『いきものの「種」はどのように決まるんだろう』という新書をKindleとPODで出しました．Kindle版も再び買えるようになりました．

 

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CMQ5ZXJS

 

「いきものについて知るためには，そのいきものの「種」を見分けることがまず重要です．ですが，その「種」は一般的にはどのように決まっているのでしょう？実は，それはまだはっきりとは決まっていないのです．この本はいきものと「種」をめぐる話題からダーウィンの『種の起原』，さらには「種」を数学の位相的データ解析から発見し，26次元の理論や擬モンスターリー環などの話題にまで拡張する試みについて簡単に紹介します．」という内容です．

ご興味のある方はサンプルを読むなどしていただき，適宜購入して頂ければ幸いです

 

【追記】

「『いきものの「種」はどのように決まるんだろう』という新書をKindleとPODで出しました．」

と昨日投稿しましたが，Kindleの方のサイトが今見えなくなっているようです．Kindle版を購入しようと思っておられる方はしばらくお待ち下さい．POD版のサイトは

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CMQ46WSZ

ですが，1870円とKindle版の250円よりも高いので．．．

 

＊＊＊
 
『いきものの「種」はどのように決まるんだろう』という新書をKindleとPODで出しました．
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0CMQ5ZXJS
「いきものについて知るためには，そのいきものの「種」を見分けることがまず重要です．ですが，その「種」は一般的にはどのように決まっているのでしょう？実は，それはまだはっきりとは決まっていないのです．この本はいきものと「種」をめぐる話題からダーウィンの『種の起原』，さらには「種」を数学の位相的データ解析から発見し，26次元の理論や擬モンスターリー環などの話題にまで拡張する試みについて簡単に紹介します．」という内容です．
ご興味のある方はサンプルを読むなどしていただき，適宜購入して頂ければ幸いです

I moved the site of blog to the URL below.

http://shunadachi.hatenablog.com/

The first blog is the same as "Ramanujan".

ブログを移動しました。

http://shunadachi.hatenablog.com/

最初のブログは "Ramanujan" と同じです。

On October the 22^nd 2016, I watched a movie called “The Man Who Knew Infinity”, which memorizes an Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan(1887-1920). It describes what would happen if people from different cultures meet each other. There are some astonishingly good and definitely bad. I could also notice bright side and dark side of such a cultural confliction. The English is as easy as non-native speakers can understand, and the plot is traceable for people who are not familiar with mathematics.

 

Ramanujan proposed Ramanujan conjecture among prime p:
$\Delta(z) = e^{2\pi iz}\prod_{n=1}^{\infty}(1 - e^{2\pi inz})^{24} = \prod_{n=1}^{\infty}\tau(n) e^{2\pi inz},$
$L(s, \Delta) = \prod_{p}L_p(s, \Delta),$
$L_p(s, \Delta) = \frac{1}{1 - \tau(p)p^{-s} + p^{11 - 2s } },$
$|\tau(p)| \leq 2p^{\frac{11}{2 } };$

the partition function; mock theta function; or an Euler product of degree 2. He was invited to University of Cambridge by Godfrey Harold Hardy (1877-1947) in 1914, stayed there until 1919. The bad nutritional condition during World War I forced him, as a vegetarian, to suffering serious illness. After a year since he returned India, he died in his young age, at 32 years old. Although he was said not to know complex analysis so well due to the failure in proving prime number formula, even Hardy misunderstood him for a certain extent and the partition function by Hardy and Ramanujan ended up in a mere asymptotic formula.

 

Ramanujan conjecture (1916) is an assertion on the size of the tau function, which has as generating function the discriminant modular form Δ(q), a typical cusp form in the theory of modular forms. It is for weight 12, results in 11 dimensional algebraic manifold and relates to Riemann hypothesis. The Ramanujan conjecture has contributed to various aspects of modern mathematics, including ideas of mathematical spaces in EGA, SGA by Alexander Grothendieck (1928-2014), the solution of Ramanujan conjecture by Pierre Deligne (1944- ), the solution of Fermat’s Last Theorem (via the Euler product of degree 2) and Sato-Tate conjecture.

 

According to the developing field of mock theta functions nowadays, Ramanujan was still productive until his death. George Neville Watson (1886-1965) wrote a poem that describes the final moments of Ramanujan as:

“Pale, beyond porch and Portal,

Crowned with calm leaves, she stands

Who gathers all things mortal

With cold immortal hands.”    

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

On October the 10^th 2016, I climbed up Mt. Hieizan（比叡山）. It is a famous sacred mountain in the eastern line of mountains that surround Kyoto（京都）. Enryakuji Temple（延暦寺）,which locates all over the mountain, is here. Enryakuji Temple was originated by Saicho（最澄）,who emigrated to Tang dynasty（唐）of China and after coming back to Japan, dispersed the principles in Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra（法華経）.

 

I started walking from Shugakuin（修学院）. You can see the whole image of Mt. Hieizan from here. You might walk up along Otowagawa River（音羽川）.

 

The entrance of the mountain is at Kirarazaka Trail（雲母坂）. Unmoji Temple（雲母寺）,which was a part of huge Enryakuji Temple, was here. Many Buddhist monks passed through this trail to petition directly to the emperors. Possibly because of the political matters, Nobunaga Oda（織田信長）destroyed Enryakuji Temple in 1571. You can see a lot of granites here.

 

Bare-Toothed Russula Russula vesca（チギレハツタケ）.

 

Half-Dyed Slender Caesar Amanita hemibapha subsp. javanica（キタマゴタケ）.

 

Collybia butyracea（エセオリミキ）.

 

Torn Fibrecap Inocybe fastigiata（オオキヌハダトマヤタケ）.

 

Sulphur Tuft Naematoloma fasciculare（ニガクリタケ）.

 

Common Bonnet Mycena galericulata（クヌギタケ）.

 

Common Ink Cap Coprinus atramentarius（ヒトヨタケ）.

 

Coprinus leiocephalus（コツブヒメヒガサヒトヨタケ）.

 

Panus tigrinus（ケガワタケ）.

 

Yellow Club Fungus Clavulinopsis helvola（キソウメンタケ）.

 

Blushing Waxcap Hygrocybe ovina（オオヒメノカサ）.

 

Fleecy Milk-Cap Lactarius vellereus（ケシロハツ）.

 

Lactarius uvidus（トビチャチチタケ）.

 

Russula pseudointegra（シュイロハツ）.

 

Scytinostroma odoratum（ニオイウロコタケ）.

 

Russula castanopsidis（カレバハツ）.

 

A mark of Drinking-water-pitching-battle（水飲み対陣跡）in Nanbokucho period（南北朝時代）. Tadaaki Chigusa（千種忠顕）,who was an entourage of the Emperor Godaigo（後醍醐天皇）, fought with Takauji Ashikaga（足利尊氏）,who later founded Muromachi Shogunate（室町幕府）here. Takauji Ashikaga had to fight with many people of his relatives or whom he admired.

Think of Soseki Muso’s Tenryuji Temple（夢窓疎石開山の天龍寺）, which Takauji built for mourning passed Emperor Godaigo, whom he faught with. The temple is famous for its Japanese style garden.

 

Shining Waxcap Hygrocybe nitida（ヒメツキミタケ）.

 

The trail to the monument for the death of Tadaaki Chigusa.

 

Here is the monument.

 

Callistosporium luteoolivaceum（ヒメキシメジ）.

 

You can see the City of Kyoto along the mountain trail.

 

Naematoloma dispersum（アシボソクリタケ）.

 

The top of Mt. Hieizan. The view is not so good here, and some litters exist near this spot.

 

You can also view Lake Biwako（琵琶湖）.

 

Crepidotus subsphaerosporus（ニセコナカブリ）.

 

From this point, you will enter the sacred region of Enryakuji Temple.

 

 

Kaidanin（戒壇院） is the most important building in Enryakuji. Many famous founders of Japanese Buddhism were given the commandments of Buddhism. Honen（法然）,Nichiren（日蓮）, Eisai（栄西）,etc. Shinran（親鸞）also studied in Enryakuji Temple.

 

 

Amidado（阿弥陀堂） worships Amitābha, a tathagata of future who has infinite amount of light and lifespan, and governs sukhāvatī（極楽）,a kind of paradise.

 

This is the place where Eisai, the founder of Rinzaishu school studied. Adachi family worships Kenchoji derivative of Rinzaishu school（臨済宗建長寺派）, however, my died grandfather misunderstood that we are in Jodoshinshu school（浄土真宗）. The former is Zen Buddhism,and the latter is not. We are worried whether our grandfather has found a correct direction at Sanzu River（三途の川）.

 

 

 

Konponchudo（根本中堂） worships Bhaiṣajya-guru（薬師如来）,a tathagata of past who cures sickness, avoids pitfalls and satisfies every day life and proves principles of Buddhism for everyone. “Immortal light of Buddhism”（不滅の法灯） are here.

 

 

 

Monjuro Tower（文珠楼）. It worships maJjuzrii,who governs wisdom.

 

 

Tsubakido（椿堂）memorates Prince Shotoku Taishi（聖徳太子）,who was one of the active founders of Japanese Buddhism. It worships sahasrabhuja ārya avalokiteśvara（千手観音）, who watches every direction for Buddhism.

 

 

Temporindo（転法輪堂）worships Shakyamuni Buddha (Gautama Buddha), who is a tathagata of present.

 

 

After walking through Enryakuji Temple, you will reach Gyokutaisugi（玉体杉）. This is a huge Japanese cedar that is also visible from the City of Kyoto. After this place I walked down to the foot of the mountain, however, not so many people seem to have walked through the pass and there are some passes on slanting place which are a bit dangerous. Be careful when you decide to walk down from Gyokutaisugi.

 

Dicephalospora rufocornea（ニセキンカクアカビョウタケ）.

 

For plants identified; Japanese Cedar Cryptomeria japonica（スギ）, Hinoki Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa（ヒノキ）,Japanese Red Pine Pinus densiflora（アカマツ）,Japanese umbrella-pine Sciadopitys verticillata（コウヤマキ）,Ring-Cup Oak Quercus glauca（アラカシ）,Sawtooth Oak Quercus acutissima（クヌギ）, Chinese Cork Oak Quercus variabilis（アベマキ）,Japanese Chestnut Castanea crenata（クリ）,Quercus serrata（コナラ）,Itajii Chinkapin Castanopsis sieboldii（スダジイ）,Mochi Tree Ilex integra（モチノキ）,Kurogane Holly Ilex rotunda（クロガネモチ）,Camellia Camellia japonica（ヤブツバキ）,Spotted Laurel Aucuba japonica（アオキ）,Japanese Maple Acer palmatum（イロハモミジ）,Amur Maple Acer japonicum（ハウチワカエデ）, Muku Tree Aphananthe aspera（ムクノキ）,Chinese Hackberry Celtis sinensis var. japonica（エノキ）,Japanese Andromeda Pieris japonica（アセビ）,Pleioblastus chino（アズマネザサ）. For other mushrooms; Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor（カワラタケ）,Oxyporus ravidus（ザイモクタケ）,Camarophyllus subviolaceus（ウバノカサ）,Volvariella subtaylori（コフクロタケ）,Red-Belt Conk Fomitopsis pinicola（ツガサルノコシカケ）,Coprinus friesii（ヒメヒガサヒトヨタケ）.For Lichenes, Common Green Shield Lichen Parmelia tinctorum（ウメノキゴケ）,Map Lichen Rhizocarpon sp. （チズゴケ）,Xanthoria manchurica（アカサビゴケ）,For slime molds; Fuligo candida（シロススホコリ）.For birds, Eurasian Jay Garrulusglandarius（カケス）,Eastern Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis（キジバト）,Brown-Eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis（ヒヨドリ）,Great Spotted Woodpecker Picoides major（アカゲラ）,Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Picoides kizuki（コゲラ）,Coal Tit Parus ater（ヒガラ）,Varied Tit Parus varius（ヤマガラ）,Willow Tit Parus montanus（コガラ）,Great Tit Parus major（シジュウカラ）,Japanese Bush Warbler Cettia diphone（ウグイス）.

 

 

 

On September the 24^th 2016,I climbed Mt. Yakesugiyama（焼杉山）in Ohara（大原）,Kyoto（京都）. This mountain is the highest among three representative mountains in Ohara, Yakesugiyama,Suitaisan（翠黛山）and Konpirayama（金毘羅山）. I climbed from Jakkoin temple（寂光院）and went down to Kochidani-Amidaji temple（古知谷阿弥陀寺）. Due to the rain two days before, there were a lot of mushrooms and slime molds. Be aware there were a lot of poisonous mushrooms!

 

European White Ringless Amanita Amanita vaginata var. alba（シロツルタケ）.

 

Guepinia spathularia（ツノマタタケ）.

 

Coral Slime Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa（ツノホコリ）.

 

Common Ink Cap Coprinus atramentarius（ヒトヨタケ）.

 

Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum（ホコリタケ）.

 

Thelephora japonica（イボタケ）.

 

Lactarius uyedae（ヒメシロチチタケ） .I also found them when we had a trip in Togakushi Jinja shrine (Sorry it’s only in Japanese!).

 

Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. porioides（タマツノホコリ）.

 

White Coral Ramariopsis kunzei（シロヒメホウキタケ）.

 

Amanita castanopsidis（コシロオニタケ）.

 

Clavicorona pyxidata（フサヒメホウキタケ）.

 

Soft Slipper Crepidotus mollis（チャヒラタケ）.

 

False Death Cap Amanita citrina var. grisea（クロタマゴテングタケ）.

 

The Sickener Russula emetica（ドクベニタケ）.

 

Mycena epipterygia（ナメアシタケ）.

 

Cortinarius tenuipes（クリフウセンタケ）.

 

Coprinus patouillardi（クズヒトヨタケ）.

 

Stinking Earthfan Thelephora palmata（モミジタケ）.

 

Galerina helvoliceps（ヒメアジロガサモドキ）.

 

Lepiota pseudogranulosa（コナカラカサタケモドキ）.

 

False Turkey Tail Stereum hirsutum（キウロコタケ）.

 

Snow Morel Discina gigas（ホソヒダシャグマアミガサタケ）.

 

This is the top of Mt. Yakesugiyama. The view was not so good.

 

Lilac Bonnet Mycena pura（サクラタケ）.

 

Red-Belt Conk Fomitopsis pinicola（ツガサルノコシカケ）.

 

The Kitayama mountains（北山）of Kyoto.

 

Crucibulum laeve（ツネノチャダイゴケ）.

 

I came down to the entrance of the trail for Mt. Yakesugiyama. It is in the precinct of Kochidani-Amidaji.

 

 

 

There is remaining from old days.

 

Here is the entrance of Kochidani-Amidaji.

 

The big Japanese Maple Acer palmatum（イロハモミジ）.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The site was nice and quiet, compared to the places full of visitors. Kochidani-Amidaji was founded by a holy priest Tanzei（弾誓上人）in 1609. It worships Amitābha（阿弥陀如来）,and maintains a close relationships with Japanese imperial family. Amitābha is one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas (other four are mahāvairocana（大日如来,the universe）, Akṣobhya（阿閦如来, undeniable）, ratnasambhava（宝生如来,everything is equal）, amoghasiddhi（不空成就如来,persist nothing and do its duty）).  It is characterized by infinite light,or immortality and rules sukhāvatī（極楽）in the West. It appears in Sukhāvatī-vyūhas（無量寿経、阿弥陀経）, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtra（法華経） and so on.

 

For other plants identified; Japanese Cedar Cryptomeria japonica（スギ）, Hinoki Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa（ヒノキ）,Japanese Red Pine Pinus densiflora（アカマツ）,Japanese Yew Taxus cuspidata（イチイ）,Japanese Plum-Yew Cephalotaxus harringtonia（イヌガヤ）,She-Oak Casuarina cunninghamiana（カンニンガムモクマオウ）,Ring-Cup Oak Quercus glauca（アラカシ）,Sawtooth Oak Quercus acutissima（クヌギ）,Cheinse Cork Oak Quercus variabilis（アベマキ）,Japanese Chestnut Castanea crenata（クリ）,Japanese Cleyera Cleyera japonica（サカキ）,Eurya Eurya japonica（ヒサカキ）,Fatsi Fatsia japonica（ヤツデ）,Citrus tachibana（タチバナ）,Persimmon Diospyros kaki（カキノキ）,Loquat Eriobotrya japonica（ビワ）,Camellia Camellia japonica（ヤブツバキ）,Spotted Laurel Aucuba japonica（アオキ）,Japanese Holly Ilex crenata（イヌツゲ）,Chinese Holly Osmanthus heterophyllus（ヒイラギ）,Chinese Hackberry Celtis sinensisvar. japonica（エノキ）,Japanese Horse Chestnut Aesculus turbinata（トチノキ）,Japanese Andromeda Pieris japonica（アセビ）,Persian Silk Tree Albizia julibrissin（ネムノキ）,Red Spider Lily Lycoris radiata（ヒガンバナ）. For other mushrooms; Turkey Tail Trametes versicolor（カワラタケ）,Oxyporus ravidus（ザイモクタケ）,Antrodiella gypsea（シックイタケ）.For Lichenes, Common Green Shield Lichen Parmelia tinctorum（ウメノキゴケ）,Map Lichen Rhizocarpon sp. （チズゴケ）,Xanthoria manchurica（アカサビゴケ）,For slime molds; Fuligo candida（シロススホコリ）.For invertebrates; Joro Spider Nephila clavata（ジョロウグモ）,Cabbage Butterfly Pieris rapae（モンシロチョウ）,For amphibians; Montane Brown Frog Rana ornativentris（ヤマアカガエル）.For birds, Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos（ハシブトガラス）,Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius（カケス）,Brown-Eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis（ヒヨドリ）,Great Spotted Woodpecker Picoides major（アカゲラ）,Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Picoides kizuki（コゲラ）,Bull-Headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus（モズ）,Coal Tit Parus ater（ヒガラ）,Varied Tit Parus varius（ヤマガラ）,Great Tit Parus major（シジュウカラ）. For mammals, Sika Deer Cervus nippon（ニホンジカ）.

 

By the way, on August the 16^th,I saw “Gozan no Okuribi”, a ceremony of fire for the last part of Obon in Kyoto, during which deads temporally come back to the living world. The lit is fired on five mountains surrounding Kyoto at the night. Unfortunately it was rainy this year, but I was able to saw the lit on Funagata (舟形,a shape of boat) mountain from the front of my house. This is the photo I took.

 

 

 

The other day, I read a novel written by a Japanese famous drama producer Juro Kara（唐十郎）, “Devadatta（ダイバダッタ）”. Devadatta is originally a name of a disciple (and probably a cousin) of Gautama Buddha, however, finally betrayed him. He wanted to kill Gautama Buddha with poison, but he accidentally killed himself with that poison. In a Japanese manga “Buddha” by Osamu Tezuka（手塚治虫）, Buddha let him hear a final word for him, “Your enemy was just yourself, Devadatta…”. Devadatta becomes a motif of a character of many stories, and Kara’s “Devadatta” is one of examples. In his novel, a woman named ‘Asura’, probably originated by one of the eight legions and a guardian of Buddhism（阿修羅）, named a man called “Daiba（大場）” as “Daibadatta”, similar to the name “Devadatta”. Asura was a kind of psycho and she tried to establish a newly-risen religion, but failed because she could not emanicipate herself from a worldly desires and worries. She had believed in a sham god. They were all a kind of drunken people and Daiba was suffered quite a lot from the occasion. Daiba murmured “God was not there. There were mere human beings.” This is a typical incident that happens to men/women who misbelieve in something.

 

By the way, what is the original story underlies the novel? I think this story is hommage from Ch. 12, Devadatta（提婆達多品）and Ch. 25, The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara（観世音菩薩普門品）of “Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtr（法華経）”.Both Devadatta and Asura appear at the scripture, however, the actual logic underlay is very different from Kara’s novel, or even Tezuka’s manga.

 

In “Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtr”, Gautama Buddha said that what Devadatta did is necessary for Buddhas and for the rise of Buddhism, and during metempsychosis（輪廻転生） similar things happened again and again.From the view of Mahāyāna Buddhism（大乗仏教）every being has a potential to become Buddha, therefore possess Buddha-nature. After long and severe time of metempsychosis, Devadatta will surely become atathagata（如来）. One of the main ideas in Mahāyāna Buddhism is that we are embraced by a tathagatagarbha（如来蔵）and each of us are a part of it. This is similar to an almost crazy trial to explain the universe by a universal quantum mechanics with a single “truth” (as in Stone-von Neumann theorem, and you may study quasiparticle（an emergent phenomena of assembled particles as a single assemblage, 準粒子）idea in physics). This is one of the bases of Vajrayana（密教）, which regard the universe as a macrocosm and ourselves as microcosms: everything can be explained by a hierarchical interaction map it encloses.

 

Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtr itself, however, is a little difficult to understand as an essay that scientists can also understand (including an interseting part of Ch.25, The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara（観世音菩薩普門品）); you need a good sense of metaphor.Prince Shotoku（聖徳太子）in ancient Japan, wrote down Sankyo Gisho（三経義疏）, which introduces three scriptures, Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtr, Śrīmālādevī-siṃhanāda Sūtra（勝鬘経） and Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa Sūtra（維摩経）. They are very important scriptures one might read through. Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtr describes all the beings have potential to be Buddhas after a substantially long period. Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa describes a person should be a dumb if understands correctly, which resembles one of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil（見ざる、聞かざる、言わざる）” idea. Śrīmālādevī-siṃhanāda Sūtra itself is described as a scripture for women (typical to Indian culture), but I think this scripture is easiest to understand of the three because the ideas described are concrete and related to every day lives. It is a miniature of whole Mahāyāna Buddhism thoughts, therefore is useful introduction for not only women but also men in the case.

 

The ideas start from the relation between pratītya-samutpāda（dependent origination, 縁起）and dhárma（a kind of order, 法）, between dhárma and ātman（self,我）. With the thought of sarvasaṃskārā anityā（all things have changing nature, 諸行無常）and sarvadharmā anātmānaḥ（absence of separate self, 諸法無我）, all the signs we regard have no stable identities themselves and every being is interconnected. With śāntaṃ nirvāṇaṃ（Nirvāṇa, 涅槃静寂）, we are free of sufferings with no desire. All the advancement of our lives are just expedients（方便）to be a Buddha,and people always have to keep in our minds; the advancement is not for your own selves, but for all the beings.

 

There are three distinct classes for believers in Buddhism, Sraavaka（hearer, 声聞）, pratyekabuddha（self-centered awakened, 縁覚） and bodhisattva（a person who wants to be a Buddha菩薩）. Japanese people can easily imagine what they metaphorize with the kanji characters used. There is a clear distinction among former two and the last one according to whether one understands the situation described in the previous paragraph or not. A bodhisattva should think of duḥkha satya（everything is suffering, 苦諦）, samudayasatya（there is a reason that assembles sufferings, 集諦）, nirodha satya（you may somehow be released from the sufferings , 滅諦）and mārga satya（the methodologies for the releases, 道諦）.

 

For example, if you are always happy, you may be ignoring something very important.Think of the people who mind for today’s weather all the time, and are happy when it is sunny and sad when it is rainy. Do you remember the weather of Hiroshima was sunny and bright when Atomic bomb was dropped to the city? Does this mean Hiroshima was a city of ‘arrogant’ nationalities and there was a good reason to destroy the city with nuclear weapon, as such imitating Sodom and Gomorrah? Probably you may always keep in mind this doubt. In Buddhism, there were some occasions that not only the sun but also the rain was a sign of goods. Obviously you cannot tell anything only from the weather. Also, you may avoid of all the hacking & tracking around somebody else’s behavior or computers to be in more relaxed, Nirvāṇa states with better thoughts,released from unnecessary sufferings; too much communication destroys everything, as Claude Lévi-Strauss suggested.

 

 

 

On September the 10^th 2016, I climbed Mt. Konpirayama（金毘羅山）and Mt. Suitaisan（翠黛山）in Ohara（大原）of Kyoto（京都）. The mountains have close relationships to “Heike Monogatari（平家物語）”, a famous medieval story that describes ‘Shogyo Mujo（諸行無常）’, the idea that describes all things must be unstable (in this story, the definition could be narrowed down to ‘All Things Must Pass’).

 

This is scenery of those mountains.

 

This is ‘Tomi（唐箕）’, a tool that can select grains by their weights, utilizing artificial winds. If you can understand Kanji characters, you can easily tell that this has an origin in China.

 

 

Ebumi Jinja shrine（江文神社）. This shirine worships domestic gods of Ohara. It has close relationship to Sanno Shinto（山王神道）, which originated in famous Enryakuji temple（延暦寺）. Sanno Shinto is a mixture of worship among mountain worships, Shintoism（神道）and Tendaishu Buddhism（天台宗）. Almost every Japanese knows the name of Saicho（最澄）, a founder of Tendaishu and Enryakuji. Tenkai（天海）in the early period of Edo proposed that the mountain god Sanno Gongen（山王権現）is identical to Dainichi Nyorai/mahāvairocana（大日如来）or Amaterasu Omikami（天照大神）, the sun gods.

 

Calocera viscosa（ニカワホウキタケ）.

 

Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus（ヒラタケ）.

 

Hygrocybe nitida（ヒメツキミタケ）.

 

Coprinus lagopus（ザラエノヒトヨタケ）.

 

I reached Ebumi Toge mountain pass（江文峠）. It passes between Ohara and Shizuhara（静原）. In “Heike Monogatari”, Cloistered Emperor Goshirakawa（後白河法皇）went through this pass in 1186 to visit Kenreimonin（建礼門院）, the last survivor of Heishi（平氏）. Heishi is the previous power family in Japan and lost the battle with Genji（源氏）, who established Kamakura Bakuhu shogunate（鎌倉幕府）and started the age of Samurai.

 

 

Kotohira Shingu Yashiro（琴平新宮社）. This ancient shrine worships Onamuchinomikoto/Okuninushi（大己貴命/大国主）, Emperor Sutoku（崇徳天皇）and Konpirashin（金毘羅神）.

 

You can see the village of Ohara along the mountain pass.

 

 

 

Mt. Konpirayama（金毘羅山）. This is the place for rituals in the mountain worship. It is said that previously there were natural pots of fire, wind and rain on the top of this mountain. The people in the Ohara village prayed to them when there was natural disaster.

 

Hen-of-the-Woods Grifola frondosa（マイタケ）.

 

Mt. Suitaisan（翠黛山）.

 

Plenty of Red Banded Polypore Fomitopsis pinicola（ツガサルノコシカケ）.

 

Amanita vaginata var. alba（シロツルタケ）. During downhill of this mountain, I lost the way but managed to reach the Ohara village, ~700 m East of Jakkoin（寂光院）. I supposed to arrive at  ~300 m west of Jakkoin. It is interesting to visit mountains in Kyoto when you are here, but there are a lot of walking passes in the mountains and you may carry a good (English) map together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jakkoin temple. It was said to be founded in 594 by Shotoku Taishi（聖徳太子）and has also origin in Tendaishu Buddhism. This is the place where Kenreimonin (the mother of Emperor Antoku（安徳天皇）, a boy emperor who died in the last battle between Genji and Heishi) lived the remaining life after the doom of Heishi. It worships Rokumantai Jizoson/Kṣiti garbha（六万体地蔵尊）. The temple caught a fire in 2000, and it is said to be arson. The temple lost many important materials from old ages then. Rokumantai Jizoson had also partially damaged, but more than 3000 small Jizoson statues inside the large Jizoson were safely collected.

 

The rock of “Silence”.

 

 

The tomb of Awanonaishi（阿波内侍）, who served Kenremonin, and others.

 

The tomb of Kenreimonin.

 

Oboro no Shimizu fountain（朧の清水）from Heike Monogatari.

 

For plants identified; Japanese Cedar Cryptomeria japonica（スギ）, Hinoki Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa（ヒノキ）, Japanese Red Pine Pinus densiflora（アカマツ）, Momi Fir Abies firma（モミ）, Japanese Umbrella Pine Sciadopitys verticillata（コウヤマキ）, Needle Juniper Juniperus rigida（ネズミサシ）, Ring-Cup Oak Quercus glauca（アラカシ）, Japanese Chestnut Castanea crenata（クリ）, Holly Hex integra（モチノキ）, Round Leaf Holly Hex rotunda（クロガネモチ）, Japanese Cleyera Cleyera japonica（サカキ）, Eurya Eurya japonica（ヒサカキ）, Persimmon Diospyros kaki（カキノキ）, Camellia Camellia japonica（ヤブツバキ）, Japanese Holly Ilex crenata（イヌツゲ）, Chinese Holly Osmanthus heterophyllus（ヒイラギ）, Chinese Hackberry Celtis sinensis var. japonica（エノキ）, Muku Tree Aphananthe aspera（ムクノキ）, Japanese Horse Chestnut Aesculus turbinata（トチノキ）, Japanese Maple Acer palmatum（イロハモミジ）, Trident Maple Acer buergerianum（トウカエデ）, Japanese Andromeda Pieris japonica（アセビ）, Azalea Rhododendron obtusum var. kaempferi（ヤマツツジ）, Aino Mulberry Morus australis（ヤマグワ）. For other mushrooms; Oxyporus ravidus（ザイモクタケ）. For slime molds; Fuligo candida（シロススホコリ）. For insects; Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx atrata（ハグロトンボ）, Small White Pieris rapae（モンシロチョウ）, Robust Cicada Hyalessa maculaticollis（ミンミンゼミ）, Meimuna opalifera（ツクツクボウシ）, Large Brown Cicada Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata（アブラゼミ）, Asian Giant Hornet Vespa mandarinia（オオスズメバチ）. For amphibians; Montane Brown Frog Rana ornativentris（ヤマアカガエル）. For Reptiles; Lots of Japanese Striped Snake Elaphe quadrivirgata（シマヘビ）. For birds, Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos（ハシブトガラス）, Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius（カケス）, Brown-Eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis（ヒヨドリ）, Great Spotted Woodpecker Picoides major（アカゲラ）, Varied Tit Parus varius（ヤマガラ）.

 

 

 

Israel Gelfand, a famous Soviet mathematician that crowned 20^th Century mathematics such as group theory, representation theory and functional analysis, left some words the language of origin I do not know: “I was asked to record synopses of the manuscripts included by myself, however, I do not think the authors have any right to do this. Whatever achievements one establishes in science, I suppose it is the heaven that has a role. Therefore, the authors have never been judges of their own achievements.” “No. Actually, I do know my own way of mathematics. I will explain it now. I am a fatalist, and I think what one will achieve in one’s life have already been destined. However, there is no one who knows what exactly it is. You must not trust in prophets. They are not God oneself. That’s why I do whatever I would like to, based on my own feelings and interests. This is my destiny and my way of mathematics.” You can easily find the terms ‘heaven’ or ‘God’ as the mean of Christianity in his words.

 

By the way, what would Japanese say if they mean to express similar feelings? Kunihiko Kodaira（小平邦彦）, a famous mathematician who did distinguished works in algebraic geometry and complex manifolds, also known as a Fields Medalist, left some words “I also found some theorems, but I don’t feel like they came out from my own thinking. I happened to find out what used to be there for a long while. If I didn’t, somebody else would have found out.” Ken-ichi Fukui（福井謙一）, a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, also said : “It is not a great matter that one can remember without taking a note. The important matter is that one would forget without doing that.” I think most of you agree that these two scientists can express their idea similar to Gelfand without mentioning Christianity.

 

This is the way Japanese people think of religions. Shusaku Endo（遠藤周作）, a very famous Japanese novelist who wrote down “Silence”（沈黙）, mentioned Japanese Christianity as a ‘silent’ God, who has never spoken out loud, but only watching us. The film version directed by Martin Scorsese will appear at screen in November 2016. On the contrary there is also a distopia, such as Sibyl system in an animation “PSYCHO-PASS”, in which mal-minded people judge people of interest because they know what mal-way of thinking is and continuously observe those people and their frustration. Obviously there would be some misjudgements and that may cause a lot of problem. Anyway, there is no almighty God in Japanese sense, even though there are some superstitious feelings. To understand the situation, we definitely avoid of ISIS way of thinking and may not force other people of their own way of religious behaviors.

I happened to be in Osaka City University. In the meantime, I visited Taishokannonji temple, also known as “Abiko Kannon Ji temple”（大聖観音寺、吾彦観音寺）. Abiko is originated from Abiko Yosamino（依網吾彦）, who was a powerful familiy in Sumiyoshi（住吉） district. aarya avalokitezvara（聖観音）is the bodhisattva people admire in this temple. One has a role in Naraka（奈落）. This temple was originated in 546, and the most ancient temple for Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva（観音菩薩） in Japan. It has origins from Shotoku Taishi（聖徳太子）, Emperor Shomu（聖武天皇） Emperor Daigo（醍醐天皇） and Masashige Kusunoki（楠木正成）. In the battle between Tokugawa and Toyotomi in 1615, Ieyasu Tokugawa（徳川家康） is said to run away and hide in this temple to avoid Nobushige Sanada（真田信繁）, the last bravery of Sengoku period.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I again realized my English expression is too direct, as already proposed by many native speakers. I had better practice English more, and so I still continue English writing in this blog. Today’s topic is “Godzilla Resurgence（シン・ゴジラ）”, the movie I have watched recently. This is a bit weird black comedy ironic to Japanese cultures. To fully enjoy the movie you may grasp some sort of Japanese cultures that are in some sense strange to the foreigners.

 

The story begins by a phreatic explosion occurred in Tokyo Bay, which turns out to be the appearance of ‘Godzilla’: a famous kaiju most of you already know. The interesting thing is that Japanese government officials still continue endless links of councils, which do not propose any effective countermeasures to the situation. Both Japanese and U.S. armed forces cannot exterminate Godzilla, and Yaguchi, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, organize a team of mavericks. The team tries to ‘freeze’ Godzilla, after collecting and analyzing scientific information from the founder of Godzilla. The United Nations set a time limit to the trial before attacking Godzilla with nuclear weapons, but the team finally succeeds in freezing Godzilla. There still remains the possibility Godzilla wakes up again, but the situation is temporally solved, thanks to the team of mavericks.

 

One point I would suggest to watch movie is that, the film is directed by Hideaki Anno, a famous animation director who produced “Neon Genesis EVANGELION”. What Japanese drama producers said when they watched such a kind of stories is, the stories lack ‘scenery from middle distance’ (for detail, I’m afraid it’s only in Japanese!). You can see everyday lives of junior high school students as ‘scenery of closed distance’, and the ending up of the story as decision of the direction of the whole world as ‘scenery of ultra-far distance’, but the stories lack ‘scenery of middle distance’, or ‘scenery of far distance’. This situation leads the stories to somewhat unrealistic, very fantastic nature of the stories themselves. Anno, however, seems to correct the point by introducing ironic black comedies of Japanese society as those middle-level classifications within the story. I heard that he felt some sorts of depression after he released “EVANGELION:3.0YOU CAN (NOT) REDO”, encountering a lot of criticism from Japanese otaku people. The success in releasing “Godzilla Resurgence” might be a good break and refreshing for him, considering his final release of the “Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition” in near future.

 

Another thing I would suggest is, this story is not intended to propose final answer of the situation. It is still on the way, as a metaphor: Godzilla is neither destroyed nor released, but ‘frozen’. The contrast among Yaguchi’s statement confronting his final ‘freezing’ command and the ‘fake’ utopia stated by U.S. presidents in the Hollywood movies such as “Independence Day”, are striking. Yaguchi mentions nothing related to utopia, but a kind of ‘Banzai charge’ like self-devotion, which reminds us of the situation in the World War II. The last conversation between American special envoy and Yaguchi ends up in something not harmonic, possibly due to the difference in these stances. The still dominating self-devotion feelings in Japanese mentality might be another clue to think of this story. Ogashira, who does not do ‘Banzai’ after the success in freezing, is a hope for a future.

By the way, I attended 18^thAnnual Meeting of the Society of Evolutionary Studies, Japan in Ookayama campus of Tokyo Institute of Technology. This photo is for a mushroom I found at the site, Perenniporia fraxinea（ベッコウタケ）.