The heart

According to contemporary modern so called “science” it apparently may be said all our human mental functions are performed within the head.

The brain is supposed, generally, - to be where everything goes. I have no particular knowledge about relevant issues in biology but the fact is widely known and no secrete.

- After sometime of practice, - spiritual practice or Dharma practice, - one may be able to become aware of the existence of his or her heart. In case you don’t know: - It is not the organ usually called by that name (I don’t know why) in secular society, not that in the left side of your chest, close to the centre, - in charge - so to speak, - of making the blood flow in its vessels. Rather it is in the right side, not so close to the centre, - and a bit higher, normally that is. I recall sometimes feeling it perhaps two or three meters up in the air, outside the body, in time of extreme pain. This is not important here, I am just making the remark.

- There must be at least about twenty people I know personally who know the heart. It is not something you talk about. - Normally, unless any particular reason to, - one does not mention it. And when one does, it often would be in a way or manner in which one-who-is-ignorant-of-it would generally (unless informed otherwise) assume it is just a metaphor, - in the form of speech common and usual among everyone generally. Nothing special. But otherwise it is a thing one generally feels it would not be right to freely speak of in the same manner everyone can refer to any other daily thing. - Those who are conscious of this element of their being are normally also aware of the natural situation in which it is better to take some caution in speech in referring to it. No disaster might occur but one easily feels it is for the better. Sometime it is possible to be aware of a better choice of action without analysis and without detailed knowledge of the practical reasoning behind it.

Anyway, - the main point is there are many who can testify as for the truth of the fact I am relating to here.
- The entire mental functioning is clearly not being performed in the head or the brain. So called materialistic “science” is ignorant. Is practically foolish and amazing, - but this is not the issue here. - Some of your mental functioning takes place in the heart. Emotions exist nowhere else. This does not deny of course some reflection of them in the brain. With development the heart can also learn certain capabilities of thinking. This does not mean mathematical calculations and the like, - but practical issues can clearly and unquestionably be related to. Not everyone will testify to that: - At first it will have nothing to do with it, - as it seems, to me at least. However the fact that your mind is not in any sort of whole-correlation with the functioning of what-takes-place-inside-your-head can be clearly and perfectly viewed.

There is a certain centre (energy centre) in the lower region of your body called “tanden” in Japanese and “dantian” in Chinese. - “Zen” meditation as practiced in the “Rinzai” sect depends on it, perhaps entirely. Master Tendo Nyojo also mentions it. - Serious martial artists could not be unaware of it. It is of primary importance there. I would say, generally, that it is easier to gain awareness of the tanden than of the heart. After that, - after this centre (related to the will and the origin of one’s being) it seems the heart (Some call it the spiritual heart, I generally do not) is the easiest to come to know. Of course the ability would differ from person to person. But it seems much easier to get to know than the chakras you might hear about or read about in Yoga fields or others.

- It is initially felt as if it is a physical organ, but practically it is not. - The functioning of our imagination takes place in the heart. This can be clearly felt. You can also feel that mathematical-like calculation or thoughts would be an action which does take place (partly at least) in your head. The mental sphere would correlate to a structure of more-than-one-element as it seems, that which is inside your head not denied as one of them, - but far from being the whole thing. The connection seems to me like between computers connected as a net, - but this is a matter still to be careful about, though the idea could not be entirely empty.

- So far for the matter. - There is the organ generally not known today taking place in the right side of your upper body, normally, responsible for a considerable and significant (and this is somewhat of an understatement too) part of the functioning of your mind. Most literal expressions referring to the heart originate with this. And are quite accurate too, generally at least. - There are quite many people who are able to directly testify as for this fact. Do notice: - Quite many can be still a very low percentage, - but even if we’d be speaking of something like 1/10%, - (one in a thousand) or even 1/10 of that, - this is no doubt still a very large number of people, - we are not speaking of a scant number where you have to search a lot in order to find every one person, - there are many, and those aware of the phenomenon themselves would generally know others who are too. - The reason the matter is still unknown, as it is, to the majority of humanity [today] and to funny individuals engaged in the study and research of the relevant field through common materialistic methods, - is (to a great extent) that those who possess the ability to acknowledge the phenomenon through personal experience are justifiably reluctant to generally relate to the matter, - both due to an inner notion referred-to-above having to do with the nature of non-physical [fundamentally] by all, and due to the easily predicted response off other individuals in society who might consider them abnormal or question their mental health. - Of course the situation would be different in the case of a few dozens (or a far greater number) making a similar statement where each one is independently relating to his (or hers) personal individual experience. Such a thing should be easily possible. I don’t know why it hasn’t taken place so far. Humanity lives in a funny pit, for a long time, it could not be forever, - but Sawaki Roshi’s words are clearly relevant: “Funny being, man is, - groping around in the dark with an intelligent look in his eyes”.

Just a note

The most important point in Buddhism is what is usually referred to as the “Four noble truths”. More correctly I believe would be “the four principles of Buddhism”. (The word “satya” translated as “truth” would better reflect a principle in the relevant context. It is not a perfect translation but it seems to be the best choice of an English word to bring the original intention as closely to the essence and meaning existing in the original Sanskrit as possible.)

The issue of translation I referred to is just btw. - The point is this, or the four world views Nishijima noticed continually appearing in the writing and preaching of Master Dogen, - form the most important point in Buddhism. It of course does not mean that the study of it or the familiarity with it are more important than the practice of Zazen, - Buddhist meditation, - but in the conceptual sphere relating to the structure of the presentation of things within Buddhism or the Buddhist sphere-or-realm, - this is the place to begin - and this is the point first in its importance. I related to this point in the second post here at-the-blog - Our Mind - Second Post.

The second point in importance is that of the middle way. - Interestingly it seems to correlate in a way with what is known in probability theory as the normal distribution, but again is mentioned here just btw. - I did not write a post about that yet but two posts are related: - Posting as Practice and The Eightfold Path according to Steiner.

There is no third point.

I mean there are of course lots of other things existing within the Buddhist field, - but there is no other particular point or issue to be regarded or classed as #3 - essentially and necessarily - within the Buddhist teaching or presentation of reality and path.

There are these two points which would essentially be in place as the two leading ones, - those which would have a particular special place heading the rest of the world-or-structure relevant here and referred to - which would form the essential structure to begin with and would be most fundamental in the creation and presentation of philosophy and practical-understanding, - and thereafter there is still what is to follow, - but no other third point necessary in the same way for the creation of the initial framework to work with.

April 21, 2018