any ground but more like playing a simulation game of Nintendo in our mind over and over. Yet, somehow, we think there is value in such act. Otherwise, we would not keep doing this. Finding such state as wasteful, may we see what can be made "productive" to spend our time and energy and find ways to help us deal with such situation in a skillful means? This is an issue of living the fullest of our life. This is also an issue of eradicating the misery and to live in reality.

If we think of something in the past or future like, "I wish I did not do that." or "I wish so and so happens", etc. and dwell in such a state, this may be violating the rule to live the fullest if there is nothing we can do. If the situation is out of control and we stay in such a state, our life energy is wasted. Or, this state may be called as misery. Perhaps, most of us have experienced the sense of cul. de sac at certain time of our life. Of course, it is critical for us to learn to find the resolution in such a state to live our life the fullest and express our life energy in a most productive manner. To this point, Buddha said, "Pull the arrow of illusion!"

The arrow here represents the state of mind being caught up without any solution. So, as soon as we notice this happening, we should end such mind activity! From Vipassana I learned that, in short, we should be aware of what is happening through our whole mind-body system and stay equanimous. As we practice this, sooner or later the resolution will be realized. Also, as we practice, we can notice such mind movement at the earliest stage in order to take action before the illusion become too powerful to handle. To be able to do this, we are to detect at the first sign of our reaction through our total mind-body system and remain equanimous. With practice, we can do this. Also, we are to practice this continuously!

As we learn experiential wisdom from this process, we may start to sense the potential of danger before it actually arrives. So, we become good at avoiding potential problems. Also, as we understand our human nature and be able to extend our field of awareness from narrow area to a larger area, we start to relate to the situations of others much better. This makes it possible for us to help whoever is in needs. While we cannot overcome the law of nature, like death, aging, and other unavoidable, we can recovery from the problematic state much quicker as well since our life energy can be directed in the productive fashion.

If we think something like, "So and so happened, but what is the lesson?" this may not violate the rule to live our life the fullest. The point is to answer to such a question and get the learning as experiential wisdom. When we are to learn something, we should let go of the emotional content as in the case 1) and listen to the wisdom coming out of the situation. We need to have zero-base mind in order to minimize the potential bias while having an access to the past learned wisdom. This again correspond to being aware of what we have in the whole mind-body system and let the wisdom come up (memories and logic to self-organize themselves) as we remain equanimous.

This process is similar if not identical to coming up with the insight as mentioned in 1) above. The point is to come up with the insight that we can confirm with the whole mind-body system which contain the wisdom acquired up to that point. This may be seen as check and balance process. In principle, the learning should represent the law of nature (dharma) for it to be applied in a versatile/universal manner. In reality, however, there is a chance that this is not the case as our experience base may be limited. So, we need to be aware of the inherent limitations to our learning.

When coming up with any learning, we need to realize that lessons are of no use if we cannot put them into practice. Also, if we do not use what we have learned for a longer time, the memory/skills may fade away. So, learning and practice has to go hand in hand especially if certain lesson like dharma is critical in living the life to the fullest. In order to cover the varieties of experiences we go through, the skillful approach may be to do mini-meditation on the spot of the experience as needed and conduct meditation at regular frequency to "process" this by Vipassana. That is: observe the blockage to address the needs. The release of "blockage" represents acquired wisdom and learning.

This wisdom may correspond to the skills applied in the situation 1) above, and for planning purpose addressed in 3) below. So, our act is a continuous process of experiencing, learning, and clarifying in order to live the fullest while minimizing the waste and misery generation with insight.

Lessons are to be applied skillfully (effectively and efficiently) when we stumble into illusions, respond to the stimuli, develop plans, and execute them. Since there are many occasions we go through in life, they bring many possibilities for our mind to play with. So, we need to process various stimuli we encounter from moment to moment wisely. Clear awareness of the need and wise response corresponds to the act of living the fullest. However, as much as there are many needs or potentials that we can engage us, how can we do this? Here, we find that the process is similar to what we find in the learning process, mentioned in 2).

When we are to do something, we should let go of the emotional content (reaction) as in the case 1) and listen to the wisdom to address the needs. We need to have zero-base mind in order to minimize the potential bias while having an access to the past learned wisdom. This again correspond to being aware of what we have in the whole mind-body system and let the wisdom come up (memories and logic to self-organize themselves) while we remain equanimous. This process is similar if not identical to coming up with the insight as mentioned in 1) above.

The point is to come up with the insight that we can confirm with the whole mind-body system, which contain the wisdom acquired up to that point. This may be seen as check and balance process by scanning the whole mind-body system. In principle, our act should represent the law of nature (dharma). In reality, however, there is always a good chance that we do not see the total picture. So, we need to be aware of the inherent limitations to our act. Thus, again, we are to practice awareness and equanimity. (It is like dam management. We need to acquire some extra reserve of life energy to become good at doing these. Obviously we need to have a skill to maneuver to have a balance in short term and long term issues.)

When coming up with certain plan, we need to realize that plans are of no use if we cannot put them into practice. So, coming up with insight and practicing it has to go hand. Again, this is the point of experiential wisdom. In order to cover the varieties of possible choices/needs we face, the skillful approach may be to do mini-meditation on the spot as needed and conduct meditation at regular frequency to "process" this by Vipassana. That is: observe the blockage (unresolved needs) to address the needs. The release of "blockage" may represent the wisdom and learning. This process represent that we are addressing the needs in the presential terms, i.e., here and now.

What comes out of this mindless story is that this wisdom corresponds to the skills applied in the situation 1), 2) above and for acting/planning purpose addressed here. So, our act is a continuous process of experiencing, learning, facing, and addressing the needs and going through clarification and to live the fullest while minimizing the waste and misery generation. This is the essence of a continuous problem-solving process, which we call it as life. If we are successful, more wisdom is found while less stress will be experienced.

Whether 1) we recover from troubles or misery, 2) learn the lessons from the past, 3) choose a career, or mission, or whether

Also, as we gain more wisdom, we may be able to relate to others as if they are ourselves. This is so as we start to know ourselves better. We start to see the difficulties in overcoming troubles until we find it. This leads to compassion to all living beings that we have that limited nature until we realize the unlimited potential playing role in us.

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If we want to be good at this, we should be able to respond to the questions like: a) What is the criteria to prioritize questions - while not forgetting to ask the right question? And b) how do we solve them? To answer these questions to fully live our life, and to be pragmatic, we may divide the process in short, medium, and long terms. Short one is to resolve the problem as they surface up at any moment, while medium one is perhaps daily for medium range problems, and long term may be yearly - all with zero-base mind. I feel such level of distinction may be good to clarify things at certain rhythm.

The criteria for action is to live the fullest (H-max.). Some question may take more time and energy to answer than others. So, as much as there may be various needs like health, finance, relationship, etc., on the conscious mind level, this is like a portfolio management of life's various activities (N-H matrix). The problem here is that the basis of value judgment may not match the full expression of life's energy.

This bring to the point of how we can successfully eradicate the errors of past mind conditioning. When this is done or as we proceed in doing so and dharma become the basis of judgment, the whole planning process become streamlined.

It is like stop doing what we are doing (have a pause), open the channel (the third eye - so to speak), observe what is going on (with totality of mind-body), find the blockage, and come out with insight (immediately or eventually). If we have lost the "channel", the situation of cul de sac may last longer - to rediscover the channel. This is the state our mind is wandering without connection to the zero-base mind.

The channel is found when we have no desire, and if we are in the state of no-self, letting go, and here and now. The state is found for us by being aware while maintaining equanimity. Then, the insight will follow as experiential wisdom. Moreover, as this process will bring the life energy expressed in the most productive fashion, we may expand our horizon to better address the issues of the past, future, and for those of others as well. In other words, the life then becomes the life of dharma.

As we have conscious mind to focus on the subject of concern, our life's process may be seen as focus and coming out of focus - back and forth, back and forth - to find the optimum passage/insight to find the way to move on with our life. If we focus too much for too long, it is like our blood gets too concentrated in one area…

The whole thing is to be flexible to balance out various dimensions….If we are god at this, we do not lose focus. Just like a king dispatching convoy to address the needs to defend from the enemy, and at the same time make sure that water and food supply is maintained, the total awareness need to be maintained without losing the balance. This is because it is about the health of totality that is to be concerned. Further, this is about the health of total beings, its happiness. With insight, and as the channel is found and be able to release/express the life energy in the most productive manner - without illusion, we find the state as it is meant to be.

We started with the sentence: "Someone once said, remembering the past and giving thought to the future are important, but only to the extent that they help us to deal with the present." Reflecting this, an answer is reached. That is: as we practice awareness and equanimity, we are orienting to the maximization of H-factor, live the life fully. We do this by checking the current state to come out of illusion. We check the past to eradicate the bad mind conditioning and gain the insight as learning. Then, we check the possible future action by being in the state of awareness and equanimity. In that state, there is all the solution.

1. If we are doing 1) or 2) in the present state, perhaps finding something like, "So and so is happening" without our mind not caught up, then we are living here and now so far as we simply be aware of the situation and remain in equanimity. We just need to pay attention to the "blockage" (area of inattention or problem at hand which is 1), or 2)) if there is. If there is no "blockage", we may stay in this state and keep scanning for the blockage and go through problem-solving process and/or stay in the bliss.
2. If we are doing 1), we may for example stop doing this by keep focusing on the sensation in the triangle area of the nose as we breathe naturally while letting the thought pass by. (Anapana) This again is awareness and equanimity, i.e., observing what is going on without reacting to it so that the nature will take care of itself.
3. If we are doing 2), we pay attention to the problem (blockage). We may consciously "think" for a while to see if we can come up with some resolution while assessing the importance. As insight comes up, we move on. Here, it is still an insight to find that there is no insight. If there is no insight and blockage still remain, we proceed to scan other areas of bodily sensation (Vipassana) to see if we have any more symptom like 1), 2), or 3) and proceed accordingly.
4. In this way, we develop skills to live wisely, skillfully, and without waste or accumulating negativity. Everyday, we can meditate to see if there is any "blockage" by checking if we have free flow. This is Vipassana. We can do Anapana as mini-meditation as needs arise as well.

* Here, we discussed the cases related to thinking of the past. But, thinking of the future like, "What shall I do if so and so happens?" is treated the same way as thinking of the past.

As we successfully learn this skill, we start to live without waste or negativity. The whole mind and body become harmonious. There is a sense of fullness, liveliness, and appreciation not just in the mind but rather in all of our mind-body system. The world looks beautiful as it is. We feel much closer to clouds, insects, trees and flowers. There is joy, happiness, and gratification in being alive as it is.

As much as we may not feel blockage in ourselves, such sense of openness extends to the external world. And as we may feel blockage anywhere, we may proceed to practice what is described above this time not limiting to our own problems or blockages. So, serving others helps us to purify ourselves because of its selfless nature, we may purify ourselves first to serve others in this manner as well. Overall, therefore, the passage for individual lead and ties with the passage of all.

Recognizing this, I would like to clarify the relationship of individual's mind and the behavior of organization in the attempt to create the vision of an enlightened organization and passage toward it. (Yes, a laughable attempt. But why not? Also, anybody interested?)

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Wonderful it is to train the mind
so swiftly moving, seizing whatever it wants.
Good is it to have a well-trained mind,
for a well-trained mind brings happiness.
-- Dhammapada 35

In a way, our mind may be compared to a company's operation where we have to be pragmatic and action oriented to prove the reason of existence. Company cannot sustain its existence if people there is dwelling in the past or fantasizing the future. Whether operating our mind or company, both go through a continuous process of being alive and moving forward to accomplish the mission. It is a process to go beyond the constraints by utilizing the resources wisely for liberation, happiness and prosperity. We are to minimize wastes and eradicate errors along the way. This is the life of all living being as well as our organization.

Tied to this point, in my red book on Just-in-Time (JIT), I discussed techniques to continuously eliminating wastes by exposing problems and chipping them off as if we chip off rocks. What is to be accomplished is a smooth flow production, information and distribution processes with everyone involved. This is the principle of JIT. (P.17, Exhibit 1.8 Inventory Covers Problem, from The New Manufacturing Challenge, The Free Press)

Here, water level indicates the sea of inventory, whereas reduction of water level corresponds to exposing rocks. Then, exposed rocks represent anything that prevents the smooth flow of value added processes from receiving the input to all the way to delivering the output to the customers. Examples of these rocks may be bad housekeeping, wrong layout, lack of skills, moral of people, etc. People typically learn to protect themselves by accumulating inventories in order to meet customers' needs. But problems will not go away. Inventory covers these problems.

In fact, having more inventory creates more problems such as extra space, increased handling, lack of organization, additional inventory carrying cost, among many others. Also, since people become occupied in chasing parts, etc. at a superficial level, addressing the core problems become difficult. Thus, the approach in JIT is to keep reducing the inventory to expose rocks. While the process is in a way painful, this helps us to prioritize our action to address the problems identified. As problems are resolved, processes are streamlined and people can work together more effectively. Then, we can further reduce inventory to continue the process in order to streamline the flow and achieve efficient operation with everybody involved - in a pragmatic, needs driven fashion.

In a traditionally managed companies, people may be even seen as part of the problems - even if they have talent to contribute in solving problems. The situation is as if no stimulation or guidance is given to the people who are at where the action is. Accordingly, people may lose interest in the job as their talents find no place to express the potential. So, one of the worst wastes is not being able to use the talents of people. People should be seen as customers from management point of view.

Similar to eliminating waste, in my blue book, The New Shop Floor Management, I emphasized the importance of Glass Wall Management (GWM), i.e., comprehensiveness in management process. This idea is to expose problems effectively and efficiently so that the people in any unit of organization, call it mini-company, can come up with the solution by themselves where they can. Comprehensiveness and clarity are emphasized in GWM to facilitate the problem-solving process tied with the initiative of people and their customer orientation. With more clarity and more involvement of people at where the action is, we can often find the solution to meet the customers' needs much more quickly compared to going through the long chain of command.

So, in both JIT and GWM, effectively exposing the problem is found as a critical step in order for people to work together and to address the problem. In fact, if we can identify the problem clearly, often solving the problem is not so difficult. As we become good at doing this, management should realize that developing such a condition becomes an important part of their job. In the following sections, we will look into how such management principle may be tied with the principle to live our life's journey.

The idea like JIT, GWM or mini-company represents needs-driven pragmatic approaches for solving problems in business. The purpose is to accomplish the mission, and satisfy customers without waste. In the process we are to meet the customers' needs with a smooth flow processes while utilizing the talent of people. What is interesting is that the same principle seems to apply in how we may manage our day-to-day life activities. The aim should be something to do with full activation of our mind-body system to achieve the mission in life, i.e., happiness.

In business, as problems (and opportunities) are exposed, we are to use our creative talent to come up with solution so that the problems do not hamper in accomplishing the mission. Similarly, in our life, the aim is to unload the "burden" (waste) while developing smooth and unblocked "flow" in expressing the most of our talent. Here, the free "flow" indicates the activation of the full potential of talent in our mind-body system, enabling us to respond to the needs. On the other hand, "burden" or "blockage" represents wandering mind without any focus or wrong mind program, which brings negatives in life. Naturally, we want smooth flow with no blockage and no burden.

But, are we clear about the mission in life, customers we seek to satisfy (including ourselves) as well as problems to be overcome? In other words, 1) what are these needs that we need to be clear about in conducting our life? 2) how do we keep sorting out the noise and focus on the ones that needs attention? And, 3) how do we address these needs? Each situation in life is different as in business. Experience base, degree of awareness, skills for problem-solving and judgment, etc., etc. are all different. Accordingly, the strategy and passage are different in each situation. Yet, is there any principle way that we may find useful? (Related to this, see N-H matrix idea I mentioned in my white book for example.)

In business, we seek for accomplishing mission and satisfy customers while fully utilizing resources without waste. In our life's journey, we seek for liberation from troubled life, and provide with metta (loving kindness) to others. To accomplish this, we may seek for the best use of resources- houses, tools, space, mind programs, knowledge, inventory, time, energy, etc. to maximize the expression of life energy for happiness. This is the strategy, a resource allocation process to know what to do for what purpose and execute the strategy in a harmonious way - from moment to moment. This requires awareness and good balancing act, which may be called the middle way. As business seeks for the best operation, we are to realize what is absolutely essential to live our life the most meaningful way. This is where business and spiritual pursuit find their common foundation.

Certainly, having a clear mind is what we need in seeing the picture as it is without preconceived notion or emotional disturbances. Corresponding to this, in business, there is "zero-base budget" to revisit the financial plans at a certain interval and from the zero base as opposed to being stuck with the plan developed some time ago. But what is exactly a clear mind? While there is certain difficulty in communicating what this may mean in reality and that intellectual understanding without real understanding does not go anywhere, let us still try to capture the best we can to help our understanding.

Some may say that clear mind corresponds to meditative mind. Or, it may be called as Zero-Base Mind because it is at the base of being aware of where we are and what we do in a manner that makes sense. Or, this state may be characterized as "listening to our heart while using our brain" - in harmony. Perhaps, it may be characterized as genuine, open, flexible, calm, sublime, or even childlike innocent mind. This is the state of mind and whatever comes out of it is to be seen as good. Also, with practice, we may picture that we can do this as a group as observed in certain sports teams or business organizations.

The state of zero-base mind may be like having all of our resources in our mind-body system accessible to come up with the insight. So, it is an intelligent mind in the sense that the lessons of life and law of nature we learned are ready for access in needs. Yet, for this to happen, all resources, i.e., all our memories and logic, has to be in a free accessible state so to speak for them to be self-organized to identify the real needs as well as respond to such needs. This is insight.

On the other hand, all wrong programming of mind, which represents past conditioning that do not correspond to the law of nature should be made error free or nullified their use for them to not to create disturbances in insight generating process. While such state may be seen as not realistic to achieve as human, we may see these programs as "blockage" and "waste" preventing the "free flow." where Vipassana technique may be used to eradicate them. As much as self-interest brings waste in JIT environment to accomplish the "flow", at zero-base mind, there should be no "self" identity left in our consciousness. In fact, the boundary between conscious and unconscious, mind and body is taken away to utilize all we have. In other words, it is a free state to reach out the potential in us and for natural process to take place to express the totality our being. So, our role become one of using Vipassana for eradicating errors and stay in zero-base mind every now and to keep adjusting our course as new experience is gained.

So, up to here, we briefly reviewed the state of zero-base mind, function of it to come up with insight, and what we can do to eradicate the error for the insight generating process to be sound. From here, we will study these points in detail to see its validity before discussing on how we may practice this.

unload the unneeded mind programs or burdens to focus our task in the main mission of life. The process that happens in this meditation is like resolving the problem as we reduce the level of the water to identify the problem areas. Then, there are needs realized and awareness to be gained in order for us to make strong effort to go through this process. It is like JIT. It is to eliminate waste in our mind-body system to fully engage our resources to commit us to achieve the mission in life, which may be described as liberation from misery and living an awakened life. It requires an alert mind and sound discipline to practice this. So, let us investigate how such state of mind is developed and process may function.

Still, as there are various excellent companies, there are accomplished ones from whom we may gain insight.

Eliminating waste in our mind means is that we are to go to the state of here and now instead of unnecessarily living in the past or worrying for the future. In Vipassana, the key to the process is to scan the whole mind-body to identify waste/blockage and "observe" it for the nature to work its way to eradicate the error. In a way, this is like finding the right mind state and letting the nature to heal the wound. This is an autonomous process in the case of bodily wound as if our unconsciousness takes care of the problem without us aware of the healing process. Similarly, in case of our mind problem, the state of healing is to be here and now and to orient our attention to the problem area as mentioned before.

If our consciousness is detached from unconsciousness, the waste may not be eradicated easily. But if we train ourselves to somehow connect consciousness and unconsciousness by bringing our mind to the state of here and now, the healing process will be facilitated as if more energy can be directed to the area of needs. It is as if we can send special convoy to the area of needs to fix the problem. Healing from positive thinking, image control, and the use of Qi/life energy has something in common where consciousness find a link to unconsciousness. When it is accomplished, it is an art. It just requires training just like learning to ride a bike without thinking. Unfortunately, it also requires un-training to eradicate the wrong programming we have developed in the past.

So, it is about directing the energy while eliminating the waste. Since more waste will hamper to direct the energy, this can become a vicious cycle if we start to lose the connection. In fact, each of us may have gone through this vicious cycle already in various degree. Resting, sleeping, playing, doing things we like, and day dreaming may help us to get to the alpha state, which may reduce accumulation of waste or even unload the burden to a degree if we gained wisdom in doing so. On the other hand, if we develop a habit of keep dwelling on certain worries, it will only aggregate the problem as if one is playing with the wound and not giving chance to let it heal by itself.

For us to be liberated, therefore, a focused approach like Vipassana may be necessary. We need to realize however that it takes an effort before we can actually eliminate the past conditioned way of mind habit which create waste in our mind. Another difficulty here is that as much as we are letting the nature to do the job, it is beyond our understanding to know how or why it exactly works. Nevertheless, by understanding the state that helps healing, and physically experiencing the effect, we can start to gain benefit in better conducting our life as it is meant to be.

Getting to the state and being able to detect the blockage in our mind is equivalent of first being able to sense the water level, and reducing the water level so that problems are exposed for the nature to take care of. To be able to realize when our mind is lost and started to wandering is a first step. We need to keep trying to get such wandering mind to be able to be in the state of here and now. Then, gross or subtle sensation we directly detect in our body represents the blockage.

Past mind programs are detected in our bodily sensation due to the linkage of unconsciousness to physical symptom. This is like a child having a difficult time to go to sleep as he lied to his parent. Or, he may have stomach ache because of his conscience. Even though some adults may become good at hiding such sensation, the symptom can be still found somewhere in the mind-body system as bodily sensation. This is because body and therefore unconsciousness does not lie like our mind. Perhaps it shows up as changing breathing pattern, change in blood pressure, sweat in hands, blinking eyes, eye movement, etc. Over a long term, we may even develop ulcers, migraine headache or even cancer. So, this is not just a mind issue but our whole mind-body system and impact to our life cannot be ignored.

As indicated, if we can expose the problems effectively, the treatment may not be so difficult as nature will take care of them. Again, problems represent rocks sticking up from the water. More we have those, our life cannot flow smoothly. They prevent us from seeing the real picture and real mission. On the other hand, if we cover these rocks with more inventory, they divert our attention, energy, and life energy while distorting the picture by not being wholesome.

Before we go further, let us make one point clear. That is: Wandering mind is not necessarily bad so far as the focus is clear and the efforts are being made to address the problem - provided that the problem is the right one to work on. Then, such state may be like ideas popping up and checked by conscious mind for its worth. It is like random walk of animals for searching for food(insight). If not useful, then, go back to here and now state. Later, another wandering thoughts may pop up for us to go through the same process. Overall, this process is still an error eradication process except that this has a nuance of brain storming on one theme. It is then like scanning the mind to find the resolution.

However, as much as we may not spend too much time, say more than one or two minutes in observing on any particular blockage in Vipassana, we may every now and then check and balance by having us in the "state" of here and now.

Wandering mind in this sense may be seen similar to having dream at night. The continued disruption of dream is not good for heath. So, it is known by some research.. It is image walking by itself to self-organize ideas. Perhaps, it is like a symptom that accompanies with the curing process. However, lost in wandering, or mind caught up in the cul. de sac. is certainly not helpful. We need to learn to get out of it by going back to here and now state, for example, by practicing Anapana and/or Vipassana.

As much as we can pay attention to reduce inventory (burden) in our mind-body system by meditation and scanning process, we need to allocate time to do this. Insight may be gained, or clarity of purpose may be gained while unnecessary or wasteful thoughts/mind program may be sorted out. Once gained, one may choose to go back to the typical routine of our conscious mind with better understanding of the situation. This makes communication with others and to oneself (say in writing of the finding for future reference) possible. Only humans can do this.

Of course, this process requires efforts to orient us. Our bad mind habit may hinder the process. Because of this, actually, it is equivalent of a battle. It requires a certain skill to use our mind that we need to learn. Then, we need to have good reason to go through this with conviction to meet the needs to get the energy oriented in certain way. We may learn the practice say in JIT. I have done this in my work. And as we succeed, there is a smile and conviction. The same is true with our spiritual journey. There are problems, critiques, and confusions waiting before the clarity to be gained. But, as we win the battle one at a time and move step at a time, we gain more energy, clarity as well as skills and conviction. Similarly, I have fought this battle at the very experiential level by Anapana and Vipassana. There is no end to this battle, if we wish the happiness for all. Yet, that is the living as it is meant to be as I see it. Liberating oneself and help others to be liberated. This is the direction. We have tried to do this consciously. But, we are to work in our totality to do this as well.

The process is experiential as in the case of JIT where reduction of water (inventory) provides means to expose problem. In meditation, any pleasant and unpleasant sensation, or any wandering mind, that diverts our attention form here and now is seen as waste that needs to be eliminated.

In JIT terms, it is 1) to remove the inventory (get to here and now), 2) to expose the problem (scan the mind-body to find the blockage), and 3) eliminate them (apply heat, life energy). Then, keep continuing this process.

H-max.: Happiness for All Being

You feel happy as you remove the problem. But the point is not to search for the pleasant senses that is just a momentary reward of us moving forward. It is the moving forward toward H-max. that is the key objective as opposed to having the pleasant experience becoming the objective. So, let's not mix up means and ends.

Free flow in this case is to be tied to the orientation of H-max. When Buddha had a moment of awakening, he cleared up the flow. Then, he thought of people who are in misery. This caused another level of challenge for him to work on. He thought of ideas to share his understanding. But, every body is different and the work has to be done individually. This created more concerns for Buddha to be effective in addressing the problem. So, this became the focus. He tried this and that. Then, he got the feedback from the people who tried. Little by little, he went over the constraints, perhaps like blockage represented in his mind-body system, by meditating and having insight to resolve the problem/constraint. Out of this process came the teaching, as represented as sutra that we have now. In that sense, the learning/teaching of sutras are like sila for various people to follow. According to the situation one is in, the process may differ, and sila may be expanded or modified to reflect the situation. In any case, the fundamental process of purifying the mind and gaining the insight may be still seen as: 1) experience, gain learning from the situation around us, 2) sort out things of any value or not so that our life energy will be directed in the right concern as "heart" may tell us as opposed to "wasting" the energy, 3) put energy in executing the task at hand, which should correspond with what heart desires. Here, 2) is the meditation process for sorting things out and gaining insight as to finding the next step to move on (to meet the mission).

Whatever blockage we have is to be removed. Actually, some may be health related others may be mental or psychological issues. Here, however, exposure by having us in the state will do most of the job as nature will provide with insight to fix the problem. If it does not work, we just keep working on it the best we can, using conscious and unconscious mind. A point of major difference here is that we let the nature to do the job while we unload the burden so that the job can be done easily. As we become good at this process, we can start to send love, compassion to all while utilizing all we have as it is meant to be. In my experience on JIT, I felt that the whole organization was going through an enlightening process - every body, machine, space, tools, etc. are all engaged. It is a streamlined flow just like a free flow being developed to help contribute the customer while engaging us in the process. In mini-company concept, Glass Wall Management and customer orientation, etc. does the same.

Expose the problem. Then, solve the problem. Satisfy the customers and find satisfaction in this process. This is conducting life as it is meant to be. It is nature's way, Tao.

"Meditation doing my way" (as posted on my home page) is a mini-meditation without including the whole body. Vipassana is for the whole mind-body to let the nature to do the job. Obviously, for us to find the meaning of life, we better put our whole existence to the problem at hand. Pursuing the path like Vipassana may be seen as a blockage removal process, or problem-solving process in pursuit of happiness for all. As one's own removal is taken care of, the removal of others need to take place as well. From the God's viewpoint (if we think of such situation), removing the critical bottle neck is the obvious concern.

I think this whole point is to realize "How to operate our mind/body system." As we suceed in this, our desire can be converted to an energy oriented to H-max. Similarly, thinking is oriented to H-max. Health is tied to H-max. Then, physical and mental health is seen from H-max. point of view as one - to express life energy the most meaningful way. So, this is about integrating all and coming up with judgment - as we will find out as we gain the experiential wisdom. Depending on the background, strengths and weaknesses, the outcome of judgment may vary. After all, it becomes God's judgment aligned to our life's process - as all of us are meant to be. Then this correspond to the point that "unless we have something that we can devote ourselves to, we will not be happy in the true sense."

So, what do we do? Think wisely. Think with our body. This is Hishiryo. Remember, living here and now is especially key if in delusion. Living here and now is good to eradicate the errors and to gain insight. Such problems as feeling of misery will be taken care. Misery is like waste that needs to be removed.

If we have any problem consciousness, the whole mind-body will respond to that question given that we are in that state of here and now. Here and now state is a state of Anapana or Vipassana. Having right problem consciousness is to live the life of human, e.g., Buddha to save people from misery, or for us to find the way to contribute to the world.

Right problem consciousness comes from being able to eradicate the errors. This correspond to having a good base, zero base mind-body to utilize the totality of our talent we have (and let the nature to do its job) as mentioned by Daisetz to describe the process of Buddha's enlightenement. We can do the same even the degree of enlightenment may be different. Each eradicating the error means mini-enlightenment. And even if you are enlightened, perhaps, you will work on enlightening others because if meets the nature's way and H-max. process.

To resolve a major problem, we need to get into the whole of our mind-body. To live here and now, we need to be able to sort out things and eliminate unnecessary burden, so that we do not waste our energy while providing room for insight to take place in the sense of wisdom as well as healing. This is a continuous process.

By the way, when I reflect back the course and remembering the moment when I had various memories caming up into my mind for like 0.1 sec, with vivid color and scenes, I sense this is similar to Penfield's(?) experiment where a electrical probe was touched at various areas of the brain and the person under test remembered the vivid memories corresponding to the stimuli probe generated. In other words, in meditation as we go through calming our mind activity and focus in here and now to release the constraint in our mind-body system, we can go back down deep in our mind as if we may re-experience and remove the errors deep in our mind.

Hishiryo

State of Hishiryo is the same as in the state of "Here and now." There are several expressions connected to this point:

• Let the mind flow freely without abiding anywhere.
• Pay attention to inattention.
• Living dead, and do as one likes, this is good. - Shido Zenji
• In between good and bad is a moment of cool evening breeze. - Sengai
• When it is not mystical, yet it is mystical.

• So, the state is like reading a map from the right angle. It is realizing that using consciousness only will bind oneself, unable one not to escape.
• It is when self is gone, and the nature will do the trick.

==

I have just finished reading a book called "The Quiet Mind," by John Coleman, previously a CIA agent, discussing his search for the quiet mind. P.171-173 of the book describes the process Mr. Coleman went through Vipassana perhaps in 1960s under the guidance of U Ba Khin (1899-1971). The following is an excerpt:

• …I had come with the firm intention to throw out all my preconceived ideas on the course…..
• In about three days the mind was clear, crystal clear.
• Gradually, I became aware of tingling sensations throughout those parts of body upon which intense concentration was focused. When concentration was directed to my right hand, for instance, I experienced the wild dance of electrons producing a warm glow throughout the hand…
• The keen awareness of this molecular motion was beginning to produce a glow of heat.
• My body was getting warmer during this period.
• In Buddhist term I knew what was happening: I was repaying my karmic debts for past misdeeds in a concentrated form.
• At this point the teacher made me to take a vow to remain perfectly still for one hour period without moving.
• The heat and pain became intense.
• …pain persisted…but no relief so long as I desired relief.
• There was an intense desire to be free from suffering and this very desire was perpetuating the suffering. This must have been the turning point, my moment of truth. Suddenly, at a point of supreme frustration, my mind stopped functioning for it realized it could not bring about a cessation of dukkha. The desire to be free from suffering ceased as the realization occurred that it could not be sought after and brought about. There was an infinitesimal attachment to the self and suddenly, like a bolt of lightening, something snapped and when the search stopped there was relief.
• There was an indescribable calm. There was cool equanimity that seemed to fill and encompass entirety. There was everything and nothing, a peace which passes all understanding. The mind and body were transcended.

* What I found interested in reading this book was that previous to attending the Vipassana course, Mr. Coleman went through extensive search to find the quiet mind. In the process, he met Suzuki, Krishnamurti, and U Ba Khin, he calls as three wise men. Then, he felt that the search was over before he decided to take the 10-day Vipassana course under the guidance of U Ba Khin, which brought this experience, mentioned above, he calls enlightenment.

* Reflecting on my search, I also went through Suzuki, and Krishnamurti before stumbled into Vipassana (through Yanavira, I met on the net). Also, comparing to my Vipassana experience was quite illuminating.

* While Mr. Coleman became a teacher like Mr. Goenka and conducted hundreds of Vippasana courses around the world, he did not elaborate his "inner" life after "enlightenment" as much in detail. In spite of this, the whole book was very informative, and I will recommend this book for anyone with interest to live life as it is meant to be.

* BTW, I still maintain my view on enlightenment as process as mentioned in my file, "about enlightenment" found in my home page while state of enlightenment may be characterized in a subjective terms. Even if the effort to describe the indescribable may turn out to be nonsensical, I would like to try to characterize the state and process some time. Perhaps, this is the point where the idea, "subjectivity is truth" may be brought in.

• The book is $16.95 published by Pariyatti Press (203 pages, paperback)

* BTW, this is a reminder by Yanavira's post #2686 UOZ that I can closely identify with. (Also posted in "about enlightenment" file at my home page.)

"My experience is simply by keeping awareness and equanimity. My experience is simply by observing sensations with detachment. When I do my experience, they are in fact I do taste, look, touch, smell, talk, and think. With detachment, I observe its sensations arise and pass away. Thus, no sankhara and no kalapas are created, what should suffering exist?

Although in practically, they may not as smooth as expected, still you must learn how to swim. Still you musn't refuse to enter the water yourself.

Our own bodies bear witness to the truth. When you discover the truth within, it becomes real for you and you live according to it. That is what happen to me. We can each realize the truth by learning to observe the sensations within ourselves.

Eyes and form, ears and sound, nose and smell, tongue and taste, body and touch, intellect and Dhamma are impermanent."

==

This is a funny title. But, more I experience it, I feel this is the point of direct experience. We have words like happy, playful, sad, upset, worried, angry, clinging, craving, aversion, etc. etc. Vipassana taught me that these feeling is in our body that we can directly sense. And, that is quite true.

What I found recently is that we do not have to think of something to feel happy. It(The feeling) is just there apparent in our body as direct experience. We do not need intellectualization. We do not need contemplation. And, the simple fact is that if we feel something wrong in our body, we just need to pay attention to it. Then, the sense will go away - eventually, if not immediately. This is what we learned by Vipassana. On the other hand, if we feel joy, we just sense it directly. And the funny thing is that we do not have to have reason to be happy. I feel that if all cells are paid attention and there is no blockage, it expresses its joy as it is.

So, this is the gauge in our body that will not lie to see where we stand. It is a direct and intuitive sense.

I then see the correlation to JIT environment where I felt everything is ticking and everything moving smoothly. Tack time, rhythm, harmony, tone all balanced. The same is true we find in our lives where all bodily sensation shows no blockage. We practice sila as base and there is harmony, tone, and rhythm (vibration) as well as smooth (free) flow of sensation. Just sensing what is happening in our body will tell us what is happening without thinking. Waste is apparent, exposed, and paid attention to be take care of. Mission is clear, every thing (cell) is expressing its potential.

I think this is what we find in any excellent organization.