*** From My Diary ***
*Benkyou o Shite wa Ikenai ! (Do not Learn!) [1213-15]
Benkyou (learning) may be a necessary evil for true researchers. So I think recently, because over learning harms human intellectual ability. If you want to get some information, it may be much easier than it was. We have many intellectual technologies to search something. However, even now it is hard to find true wisdom based on actual experiences.
What is important is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the growth
of intellectual network. Learning can provide the accumulation of knowledge,
but not intellectual growth. Sometimes it disturbs the latter. It is the
reason why we should not do Benkyou.
*One and Many in Religious World [1218-20]
Now I am interested in Ippen who is one of the famous monks in Kamakura period, Japan. I found in Ji-denomination founded by him unlimited magnanimity to include everything. It is said that he once experienced Zen training, and also according to his legacy, many Japanese Shinto gods cooperated with him. His teaching shows not only Japanese Buddhism represented by Zen and Jodo, but also Japanese typical spiritual tradition of a mixture of Shintoism and Buddhism. Fortunately, I found his history in Kannawa, where steam from hot springs construct strange natural landscapes. The legacy here tells us how he communicated with native gods that are the symbols of natural beings.
This tolerance that Ji-denomination represents is very important now, because modern people lose the sense of religious magnanimity to accept natural spirits. Even in the tradition of monotheism, many native spiritual symbols are included. Black Maria in medieval Europe and Sufism in Islamic world are its typical examples. However, even in Japan, this religious tolerance is lost. Recently, I often heard the topic of whether monotheism or polytheism. They fan this opposition as if they think monotheism is the main culprit of unstable world threatened by terrorism. Nevertheless, I do not know the person in Japan who would write the Summa contra Monotheism.
One in monotheism should contain Many in polytheism, and Many should
suggest One to subsume them. NISHIDA Kitarou, who is a famous Japanese
philosopher before the World War 2, represented this principle as One is
Many, Many is One?????????. Originally, One and Many complement each other,
although human religious ability cannot recognize both at once. The integration
of both religious elements appears only in an extreme religious state.
Ippen’s Ji-denomination is one of the religions that represent such state
in Japanese tradition.
*Tokyo, a Lost Traditional City [1229-31]
After a long time, I visited to Tokyo. Every time when I come here, I feel why so many colorless buildings extend too much and why so many people walk everywhere.
Tokyo is originally a traditional city in Japan. When I find a little shrine, it reminds a scene of historical drama. Just I watched a little a story of Chusingura in TV, which has been very popular in this season of last days of a year for about 300 years.
According the book I red in a bookstore, Tokyo is a new city and it is different from the old Edo that means the previous Tokyo before modern period. The power of people in Edo was removed, and new modern political system has ruled this city for about one and half century. It is perhaps collect, so I think. Artificial power ruled this city, though I can find something old sometimes.
However, this kind of power is weak against the change of time. At least,
it seems that it does not stand an extraordinarily rapid internationalization.
A little historical tradition and the common mentality of Japanese people
have supported this city for a while. But now it confronts the limit as
a big city. When I saw the president of Tokyo city, Ishihara, says something
discriminatory against foreigner people, I cannot but feel how the people
of Tokyo is weak to others. Without the sense of native, it is impossible
to keep human relationships to others. Though there is deep tradition of
discrimination including against foreigners, Kansai may be better than
Tokyo, because Kansai people know how it is dangerous to represent their
emotion of discrimination publicly. Any way, the people of Tokyo will not
able to stand the trail of others.
Aphorism
[1217]
Excellent researchers have the ability to use metaphors. On the
other hand, immature people quote others words frequently. The people who
can express something difficult for usual people are excellent.
[1228]
It is very difficult to invent something new. But it is more
difficult to recognize something new around us. This is because there is
the wall of difference between Begriffs.