A Chairman of an Internet Talking Shop asked me to join their mailing-list to invigorate the activity.
It was a small group of University alumni of which the members used to play a sports together, hence
the members consists of their 30th to 70~80th old-boy.
The mailing-list was said to be proposed and set-up by the core member of the group a year ago to
facilitate vibrant communication among the members, as the members live scattered all over the country
over a years, and not necessary knows each other in their different generations.
With a kind of marketing research considerations, I saw the characters of the group and their needs.
I found this is in fact a retired old boy’s talking shop. Since, younger members are too busy
in their job and the family —– they may not have much leisure time left, and busy talking with
their colleagues etc. So that the real aim is to create the environment for the old members to
exchange and join the conversation.
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Zen is a way of the life to live the situation in 100% commitment. (So-called Mindfulness )
When the situation required to ply a role or to carry-out the task, to become the Role itself or
the expert of the task, and Just Do It, is the speciality of the Zen.
As my role is to invigorate the conversation, I started to talk as many as possible number of the
members I know before, while inventing all sorts of excuse or pretext of talking piece, in order to draw
them into the forum. Within a month the forum became pretty busy and started to have many new talkers.
As each member has graduated in each faculty and the specialized subject, they got their expert view
and the unique opinion, some time it went pretty deep in its subject and turned out to be a very interesting
exchange of two different view etc etc. While receiving a congratulation mail from the other side of the
world as this member is working over there, which said “It is a great pleasure to see the forum invigorated
which I myself had proposed to set-up”
—–
Journalist ( or Ex-photojournalist precisely ) as I am, I was in certain extent, well suited to the role as I can
deal with many subjects ( like interviewer has to know the subjects, despite every time the subject
could be different ) —– though, the core members who proclaims they set-up the forum started to feel
the forum has been Hijacked by somebody unknown ( since I’ve been out of communication with them
40 years 😀 ). And they started to say this is not YOUR blog site. 😀
Of cause, to draw somebody into the forum, I had to send the mile and when somebody sent a mail
with unfamiliar subject, still somebody has to answer, and many cases it happened me to reply.
When I gave an answer and sent PS: soon after, it was accused “from the same person, enormous
amount of continuous mail occupying the forum” 😀
It was exactly like a Hen’s chorus in the Animal Farm, even a man who congratulated the
invigorated forum, changed his colour and joined the chorus. And a funny opinion to design a special
sports shoes talked by other member which I just responded was still attributed as my fault 😀
When the attack came, it need to hit back like the sword master Musashi was also a Zen master.
But, if this is the situation. That is it.—– I’ve been there to talk not waste the time to argue with.
—–
Zen react to the situation Just as it is, like just handling a small thing, therefore no emotion or
personal interest involved. As there is no notion of possession ( like, this forum is mine or I AM
the man in charge with ) when the requirement or the situation changes, the commitment or
duty evaporate at once as if there was no such things ever existed.
—–
This mind-set, Full Commitment but without Emotional Involvement ( Ego, Greed, Arrogance)
and Instant Dissociate with no mind to cringe, is a typical Zen Practice.
( Fundamentally, member of 150 people’s Talking Shop, most of whom I don’t know and 40 years
out of communication, what anyone can expect from them ? And what to lose by stopping it, if any ?
It is like a chess game on the street cafe table. Once join, still have to use full extent of the brain to win.
Yet it is just for a small fun. Nothing to gain but nothing to lose. Just Do it and Just Stop it.
This is the mind-set of the Mushin which respond to the situation which keeps changing.
—– And this is the Zen in Practice in the real life, not in sitting.
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