The Teachings of Michio Kushi

The Teachings of Michio Kushi

By Michio Kushi Edited by Edward Esko

One Peaceful World Press Becket, Massachusetts

The Teachings of Michio Kushi © 1993 by Michio Kushi All rights reserved, including dramatic and performing rights. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, contact the publisher. Published by One Peaceful World, Becket, Massachusetts, U.S.A. For further information on mail-order sales, wholesale or retail discounts, distribution, translations, foreign lights, and dramatic and performing rights, please contact the publisher: One Peaceful World Press P.O. Box 10 308 Leland Road Becket, MA 01223 U.S.A. Telephone (413) 623-2322 Fax (413) 623-8827 First Edition: April 1993 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 0-9628528-9-9 Printed in U.S.A.

Contents

Introduction

5

Our Aim and Principle

6

The I Ching and the Order of the Universe

7

Sexual Order, Old and New

14

Flexibility in Eating

22

Free Development

25

The Salt of the Earth

28

Thoughts and Reflections

32

Present Past and Present Future

36

The Manner of Eating

44

Diagnosis and Physiognomy

49

Drugs and the Future of America

59

The Expanding Pathway

64

You Are Infinity

77

Regaining Our Direction

87

Food and Spiritual Development

97

Polarities

100

A Cosmological Perspective

105

Basic Palmistry

113

On Macrobiotic Education

116

War and Peace

120

The Purpose of Life

126

Judgment

132

The New World

138

What is Happiness?

145

Appendix: Principles and Laxos of the Infinite Universe

152

Resources

154

Recommended Reading

156

About the Authors

159

Introduction

Over the past thirty years, Michio Kushi's teachings have been a source of inspiration for thousands of people around the world. In 1971, when I embarked on a macrobiotic lifestyle, very little of Michio's lecture material was available in print. There was the Order of the Universe, a magazine published by Michio's students, assorted pamphlets on various topics, and several booklets containing articles compiled from Order of the Universe. The articles in this volume are taken from the first of these compiled editions, in which lectures given in Boston in 1966-67 were recorded. The ideas presented in the Teachings are timeless and universal. These early lectures provided the impetus for macrobiotic education to develop into a worldwide movement. They instilled in me and thousands of others a sense of order, purpose, and hope. I am certain that the Teachings will continue to inspire, challenge, and enlighten many more people in the future. I would like to thank the many people who contributed to this edition of the Teachings. I thank the early pioneers of macrobiotic publishing who worked with Michio to produce the Order of the Universe. I thank Alex and Gale Jack for guidance in bringing this edition to press, including Gale's work in proofreading and copyediting. I thank Janice Ninomiya and Lynda Shoup for patiently typing the text, and George Wiel for formatting the book. I would also like to thank my wife Wendy for her patience and support. Finally, I thank Michio and Aveline Kushi for inspiring us all with an endless dream. Edward Esko Becket, Mass. January, 1993 5

Our Aim and Principle

The Order of the Universe is devoted to exploring, understanding, and explaining a unifying principle that has been discovered as a means of reconciling all antagonisms and opposites. It is patterned after the philosophy and cosmology of the extreme Orient, and includes the basic principles of all ancient cultures. Philosophically, it is expressed as polarizeable monism—an unlimited, practical method that finds everything to be divisible into antagonistic, complementary opposites that always resolve into one. Once these laws governing the universe are understood, they may be applied to any area of life; when they are followed, health and happiness cannot help but result, for they enable humanity to find a way of life in accord with the deep-seated rhythms of the universe. With the help of these simple laws we can understand the workings of change and use them for the benefit of ourselves and humanity. For one who has mastered the laws of change there is no distinction between the most profound religion and the most practical science, or between the progress of the spirit and of the body. Everything becomes one infinity, which operates according to a universal compass. The unifying principle, if properly understood, could change the course of history toward peace and health, make amazing advances possible in all areas of civilization, eliminate the confusion and specialization and endless conflicts that now prevail, and make each individual the master of his or her own destiny and the conscious inheritor of his or her infinite origin. Adapted from the Order of the Universe, Compiled Edition, Volume One.

6

Chapter 1

The I Ching and the Order of the Universe

Centuries ago, in China, a lord rose one morning to prepare himself to attend a party being held by the people of his locality. As he was about to leave, he was approached by his wife, who seemed troubled. She bowed and then asked him not to go; she had consulted the oracle that morning with the I Ching, or Book of Changes, and had received a very troubled reply. She told her lord that she was certain that something very tragic would happen if he went. The lord, like many people, did not believe in fortune telling, and left for the party. The banquet went quite well, but as he was leaving, an old enemy appeared and assassinated him. It seems incredible to most people that the future can be predicted, but actually this understanding is very ancient and not at all mysterious. If we begin to see how the universe works, we can easily understand how such things are possible. Modern people do not believe there is any meaning in life—that the universe has order or purpose—and do not realize it is their own confusion they are seeing. The sages who composed the I Ching had discovered the order that does exist and had devoted long years of study to understanding it. Nothing that happens is without meaning, and everything in this universe is related to everything else. The I Ching mirrors with absolute clarity this amazing life, which is fluidity and change itself. It is a very deep book, the result of long years of astronomical and astrological studies, studies of the cycles of human affairs and history, of our own psychological movements, and centuries of additional commentaries have combined to make it worthy of our highest regard. 7

The I Ching is a very difficult book to comprehend. Confucius and Lao Tsu struggled to understand its meaning. It lies at the very base of Chinese culture and religion; like the universe itself, it is larger than any specific meaning, interpretation, or understanding we can give it. To study it is to come face to face with the essential nature of life itself; it will repay any efforts we devote to it. If ways of life as different as Confucianism and Taoism can emerge from this book, how large its scope must be! It can never be exhausted; it is truly a book of the future, and we can ensure our development and the development of a better world by studying this ancient wisdom. Booksellers are finding that they cannot keep the I Ching in stock, and this popularity is a very good sign for our culture. It is still used in China, but mainly by older people. The younger generation, being educated in the modern manner, has little use for such an old-fashioned instrument. Very few people in this country, however, know the basic prerequisites for dealing with it. Proper eating is essential; the I Ching is based on yin and yang, and its meaning will not be revealed to those who have not established a proper balance of these factors in their bodies.

Consulting the I Ching The method of divination is also very important, and is imbued with deep significance. Some of these methods are very complex, full of ritual; others are more simplified. One should learn to use the methods which are most meaningful, eliminating some of the ritualistic aspects if they seem cumbersome, without allowing the ceremony to deteriorate. For instance, it is not necessary to face a certain direction, which is customary, but it is important to employ the use of yarrow stalks, or thin sticks, similar in size and shape to chopsticks, and to learn the full procedure associated with them, instead of resorting to some of the simpler means available. It is also important to perform the ceremony in a quiet place, with the mind as clear and peaceful as possible. If necessary, practice quiet meditation in order to achieve this emptiness of mind, which will come with a little discipline. Practicing the counting technique will itself tend to induce the necessary mental and physical calmness. If your mind and your actions are dis8 L

turbed, the reading you obtain and your interpretation of it will be correspondingly confused. We begin with fifty sticks, and our first action is to remove one of them and return it to the receptacle used for storage. This stick will not be used again, but it is very important, for it represents Infinity. Then, with the mind as empty as possible, we divide the remaining sticks into two groups. The group in the left hand represents Heaven; that in the right. Earth. Place these on the table in front of you. Earth creates humanity, so pick one stick from the right pile and place it aside to represent Humanity. Now, the seasons begin to rotate; take four sticks from the left pile over the first year, then four more. Continue this until only one, two, three, or four are left, and join these with the one stick for Humanity. The Earth now begins to rotate in the same manner; push groups of four sticks, one for each season, away from the right-hand pile, just like you did for the rotation of Heaven. Again, one, two, three, or four will remain; place these sticks, the surplus of Earth's rotation, with Humanity and Heaven. This completes one entire rotation, and the surplus, the human events, have also ended. Place the sticks attained aside and unite the rest of them, divide as before, and begin again in the same manner. The second cycle of the universe will produce a surplus also; divide the remaining sticks once more, and complete one more cycle, again counting out the surplus. With the completion of three cycles, divide all remaining sticks by four, and you will receive either six, seven, eight, or nine. If the result is six or eight we consider it as yin and draw our symbol accordingly (- -). If seven or nine results, the line is yang (—). There is another sort of line that results in a more complex reading. These lines are called "moving lines," and indicate a condition where a yang line is changing into a yin line, in which case we would receive a total of nineteen; or the reverse condition, a moving yin line, which is indicated by a total of twenty-five. The symbols for these lines are usually like this: moving yang (-o-) or moving yin (-x-). These lines are very important; when they are found in the response, we need to draw two hexagrams, one for the lines before they change and one after they change, and consult the appropriate commentaries for them in addition to readings for the hexagrams proper. The line attained represents the first bottom 9

line of the hexagrams we are creating; thus in order to complete the six lines necessary, we repeat the above process six times. After receiving a response from the I Ching the next step is to interpret it. Sometimes the answers are very direct; at other times they may seem veiled. Much depends on our own ability to judge, our own condition, and our intuition. If we cannot interpret the responses correctly, we will not be able to understand this book; therefore, it is better to consult it only when our condition is good and our mentality calm. If you want to ask the oracle unimportant questions while you are learning the proper methods, no harm will result; it is a very good way to train your intuition. It is better not to consult it lightly, however, once you have grasped it. Treat it like an old, wise man whom you wouldn't want to bother too often. Try to exercise your own judgment, talk to your friends, and try your best to solve your own problems; when all else has failed, we can turn to the I Ching. If you want to ask something very important, it is a good idea to eat a very simple diet for a few days as preparation; your mind will be very clear and your understanding and intuition will be increased. I consulted the I Ching at the beginning of the Vietnam war; the response I received indicated that China and the United States would become diametrically opposed to each other. It foresaw continued trouble for the United States, and said that it would be to her advantage to retreat; but it also said that, according to the circumstances that would prevail, she would not be able to. It also predicted great difficulty for China; much danger and loss of lives. It said that the best thing for her to do would be to stand still; if she proceeded or retreated she would suffer loss, but if she continued to remain where she was, great future advantages would result. All in all, however, the situation did not look hopeful.

Beyond Time and Space The reason why most people cannot understand or believe in divination is that they have a limited concept of space and time. They think that space is three-dimensional, and they experience it three-dimensionally. All of our beliefs are based on our perceptions; if we eat poorly, our senses will be correspondingly limited, and we are confined to depth, height, and width in our 10

daily thinking and judgment. If we cannot see beyond these dimensions, we certainly cannot understand phenomena that transcend them. What do we see when we look in a mirror? A reverse image of ourselves. If the mirror is convex, the image will be expanded; if concave, it will appear contracted. With different lenses, instruments, different lights and angles of radiation, we can make things appear to be quite different than they are. The point is that our experience is subjective; our perceptions depend on our agents of perception. Every person is unique and perceives space and time differently. When we eat well, the quality of our senses improves and we begin to experience time and space on different levels, to apprehend them in a much deeper and wider way. We begin to realize that time and space are actually composed of infinite dimensions, that there are many aspects that have eluded us before. We might put it this way: if we were to maintain a certain speed and a certain orbit, we would see things around us in a certain way; but as soon as we change our orbit and our speed, we lose sight of some things and begin to see things we didn't see before. The construction of time and space in this universe is infinitely manifold in all directions, and all of these dimensions, taken together, form the illusions we see with our limited senses. Beyond our lower, sensory perceptions, there is neither time nor space. When we sleep, we know this through our dreams; then our senses are closed, and our perceptions extend beyond relative space and time. We might say that it is a concept necessary for the lower levels of awareness, a concept that vanishes when we attain universal consciousness. All of us have intimations of this in our intuition, our fantasy, our dreams, reveries, and moments of meditation. These glimpses are indications of a universe that is eternal and imbued with infinite order. Once we understand this we can easily realize how it is possible' for us to predict the future, because once we have been freed from space and time, we can see what will happen, what will change. All of us exercise this capability every time we plan something; some of us have good judgment, and some of us are unable to see well enough to form plans that will accord with the order of the universe. As with all seemingly difficult things, it is really quite simple. Modern science is seriously hampered by very questionable concepts of space and time. Our civilization limits us, puts us in 11

cages that become smaller and stronger all the time. These cages are constructed of space and time, and a point has been reached where there are so many varieties of them that almost everyone has lost their freedom; everyone is trapped in one way or another. Many primitive people understood the universe much better, and lived without these cages, beyond space and time. For instance, some cultures did not separate dreams from "reality." If they saw themselves marrying a girl in a dream they would seek her hand at once. This is monistic; our modern approach is dualistic, and has separated each of us into fragments that seek to be united into a unified, comprehensive whole. In the courts of the Middle Ages there were midgets, buffoons, and jesters who were deformed from an early age to serve as entertainment for the royalty. Since the demand for them was very great, merchants kidnapped children, or bought them from poor farmers, and placed them in heavy rigid metal cages, bottles, helmets, and other contraptions so that they grew abnormally. Some would have normal limbs with a child's torso; some would have very small, twisted heads, and peculiar, elongated, curved limbs. This is exactly what is happening now. The instruments being used are different; instead of iron cages we have sugar, education, and law. Every individual is being made into a dwarf by these devices, everyone is afraid, and therefore everyone is suspicious and has enemies. Dualistic thinking originated among the Mediterranean races about 3,000 years ago. They, like the Phoenicians, were trade races; eventually they went beyond the trade of materials and began to barter food products. They became acquainted with and used a wide variety of foods from all parts of the world; everyone forgot about grains, proper cooking techniques, and proper eating according to climate and season. In short, they lost all knowledge of the importance of food, of its overriding meaning for man's happiness. The beginning of the Greek and Roman civilizations, then, heralded a new age in human history, which we are still living out; indeed, the chaos we are experiencing now is the culmination of this gigantic mistake in judgment. The dangers and threats in our modern civilization are not limited to human beings, but include their products. Many of these products, including drugs, vitamins, bombs, and laws, are trying, more or less, to cage and destroy us. The drug industries, the food and sugar industries, and others are degenerating mil12

lions of people every year and will continue to do so as long as their products are consumed blindly. But these threats need not be rejected or protested, but appreciated. In order to understand this, our judgment must be very great. Actually, they have a specific, appointed mission; to test everyone and ultimately to develop humanity's awareness of God, of the justice of nature, of the order of the universe. These dangers, then are really angels of mercy; without actually knowing it, they are acting according to the order of the universe. They are giving us all the most painful, and the most beneficial, test. Those who pass these tests, this training, by their own judgment, become the children of the Kingdom of Heaven, of the universe, and are candidates for true happiness. Everyone— teachers, students, beggars, heads of state—is going through this test and everyone is being judged by the order of the universe, without exception. But at the same time, this order is very sensitive to your self-reflection; as soon as you change your life according to it, it will respond immediately. When we predict the future with the I Ching we are shown what will happen according to the present circumstances. By altering our actions, we can change the future. This is true mercy, as seen through the magic spectacles of the unifying principle. An ancient story illustrates this well. An emperor, who was about to leave to conquer another land, was visited by a great master of the I Ching who advised him not to leave. The day before, he had formed a hexagram that indicated that the emperor's capital would burn the following January. Unlike the husband who would not listen to his wife's plea, the emperor had great reverence for the Book of Changes, and agreed to remain at home. When the fire came, as a result of a revolt, he was able to put it out and avoid a tremendous loss. If we want to change our destiny and experience justice, we must first change our own blood quality. If we ourselves are not pure, no amount of wishing or praying can alter the fate we are making for ourselves. When we change ourselves according to the order of the universe, it will open all of its doors to us.

13

Chapter 2

Sexual Order, Old and New

It is no secret that few people in the modern world enjoy true sexual happiness. Indeed, many are beginning to realize they have no idea of what sexual happiness really is. No subject is discussed more often, and there is more and more openness about this formerly taboo area. The past few decades have seen an explosion of sexual frankness and license. With the emergence of modern psychology, which takes us into each other's psyches, and sociological techniques that take us into each other's bedrooms, we have discovered that we are a nation of confused and unhappy people. Most of the debate on this problem has taken place on two levels. The first has been in the area of acceptance, both of others and of ourselves as we are. Many have seen into their own desires and have decided to be honest about them, and whenever possible, to encourage—or force—this honesty on others. The masks that were standard for so many generations have been discarded. The other technique has been rejection—of the culture and the ideas that have been blamed for the repression of our natural instincts. Christianity has come under fire as lacking an understanding of our needs, and Freud has come to be regarded as a modern savior. He is, to many people, in a very practical sense, something of this; without his discoveries they would not know themselves well enough to have found the small measure of happiness they have managed so far. Where do we go from here? We seem to have reached an impasse. Freud, after all, is not really modern any more; what seemed to be a breakthrough has turned into a proliferation of 14

analytical techniques and theories that lack unity and coherence. It is obvious now that the original assumptions of psychoanalysis did not go deep enough. We have been revolving around a fixed axis for decades now, and have come no closer to the truth. Should we continue forward? That is the direction youth is taking. There is more honesty, or at least more blatant sexuality of every sort. There is more destruction and denial of tradition; Western history is seen as a sickness resulting from an obsolete premise; the Hebraic notion of chastity. The modern sexual revolution is felt to be the culmination of two thousand years of repression suffered under the domination of this idea. Under these circumstances it would seem a little heretical to suggest a fresh look at the notion of chastity. And yet, though it is possible we may lose some readers at this point, that is exactly what we would like to do. There are a few very interesting things that have never been known about the ancient practice that are quite revealing, and there are many differences between Occidental, modern love, and Oriental sexuality, which if known, could possibly shed some new light on the whole issue. Isn't it curious, considering our modern estimation of chastity, that every traditional culture has approved of this practice before marriage? We might suspect that there is more involved with the subject than we have been led to believe, that something is missing in our knowledge, and indeed there is; a vital ingredient has been left out for centuries. As a result, chastity has never been understood properly. It is as if someone had handed you a belt and forgotten to give you the trousers that went with them! Let us call a culture "traditional" if it endured for a long time because its people were happy. The civilizations of Japan, China, India, and Persia, along with the Hebrews, the Aztecs and Mayas, the Sumerians, Celts, the early Christian Gnostic societies, and the Egyptians qualify under this definition. These cultures were living more in harmony with the order of the universe: they had a deep understanding of human needs and desires, and of the optimum conditions for longevity. Why, if chastity is repressive, unnatural, and harmful, would all of these civilizations—not only the Hebraic and later Christian—have recommended it? The answer, quite simply, is that all traditional cultures have observed dietary practices that were quite different from those 15

followed today. They have enjoyed, as a result, a completely different biological basis. In effect, the peoples of these civilizations had entirely different bodies and minds. Their sexual natures were different, as were their ways of thinking in general. This is a difficult notion to grasp, because it completely eludes the intellect; it must be experienced to be understood. If, however, we accept it as a postulate, we can easily begin to see why modern thought has revolted against traditional sexuality—it is something we are intellectually, and biologically, unprepared for. We know that words and ideas mean different things to different people; we observe national differences, household peculiarities, individual quirks. This is due primarily to diverse eating habits; everyone knows that different nations have culinary peculiarities and also exhibit certain traits—idioms, untranslatable worlds, quirks of thought, among other things, but few make the vital connection between food and thought. We know that families tend to think in certain patterns, but never attribute this to the fact that they eat at the same table. And yet what could be simpler? We like to think of ourselves in the abstract, and have trouble admitting that we are influenced by things around us. A moment's thought will show us otherwise. We know how an exclusive diet of sweets makes us feel, and how we feel and think the morning after drinking heavily, and have become accustomed to a multitude of subtle alterations in our body chemistry caused by our foods. Now people drink coffee and tea to stimulate them, take pills to calm themselves down; and yet are hesitant to admit that thinking is conditioned by what we eat! As long as one continues to think this way, he will have a false notion of freedom and, as a result, will never find it. All traditional cultures have eaten a diet composed mainly of whole grains, with vegetables as the main side dish. They did not have the meats, refined sugar, and chemicalized food that constitutes our daily diet; as a result, their concepts, including their notion of sexuality, were quite different from ours. We can see this quite clearly by comparing the legal grounds for divorce in our country with those of Japan about 400 years ago. As you know, three out of five marriages today end in divorce; in order of popularity, the most common grounds are: 1. Cruelty 2. Neglect 16

3. Lack of support 4. Drinking 5. Adultery 6. Mental illness 7. Crime The most common grounds for divorce in the traditional, grain-fed culture are quite different. They are, again in order of popularity: 1. Disobedience to parents 2. Failure to conceive children 3. Adultery 4. Jealousy 5. Incurable disease 6. Too much talking 7. Stealing What a contrast! Only one of the complains is common to both lists. In general, we can sense an entirely different attitude behind the second group. We are so used to our way of doing things that this might seem quite surprising, but it is in accord with all traditional cultures; we should ask ourselves why our standards are so different, especially so when we remember that divorce was relatively infrequent in traditional societies. One of the main reasons why divorce is so frequent today is that husband and wife often eat apart because of business pressures, individual preference, and other reasons. After this is done for a while, words come to have quite different meanings for them, and the split tends to become even wider. If the man and his wife eat together—especially if they eat the proper food— there are fewer serious difficulties in a marriage. Most of us have no conception of what natural sexuality is like. Attraction between a male and a female is actually immediate and instinctive; even if they are two blocks away from each other, invisible antenna reach out and begin to intertwine. Any study of the universe can begin from this natural phenomena.

17

The Key to Sexuality The key to sexuality is sensitivity. Modern people frequently lack this basic, human factor. A sensitive person is very much alive to others, and does not feel isolated from humanity and from nature. Sensitivity is like a magnet, aligning the plus and minus factors of an individual's personality with those of his surroundings and with the universe. A baby is very sensitive; as he or she grows, this capability should develop, rather than decrease. We begin by being sensitive to our mother; we touch her, suckle at her breast. Later we become sensitive to things, to our environment. Eventually, we become sensitive to the opposite sex. This basic sensitivity is the beginning of a long path that leads us in an ever-widening spiral towards increased sensitivity to other people, to a real feeling for them and for their desires; towards nature, from which, as the Existentialist poets and philosophers point out, most people today feel somewhat estranged; later, in maturity, towards truth, as we begin to attain real understanding in our search for the right actions, worlds, and conduct; and finally, to infinity, or God, or satori, in the beginnings of our old age. If we are dull on the lower levels, we cannot help but be dull in the final stages. Sensitivity must be developed slowly and thoroughly. Sometimes we can leap to a higher point on the spiral, of course, but if our development has not been complete we must fall again to a lower resting place. Are you ticklish? If so, be glad. This is a very good sign; it shows that you still retain some of your sensitivity. If you eat too much sugar and meat, there is a good chance that you are not ticklish, that you don't respond the way you could when your partner caresses you. Dairy products, too, are especially detrimental to one's sexuality. Have you ever seen a ticklish cow? Taking these foods dulls the polarity of the magnet we have likened to our sensitivity, making it deviate, wobble, and causing many strange aberrations. The center of this capability lies in the midbrain. It is yang, and if we are in good condition, it will function smoothly and attract yin. Modern people are too yin—dull and overexpanded— and cannot attract what they want. All of the things that surround us are yin in this sense, but when our midbrain is disori18

ented our relationship to our environment is correspondingly chaotic. This is the reason that people cannot attract the members of the opposite sex that they desire. It is also the reason that very little real thinking is done, because thinking is a passive action, a receptiveness to infinity, which is the greatest yin. When we sleep, when we meditate, we shut out the influence of lesser yin objects and make ourselves ready to receive the vibrations of truth, love, eternity, justice. If our sensitivity to these things is dull, we are too yin, we cannot attract the proper vibrations and our thoughts will be shadows; we cannot find true happiness. Different people are drawn to various sorts of relative, objects—some prefer money, others rich food or fast cars—but everyone desires to be united with the infinite, and if a person fails in this search, he or she cannot find lasting happiness. The practice of chastity is rooted in the recognition of this sensitivity and a knowledge of the best means of perfecting and preserving it. It was never a point of virtue or morality but a means to maximum enjoyment of life and attainment of longevity. If this seems far-fetched it is because we don't fully understand the influence that sexuality has on our biological and psychological constitution. Indeed, few of us have ever considered the possibility that there are any long-lasting results beyond the obvious changes caused by pregnancy. Actually, we begin to alter our entire makeup, subtly but radically, when we begin to have sexual relations. Men tend to become more yin, more domestic, while women become more yang, more possessive. The strong polarity that existed to bring the two together, and their attendant vibrations, become equalized until a point of neutralization has been reached and no attraction remains. That is why we cannot continue sex for as long we would like; there must be separation so that a man can regain his masculinity, and a woman her femininity. Then the cycle can be repeated. Beyond these revolutions of release and retractions, however, an invisible, more lasting influence is working, for with each contact something of the personality of each partner becomes a part of the other. A definite alteration of our being is brought about, and this is one of the most striking, the least understood, and most important factors in our lives. Everyone close to us affects us profoundly, of course; we absorb and exchange thoughts, words, reactions, responses, and 19

vibrations; with sexual partners, an actual physical interchange takes place. The mingling of bodily fluids—even in an innocent kiss—causes an alteration of our blood quality. Eveiy person we meet changes us, but those we have sexual relations with affect us so deeply that we should be very careful about the partner we choose. A wide range of sexual partners will confuse us as surely as wide, disorderly eating; our own natures will become diffuse, scattered, and random. The reason for chastity, then is quite simple, and has been universally practiced until modern times. Today's nihilistic thinking dispenses with this concept very quickly. Life, it is argued, is without purpose, there is no goal; I am going to die no matter what I do; therefore I should live for the moment, "seize the day," find pleasure where and when I can. Given the premise of this argument, the conclusion is irrefutable; but the idea that life is without meaning is entirely a result of poor eating. A person who eats grains and vegetables knows infinity instinctively, and would not be attracted to such an illusory line of thought. This brings us, full circle, to where we started. Thought cannot be separated from biological makeup. Modern people could not be other than they are, given the food they eat. A nation of meat and sugar eaters must of necessity have impulsive, violent, and confused sex lives. At the moment there is no end in sight. Birth control pills,'which have released women from nature's last urge towards abstinence, are a thousand times more yin than sugar. The blindness of modern science has never been so strikingly demonstrated as in the case of this seemingly convenient item. The nearsightedness caused by specialization and lack of responsibility among the medical profession has allowed these pills to be prescribed widely when a few rounds of "testing" have failed to produce immediate adverse results. Here and there a few alarms are sounded; perhaps it is possible that a certain batch of pills caused Group X to contract a virus; more tests are ordered, slight chemical alterations are made, a few dissertations written, a few twenty-year observation periods set up. The sale of oral contraceptives will continue, despite the fact that any child with a knowledge of the unifying principle could tell you that they are unnatural and must cause certain damage. Let us enjoy our desires, but let us enjoy order at the same time. Men are naturally attracted to the softness of women, and in this manner find the world of spirituality, which is much finer 20

and more delicate. At the same time, in playing the game of love, men are a little wolfish, and women hopefully clever enough to run away, refusing to accept man's advances unconditionally. Western tradition is not without understanding of this natural way of life; Chaucer's Troilus and Cressida, and Shakespeare's romances, show a deep appreciation of the dynamics that exist between the sexes. Somewhere, this understanding was lost. It may take a thousand years to straighten out the current confusion between men and women, because we are dealing with very difficult factors; ignorance, lack of memory, exclusivity, illusion, sensuality, fashion, and a complete loss of spiritual sensitivity. Let us at least try to raise our own lives out of the sexual wilderness that is the home of many people today.

21

Chapter 3

Flexibility in Eating

One of the more common reasons people begin to eat macrobiotically today is because of fear. Fear of sickness, of death, and a desire for better health; these are the motives that lead many to this way of life in the beginning. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to exercise good judgment when we are driven by such mental pressures. Our thinking and feeling are cramped and strained, because we have not yet been released from our sickness. In this first level of macrobiotic eating, most learn to judge by theory. At this stage, discussions of yin and yang are frequent, along with complaints of too frequent urination, strict avoidance of every sort of yin, and a general tendency towards rigidity. After a period of strict eating in the beginning, most people find themselves going on a "binge." A good percentage of macrobiotic conversations seem to be centered around accounts of favorite binges: some go out and eat ten ice cream sodas, others visit every restaurant on the block, or drink cup after cup of coffee. Yin and yang have proven stronger than willpower; everything that has a front has a back, and over-rigidity has given birth to excessive license—simply because of lack of understanding. After this has happened a few times, most people relax a little and graduate to the next level. Here they eat by principle. Instead of analyzing every mouthful, they learn to see with a larger viewpoint and to enjoy their food more. Much simpler guidelines are employed during this stage. Then, if progress continues, we finally achieve the highest level: the recovery of our natural intuition. This is the best way to eat. Up to here we have to study, learn, even make ourselves sick, in order to acquire insight. At this level fear has disappeared completely, along with excessive worry about yin and 22

yang. One is free simply to eat, in a human, natural way. Fortunately, the more we eat well the higher our judgment becomes, and the more our ability to realize this level increases.

Seven Levels of Eating 7.

Supreme Judgment

6. Ideological Judgment 5.

Social Judgment

4. Intellectual Judgment 3. Sentimental Judgment 2.

Sensory Judgment

1. Mechanical Judgment

Free and liberal, according to the order of the universe According to disciplines and doctrines According to social justice and economic situation According to theories of nutrition According to personal favor, likes and dislikes According to taste, volume, color and odor; sensory gratification According to automatic, blind response

Everyone eats according to his or her level of judgment. Unless we eat freely in harmony with nature and the universe, our eating leads ultimately to some type of illness or unhappiness.

When we are driven by fear this intuition cannot work. What is intuition? It is the judgment of this infinite universe itself! We are in the ocean of infinity, and its waves are advancing; our rigidity separates us from this ocean, from its natural flow. It is our intuition that enables us to feel the waves as they come and to move and break with them. When we are isolated by fear and stifled by conceptual theory, this intuition, this judgment, cannot come. Some people are very rigid in their observance of macrobiotics. They have set rules concerning liquid intake, time for meals, and look askance at those who stray from Diet Number Seven or Number Six. They may insist on eating only their own cooking! Many intellectuals are prone to this sort of rigidity, which is in itself a sickness. Even when they are advised to relax and enjoy themselves more, such people maintain their unvarying attitude—again, an indication of deep-seated fear. It really 23

isn't their fault, in a way, because a lifetime of poor eating and bad thinking has clouded their judgment. Theory, then is necessary when a person first comes to macrobiotics. The ultimate goal, however, should always be kept in mind: the rediscovery of our natural intuition. If you are inclined to this sort of eating and thinking, try to enjoy yourself more and graduate as soon as possible to a natural, free way of life. Life itself is nothing but constant change, after all: rigidity is a denial of the basic principles of macrobiotics. Too, if you eat rigidly, your body cannot adapt itself to its own daily changes and the cycle of the seasons. The sooner you learn to listen to your own voice, the quicker you will discover true health. Oriental thought realizes three stages of growth in a recurring cycle. The first period might be called keeping. This corresponds to our earlier practice: adherence to guidelines and principles. This is followed by a period of breakthrough, when the fetters are thrown off, restrictions abolished. Finally a period of detachment is reached. Here both rules and revolution are transcended. This is not the end, however, for detachment leads back to keeping, and progress continues on an ever-increasing spiral. Think of your own experience. Weren't there times when you kept strictly to the diet, and then suddenly felt yourself drawn irresistibly to break with it? Often the compulsion that drives us in these periods seems deeper than mere desire, and of course it is. If we follow the course of yin and yang in our own bodies carefully enough we would understand these lapses, and learn to avoid the extremes they represent. Our philosophy of yin and yang is very interesting, isn't it? Yin and yang is itself the principle of this free movement. Everything that has a front has a back; the larger the front, the larger the back. If something becomes large enough it will change into its opposite. The unifying principle is obscure, formless. There is nothing stable or fixed in the universe. Wherever we try to grasp it, it changes and eludes us. This consciousness we should have as our own reality; so that we mirror the unceasing flow of the universe itself. Unless we abandon our rigidity we cannot do this. Unless we enjoy ourselves our life on this earth is useless. Let us abandon fear, for only when we do this will we discover the true meaning of macrobiotics and its foundation, the order of the infinite universe.

24

Chapter 4

Free Development

Many people are eager to begin a world organization of macrobiotics that will consolidate, unify, and further our development. And, indeed, there are so many people today following our traditional way of life and spreading it among their friends that it would be possible to form a large group. It seems natural for people to want to do this, especially in a diverse society like ours, because we want to be joined to those who share the things that are most important to us. But we must ask ourselves whether such an organization is desirable. There are many dangers inherent in formal groups; they involve problems of regulations, rules, membership, and most important, internal conflicts. Right now, for example, in France, there is a tremendous dispute between certain people in the macrobiotic movement and merchants over rights of food production and distribution. Four different groups are involved in this struggle. This kind of thing wastes time, slows us down, and is in fact against the essential spirit of our cosmology. More important, we might wonder if it is even necessary to organize. When the propter time has arrived for this step, it will happen naturally and without strain, without our needing to argue for it and plan strenuously. If we understand this we have truly understood the meaning that macrobiotics has as a force for world peace. The essential point to be made about such proposals, however, is that macrobiotic development will not be carried by an organization, but by individuals. To the extent that we develop vertically we must also develop horizontally; our goal, therefore, should be to deepen our own intellectual, ideological, and spiritual understanding. When we do this, everything else will follow automatically. 25

Every individual is a center of infinity itself; all organizations are products of man's conceptual understanding, like national boundaries. We are labeled when we are born and forced to follow artificial, manmade rules; we never expected this. Before we are members of any nation, group, organization, state or any form of any system whatever, we are human beings. We can use social structures the way we wear our clothes; putting them on and taking them off without ever becoming satisfied with them and without ever mistaking them for our essence, our true self. First we must secure our humanity; then we must become free. These are our proper considerations, and we need to deal with them properly before considering questions of structure and organization. Every day we receive letters from people all over the world that attest to the real development of macrobiotics. They are from people who are finding themselves, finding health, happiness, and peace in divergent walks of life and climates. The stories they tell are beautiful and inspiring. The depths of insight they reveal are testimony to the ability of macrobiotics to enable every person to find freedom and a true understanding of the universe within himself. The attitude expressed in these letters shows us much about the way macrobiotics should be developed. Many of these people are seeking to introduce macrobiotics to friends, but their main concern is their own study. The constant growth and deepening of each individual is more important at present than the introduction of macrobiotics. Of course it is wonderful to spread our way of life, for when we do this we not only give others the keys to happiness but extend our own space. Whenever you introduce macrobiotics to others your own living space expands, and this is very important. But we must remember that expansion is yin, and that it will finally exhaust your stock of yang; a time will come when you have no more to give away and then you will be unable to help anyone. It is this that we seek to avoid when we devote ourselves to study now. Before we begin to expand, then, let us make ourselves as deep and as high as we can by our thinking and our study. Perhaps in two or three years it will be time for organizations; in the meantime, let us be as humble as possible, accepting everything, never trying to defend ourselves or accuse others. Everyone who realizes that he is universal, infinity itself, natu26

rally becomes humble and moderate. If we seek to argue and criticize those who do not understand us, we show that we have not yet developed enough. If you have an enemy it is because of your own way of thinking. If you criticize others you are simply voicing your own failings, because those you inveigh against are actually one with you. There is no distinction between ourselves and others. Whatever we receive, we receive from our own shadow. We must learn to accept everything, and when we have learned to do that our understanding will increase and deepen until there is no need to tiy to force acceptance; it will come naturally. It is not enough to understand this acceptance conceptionally; we must seek to live it. Many of the famous interpreters of Oriental philosophy give beautiful descriptions of enlightenment without understanding it at all, while many of the letters we receive from friends who have found it are written by poor, humble people. Their understanding will not be lost, because they have had to win it against immense difficulties. Difficulties are our true friends, for they make us find true value; the difficulties we will face will help to bring about a true biological world reconstruction. Macrobiotics is the only way we can achieve the development we dream of, but we must first secure our own biological state by proper eating and study. Let us first find our own happiness, and know that we have found it, and know what it means, and grow with it; and then, sometime in the future, let us begin to think about ways to give our happiness to others.

27

Chapter 5

The Salt of the Earth

We all know that salt is an essential ingredient in our diet, that its effect on us is great, and that it is very important to regulate our intake of it very carefully. But how much do we know about salt? For instance: just why do we need it? Where does it come from? What does it do to us? How much should we take? Why is salt yang? Why, if we need salt, will it harm us to drink sea water? When we know the answers to these questions, we will benefit tremendously because this simple chemical compound of just two elements—sodium and chlorine—is much more than a condiment; its origin is so closely intertwined with our own that we cannot live without it. Jesus said, "You are the salt off the earth." How many of us have understood what he really meant by this? The answer begins in the chemical origins of the earth. For a time our planet was covered by gases, including hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen (atomic number 1) is very yang, with an atomic weight of one. Oxygen (atomic number 8) is yin, and has an atomic weight of sixteen. The attraction between them is therefore very great, and soon the earth was covered by water, or H2O. This water was clear and pure, for no metals had been formed as yet; sea water, as we know it, did not exist. Since our earth is at the center of a spiral of materialization in the infinite universe, pressure exists. The closer we go toward the center of the spiral, the greater the pressure; therefore, the bottom of the sea became a focus of great pressure. At these depths, the temperature was high because pressure (yang) raises the temperature (yang) when other factors are equal. In addition, movement (yang) was present, for the earth is constantly turning. All of these factors are yang, and combined with yet another yang force—time—they began to form more complex elements 28

out of water. Water is actually the mother of metals. Among these new elements were sodium (yang), and chlorine (yin), which combined to form sodium chloride, or salt. Many scientists estimate the age of the earth by measuring the quantity of the salt in the sea, assuming it all came from the granite in the land. Actually, as we know, salt is also being created—constantly—by transmutation of water. The process is shown below (for further information on atomic transmutation, see Other Dimensions, by Michio Kushi, Avery Publishing Group, 1992—ed.) The Production of Salt Sodium:

• ^He + \H - ^Li

Chlorine:

>- 3^He

Salt:

fa

^O

^ N a (Yang)

- ^Li + j^O »•

(Yin)

Na + CI >- NaCl (chemical combination)

It was at about that time that biological life was beginning to develop at the depths of the ocean, for protein had been formed by a process similar to the one that produced salt. As time progressed, the sea became saltier, and this influenced the type of animals that evolved, jellyfish, for instance, were formed when the sea was still fairly pure. As this process continued, different types of fish developed, until finally mammals emerged. Among them were the ancestors of humanity. Our heritage, then, is very salty, since human ancestors did not appear until this salinization had been going on for some time. When marine animals left the ocean and began to walk around on the land, they carried the ocean with them. We might say that they converted the outer environment, that is, sea water, into an inner, portable, environment. Our blood and sweat, as we know, are salty; as a matter of fact, all of our bodily fluids are different forms of sea water. Our internal makeup is actually a replica of the ocean. It isn't difficult to see why we must take salt to live. There is a minor quantity of salt in natural foods, such as vegetables and grains, but not enough to keep us healthy, so we must take a little extra salt with our food. We could drink sea water, but the 29

process of salinization continued after we had left the ocean, making it much too salty for our purpose. The proportions have changed so much that drinking sea water can actually harm us. But how much do we need? Actually, that question can only be answered within broad, relative limits, because every person is different and individual needs vaiy from day to day. Our need for salt depends on such things as our age, sex, activity, and history. Babies, for example, are so yang that they actually don't need salt at all. During the first nine months of life, we are nourished by our mother's bloodstream, which is internal, centripetal, and more yang. After birth, our proper food is mother's milk, which is very sweet; more yin. Some parents, thinking their children are inactive, give them salt to make them more yang. This is a big mistake. An excess of salt will actually make a person more inactive. Babies should not be given salt at all at first. Later it should be introduced to their diet very gradually, a few grains at a time, after they have started eating solid food. (For guidelines on cooking for babies and children, see Macrobiotic Family Favorites, by Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko, Japan Publications, 1987—ed.) Some people take large amounts of salt in order to yangize quickly. In doing this they forget that every front has a back. Hold your finger out straight and then bend it slowly. This is a yang action, a contracting movement. But notice that while you are doing this the outside of your finger is expanding, and this movement is yin. If a proper balance is not maintained, flexibility will be impaired; a person who takes too much salt will suffer stiffness of the legs, the kidneys, and of the temperament. Time is yang. We see the effects of time in the aged, in such things as contraction and shrinking. Since they are more yang, it is better for elderly people to take less salt and emphasize slightly more yin factors in their diets. A person's sex is very important in determining proper salt intake. Actually, though she is the personification of yin, a woman is essentially yang—as we might expect if we are accustomed to the paradoxes of the unifying principle. Internally, and biologically, a woman is more yang; she is smaller, more possessive, and once she is angry, it is likely that she will never quite forget. Her sexual organs are internal, and this, again, is yang. Born yang, she seeks and attracts yin; eating more yin foods, she becomes yin. 30

Man is just the opposite. He is born yin; his sexual organs are external, he is more liberal, and his original constitution is more yin. Therefore he seeks yang, attracts yang, and becomes yang. A man can generally take more salt than a woman, and if he wishes, occasional fish. Meat, chicken, and other strong animal foods are very harmful for women, since their central nature is yang to begin with. One of the saddest situations today is the modern predilection for meat, a habit that robs many women of their birthright, their natural feminine sexuality. Meat itself contains a great deal of salt; if we have eaten meat all of our lives, or if our parents did, we need less salt. A person who eats whole grains can get by with a moderate amount; a vegetarian can take a little more, and a fruitarian can take even more in order to neutralize the acid fruits contain. Whenever we eat fruits, it is helpful to sprinkle a little salt on them. This makes them more tasty, and helps balance their yin effects. A person who eats chemicals and foods containing chemicals needs salt, but the balance is a difficult one to maintain. If he takes too much, there might be a reaction between the chemicals and the salt that could cause damage. The history of salt consumption of macrobiotics in America is an interesting lesson in proper balance. Since people in Japan have not eaten as much meat as Americans, they are able to take larger quantities of salt, and when macrobiotics was first introduced to this country, similar amounts were recommended. In sesame salt (gomashio), for example, some people in Japan were using two portions of salt to eight of sesame seeds; far too much for Americans or Europeans. People who have eaten meat much of their lives need only a small amount of salt. The amounts recommended in early macrobiotic cookbooks (published in the 1960s—ed.) were several times what they should be for the average American, and the proper balance for gomashio is about eighteen parts sesame seeds to one part sea salt. The discovery of salt—and fire—made human development possible. Without it we could never have become as independent of natural conditions as we are; with it, we became more flexible, active, and began to think. It isn't hard to see why Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth."

31

Chapter 6

Thoughts and Reflections

No one knows that when an angel turns his back, he becomes a devil, and when a devil turns his back, he becomes an angel. Without a devil, there is no angel. Without an angel, there is no devil. They are inseparable, perpetual twins. You cannot marry one and leave the other. oo I am surprised that, in these Western countries, there are a great number of people who sell their spirit in order to obtain material and sensory pleasure. So many people do not hesitate to abandon friendship, respect, brotherhood, and love, to gain a little material wealth. I wonder if they know they are exchanging a pearl for a pebble. oo I have seen many who admire brightness of light, but I have seen few who respect the darkness that produces it. We know the names and works of great people, but we do not know the mothers who produced this greatness. When we try to demolish poverty, we are destroying the mother of prosperity. oo Those who don't practice self-reflection cannot discover that the cause of their trouble is within themselves. The gate to health, happiness, and liberty is closing before them. There will be no medicine to save them until they change themselves. oo Salvation has no other origin; the Kingdom of Heaven has no other location. Salvation is within us, and the Kingdom of Heaven is always spread around us. oo Many who seek spiritual happiness ignore their physical health. Many who seek bodily health neglect spiritual develop32

ment. Both seek the fruit without planting the seed, and neither gain what they seek. oo

There are many who say that our body may depend on food, but that our spirit does not depend on food. They have forgotten that food preceded spirit. When we were a minute cell in our mother's womb, before we had a brain and a nervous system, we ate mother's blood; out of it we made our capacity to think. Food precedes both body and spirit. Without it we would not be here, without food we cannot live. oo There are some who think of the way of eating as a medical science or a theory of nutrition. They do not know that the way of eating is the beginning of love, peace, and justice; they are blind and in their searching feel a leg, a tusk, or a nose, and think they know the elephant. oo There are many who ask for the way of eating in order to be released from symptomatic troubles; there are few who look to this way for the development of their judgment to achieve peace and justice on this earth. oo We did not come to secure happiness of spirit after death. We have come to change this earth into paradise, for this planet is within the infinite universe, the Kingdom of Heaven. oo If you are unhappy within this Kingdom of Heaven, it is your fault; it is due to your sickness; it is due to the imaginary illusions that have been produced by your own arrogance and exclusivity. oo Those who wish to attain physical health without knowing what to eat are like one who plants a tree without finding the proper soil. Those who wish to achieve spiritual development without knowing how to eat are like a man who wants a fruit to grow without a tree. All of them have lost the clarity of sight that sees origin and result, cause and effect. oo There are many who accuse their parents for their misery and unhappiness. They do not know that they themselves chose their own father and mother. They have forgotten they came from infinity, through their parents, to realize themselves as a 33

human being on this finite earth. The most important principle of life is to love and respect our parents. Respect of parents is the foundation of all human affairs. oo The origins of the human race are not limited to this earth. There are millions of planets that have produced human life. The history of humanity begins with the beginning of the universe itself. oo Among people on this earth, some developed through evolutionary progression, having been born on this planet; others came from outer space, and the intermingling of these two races produced our ancestors. But the real origin of mankind is infinity itself, which produces constant development here and on other planets. oo This universe is expanding, but the one next to it is contracting. The super-universe is composed of unaccountable expanding and contracting universes interwoven in an endless pattern. Each universe contains millions of galaxies, each of which further contains millions of planets. Infinity is endless within and without. oo Every point of infinity has infinite depth. Every individual, within infinity has infinite depth. Because of this, every one of us has the qualify and image of infinity itself. The purpose of life is to prove that we are infinite through the expression of our ideas and our activity. oo We seek not spiritual development; we seek the realization of a world where no spiritual development is required. oo When you become a saint you stand against immorality. When you become a man of ethics you are against criminals. When you choose prosperity, you hate poverty. When you take the light, you denounce the darkness. When you become a pacifist, you align yourself against destruction. But when you become a free man, you will embrace them all. Freed, you can transmute them all from one to another. oo The modem world is sinking day by day. We see the prevalence of crimes, drugs, mental illness, the separation of family 34

and friends, war and misery. When our young generation becomes adults, the world shall change completely. Weakness shall govern, a degraded quality shall lead, and the world shall turn into chaos. The modern world shall end within this century. For whatever has a beginning, has an end. Only those who know the laws of change, the principle of transmutation, can change its destiny, and how many are they throughout the world? oo The biological and psychological flood of Noah is rising everywhere throughout the world. Few see it, and among those who do there are not many who see the extent of this catastrophe and understand it clearly. Whoever knows the order of the universe shall save themselves and release others and turn the crisis towards happiness. oo In our age, the most urgent appeal is not to millions of people but to those few who seek a real dream, great and imperishable. They shall lead the darkness into light, chaos into order, misery into happiness, with the understanding of the order of universe oo Change is eternal and infinite, the movement and body of God itself; the laws of change are the will of God, the justice of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the principles of the infinite universe, within which we are living as a finite part. Without knowing the laws of change, how can we be free?

35

Chapter 7

Present Past and Present Future

History is an open secret to one who understands the importance of food, and the way in which it transforms and creates man after its fashion. Man's customs, societies, wars, the pattern of his evolution, the changes in his thought, and the possibilities of his future, are impossible to understand without this simple key. Most historians, after a lifetime of searching for cycles of repetition, intellectual currents, and patterns of behavior, either conclude that histoiy is meaningless or develop an assertion of faith that transcends their "knowledge." Neither approach is necessary; every aspect of the past and present can easily be understood by a study of man's eating habits. Once this is understood, humanity will be able to fashion the future it wishes and become whatever it wants. In the beginning, the earth was covered by water. Food, therefore, was water. Seaweed and moss evolved from water through the transmutation of hydrogen and oxygen into various heavier elements, including minerals. From moss and seaweed, shellfish and other fish arose. At this point, a great change occurred and land appeared here and there; many species died, but many could adapt to the new environment and survived in a different form. Moss and seaweed became grass and trees, shellfish and other fish either died or changed their adaptability and became land animals, eating grasses or animal food. After millions of years, some of these carnivorous animals, having become very yang from eating animal food, started to seek different, more yin food. They began to eat fruit and became the species of fruitarians, including apes and chimpanzees. These fruitarians gradually became more intelligent; after a long period 36

of fruit eating, the effects of their former carnivorous habits were cancelled and they began to feel cold in climates that had previously been comfortable for them. Therefore, they started to seek a more yang type of food, and finally began to eat the most compact form of fruit—grains and cereals. This species was to become the ancestor of humanity. At the beginning of this period, these species were eating raw cereals. After a few million years, as a result of having eaten water, moss, seaweed, grass, fish, animals, and cereals, especially cereals, they developed their intelligence more and more rapidly and finally stood up. Their increased intelligence enabled them to discover how to use fire and they became modern man—homo sapiens. As you can see, this biological food history proceeds in alternating stages of yin to yang: (1) water, (2) moss and seaweed, (3) shellfish, fish, water animals, (4) land vegetables, (5) land animals, (6) fruits, and (7) cereals.

As eating patterns changed, following a decreasing logarithmic spiral, various biological species developed: (1) protozoa, (2) primitive sea life, (3) developed sea life and some birds, (4) insects, reptiles, some birds, and grass-eating animals, (5) carnivorous animals, (6) tree animals like apes, and (7) man. The progression alternates from yin to yang, ending with man, the most yang creature in the universe (and therefore the most yin). We have been eating these seven stages of food in our own biological development, which takes the form of a logarithmic 37

spiral. That is to say, the rate of progression lessens with increased development; the water period was very long, but as the stages progress, the periods become shorter and shorter. It took more than 100 billion years for the first biological life to develop in the ocean after the solar system appeared within the galaxy, and only several billion years for the first single-celled creatures to evolve. Biological history encompasses only a few billion years; this progressive evolution is repeated in the mother's womb during our embryonic period, when we increase our weight about three billion times. We can see how important this period is when we note that our weight increases only twenty to thirty times after birth. In this solar system, the world of matter was born more than 100 billion years ago; man, in his lifetime, repeats the history of this entire period. Humanity discovered fire after beginning to eat cereal grains. The fruitarians were very yin, and couldn't overcome the very yang fire. If you eat a lot of yin food, the sun will dazzle your eyes; the fruitarians were afraid of fire because it was too bright for them. Neither could the carnivorous mammals tame fire; yang repels yang. It remained for the increased intelligence of the cereal grain eaters to find a way to perfect the use of fire, and this in turn led to greater development. There had always been fire, in lightning and volcanoes, but it was not until the convergence of several factors—the development of the human brain to a certain point and the increasingly cold climate—that our ancestors were led to search for a means to use it. If we eat animal food as our main dish, our sensory judgment becomes very sharp; you might have noticed that wolves and cats have very keen senses. If we start to eat fruits and raw vegetables, then our emotionality is developed, and we progress one step higher. Everyone eats animal food in the womb—our mother's blood—so everyone's senses begin their development then. The fruit and raw vegetable stage is duplicated in humans when we eat mother's milk—then our emotional and sentimental judgment begins to develop. Our intellectual judgment is formed when we combine the two. As we eat cereals as our main food, our brain begins to branch out more, our nervous system becomes a replica of the cereal plant. All of the stages of our development are important and necessary; each has its place in the pattern of our evolving organism. 38

The eating process changes with different climates. The earth is constantly rotating, and its axis is always changing. Some species live near the equator—man, for example—and in this tropical climate many cereals grow. But when the axis of the earth changed, the environment of these people became colder and colder, and they were forced to change their food. The land no longer produced grains and cereals; it became necessary for these people to either adapt their food by yangizing cooking methods or emigrate to a warmer climate. The ones who chose to stay were compelled to eat animal food. Once fire and salt were discovered, it became very easy for them to do this through various methods of cooking. Some of the ancestors of the European people lived in a warm climate, in Egypt and around the Mediterranean, but another branch of their ancestiy was living in a cold climate and eating more animal food. Now the European climate is changing, and they are beginning to counteract this tradition. The British and the Western powers, for example, went to India and other tropical and semi-tropical territories and began to export spices, sugar, and coffee, and combined them with their daily foods. They also invented things like Coca Cola and ice cream. These very yin foods enabled these people to continue to eat meat even though their climate is no longer suitable for its consumption. The earth's axis has shifted several times since the societies of homo sapiens have developed; each movement alters climate and eating habits. We can detect at least four of the most recent changes. Ten or twelve thousand years from now there will be another. Ten to twelve thousand years ago the eastern part of the continent of America and Northern and Western Europe were covered by ice. Very large rocks are found in our soil because of the solidification caused by the extreme coldness: yin creates yang. This section of the earth was near what was then the northern pole: further south was a warmer zone. In the mountains of South America, before 12,000 years ago, the Andean civilization developed; this area was then temperate, as was the western part of North America. During this period, then, it was quite easy for the people in Mongolia to migrate between the Asian and American continents, and these people became the ancestors of the American Indians. (For further information about the axis shift and ancient civilizations, see Forgotten Worlds by Michio Kushi, One Peaceful World Press, 1992—ed.) 39

After this, when the axis shift took place, the cold territory moved further up, the East Coast of America became warmer, and many trees and plants were formed. This cold period didn't affect the West Coast, which is why we find such big trees in California and Washington. The botanical study of this continent is very interesting. As you go farther west, the plants and trees get bigger and bigger because the eastern area was covered by ice for such a long time. The same thing happened in Europe. Northern Europe before 12,000 years ago was covered by ice and there were no inhabitants there. At that time, Africa had a temperate climate— especially Egypt and the upper Nile. Therefore, ancient civilizations developed in this region, some of which are just now being discovered underneath vast deserts. Gradually this climate became hotter and these civilizations started to fade. Then, about 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, territories farther north became warmer and civilizations began to arise there—the civilizations of Greece, Italy, and Persia. People began to move north from the Middle East and Central Asia; these were the Celts, who built places like Stonehenge in Northern Europe. These people and the inhabitants of China and Japan had common ancestors— the calendar symbolized by Stonehenge is identical to those used by ancient Chinese and Japanese. The people in the southern areas began to move north as the climate became warmer; the Greeks and Romans subdued the Celtic peoples and took over Northern Europe. In the meantime, in America, the Andean civilization had faded out and transferred itself north to Mexico and Central America where new civilizations began; all of this took place about four to six thousand years ago. In Asia, however, these climatic changes were not taking place so dramatically. The Asians lived 10,000 years or more in a comfortably warm climate. Japan, India, and most of China changed from hot to warm, from tropical to temperate. These Asiatic people continued to eat a consistently grain-based diet for seven to ten thousand years. As a result, they could develop spiritually oriented civilizations while the Europeans were struggling with their climate. All of the large religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, and Shintoism, originated in Asia during this long grain eating period. At the same time, these societies become monotonous. Everyone became accustomed to peace and fairly comfortable living conditions. In Europe, meanwhile, the food pattern was 40

changing. These people had to develop their tools, weapons, and instruments. When all of Europe had overcome the climatic difficulties, the revolution in industry and technology began and they started to invent new things. With this technological development, they began to conquer the whole world. At that time the Asian people did not have to struggle greatly with nature. They became gentle and had very little resistance to these Western developments, which they admired and copied. The European conquest of the whole world was the inevitable result of environmental development. They had been hammered by cold climate, poverty, and hunger. Four to five thousand years ago, India developed its gigantic philosophy of Vedanta; now this country is poor and undeveloped. You can see how the beginning and the end are veiy different. Modern eating habits are very confused. Some people eat more vegetables, some eat meat, some more fish, some fruit, some sugar and Coca Cola. We can divide modern eating habits into several categories: 1. Meat-eating people (or those who eat primarily animal foods). These people become very yang, very active. They have a tendency to attach value to the material world only, to become materialists. They cannot see the importance of the mental and spiritual worlds. 2. Fish-eating people. The mentality of some of the Japanese and Scandinavians who eat a lot of fish, tends to be comparatively narrow. Fish eating produces thinking that lacks width; a fish is narrow and moves in a straight line. Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, for example, was very short-sighted. Some fish eating races have frequent changes of passion and other, similar tendencies. 3. Fruit or raw vegetable eating people. People in India are typical of this type. They develop mystical thinking, the very opposite of the meat eaters. They easily denounce this relative, material world, while the meat eaters assign it the highest value and denounce the spiritual world. New races are now emerging among modern man. The meat and fish and fruit eaters are the forerunners of this modern civilization, with its social contract system and its big industrial corporations. The meat and fish eaters eventually have a natural attraction for the culture of the fruit and vegetable eaters, so many people seek out Indian philosophy and related forms of mysti41

cism. Since they are very yang and have well-organized industries, they have produced three new races: 1. Sugar eaters. Their mentality tends to become mad. They are the children of the fish and meat eaters, who developed transportation systems and manufacturing systems, and violated the climatic order by transporting tropical foods to non-tropical countries. At their meals they have lots of chocolate and bon bons, ice cream, and honey. From morning to evening they eat plenty of sugar and sugar treated foods. 2. Dairy food eaters. This is the race of fools. Dairy products are food for cows, and man's mentality becomes cow-like eating them. As a cow, this sort of man is fine; as a man, he has less sensibility than he could. 3. Chemical and industrial food eaters. These people are factory-made robots. Their food is no longer natural, but the product of the manufacturing companies. They are the children of the factory and assembly line and no longer the children of nature. They are artificial, synthetic men-robots, in a word. Their mentality doesn't require higher judgment. They automatically follow their daily routine work as slaves of organized society; then their whole life is secure, and they have no need for wisdom or understanding. They can sit and have television, or radio, or the newspaper teach them, with no need to think; they are manufactured men. These sugar, daily, and chemical-industrial eating races are present-day modern man. The coming age will see the development of a new race of mankind. Since we know the origin of our mentality, of our culture, of our civilization, we have the opportunity to create ourselves and our friends and children by choosing what we eat. After thousands of years of history, a few of these mad, foolish, mechanical robots may one by one grasp the importance of food. Just as a butterfly emerges at last from the cocoon, may we break through the wall of this modern society and become a new race, born again, eating neither fish, nor meat, nor fruits, sugar, dairy products, or chemicals, but the traditional food of humanity: whole grains and vegetables. Those who eat these foods will be the people of the future. These people will have a veiy strange philosophy that most of today's people would find very hard to understand. A few of them can be found already, living here and there around the world. They never accuse other people; they have no particular 42

religion, no particular belief; no particular doctrine. What they do have is unlimited cosmology, for they know that everything is changing and they understand the law of change. They are not aggressive; they are very calm. They are dreaming of the future of the world. TTus new type of person is already here, and more are coming; the hope of the human race lies with them. These people don't think, as the meat eaters do, that material things are important or unimportant. Neither do they imagine, as do fruit and raw vegetable eaters, that the spiritual world is more important than matter, that we should neglect the body and seek the soul's salvation. They see from the beginningless beginning to the endless end—the entire universe. They see the worlds of spirit and matter combined as one. They see the invisible world change into the visible world, and the visible return to the invisible. They see the whole universe as changing, with nothing fixed, nothing stabilized, nothing unchanged. According to their very peculiar philosophy, they can cure themselves by themselves. They can change suffering into happiness, misery into security. They think sickness is the result of poor judgment. They self-reflect if they are sick and try to recover by themselves. If they see a criminal, they know that the cause of this criminality lies in a long biological history, and that good food will effect a cure where punishment won't. One or two or there years later, after eating well, this criminal's mentality will have changed, and he will have become a good man. Among these people there is no need for jails. They know that the visible world and the invisible world are one, and that one must change into the other.

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Chapter 8

The Manner of Eating

Five Meditations on Eating: Firstly, let us reflect on our own work, let us see whence comes this offering of food; Secondly, let us reflect how imperfect our virtue, whether we deserve this offering; Thirdly, what is most essential is to hold our minds in control and be detached from various faults; Fourthly, that this is medicinal and is taken to keep our bodies in good health; Fifthly, in order to accomplish the task of enlightenment, we accept this food. —Zen Sutra The sight is so familiar today we hardly notice it anymore. The time is right now. The place is any restaurant, cafeteria, or cafe in America—almost without exception. People are "grabbing a bite to eat," as we say, very literally. It sounds like a racetrack ten seconds before the finish; people are talking, shouting, gulping, hurrying, waitresses are scurrying, doors are swinging as whole mobs pour in to fill up the tables vacated by those who have just downed a good-sized meal in a few bites and "have to run." At any time, day or night, we can pass the eating places that line our streets and see this spectacle of gluttony; it is so common that the word, mercifully, seems to have passed from common usage. We are making a mistake if we deplore the menus tacked on the walls of these places and forget the spectacle that takes place under them. Poor eating is not simply a matter of taking the wrong foods; our complete lack of understanding of the importance of nourishment is shown by the way we, as a country, eat. This works two ways. If we understand what we are doing when 44

we eat, the immense and profound implications it has for our lives, we must naturally eat in an orderly, respectful manner. In addition, the way we eat actually affects the quality of what we eat; good food taken quickly, without the proper atmosphere and state of mind, will not help us much. Unless we eat properly, we cannot digest well, and if we cannot do this we might be better off eating from the standard menu. Poor eating is at once a manifestation of our lack of creativity and appreciation for life, and a contributor to the biological foundation that makes this state of mind possible. Now we are in a small inn in the Japanese countryside. No English is spoken here; the way of life is based on the old, traditional pattern. Shoes are traded at the entrance for comfortable cotton slippers, there is a small garden behind the inn, the halls are clean and spacious. The rooms are small and without ornament except for a few flowers and perhaps a small scroll. The sleeping mats are rolled up in the morning and put away. When it is time to eat, the girl who is in charge of your room brings a small, low table, places it in the center of the room and begins to bring in the meal. Your appetite sharpens as you watch, and by the time she is finished, it may be acute; it is not unusual for the entire process to take over an hour. She enters, removes her slippers, bows, kneels by the table and quietly begins to place the dishes around in a beautiful, artistic manner. Each dish has been prepared with an eye for color, shape, and texture to make it as appealing as possible; the variety is so ingenious and attractive that you almost want to take the meal home without eating it. Here the preparation and serving of food is an art—at once part and whole of the art of life. Think again of the restaurant and the way food is served there; isn't this evidence of our lack of respect for life and for ourselves? Eating, then, involves much more than the choice of good food. It begins in the kitchen, which should be as clean as possible. Nothing is wasted; as much of every vegetable is used as possible, not just for the sake of economy but to maintain the balance of yin and yang that nature has provided. The entirety of infinity is manifested in every one of its creations. If we take only a part of the foods we choose, we cannot gain a total view of the universe. The natural tastes of the food should be respected, understood, and brought out; it is possible to avoid commercial, chemicalized products and still fail to achieve this by improper sea45

soning or by cooking techniques that violate the integrity of the foods we prepare. Watch a good macrobiotic cook and you will notice that she doesn't stir foods rapidly; more than likely, she will use a slender chopstick and gently move the foods just as much as is necessary. Even when she is mixing a large bowl of flour for bread she is careful to blend in one direction, starting from the outside and folding in, and her movements are gentle and respectful. Ask her why she does this, and she may reply, "If we anger the food, the people will become angry; if we cook peacefully, the people who eat our cooking can become peaceful." Proper attention needs to be given to the amount of water used, for this changes the entire balance of the food. Other factors that need equal attention are the amount of salt, the fire used, and the amount of oil. These are the means by which we transmute grains and vegetables into the food that will, in turn, make us what we are. The best quality food in the world cannot help anyone unless it is prepared properly. Those who understand this know that simple dishes are the hardest to make; the highest art in cooking is the preparation of a bowl of brown rice. If we cannot hope to achieve the artistry of the meal served at the traditional Japanese inn, we can at least preserve something of its spirit. In order to do this we should not put too much food on a plate—seventy percent is the maximum—and pay careful attention to the way it is arranged, the way colors balance, and the total effect the dish will have when it is placed on the table. Ideally, no noise is made when the meal is served; our gestures are quiet, graceful, and quick. The way we eat is especially important. It is a primary indication of our freedom and understanding, for it is something that no one can do for us. Slow, thorough chewing is essential for good health. Chewing quietly is a mark of respect for others— nothing is more upsetting than the sound of loud chewing during a meal. The food should disappear from our plate in an orderly, neat fashion, and when we finish it should be empty and clean. If the amount served us is in excess of our desires, we can indicate this before we have started eating rather than leave food on the plate. Good manners should be in evidence throughout the meal. We should excuse ourselves before we leave the table, and after a meal we can sit and talk for a few minutes, quietly, before getting up. This kind of behavior is common among working people in 46

this country, who instinctively know the importance of food; we should approximate it as closely as possible, for the way we eat is a clear sign of our understanding of yin and yang and of the order we are part of. If we eat poorly it means that we don't know who we are, that we are ignorant of order and justice. The bites we take should be just right for proper chewing. Most people take mouthfuls that are too large; about eighty grains is a good amount. Quantity is also important in the meal as a whole. It is better to not eat until we are full but only about eighty percent full—until we think we would like just a little more. We eat good food in order to have good blood quality; if we eat too much, even of the proper sort of food, we cannot. Our intestines cannot begin to make good blood until we have finished digesting, and if they are overworked, the basis of our biological foundation will be strained. Much of this sounds like common sense, and indeed it is. Good manners,and orderly eating should be instinctive and natural. Few know, however, that there is a proper order in which to eat the various dishes that make up 4 meal, and yet when we understand why this is so and how it should be done we realize that this, too, makes a good deal of sense. The basic principle is simple: eat from yang to yin. In practice, this means that we begin with the neutral grain dishes—usually rice—and eat two or three mouthfuls. Then turn to the most yang side dish and take one mouthful before returning to the grain. This sequence is repeated until the particular side dish in question is gone. Each of the side dishes is eaten in this manner, with grain continuing throughout the meal. By progressing from yang to yin we allow our stomach to expand slowly and gently; by taking our food in a systematic, orderly fashion, we avoid improper, violent mixing and assure peaceful digestion. For the same reason, we should drink tea after the entire meal is finished: liquid is the most yin form of food, and as such its expansive power is very great. It is better to take just enough to be comfortable and to assure good digestion, and to sip it slowly as a delightful finish to a good meal. It may seem difficult to eat this way at first, but its value will become evident if it is tried for a week or two—and by then it will have become a welcome habit. The further we stray from this pattern, the more we will invite stomach trouble and indigestion and the bad health that accompany them. 47

These guidelines are not restrictions, and if they are not practiced flexibly and joyfully, they will do more harm than good. Ideally, don't see them as a form of external discipline, but as a natural sign of the understanding of the meaning of eating; until they become this, however, they can be a valuable aid towards gaining this understanding. The main consideration, however, is the state of mind that these actions signify. If this is proper, then there is nothing we need worry about, for proper eating will follow naturally. Before we eat, then, let us think about what we are doing. Let us reflect on the infinite origin of our food; when we think of this, we must become thankful. Too, let us think of our own origin, both of the original infinity that we came from and the tremendous pyramid of ancestors that produced us, and we must become humble and moderate. Think of the hardworking people that grew our food and who brought it to our kitchen. Think of the many poor people who can't afford such a meal— this includes ninety-nine percent of the world's population. Even the rich fit into this category if they don't know our way of eating, for they are poor in our sense if they don't understand the importance of grains. Think of the way people ate before fire and salt were discovered and compare their food with the richness we enjoy today; when you understand this you will realize that these discoveries made tremendous biological advances possible. Most important, let us think of the value of ourselves. Let us ask ourselves what we are doing—what we have done—and what we will do. All of these are determined by our own free will, by our own actions and our own eating. Let us self-reflect and ask ourselves whether we are worthy of the meal we are about to eat.

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Chapter 9

Diagnosis and Physiognomy

Physiognomy—the study of health and character as it is revealed in the structure and lineaments of the face and body—is an ancient art that can provide a lifetime of health and amusement. It can literally give us new eyes—vivid, startling, instructive insights into ourselves and those around us. Without knowing much about physiognomy, we use it daily as our own happiness and freedom is greatly influenced by our ability to understand others. Without knowing and understanding people we cannot help them, we cannot react according to their needs and demands, we cannot know what to expect of them, and we cannot choose our friends properly. There is nothing more important than our ability to understand other people, and perhaps in nothing else do we fail so often. Physiognomy was well known in the Orient as a valuable asset to medicine and to judgment. Every aspect of a person's internal condition and original constitution is revealed by his appearance; a skillful practitioner can tell all he needs to know simply by looking at the soles of the feet! Since our disposition and character are governed by our health, a knowledge of this science can be helpful in understanding others, in determining our own health and in increasing our own self-knowledge. There is no sickness that is not revealed long before it becomes chronic. The person who knows physiognomy well does not need to commit himself to the care of a doctor—indeed, he will be able to understand that like most people today, doctors are also suffering from illness. Before we learn to evaluate, however, we should realize that no one is without sickness. If such people existed, they would 49

not be worth having for friends. They would know nothing about life, for without sickness there is no health, without lower judgment there is no way to become higher. They would never have experienced the deep self-reflection that sickness gives us an opportunity for, and consequently they would neither know themselves nor others. The sicker a person is, the greater chance he has for health; those who have never experienced trouble will have difficulty understanding the way of life, because they are not seeking. Jesus understood this, and expressed it well when he said, "Let him who seeks, not cease seeking until he finds, and when he finds, he will be troubled, and when he has been troubled, he will marvel and he will reign over the All." (From The Gospel According to Thomas.) Those without sickness will never understand the meaning of freedom, for our sickness comes directly from our own abuse of our free will. The true meaning of freedom can only be learned through failure. Our school is not at all like any system of education that exists today. The purpose of the standard education is to fit its students into the existing social, ideological structure; our school makes real, free men. There is quite a difference. Those who are satisfied with things the way they are lack originality. People with originality are always attacked and accused—just like Jesus and Socrates—and they are worthy of our friendship. Our happiness depends on the number of friends we have. A true friend is someone who would be willing to give his life for you. If you have one or two such friends, you will be very happy; with one hundred you can change the whole world. Even Jesus did not have so many friends, for his own disciples could not understand him It is our ability to think that makes us flexible and free. Those who accept the thoughts of others without thinking for themselves are disqualified automatically. Those who do not respect their parents are unworthy of the way of life; but if they do not also follow their own dream, and learn to think for themselves, they cannot become free. This is what Jesus meant when he said, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother will not be able to be a disciple to Me, and whoever does not hate his brethren and his sisters and does not take up his cross in My way will not be worthy of me." (The Gospel According to Thomas.) This is not exclusivity but true love; it is not hatred that makes us turn against our parents and those of our friends who are satisfied, 50

who are not troubled, but a true realization of our own origin and of theirs. To see others we must begin by seeing their dream, their idea; we must try to acquire a total view of them. When we look at a person's faults we are analyzing, and when we do this we are forgetting. Our dreams are beyond time and space, and will remain when we die. If we can see this clearly, it is enough; there is really nothing more we need to know. Next, we should see a person's vibrations, which are manifested in their words, expressions, and all of their actions. Vibrations are the embodiment of dream. If a person's voice gives us a pleasant feeling, if it is low pitched, well modulated, moderate, and flexible according to the situation, he is healthy. A high-pitched voice, on the other hand, indicates an unhealthy condition. A good speaking voice is penetrating, not loud; quiet, not weak. Loud speaking is evidence of disorderly judgment. The sounds a person makes by his actions are also very good indications of his condition. Unnecessary noise indicates mental disturbance and low judgment. A healthy person is quick*, efficient, but quiet. It is not necessary to study the art of graphology to be able to tell a person's character by his handwriting. A little common sense, coupled with an application of the basic principles of yin and yang, will tell us everything we need to know. In general, disorderly writing means that the person we are interested in is unhealthy, while clear, beautiful writing is a sign of good balance. It need not be skillful, but it is important for it to be clear and uniform. Writing that oscillates rapidly between order and disorder indicates a mentality that is divided within. If the writing is slanted upwards, the person is yang at that moment, probably in active spirits; if downwards, yin. Use your own ingenuity to discover other ways in which the unifying principle may be applied. If you become proficient, you will be able to diagnose an individual's specific diseases simply by looking at his handwriting. The heat a person generates is also important; if it is deficient or excessive, either in general or in a particular location, it indicates a bad condition. Our own health must be good in order to judge this, for we must be very sensitive to changes in temperature. A good doctor can judge a person's health simply by running his hand over the body without touching it. It is not only in this matter that our own good health is important, for when our 51

judgment is low we cannot see higher. Practically speaking: when we eat poorly, we can't see clearly and cannot judge well. If we want to learn this art, we must first make ourselves well. Isn't this what Jesus meant when he said, again from The Gospel According to Thomas: "When thou castest the beam out of thine eye, then thou wilt see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother's eye"? The proportions of the body in the relationship of its parts signify overall balance and are valuable in determining a person's original constitution. First we must determine a ratio of width to height, measuring the former at the widest part (this is usually the hips in women and the shoulders in men). One to five is the ideal balance; if it is more than this, yang prevails, and if less, yin. The head (yin) and the foot (yang) should be equal; if the foot is larger, the person is constitutionally yin. There are many other applications of yin and yang in bodily structure; try to discover a few of them for yourself.

Facial Diagnosis The shape of the head is a good sign of balance and one that is easy to remember. If it is thicker at the bottom, like the pyramid-shaped symbol for yang, the person is yang. Movie producers know this instinctively when they cast men with big lower jaws as gangsters. A top-heavy head indicates yin. When a person eats grains and vegetables, his head tends to become more grain shaped, with well-balanced horizontals and verticals. The lines of the face, and the eyes, are very revealing. Strong horizontal lines indicate a yang constitution; strong verticals, yin. They should be in good balance, with a man's eyes being more horizontal and a woman's a little larger. A big-eyed person has yin, artistic tendencies, while a person with smaller eyes tends to be more active. The eyebrows are among the most interesting—and the most revealing—indications of character. When we see long, well-developed brows we are looking at a person with a healthy constitution, well disposed to longevity. Short eyebrows indicate just the opposite: potentiality for sickness and for a short life. Meat eating makes the brows and lashes short; vegetables make them long and thick; grain eaters have long brows, though not excessively so. 52

The angle of the eyebrows is determined largely by our mother's eating while we are growing in her womb. If they are slanted up, like a devil's, they indicate an angry disposition and a meat-eating mother. The Japanese word for anger means, literally, "to make your eyebrows stand up," and upslanting brows are commonly called "eyebrows of anger." Ones that slant downward indicate a peaceful disposition, and are called "eyebrows of peace." The traditional "figure of the Emperor," which can be seen in many paintings, has long, down-slanted eyebrows with ample space between the brows and the eyes—an indication of a receptive, peaceful disposition. A person who drinks too much is likely to have horizontal lines on his forehead. An excess of fluid makes our heart work harder because it thins our blood; the kidneys, too, become overworked, causing bags under the eyes, general tiredness, and loss of patience. Since the kidneys and the adrenal glands, which are attached to each other, govern sexual ability, we can judge a person's potency by looking for these signs. Short, horizontal lines between the eyes are a sign of a short temper. They have two causes: yang (too much meat, cheese, and eggs) and yin (overeating). Another Japanese word for anger is "Kan-Shaku," literally, "liver pain" or "liver sickness." There are many other facial characteristics that reveal our internal condition. Swollen cheeks indicate intestine troubles, while a swollen nose is a sign of excessive liquid, sugar, fat, and a swollen heart. A wide space between the nose and the mouth is a favorable sign, indicating a good embryological origin and good sexual ability. Lines around the nose and the mouth, on the other hand, indicate a yin preponderance and damaged sexual organs. A lack of vertical lines between the nose and mouth is another indication of sexual weakness. Have you ever wondered why ancient Greek and Oriental statues rarely have large mouths? The answer is that this condition is a fairly recent biological development, caused by a lack of complex carbohydrates and minerals in the diet. How many scholars have thought to ask why the human face has changed so radically over the centuries? If they would —and if they could find the answer—they would understand the problems of human history that baffle them so much. They search for intellectual currents, changing dogmas, and religions, without thinking about the one thing that is most basic to our life: our eating. They 53

never realize that they are closer to the answer to all of their problems when they stop working and relax for lunch! Many people think that modern thought is advanced, that the heavy burden of knowledge of many centuries has pushed man to the limits of his possibilities; they never realize that the physical and mental state of the race has actually deteriorated. Another characteristic often seen on these old statues is wide, flaring nostrils. Socrates' nose is a good example of this yang indication; again, few modern people exhibit this sign. It isn't hard to realize that any plan for world peace must begin with a plan for the renovation of the biological status of the world itself. If there is a magazine handy leaf through it and notice the voluptuous mouths of many of the models. Especially popular are large, protruding lower lips that seem to be perpetually pouting. The mouth is the entrance to the digestive system, and by looking at it we can judge the condition of this system as a whole. If the upper lip is large, the stomach is swollen and probably weak; the cute lower lip on our models is a sign of poor intestines. What would they say if they knew? We should also examine the color and moisture of the mouth when we examine it—cracked lips are one of the best signs of dehydration, and the tint of the mouth indicates the general condition of the blood. Now let us look at the ears. Everything about them—their slant, shape, location, and thickness—tells us much about the people who wear them. It is no mistake that the popular conception of the devil shows him with ears that point up like a wolf's, for this is a sign of meat eating and the disposition that accompanies it. A grain eater's ears develop downwards into a good lobe. If you want to see a pair of ideal ears, look at a statue of the Buddha; his start at eye level and go to the mouth line, with a prominent lobe. Today, such ears can only be seen among old people—which should give us a good idea of the rapidity at which modern humanity is declining. The ear shows the totality of development during the period of pregnancy—it is a chart of the mother's eating habits during this period. If the ear is high, it indicates a predominance of meat; if lower, vegetables and other yin foods. A mother who eats grains will have children with thick ears, which is one of the best indications of a sensitive, warm temperament. If you have thin ears, examine yourself; you may tend to be a little exclusive, and perhaps you should listen to others more! The angle of the ear shows mentality; they should be fairly far back and close, so 54

they can't be seen from the front. People with such ears make good social leaders; they can judge others well, and literally "hear all around." Ears that stick out more indicate a more introspective nature, and people with them are more inclined to be thinkers. Physiognomy can help us to understand others—and it can also help us to know ourselves. By finding our own weak spots in our original constitution and in our present state of health, we can work to change ourselves in the proper direction. We can arrest sickness before it reaches an advanced stage, we can turn our defects into assets—by our actions and by good, orderly, eating. Everything in our appearance—from our posture to the structure of our navel—speaks of our health, past, and character. The person who understands this language penetrates the deepest human mysteries at will. This is the key to self-knowledge, to social judgment, and to true health. Without it we are doomed to analytical techniques which must end in failure; man, being whole, must be judged as such and cured as such.

Male-Female Differences Men and women are constructed very differently. How obvious this sounds, and yet how few people realize the true significance of masculinity and femininity! A study of the basic bodily structure of the sexes is a good lesson in the paradoxical nature of creation. The yang element is masculine; man, therefore, is yin within (and so attracts and becomes yang), and his basic structure, from the shoulder to the hips, resembles a yin triangle with the base at the top. Women, with wider hips and narrower shoulders are constructed more in the shape of a yang triangle with the base at the bottom. Most modern women are constantly trying to reduce their weight—and not a few contemporary men join the special diets, the exercises designed to trim fat off of particular parts of the body, jump on the machines that pound and rub, and buy the scores of magazines devoted almost exclusively to this special problem. Indeed it is a problem. Most insurance companies list optimum weights that are about fifteen pounds under the average! A healthy person should be slender without being skinny. The popular conception of what a person should weigh is excessive. When we are light, we are closer to infinity; weighing too 55

much, we are dragged downwards towards the center of a spiral of materialization. Until we pass the center of this spiral and begin to distribute our weight, we cannot really be light and happy. If we know the manner in which certain foods affect the body we can determine a person's eating habits by noticing the areas in which he weighs more. The plumpness around the hips, and waist that plague so many women is caused by dairy foods, especially cheese. Milk and animal protein also tend to produce enormous breasts, which are becoming more and more evident in this country—a very unhealthy sign. Fat that has been gained quickly can be lost quickly. Drinking plenty of liquid is the easiest way to gain weight; it produces very soft flesh that can be shed without too much trouble by controlling liquid intake. Animal fat is next, followed by sugar, protein, and starch, in that order. Fatness caused by excessive protein and starch is very difficult to lose; it makes our muscles very hard and inflexible. We should be soft and pliable. A very healthy person can bend his fingers backwards ninety degrees and easily reach all the way around his head and catch his ear. Anything less than this is rigidity that manifests itself in our actions and in our thinking. Without flexibility we cannot be as creative and as loving as we might wish. There is no distinction to be made between bodily rigidity and spiritual inflexibility. They are one. Only by eating properly and by making our bodies pliable and smooth can we gain the slenderness and suppleness necessary to live to the full.

Hair and Skin Another modern problem is falling hair. Millions are victimized yearly by proposed cures for baldness—all of which are sure to fail until the real cause is understood. Again—as always—the answer lies in our daily food habits. Hair is actually made of living cells; it is a biological expression of excess. Theoretically, if we were to eat just enough to keep us going, we would not grow hair and nails. The way in which a person loses his hair tells us what he eats. If it falls from the front, he tends to eat too much fruit and drink too much liquid. Baldness on the back of the head is an indication of consumption of drugs, medicine, and chemicals; in this case the strong yin of these foods is attracted to the most yang part of the head. Excess pro56

tein and saturated fat cause hair to be lost from the center of the head. Proper eating is all that is necessary to make hair smooth, abundant, and flexible. The split ends that worry many people are actually a sign that our bodies are trying to discharge excess yin and signal decay of sexuality. Seaweed is an especially good food for glossy, dark hair that is easy to manage.

What Your Navel Reveals Which way does your navel go? This is one of many indications of the way your mother ate during the time she was carrying you in her womb. Our development during this period is the most important of our entire life, for we increase 3,000,000000 times from a single cell. If you navel curves inward, you were born yang, which is proper for a baby. A navel that sticks out is yin; perhaps your mother was drinking too much liquid when she was pregnant. When you notice a constitutional symptom such as this you shouldn't despair of ever being healthy, however—think of it as a useful indication of the general pattern your eating habits should follow in order to balance your original condition.

Our skin should be smooth and without an unpleasant odor. If we need soap, it means that we are trying to discharge excess—probably animal food or liquid. Poor skin condition is one of the first signs of sickness that may manifest itself later in a more dangerous form. It means that the entire surface of the body is being mobilized to discharge something that we have been unable to store. Freckles, for instance, are a sign of excess sugar. (Did you ever notice how sugar turns brown when it is heated?) In this case, sunlight, which is yang, attracts the yin of the sugar and brings it to the surface. Since most of us have taken too much sugar during our lives, it may take a long period of proper eating before we lose these little spots. Moles are more serious than freckles; they are caused by excess protein from animal foods or from overeating. In the Orient, they were considered to be indications of egocentric traits in a person's character, tiny tumors that could turn inward and eventually become cancerous if not checked. Philosophically speaking, cancer is an expression of our ignorance of die order of the universe. These signs show us that we are taking in more than 57

we are discharging, and are cause for deep self-reflection. Once we change our mentality, however, by altering our daily eating habits, nature is quick to make adjustment. Several months of proper eating and humbleness, of an orderly daily life, will begin to remove these unsightly marks. Red spots are yang indications and usually signal an excess of salt and protein. A person with them often has a poor liver and finds that he is easily tired. The best cure for them is to cut down on the amount one eats in general. Beauty marks are traces of old sicknesses, so they shouldn't disturb us as much as the other types of skin blemishes we have discussed. If we know how to interpret them, we can tell which organ was damaged and adjust our eating accordingly. Pimples, on the other hand, are signs of active stomach trouble and of impure blood caused by excess yin in the form of fat, oil, vitamin C, and sugar, or excess yang in the form of animal food. All skin diseases, including leprosy and other serious disorders, are really not sicknesses at all; they are signs of a deeper malady, of diseased blood. This is extremely important, for without proper blood our body cannot adapt to disease and keep us healthy and active. When you examine a person's skin, notice the color especially—clear white is the healthiest hue. Red indicates a poor heart; yellow, if it is chronic, a malfunction of the spleen, but if it has appeared suddenly, look for trouble in the liver and the gallbladder. Pale skin means that the lungs are not working properly; dark shades are usually signs of poor kidneys and adrenal glands. Purple—the most yin shade—means that the entire organism is very sick and near death. Learn to synthesize your studies in diagnosis. If you concentrate on details without noticing someone's overall condition, you are becoming too specialized and analytical. No disease is confined to one particular part of the body; if you become adept at this ancient method of diagnosis, you will be able to dispense with these guidelines. Then you will be able to judge each individual as a unique whole, and treat every disorder as something entirely new—and when you are able to do this you will be on the path to the true life for humanity.

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Chapter 10

Drugs and the Future of America

The young generation is our hope for the future; they can carry human destiny toward world peace and a new civilization. When the young generation has sound health and sound thinking, human development will be limitless. Today we are watching the mental and physical health of our young generation declining daily. It makes us very sad. More and more of them are turning to LSD and similar mind-changing drugs. These drugs greatly effect their mentality. They cause vast damage to the brain and nervous system, and to all other parts of the body to some degree. Few would take these drugs if they knew what they were doing to themselves. Humanity has developed for millions of years by eating natural, common foods: grains, cereals, vegetables, and some animal food and fruits. This was the diet of great people in the past. Today we see many depending on what is, in effect, a magician's trick, without bothering to find the true way: an orderly life. It takes several days for water to be eliminated from our system. When we take fruits, their effects remain ten times longer than water. Refined sugar effects us a hundred times more than water. When someone takes LSD, its effects remain for two to four years, during which time the person is not mentally and physically free. We can easily see what our world will be like when the young generation becomes adult. Can you picture society in thirty years? If there are several million among our young generation who take mind drugs habitually, with their use increasing, it is an inescapable conclusion that America is declining and must rsoon elinquish her leading position within fifty years. 59

A Warning Most mind-changing drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, and LSD, are very yin according to the order of the universe, some of them being 1,000 times more powerful than refined sugar. They affect the body in these ways: 1. Yinnization of red blood cells, resulting in internal degeneration and general fatigue. 2. Paralysis of the nervous system, especially the parasympathetic, upsetting normal reaction to stimulus and resulting in a general equalization between the two autonomic nervous systems. 3. Weakening of the vitality of the yang, compact organs, including the kidneys, liver, spleen, and heart. 4. Clouding of mental activity, especially in the lower and internal parts of the brain, which govern practical daily reactions. Drugs also dull the midbrain (yang), resulting in decreased sensitivity to the changing enxnronment. Those who have taken drugs heavily in the past are advised to observe a very broad, not restricted, natural diet until they re-establish their health. At that time, they can refine their dietary practice according to the guidelines of the standard macrobiotic diet. (For further guidelines on the macrobiotic approach to drug abuse, see Crime and Diet: The Macrobiotic Approach, by Michio Kushi and associates, Japan Publications, 1987—Ed.)

Let us remember the time of the Founding Fathers. They were surrounded with difficulties. They came from Europe to face poverty and hunger. They struggled with a new land and a new climate. They ate simple, unrefined food. They lived with modesty. Because of their efforts, we have a great, beautiful continent, and untold prosperity; and we are destroying it before we have even begun to appreciate it. Let us restore the memory of our ancestor's time; not to re-establish their institutions but to preserve their spirit and their dream. Let us keep their image of liberty in our minds constantly. Let us return to their way; with simple food, hard work, and a modest life. As long as we do not forget our appreciation of our founding age, America still can hope to serve the future of the world with her unique and constructive spirit. 60

The Drug Culture and the Way of Eating Recently we have found that some people are confusing the philosophy and cosmology of macrobiotics and the culture and thought shared by many young people who are experimenting with psychedelic drugs. This is especially unfortunate, because these ways are, actually, completely opposite. Those who practice macrobiotics, and continue to take drugs, and those who are trying to find an experience in this manner that resembles the drug experience, show a lack of understanding that is not only sad but dangerous. Even the mildest drugs are very debilitating, and we try to persuade those who have used them not to eat this way until they have stopped. Even then, we urge a diet that is very wide until they have established their former condition and found a measure of mental balance. Indeed, the difference between our attitude towards time and that of the average person who uses drugs is a good indication of the distance between us. We teach the necessity for taking time, which is yang, in cooking, in learning, in development, and in life in general. When we choose vegetables to eat, we pick those that have grown slowly, experiencing cold and rugged terrain, over the expanded products of tropical climates that grow quickly. We urge those who are intent on achieving spiritual consciousness to be willing to take the time necessary to re-establish their health and to endure difficulties and hardships in order to learn. Those who take drugs are looking for "instant" enlightenment. In this way they are very similar to the materialistic society that they profess to despise. Their growth is always like the tropical plants they use to achieve this—quick, beautiful, and luxurious for a while, but finally unstable and quick to fall. Those who use drugs do so in order to be "high," but this is not what we want. Our aim is to broaden and deepen our understanding until it can include the universe itself. There are two ways to experience infinity, which is the greatest yin, the infinite expansion from which everything comes and to which everything returns. We can become yin ourselves, by taking yin food such as sugar, alcohol, or drugs. Then we will expand and lose the constricted, rigid conception of the world that often comes from eating too much animal food, and have 61

intimations of our infinite origin. The advantage of this way is that it is quick; the disadvantage is that it ruins our health. Another way, which we recommend, is to make ourselves more yang without becoming rigid. True thought is not within us but comes from the infinite; when our condition is good we are like short wave receivers that are working well and can pick up vibrations from very long distances. This way is more difficult but it is surer and it is real, and it is completely natural and human. Most of the members of the preceding generation tended to concentrate on the visible worlds, and their children are naturally drawn to the invisible. This is not just a reaction in thought and life styles, for underlying these changes are vast reactions in the types of daily foods consumed by the different generations. The thought and art of the present generation tends to be metaphysical, mystical, and in many ways similar to ancient Indian culture and religion. The resemblance is no mistake. Yang nations, such as the British Empire, are nourished mainly by animal foods and tend to be aggressive, practical, and sometimes warlike. Cultures fed on yin diets, whether they contain fruits and dairy products (such as India's), or include drugs and sugar (such as ours) become yin. The true spirit of Oriental philosophy includes the best of these worlds. One who follows the way of life finds spiritual advancement without weakness, practicality without insensitivity. He can change the visible into the invisible and back again. Since he never excludes one or the other, he can become truly free. The type of mentality that is produced by this ancient way of life and eating (based on whole grains and vegetables), is almost unknown today, and in no way resembles the drug culture that is growing in our cities. What we are witnessing is not new; it is a period of decadence, similar to those found at the ends of most great empires, such as the Roman and the late Victorian civilizations. The cause of this phenomenon is always the same. When a nation has achieved a great deal of prosperity, it fosters cities that enable its citizens to eat many kinds of foods, most of which are sweet and imported from long distances. The results of such disorderly eating—sexual unhappiness, aestheticism instead of art, mysticism instead of spiritual understanding, and widespread mental illness, should not surprise us. They can be read in the records of history. 62

Those who have not studied thoroughly and who have not established their own health should not attempt to teach the way of life to others; otherwise they may confuse and even harm many people. The true spirit of the Orient, though very simple and practical, is easily misunderstood and is often intermixed with mystical interpretations that can be very misleading. Proper cooking is especially important, and those who understand this highest of arts are veiy few in this country. The way we are trying to teach is very natural and simple, but for many it is very difficult to understand. When it is properly understood it cannot be confused with other ways and can hardly be objected to, for its true meaning is the essence of life itself. We do not hope to turn many people from the use of drugs, although we would like to, for experience has shown us that few are willing to take the time necessary to find their way on our path. Rather, we hope to attract the few rare individuals who can really understand and who want to study and establish their own health as a basis for their own advancement and for the advancement of humanity towards the possibility of world peace. We hope that in the future our cosmology and aims will not be confused with those of the drug culture, and that those who are now a part of that movement will graduate from it as soon as possible and join with us in our efforts to turn the human race towards health and understanding.

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Chapter 11

The Expanding Pathway

Yin and yang are very simple. You can learn about yin and yang in one day—what is yin, what is yang, and what kinds of laws there are between them. But the application is unlimited. Throughout your life you will be very busy applying them in various domains; there are endless applications. Once you learn yin and yang you'll enjoy this life very much. This amusement you cannot buy for a million dollars. This amusement of yin and yang is a wonderful thing, you'll never be out of a job, you'll never lack the finest enjoyment life can offer. We have studied many things this year, and tonight I would like to summarize a few of them. First of all, in this universe there are many millions of planets that are very similar to our earth. On these planets there are beings similar to us. They may be a little more advanced or a little bit less developed. No one can deny that. The question is this: should we consider only the people on this earth? When we speak about the human race, or the destiny of human beings, we need to include those millions of other human races! Some of them may be smaller or taller— some may be much prettier, some uglier. But we should include all of these human beings on the millions of planets. If we know what they are eating it would be very interesting. But what they are eating is not so much different from what we are eating, because the mother of them and the mother of us is the same. That is, the infinite universe, the order of the universe—yin and yang. Their physical structure is not so different either. They are standing on their planet, anyway, on the ground. (For further information on extraterrestrial life, see Other Dimensions, by Michio Kushi—ed.) Throughout this universe human judgment is the highest judgment to be found among all living beings. This huge solar 64

system, or this Milky Way galaxy, within which we are living a very tiny existence—the judgment of this huge galaxy is much inferior to our judgment, although it is a very large domain, because the creating of this huge universe and its movement is being done by mechanical judgment. It is changing mechanically according to the laws of physics and chemistry, but our human race is using not only mechanical judgment, but also emotional, intellectual, social, and other forms of judgment. We have more highly developed judgment in various ways. Besides this, our highest judgment can see, can imagine, can dream of the entire universe. So, although our physical structure is very tiny and very weak, our potential capacity is very great.

Lost Paradise If you realize that human beings are ephemeral and tiny, and at the same time how large, how wonderful they are, then you can discover yourself. What are you? This is almost a permanent question. In Greek philosophy they said, "Let us find out what we are." Descartes, in the beginning of our modern age, questioned himself and wondered whether he was really existing or not, and he said, "I am thinking, therefore I am existing—I think, therefore I am." You are existing as body, but this body is not governing you at all, as your method of expression shows. This is your body; this is my body—that means something like this body is your notebook, or your car, or your tape recorder. And the subject that owns this body is not within the body. The subject that owns your body and is changing it every day is without your body. Tlus you that is without your body is imperishable, eternal, and lasts forever. Even if your body is demolished, again you can remake this body using these decomposed elements and come again into this world. You, the real you, which is creating your body and judging every day—that is the infinite universe itself. Everyone came from the infinite universe and everyone is returning to the infinite universe. On the way we temporarily formed our human body and are enjoying this life as a human being, but our primary dream is of the infinite universe itself—nothing else. Therefore, everyone know what peace is, what love is, what justice is, and everyone is seeking them. If they don't have peace, love, and justice, then they feel unhappy because everyone feels 65

at that time that he has lost paradise. That means that he lost the infinite universe, he lost his memory that lets him recall that he is the infinite universe, and that he came from the infinite universe, and that he will return there—this memory he has lost. Therefore, he can't feel happy, he can't feel peaceful and he feels fear, or anxiety—that is lost paradise.

An Old Teaching, a New Light What Jesus taught us, for instance, is nothing but this fact, nothing but yin and yang, nothing but the way of life we are now studying and discussing in different terminology, in modern language. For instance, Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in this one house" (this one house means this universe; "If two"—yin and yang, antagonistic yet complementary), "they shall say to the mountain. Be moved, and it shall be moved." Jesus said, "Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you shall find the Kingdom because you come from it, and you shall go there again." Very clear, isn't it? Jesus said, "If they say to you, From where have you originated?, say to them, We have come from the light." Light means vibrations, the invisible world. He used the word light as a manifestation of the invisible world. "We have come from the light where the light originated through itself. It stood and it revealed itself in their image. If they say to you, Who are you?, then say We are His sons and we are the elect of the living Father." Living Father—the moving, infinite universe. "If they ask you, What is a sign of your Father within you? then say to them, It is movement and a rest." Activity and inactivity, movement and rest, active one and inactive one—yang and yin. This is a sign of the Father, a sign of the infinite universe. Jesus was teaching nothing but what we are discussing today. But as you know, many people could not understand him and he met many difficulties and he was suppressed by political power and the religious authorities of the time. Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the Father, it shall be forgiven h i m " Even if you deny this infinity you are forgiven. "And whoever blasphemes against the Son"—Son means the created one. You are also the Son—"whoever blasphemes against the Son, it shall be forgiven him." You are still all right. "But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be for66

given him, either on earth or in Heaven." What is the Holy Ghost? This translation of Holy Ghost has mislead many people in Christianity. The Holy Ghost is the law of the universe, the law of change. The usual translation of Holy Ghost is not clear; so, since the time of Rome many misunderstandings have resulted. In other words, even if you say, I don't believe in the existence of infinity, still you can become happy. However, if you abuse or violate the changing law of the universe, then you will feel the effects immediately. For instance, if you take too many sweets, the next day you will have a headache—compensation arrives. If you take too much liquid, then the next day you will have diarrhea. The mechanism of compensation is very accurate. No one can escape it—even if he is a billionaire or even if he is the President or even if he is a street beggar. This is working very precisely, very accurately. So if you begin taking good food and living an orderly life, you immediately become better and better because the order of the universe is always working in a positive or negative way, depending on your direction. As you see, we interpret the Holy Ghost as the workings of yin and yang. The same situation occurs not only in Christianity but in Buddhism. Buddhism has a saying like this: Buddha, Law and Monk—those three are one. You may deny Buddha, you may deny monks, but you cannot deny the Law. This is a very basic principle of Buddhism as the Holy Ghost is a very basic principle of Christianity. That we call Bu-Po-So in Buddhism. In this case monk means a person who seeks the way of life. So a monk is not necessarily a priest. Butsu, the Buddha; Po, the law; and So, Monk—standing for the infinite universe, its changing law, and its manifestations in individual people. They are all one. So, even if you don't know the infinite universe and you don't know its individual manifestations, if you maintain an orderly life then you become happy in this world and can overcome your physical and mental sicknesses. Christianity

Buddhism

Interpretation

The Father Holy Ghost The Son

The Buddha Law The Monk

Infinite Universe Laws of Change The Individual

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The Tree and the Spiral In this universe, man is something like the fruit of a tree; the world of animals is like the flower, coming out of the the vegetable world; the vegetable world is like the leaves, coming out of the world of elements, like earth, air, or water; the world of elements is like the branches, arising from the pre-atomic world, consisting of very small particles, like protons, electrons, etc.; this pre-atomic world is something like the stems, born within the world of vibrations, which we may call the world of energy; this world of energy arises from the expansion of the infinite universe, and we can call it the seeds; the mother of this world of infinite expansion is infinity itself. Men and women are the fruit of the universe and within them are seeds also, and these are the same seeds as those of the world of infinite expansion. These seeds drop, and thus continues this eternal cycle. We are the smallest beings in this cycle and yet from us arises the infinite expansion itself. If you cannot understand this mechanism, please think of a spiral—everything in the universe is part of a spiral—from galaxies to shellfish to snails. You yourself are a spiral. This spiral arises from the ocean of the universe. The infinite universe creates this spiral within itself, and when man and woman arrive at the center of this spiral, they start to return to the infinite universe. As the fruit of this universe, we are therefore very compounded, very juicy. Some people are very bitter, some are very sweet—various kinds of tastes. Some fruits, if their nourishment is not correct, become decayed and worms start to eat them—this is sickness or accident, and they die. But if you are properly nourished, you can attain infinite happiness. Everyone is being threatened every day. In other words, everyone is being put on trial constantly. Our judgment is being tested by everyone else. Your mother tests you with her sentimental, emotional love—too much care. Other people driving cars are testing you, as they may attack you and demolish your life. The boss of your company is testing you— seeing whether you will sell your precious life for money— school education is testing you, by seeing whether you will surrender your originality and ability to think for yourself. You are all being tested every day and your judgment is being hammered 68

by these tests. If you are not clever, you may be demolished or end up in a hospital. Even after your death the funeral profession tests you, finding out how much money you left and how much you can spend on the way to the cemetery. If your judgment is low, you'll become a slave. If your judgment becomes higher, you can be free from those threats, or murderers, or tests. You are surrounded, therefore, by many educators who are hammering you. You must appreciate all those difficulties suffered. For instance, many food stores are carrying a great quantity of artificial provisions. If we eat those foods every day then naturally we become weak. Many authorities now agree that fluoridation contaminates water. The air is already contaminated by industries. You've been put in very heavily sick surroundings, but those surroundings are testing you, those conditions are angels who came down from the heavens to make your judgment higher and higher, to make you see what real freedom is. So let us appreciate the artificial foods that are prevailing in the modern world; let us appreciate the industries that produce them; let us appreciate the institutions that perpetuate the way of life that supports them—because they are the great teachers of humanity.

Paths For man there are two directions. As you know, we come from infinity on our cosmic journey. "A" person and "B" person are taking a completely different course. "A" person is still going toward the center of this spiral. "B" person has already passed the center and is going toward infinity on an expanding pathway. For "A" person, in order to reach the center, the proper thing to do is to become heavier and heavier. So, he should eat more and more, and he should gather many materials—money, property, decorations, titles, authority, honors. Then he becomes very heavy and very proud of his heavy weight. Then he can go down as quickly as possible. The other type of people have already passed the center. For them, somewhere in their memory, they remember having had those honors, or billions of dollars, or property, or authority, or power—and they feel those things are trifles, valueless because they have memory. In other words, they have memory of having enjoyed material richness and emotional richness, some very 69

long time ago. And so they say, "Whatever I have, I have, and I don't want to spend my life for money only, for material only, for titles only, for honor only. Rather I want to seek more for truth, for justice, for invisible things." They have already turned their direction from the center, and they already can see ahead on their course, infinity itself.

Having started his life within and from infinity, "A" is on the way to becoming human, proceeding towards physical and material achievement, while "B" has already accomplished this, and is on the way towards mental and spiritual development, towards infinity. So, as you see, there are two kinds of people in this society. One person is running that way, and between them one says, "You are running the wrong way," and the other says, "You are wrong because you are running that way." Everyone's direction is right. Even though one is egocentrically and selfishly gaining, destroying other's happiness, gaining only for himself and his own benefit—yet his course will change eventually, and he will start to distribute. If he doesn't do so, then he will be destroyed by the order of the universe—journey's end, his adventure in the universe will end. Perhaps because he is overweight, or because he is ill, perhaps he will be destroyed by some envious competitor or so-called enemy. So the order of the universe is very amusing and very wonderful. If you know this whole order of the universe, then for you there is no enemy and there are no difficulties. Everything is your teacher. Perhaps some of you have had some very sad experience with your parents or with a teacher or with a friend or some other people. But they are the real teachers; without them you could not learn what society is, what is human life, what is 70

your judgment. So they are the real teachers. We must appreciate them. Jesus said that if you are hit on the left cheek, you should turn the right one. He wanted to express this same thing but his description was too short. It appears that he meant this at the emotional level. This is not an emotional question because in reality, if a person attacks you, he is really your teacher. So, the more we are hammered the more we can grow. If you have a friend who uses only sweet words—"you are wonderful, you are beautiful, you are wise," he is a devil. If you have a friend who uses bitter words—"you are no good, you should correct yourself," always attacking you—he is an angel for you. If you do not feel that way, it is because of your limited concept. That is your fault, not his fault at all. Anyway, the principles of Christianity and the principles of Buddhism are very similar. Why does such similarity arise in both East and West? Why, in Christianity and Buddhism in their original form, is the principle the same? Student: Because the truth is the same. Mr. Kushi: Veiy good. Truth is universal. Truth is existing everywhere. So you can discover truth and you can speak the same words or the same meaning of which Jesus spoke, or Buddha spoke. Truth is beyond time and space and everywhere and anywhere. In other words, the Kingdom of Heaven is not a life that is coming sometime. "Salvation will come in the future"—it's not like that at all. The Kingdom of Heaven is here already. This life is a part of the infinite universe, and if you cannot change this earth into paradise you cannot do anything after your death. Many people, especially some religions, think that since we cannot find paradise in this relative world, then we seek paradise after death. However, after death or before death there is no change in our place; we are always within the infinite universe. Again I quote Jesus' words: "His disciples said to him. When will the kingdom come?" His disciples also made the same mistake. Jesus said, "It will not come by expectation. They will not say. See here, or See there; but the kingdom of the Father is spread upon the earth and men do not see it." The Kingdom of Heaven is here but men cannot see it. Why can't they see it? Because of their distorted vision. We are using certain eye-glasses, colored glasses. Why are there such colored glasses? Because of wrong eating of daily foods. Because of our 71

conceptual educations. If we eat the wrong way, and are trained in the wrong method, our seeing, our eyes, becomes wrong and we see visions only—not reality—illusions only. If you have fear, this fear is an illusion. In this universe, in this Kingdom of Heaven, there is nothing to be feared. For instance, many people are saying that the population is growing, that in an overpopulated society there will be chaos, or a scarcity of food. This is nonsense. Even social scientists and politicians are afraid of overpopulation. In this universe, without food the population doesn't grow. Food is there, therefore population grows. They have confused origin and result. They are seeing upside down. Since we are eating, reproduction arises. Since we are eating too much, or eating foods that are out of balance with the environment, too many children come out. Food precedes the body of man. As long as the population is growing, that means that food to support such a population is already existing. So many people are seeing this order of the universe upside down. It's very, very interesting. So many people are walking upside down, so many people are thinking upside down, and they are worrying eveiy day.

Categories of Man One of the things that makes life so interesting is the immense variety of human types and characters that inhabit the span between bondage and freedom. Actually, human beings are the supreme manifestation of the infinite universe and infinity itself. Most people forget this and join the pageant of world events as stage hands, major and minor actors, or even playwrights. The great majority of people act out their parts very well, so well that they never remember their origin until the end of their lives. Then, perhaps, some of them see the part they have played on the world stage and wonder why they settled for the role they chose. Drama is nothing more than an imitation of this greater theater, which is life itself; and about five billion actors and actresses are playing their roles on this passing stage at present. Without this choice and capitulation, freedom and bondage, our world would be very monotonous and uninteresting. The lowest sort of man we may call the "hungry devil," or "Gaki," as he is known in the Orient. These people are driven by mechanical response to their own desires and are ruled by their 72

uncontrollable, irregular passions. All of their actions, from eating to making love, are actually reactions—blind and without judgment. Next come the domesticated beasts, or "Chikusho," the human counterparts of zoo creatures. The lions and tigers that endure their cages and learn to do nothing but sleep, walk, and eat are excellent symbols of our contemporary men who eat chemical, manufactured food, listen to pre-programmed entertainment and teachings, regulate their lives with pills, and live in comfortable, air-conditioned apartment cubicles on a regular, steady income. Higher than these in the ranks of the governed classes are the slaves. They work from nine to five to maintain a secure life, complete with fringe benefits. Most government workers and salaried people, regardless of the amount of thinking they seem to do, fit into this category. Why do they live like this? Having transmuted themselves into human beings, they trade their life for a monotonous, regulated pattern. These three types of people make up the governed masses; they can revolt, as they have done at times, but usually they are content with their lot as long as it remains comfortable and warm. Very few of them recognize their freedom and attempt to change themselves. Between the governed and those who govern are the wandering butterflies, the intellectuals, who flit from idea to cult, from scheme to organization, without ever finding anything. They have begun to wonder about the meaning of life, but there is no foundation for their change; they know that something is wrong with this society but can't seem to find the answer they are looking for. Most of our young generation fits into this category, and most remain at this level. To find one must want to find; most are emotionally content with the bitterness of seeking. Now we encounter the governing classes, those who write the scripts that others play. Their words provide the answers to peace that make others fight, the ways to love that make others hate. First are the witches, those with plans, slogans, and formulas that, when applied, are supposed to produce the promised results. From health food advocates to the leaders of the LSD cults, these men are the spiders that catch the wandering butterflies. Their prototype is the advertising man, the product of our modern form of witchcraft.

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Seven Levels According to Occupation 1. Those who sell their time for a regulated income to satisfy their mechanical passions. 2. Those who sell their bodies to maintain their sensory appetites. 3. Those who sell material and live by sentimental likes and dislikes. 4. Those who live by selling their art and their intellects. 5. Those who sell ideas and earn percentages by exploiting their social judgment. 6. Those who sell their souls or faith to others, such as many ministers and professional people. 7. Those who sell cosmology. They are free, changing their own lives into their occupation as they will, choosing the time and place and income according to the order of the universe.

Highest among the governing classes are the magicians. They proclaim that they have found the goal of life, that they have found the good, they they know the light. Most of them use ideological magic; a good example is Hitier. All of them are liars. There is nothing in this universe that is absolute, nothing that is constant and unchanging. Their exclusive mentality makes them and their followers believe that the world is theirs; they have divided the world into armed camps, and when they reach the moon you may be sure that they will claim that also. By their magical theories they make people become fools. All of these people are sure to become unhappy. None of them have found the way, which is uncharted and free as life itself. The cause of their unhappiness is always the same, though it has many names. Philosophically, we may call their sickness dualism. Any approach to life that tries to divide it and take one part and leave the other is dualistic. They are exclusive, in psychological terms. We may say, religiously, that they lack love, that they do not know God. All these diagnoses are correct, and all of them amount to the same thing: arrogance. This is the universal cause of sickness throughout the human race. Arrogance precedes all other diseases; it is the root of all human troubles. It is the factor in man that actually wants to be sick, that resists the finest cures. It is the desire for winning without losing, for health without sickness, for happiness without 74

trouble, for light without darkness. Everyone wants peace and health but few can find it because few can cure this fundamental sickness. Ninety-nine percent of modern people are afflicted with this arrogance. Real human beings are very rare; few escape the physical, spiritual, psychological, and philosophical pits of dualism All of these people are actual devils, and their hells are those of arrogance and nothing else. How can we escape becoming a devil? Not, as many think, by confessing our sins and becoming an angel. This, again, is dualistic, for when we do this we are denying the devil! Everything in this universe has two sides; nothing is totally pure, and the darkest thing will easily become the lightest. If we see a very big devil, we should be prepared to find him turn into a very good angel. Whatever has a front, has a back; the bigger the front, the bigger the back. Japan was destroyed in the last war, but without this destruction she could not have built the new cities she has today and would not have had the chance to make the self-reflection she has done. Japan has decided not to wage war in the future; without the bombing of her cities this resolution would never have been made. Before we know it, our troubles have become our friends. And then, without devils, how could we know of angels? Life would become very stale. Your good character would never be appreciated in this sort of world. If you want to be a devil, then, become the biggest devil that you possibly can. Not the sort of devil that we find at the lowest level, the hungry devil, the domesticated beast, the slave—push your egotism as far as it will go and aspire to develop beyond the witch, and the magician. Finally try to become the greatest egotist in the universe. If you do this you must become the greatest angel—for neither exists at the extremity of development. For the free man, who is beyond dualism, there is nothing stable or fixed; knowing the laws of change, he can transmute hate into love, sickness into health, and devilishness into beatitude—and back again. Once we realize that we were born as free human beings, how can we accept anything less than the best that life has to offer? So many people's ambitions are so pitifully low. If they are discontent with the lives that most people accept, they usually aspire to become famous—but what is fame in a world full of sick people? There is a much bigger ambition, much more worthy of our desire—infinity itself, the realization of eternity. But here again, we shouldn't be dualistic in our search. We shouldn't 75

look for infinity in a metaphysical way and ignore our health. The closer we come to it the more satisfactory our daily living should be, for infinity includes everything, solitude and public life, sleeping and waking, hunger and satiety. This way is beyond play acting. The person who finds this path, knowing change, finally becomes free, becomes change itself.

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Chapter 12

You Are Infinity

Human beings are mammals, and mammals are a developed form of the other animals. Birds are the species preceding mammals; before birds came creeping animals—insects, reptiles, and worms. The next group is the water animals—fish; before the fish came shellfish; before the shellfish came primordial sea animals, such as plankton, jellyfish, bacteria, and microbes. These make up the seven stages of the animal kingdom which is part of the vegetable kingdom. The last of the vegetable kingdom are the fruits; fruits are changed from flowers; flowers are changed from leaves; leaves are changed from branches; branches are changed from stems; stems are changed from roots; and roots are changed from seeds. Within the fruits, seeds are conceived. These also make up seven stages. Before the vegetable kingdom came the world of elements— soil, liquid, and air. Before the world of elements came the pre-atomic world—small particles; before that came the world of vibrations, or energy; and before that, the endless source of all movements and phenomena, the infinite ocean of the universe. Yin and yang are the mother of vibrations and humanity arose from the ocean of the infinite universe. We become vibrations, then pre-atomic particles, then elements, then roots, stems, and branches, until we become seeds. Using this vegetable kingdom, we changed from elements to shellfish, fish, creeping animals, animals, and finally man and woman. Man and woman then create reproductive cells—egg and sperm—and the perpetual cycle of life continues. Within the huge spiral that has arisen in the ocean of life, each kingdom changes. We came from infinity, changing ourselves, and after billions of years we become human. First, we started our biological life—we were mother's egg and father's 77

sperm. Then we passed, in our mother's womb, the water animal stage; then we were born creeping; gradually we stood up and became human—a land animal. We repeat everything. Our life begins at conception. Before that we were our mother's blood, which was in turn created from vegetables; food that had been transmuted into her life. We transformed our bodies from infinity, stage by stage, until we became human. After we were conceived as the egg was fertilized, we started to eat. First we ate the essence of our mother's bloodstream. The human red blood cell is the essence of the entire animal kingdom. For nine months we ate animal food exclusively. During this time we developed three billion times. In the period of nine months we evolve three billion biological years, eating animal food alone. After we are born, in the transition period from animal to vegetable food, we take food in the form of mother's milk. This is a comparatively short period while we change from a creeping animal to an erect one. Then our teeth, the sign of the beginning of our human development, begin to come out. At this time our food goes further back and we begin to eat vegetable food predominantly. Biologically speaking, we have eaten nothing but animal food for the period of growth covering three billion years and are very yang. Our food should then change into yin—vegetable food. If we eat seeds and fruits, which are the beginning and the end of vegetable life, we have covered the whole scope of the vegetable kingdom. Eventually humanity discovered the combination of seeds and fruits—that is, cereal grains. We thus eat animal food for three billion years; we eat mother's milk for six months to a year, and multiply our weight several times, as compared to three billion times in the womb. For the rest of our life we should eat mainly vegetables and grains, in which time we grow only three to five times, depending on the individual. This is our food histoiy. We came from infinity, and once we were conceived we began to conquer all areas of food, animal to vegetable. The next stage would naturally be elements, but we have already been eating them. We take minerals in the form of salt, various elements contained in our animal and vegetable foods, air by breathing, and water every day. We therefore eat from the entire world of matter. Through our mouths we eat animals, vegetables, and elements in mineral and liquid form; and through our nose we take elements in gaseous forms. We use all products in the world 78

of matter for our food. We were eating them, and we will continue to eat them. We can see that our physical scope is the entire world of matter. We can use or cultivate all animals, all vegetables, whatever we want. Whatever we want to change, we can, because we have eaten everything. However, if we eat only animal food, instead of whole grains, for our main food, our scope is limited to that realm. Our only subject is animals, and we can conquer only the world of animals. But we can't conquer the world of vegetables—because we have not eaten them. If we eat on a wider scope, we change these things into ourselves. Vegetables change into us, seeds change into us, salt changes into us, and air changes into us. Eveiything can be changed into us and thus we gain freedom. In this limited sense, food is matter. In a wider sense, food is not limited to the material world. If you hear some opinion, or read a book, or watch television, or meditate, you are receiving vibrations. This world goes from long waves to short waves. Long waves we touch, taste, hear, and see. The shortest waves come from infinity and you are constantly receiving them. When we eat matter we use our nose and mouth, but when we take from the world of vibrations, we begin to use our eyes, ears, and brains.

Development of Consciousness We use our sensory instruments to create sensory judgment out of the vibrations we receive. Then we use our feelings to produce the worlds of sentiment and emotion. From feeling we pass to the development of our intellectual judgment through the function of conceptualization. Beyond this, we translate vibrations into social understanding through our thinking. If we go even further, we use our imagination to detect the very distant invisible world. Then we pass to ideological judgment, from which we pass to supreme, or universal consciousness, by which we attain the infinite universe, receiving the shortest vibrations of the primary expanding force of the entire universe. Through sensory awareness we can detect, for example, a part of the universe ten billion light years distant, by using sensory equipment that transforms light and radio waves into ranges detectable by our senses. But we have other wonderful 79

abilities, in addition to our senses, that we also use: imagining, conceptualizing, speculating, dreaming. We can feel, guess, imagine, and dream far beyond the scope of ten billion light years. By our food, which comes to us from infinity, we attain this huge scope. By eating, and changing all these vibrations, we understand everything and change it into our mental life—our ideas, thinking, and imagination. As we eat animals, grains, vegetables, water, and air, we encompass the whole world of matter. By eating vibrations we encompass the non-material universe.

Memory We can we do this because we came from infinity in the form of the huge spiral of life. It arises from outside and goes toward the inside. Everyone's memory consists not only of vegetables, animals, and elements, but of infinity itself. Our memory is not limited to within our lifetime. As you can recall what happened ten years ago without a time barrier, so you can recall beyond time. When you remember, your past becomes the present. You can recall what happened fifty years ago immediately. You are not limited by time. Your memory isn't cut when you are a child—it continues into the unknown past. Before you became human you were your mother's blood cells, you were the food your mother ate, you were the elements, you were vibrations, you were infinity. Therefore your memoiy is endless and infinite. If you regain your memory clearly, detaching yourself from each small instance, suddenly you realize that you are just on a long journey from infinity to man and from man to infinity. It is as though you are at the center of this huge spiral, traveling towards the center, and then outwards. Then we can understand that this human life on earth is a very small instance. This spiral appears and disappears. Even the Milky Way galaxy, 75,000 light years in diameter, is only an infinitesimal point within infinity. All things—vegetables, animals, elements, are only the changing processes, the phantoms of infinity itself.

Spirit and Matter Knowing this spiral we can understand the mysteries of the soul and the body, for they are one. This direction from infinity to humanity we call the spiral of materialization. Suppose that 80

within infinity, an endless ocean, one small spiral arises, creating an entire universe. The visible world dissolves itself into the invisible world again. Body and spirit are not separate. Spirit changes into body, which is a part of spirit, and this body dissolves into spirit again. This process is continually going on. If we cannot have physical health, we cannot conceive the spiritual world. Many people think that body and spirit are separate, but this view is incorrect. The relative life is manifested as a small spiral in the ocean of spirit; at the most dense, inmost point within the spiral a visible form appears, our body, and it disappears into invisibility—that is, spirit. Body and spirit are the same thing. As you know, many people ignore the health of the body—that means they are ignoring the spirit also. And many people, who are ignoring the spirit, and thinking only of visible property, visible happiness. We have to see both as one continuity. You can call this bodily spiral the small i; and you can call the invisible infinity the large I. The small i is our body and the large I is our food, our field of activity, thinking, feeling, imagination, and all spiritual activities. For many people today, this body is out of order, because their eating is wrong. That is, their way of taking the material world and changing it into themselves is wrong. They are eating mainly sensorially and sentimentally, and not by using social, ideological, or universal awareness. Within this huge spiral of relativity we have very simple laws. First, everything in this world is changing. Second, this changing is being made by laws of yin and yang. Yin attracts yang, yang attracts yin. If yin becomes larger, yang becomes larger, and vice versa. These simple laws govern us. What many call God is the same as this infinity. God created the law of creation and man returns to God by laws of yin and yang. This is the law of life. If we don't understand these laws, our sensory, social, intellectual judgments wander and cannot be in harmony. Modern science is adrift and wandering, and cannot find out what we are. In this universe there are only two different laws— taking and discharging. You are eating everything; you take everything egocentrically. Human beings are the biggest egoists in the universe. At the same time you are discharging. If you don't discharge, then you only become fatter and heavier. If you keep yourself empty and hungry, like a vacuum—for instance, by fasting—then you become very yang (centripetal) and everything 81

starts to come in from very distant infinity as well as from your immediate surroundings. Your perceptions become sensitive to the shortest waves. After forty days and nights of fasting, Jesus and Buddha suddenly understood the whole universe—what life is. An empty stomach, therefore, is very good. We can enjoy this universe, since we are the kings and queens of the world of matter and the invisible world. We can enjoy anything. The important thing is to keep yourself always hungry, always empty. Otherwise you cannot receive anymore, and cannot continue to enjoy yourself. It is perfectly all right to take, but as soon as you take, discharge and give away. This is the key to long life, and to staying happy and free. You can take a million dollars, but as soon as it comes in, you should discharge it—give it freely to everyone. If you discover some inspiration, some new fact, then immediately give it away. The unifying principle and the way of life is the law of the universe, the law of God. If we keep this only among our friends, we are becoming exclusive. The value of the order of the universe is a million times greater than a diamond. Unlike the atomic bomb, it doesn't threaten to destroy the entire world, but to change it to health and peace. If we receive, we need to distribute—make many duplicates and distribute them. God has nothing, infinity has nothing, and therefore, nothing can ever be taken away from it. If we keep something then it will be taken away, so it is better to keep nothing, then everything will come in. That is the key to longevity, health, and happiness. All kinds of diseases, including cancer, result from forgetting about this principle of life. We learn many things, receive many things, egocentrically. Therefore, it is important to discharge these things as quickly as possible. It is much easier to keep yourself empty than to have a million dollars. This is a changing world. You will disappear some day, this earth will disappear, this galaxy will disappear—this visible universe will change. But movement itself, change, is endless and constant and immortal. The law of change is justice. Eveiything in this grand universe is changing and you are the king or queen of this universe. You changed yourself, within infinity, into a human being. You are a manifestation of infinity. By your daily eating and activity you are changing yourself. Infinity is a wonderful thing. By eating we are changing, for example, the seeds of the vegetable kingdom into human life, after only forty-eight hours they 82

become a part of us. Eating is a wonderful function of changing life. Eating is the transmutation of life from nature, from infinity. If you have a big appetite for food, that is very good. You are transmuting everything into your vitality, your energy. You can change everything into yourself, into your thinking and activity. Change is unlimited. There is no such thing as bad or good. We can change anything into ourselves. To attain this endless liberty is the final goal of macrobiotics. As you know, thousands of people have recovered their health through macrobiotics; but this is only kindergarten. The purpose of macrobiotics is to become free to change this world into what we want—unhappiness into happiness, sickness into health, war to peace, misery to love. This is freedom. When you attain this freedom, you really become the children of the Kingdom of Heaven. You are the children of this kingdom, but you are unable to see it. If you can't change yourself, how can you change the world? If you want to change others, first change yourself and make yourself happy. Once you can change your own biological and psychological life, then you can change the entire world of matter, because it is much simpler than the biological world. The next step is to change your consciousness and spirituality into whatever you want by discovering the principle of peace, justice, freedom. If you graduate from these—biological change, material change, spiritual change—then you become free and you need only enjoy this infinite universe as children of the Kingdom of Heaven. Before you there is nothing impossible. You can change anything. You don't need to accuse, you don't need to quarrel; rather, you become humble and modest, surrendering yourself unconditionally. Before you are attacked, put up the white flag of surrender, then the attack won't come. If, from the beginning, you surrender, then there is no enemy, and no attack. Our ignorance is caused by our lack of memory, which is in turn, a direct result of poor eating. What is memory? If we recover our ability to remember, we can recall not only our youth but our infinite origin; then life cannot help but be happy and amusing. Some psychologists say that our brain, with its billions of cells, is the area where some things are remembered. Another part of the brain remembers something else. They conclude that some part of the brain is the storehouse of memory—that memory is recorded as if it were on a tape recorder. But we know that our cells are fed by the bloodstream and are changing every day. Ten years ago our cells were completely different than they are 83

today. Yet we can remember what happened ten years ago or fifty years ago. Some scientists say that if a certain part of the brain is damaged, then we can't recall certain things. They think that part is storing something, like a warehouse. This is wrong. That particular part of the brain has a certain quality that enables it to translate vibrations from outside. Our thinking and recalling are not done by us but, rather, come through us, much as music comes through a radio. When the radio's tubes are poor, it cannot pick up vibrations well; when our brain is dulled from poor eating, it cannot translate these wavelengths and loss of memory results.

Spirals of Life This receiver is so infinitesimally small in this universe, but when we judge, think, and dream, we are transmitting its entire force through ourselves. The function of God is endless, infinite expansion. God didn't create humanity itself, but created infinite expansion, which is the manifestation of God. Wherever these forces of expansion intersect, a spiral arises. Within this spiral, the speed of motion creates density and high temperature, which becomes the world of matter. We must expand, give away to infinity. We are a replica of infinity, and we need to discharge as well as take in. Yin and yang are born within this spiral; the spiritual world, the invisible world is also within this spiral, consisting of much shorter wavelengths. Infinite expansion means no wavelength—pure expansion. This is difficult to imagine, but it is the origin of everything. Imagine, in the ocean of the infinite universe, infinite currents branching endlessly in all directions. When they intersect, a spiral arises. That spiral is the relative world. It appears and disappears. When the spiral arises, a center is formed. This is a very dense, materialized part of the spiral. From this center we can only go towards the outside. Then another intersection takes place and another spiral arises. All of this takes place at the level of mechanical movement. Within us, minerals, water, elements all exist. All of these things decompose. Some return to become microbes, vegetal life, minerals, water, air, or vibrations. This materialization is constantly going on and infinite expansion is constantly coming in. Thus we are continuously reassembled and reborn. This is one 84

form of reincarnation. Our memory is infinity itself. What Jesus said, therefore, we can recreate in our memory; he isn't reborn but his dream is, and we can catch it through infinity. If we speak the truth, a thousand years from now people will be able to grasp it. There is nothing fixed in this world; everything is changing. Atomic science is trying to find the smallest particle, the ultimate division of matter, but there is nothing ultimate or absolute and their search is in vain. Atoms were supposed to be the ultimate particles. But, as you know, they are made up of protons, neutrons, electrons, and other subatomic particles. And this process is endless. The concept of particles is an illusion of the senses. Our senses fool us. Present science depends mostly on sensory experience. When you seek sensory pleasure, you are hungry, you eat. Then, a few hours later, you are hungry again. Sentimental pleasure lasts a little longer—joy, security; but then these also fade away. Intellectual curiosity, when it is satisfied, can make you happy for a longer time, e.g. Newton's law of gravitation. But this also will fade away and a new theory will arise. Social development produces even more long-lasting satisfaction, which also fades away. Higher, philosophical or spiritual consciousness creates things like religions, which continue two or three thousand years and then fade away. All of the pleasures and products created by the different levels of consciousness or judgment change and fade away. Whatever has a beginning has an end. Relative consciousness can only create relative truths, which cannot endure. All religions will fall, all doctrines will fall. The peace that people seek cannot come. But the peace that is dynamic, moving—in a society where everyone enjoys health and happiness—this peace exists. Many people's concept of justice involves equality, and that cannot come about. People think that peace exists where there is no warfare. But in that case preparation for war is going on. In a peaceful society no one thinks of fighting—it doesn't exist as a possibility. If your judgment becomes higher, then your lower judgment will change. If someone asks you to go to out for an ice cream sundae, then your higher judgment tells you not to bother—your sensoiy judgment has changed also, because of your higher judgment. When you become successful, then you must fall down—that is justice. When you become veiy sick, then you seek health— that is justice. Everyone is subject to this justice. Justice comes about through your judgment—sensory, intellectual, social, 85

ideological. Without failing you cannot become successful. You are very fortunate if you fail many times. Only then can you grow. With the way of life according to the order of the universe, you can make your entire system of a high quality. Then you receive stimulation from all areas and change them within yourself into your own ideas and activities. If you eat well, then your progress through this spiral is accelerated and you can see the direction of your journey—from infinity back to infinity. You have to advance in judgment one level at a time and good eating will spare you from wasting a lot of time. A microscope can only show you gross characteristics of matter, but your imagination— your judgment—can reveal the whole universe. This is wonderful enjoyment.

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Chapter 13

Regaining Our Direction

The following is a transcript of a discussion between Mr. Kushi and his students at a meeting held a number of years ago in Boston. We have chosen it for publication because of its rather general interest and broad range of subject matter. Some of the lectures are more specific, dealing with topics such as chemistry or cosmology in great detail; this particular evening, a question started a relaxed, spiraling dialogue very much in keeping with the warm summer evening. About thirty-five students were present, seated around a seminar table in double rows, most of them in their early twenties. As the meeting started and latecomers were finding places to sit, Mr. Kushi chatted with those around him and gave them hints about their physical condition. Most of the ones he talked to were commended for their progress; some were newcomers to macrobiotic philosophy and diet and achieved striking results in a period of a few weeks. "You are getting better already, from Monday," he told one. "Still, you have intestine trouble. Your mouth stays open." Everyone accepted their diagnosis with good humor, even the old timers who had slipped a little, and Mr. Kushi began the discussion by asking for questions. Mr. Kushi: Soon you'll become better. Do you have any questions? Yes? Student: The first theorem of the unifying principle; is there some way you could put it on the blackboard? Could you somehow visualize it? Why is infinite centrifugality at the beginning of everything? Why not infinite centripetality? Mr. Kushi: Why don't we begin by reading it. Would you please? Student: (reading from the back cover of a copy of the Order of the Universe): "One infinity differentiates itself into yin and yang which are the poles that come into operation when the infinite centrifugality arrives at the geometric point of bifurcation." 87

Mr. Kushi: Yes there must be many questions. There should be! It would be wonderful if you understood this as it is. There would be no need for you to come here. (Laughter.) You would already be in the Kingdom of Heaven. What point would you like to clear up? Student: Why is it infinite centrifugality: That seems to be just one portion of the whole, without centripetality. Also, how does this point in space come in, the "geometric point of bifurcation." Mr. Kushi: Can anyone explain this? Can we get at the meaning more practically, more vividly? Student: Isn't the infinite centrifugality a spiral, and the geometric point a point of division into two? "Bifurcation" means "division into two." So it might be that point at which yin and yang become differentiated, become, well—themselves! Mr. Kushi: How? Student: How? Mr. Kushi: How! Student: If I knew I wouldn't be here! (Laughter.) Mr. Kushi: This theorem explains how yin and yang came out. But this terminology is so simple—or rather, condensed— that it is hard to understand. In the beginning—that sounds like the Bible! (Laughter.) In this infinite universe there is actually no beginning and no end, so my words "in the beginning" are actually only for temporary use until we understand the real meaning of infinity. In the beginning there was no real yin and yang. No differences. No man and woman. No darkness and brightness, no cold and warm, no high and low. In the beginning, what was there? Student: Nothing? Another Student: Entropy? Mr. Kushi: (Laughing) Entropy! Please explain the meaning of entropy, there are many people here who don't understand this world. Student: I take it to mean a space where everything has the same amount of energy; now energy is concentrated in the stars and in light. Mr. Kushi: (Helping) Energy equally spread everywhere. Student: Yes, everything is supposed to be running downhill, according to physicists, and energy is equalizing in all areas of the universe. Mr. Kushi: Where does energy come from? 88

Student: Well, I don't know where it came from in the beginning, but now it seems to be concentrated in stars. Mr. Kushi: In the beginning there are no differences. In the beginning—nothingness. No matter, no energy. Energy means movement. Unless there is movement, there is no energy. Then this nothingness is manifested as centrifugality. This is the second stage. Infinite expansion. Now, the question is: how? (Laughter.) Student: Well, if we assume that nothingness is a point... Mr. Kushi: Nothingness is not a point. Student: I mean a physical point. Mr. Kushi: Neither is it a physical point! Student: I mean—where there is nowhere to go but out. (Loud laughter.) Is that conceptual? Mr. Kushi: Not conceptual—maybe ice cream, though! Perhaps you can understand this from the second stage. Here we have endless centrifugality. Picture a vast ocean. (Goes to the blackboard and draws a series of lines which branch out like the limbs of a tree.) I hope that someday one of you will make a film of this. Centrifugality, so endless branching outwards; then the branching streams intersect with each other. Wherever they intersect a huge spiral arises, and when it reaches the center it must turn and go towards the outside. An opposite spiral is formed. This is the manner of creation—of galaxies, of atoms, of our lives. Within this spiral are the visible worlds. In this relative world exist centrifugality and centripetality. Two forces; but they are nothing but the interpretation of this one force, the original centrifugal force, the infinite expansion. Either we are going towards the center of the spiral—centripetality—or we are going away form it—centrifugality. The mother of these two forces, which we call yin and yang, is the infinite expansion, which was born from nothingness. Student: You said that the energy branches out, but where does this energy come from? Mr. Kushi: Please, what do you think? How, from nothingness, does this movement arise? Student: I'm asking you! Mr. Kushi: If I answer you, you will become a permanent slave of mine. If you don't know the answer to this question you are unhappy. This is a permanent question; every great man, every giant, has tried to explain it. How does movement arise? 89

How does energy arise? So far no one has given a satisfactory answer which everyone can understand. Student: I was wondering if you could explain the infinite expansion by yin and yang. Mr. Kushi: You cannot explain the infinite that way, because it is beyond yin and yang. Student: How can we understand it? Does our understanding have to be immediate, intuitive? Mr. Kushi: The best way to put it is that we must use our supreme judgment. Please discover the answer to this question; then you will become the greatest person in the world. After that you can solve everything. Student: So what we have to explain is why there is a law of change—because if there is a law of change it would have to follow that movement would have to arise out of nothingness—because everything changes—so the question is, Why is there a law of change? Mr. Kushi: No one can deny that everything is changing. Everything is moving. Why does this movement, this change, go on constantly? Why do movement and change follow certain laws, which is justice? The law of change is the justice of this infinite universe, of the kingdom of heaven. The law of change is the will of God, of infinity. If you are against this, if you abuse this, you will be judged, punished, you must decompose yourself. (At this point a student came in and stood by the door; by this time the audience had flowed into the hall.) Mr. Kushi: Please get a chair and sit down. Student: That's ok, I'll just stand here. Mr. Kushi: You'd better sit down—you're still taking a little too much water and you're liable to get cramps! (Laughter.) Student: You say this universe is endless. I don't understand how this began in the first place, this endlessness. Mr. Kushi: Ah, perhaps you still don't understand what infinity is, the meaning of infinity. Student: Without end or beginning. Mr. Kushi: Endless end. Beginningless beginning. The infinite is not only space. Many people confine their concept of infinity to endless space, but the real meaning of infinity is not space; it is depth. If we take an infinitesimal geometric point in infinity, then this point is not finite; it is not limited, because infinity has infinite depth! Everything within this infinite, then, including our 90

bodies, is infinite. Our body is a very finite part of existence, but within it exists infinity. Besides depth, infinity exists in time. Not only space, not only depth, also infinite time. Yes? Student: Space is two-dimensional. Depth is three-dimensional. Does time really add the fourth dimension? Is there a fifth? Mr. Kushi: Yes, infinite dimensions within infinity. Can you grasp this? I know it is very difficult. Student: Perhaps the answer to the question of how movement arose out of nothingness, then, since that is just a step behind other explanations, would be that there is an infinite regression of explanations. Perhaps our understanding ought to stop somewhere. Mr. Kushi: No, the expression of infinity, though, is necessarily various. It depends on the individual person. For instance, each life is different. Our life is nothing but an expression of infinity, and each one's expression is various. Through our body, through our mentality, the explanations vary; but everyone can have a comprehension of infinity. Everyone. We think of our body as "I," but we are not this "I." We say my body, your body, our body—this is something like saying my ashtray, our ashtray. We made these things, and we are using them, so we call them ours. Where is "I?" "I" is the one that created this and uses it. The real I is the creator of this body, of all of our functions, our mentality, soul, and spirit. Creator and user—there is no distinction between the two, there is no dualism If we continue to use this personal expression for infinity we might say that he is amusing himself with this planet, just like a toy—and when he gets tired of it he demolishes it and makes new ones. This is the real I. Many people, especially modern people, ask "What is I?" and then analyze themselves, and answer, "I is carbon, hydrogen, cells, and all of these organs and all of these parts." But this thinking forgets that this I is not only within us. I is without us. Suppose this glass ashtray, made of minerals, were sitting here, and we suddenly removed all of the air surrounding it. Could it exist then? No, because there would be no air pressure, and it would begin to expand and vanish. Man is the same way. Without man the ashtray could not exist. What is it then? The real essence of this ashtray is equal to infinity minus the ashtray. 91

It is an infinitesimal point; infinity minus this infinitesimal point is infinity. The ashtray is equal to infinity. Student: I know this sounds silly to say, but the ashtray is as much evidence of your existence as the inverse! The fact that you made the ashtray proves somehow that you exist. Mr. Kushi: Yes, very good. Yes? Student: Vibrations come; what makes every vibration stop at a certain level and become an object? Mr. Kushi: By change, by transmutation, by yin and yang. Our law of change, the method of creation, is nothing but yin and yang, nothing but these twelve theorems (see Appendix.) All of our bodies, all of matter, come out of infinity by these twelve theorems. This is the law of creation as well as the law of destruction. Student: Mr. Kushi, before the ashtray came into existence, someone had to decide to create it, and had to use will to do it. It didn't exist before then. Mr. Kushi: Yes. Before man. Before modern man. Before heavy smokers. Student: The same conditions existed before yin and yang— it was just infinity. There had to be will, will to create yin and yang. Mr. Kushi: Yes, but yin and yang is not matter. Yin and yang is law. Student: But infinity existed before that. Mr. Kushi: Yes, of course. Student: So what do we mean by will? Mr. Kushi: Whose will? Student: Well, I mean the creator. Mr. Kushi: Who is the creator? Student: Infinity itself? Mr. Kushi: Ah. How about judgment? Who is your creator? Student: I'm my own creator. Mr. Kushi: Very good. Very good. You created yourself. Your unhappiness. Your happiness. Your body you created yourself. No one else. Student: Infinity means depth; that is, each point within infinity is infinite. Does that mean that within the spiral creation is going on endlessly? Mr. Kushi: All of this within the spiral is the relatixx world. It is no longer the infinite world. This is a part of the infinite, a ge92

ometrical point. The universe itself is a geometrical point in infinity. Student: Does justice precede yin and yang? Mr. Kushi: Yin and yang is justice. So, when you take birth control pills, later you will get headaches, or fatigue, or you will not be able to bear good-quality children. This is justice. If you eat plenty of sugar, the next day you become depressed. If you become very rich, next you must fall down and become poor. This is justice, the order of the universe. Yes? Student: Talking about the rich and the poor—does that have to do within one life? Mr. Kushi: That isn't necessary. Justice works eternally. For instance, do you remember the story of Job? Those who do not know the importance of food cannot understand its significance. He was a very good, righteous man who tried to follow the order of the universe. Then his children, his daughters and sons, abused this. Every day they were holding feasts, eating meats and drinking wine. Then unhappiness started. Some of the children died; Job's belongings were stolen and destroyed, and he fell down. Because of the second generation's misconduct, the first generation is punished as well as the second. And if the first generation were born with very good constitutions, so that they could live for fifty, sixty, eighty years, but were blind to this justice, yin and yang, and abuse this life, they might be able to live without serious sickness because their beginning was good. But their children become sick. They cannot produce good children; so, because of the children, they become unhappy. Student: Well, then, when one person kills another and he is put to death for that, is that justice? Mr. Kushi: Yes, that is justice. Student: So that if we understand that justice is working all the time... Mr. Kushi: All the time. Student: Indefinitely... Mr. Kushi: Yes. Student: Then we are free at the point when we understand justice by understanding the laws of yin and yang and how they work. And when we understand this we can have anything we want... Mr. Kushi: Yes, we can change justice.

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Student: ...By using our will to change justice. Yin and yang is always acting, continuously, but we can change it according to our will. Mr. Kushi: Yes. For instance: one of your friends becomes sick. Day by day he becomes more critical; he gets doctors, who try to help, but can't. His condition becomes more serious, and he is going to die. This is justice, for his sickness is his own fault, a result of his own ignorance and arrogance. His existence as man is about to end. Then you step in and show him the real way of life. At this time, if he refuses your advice about what to eat, then, because of his arrogance, he will expire. But if he does listen to you, justice is granted him to recover from his sickness because of his honest seeking for the truth. When you help others to cure their sickness, you are going against justice in a way; when they listen, they are creating a new justice. Because of you, because of your life, your friends can become happy. If there is one person who is free, who really knows justice and exercises the laws of change, then all of mankind can be saved. If there are ten people, then the whole world could be changed within one century. Please become like this, a righteous man. Student: Then our sense of justice affects everyone else's justice, and if s all one thing...why is it that sometimes there is such a great discrepancy between our will and our desire; for instance, we can understand justice, and we can know and begin to understand how to act for everything to work out well, but our desires are sometimes totally different from what we know and feel is the right thing to do. What causes this? Mr. Kushi: Schizophrenia. Student: But there's a point before that when you don't even understand justice at all. Mr. Kushi: Yes. That is schizophrenia. Although you have a glimpse of order, you really don't know it yet. Therefore your desire does not accord with justice. It is still separated. Student: In a case like that, which would be smarter to do: To follow justice no matter what your desire is, or to follow your desire, or to make a combination of them both? Mr. Kushi: Anyway is alright. If you follow your desire, then you will be punished, you will be decomposed, return to elements, and will come back again as man. Elements become vegetables again, and again become brown rice, and the rice is 94

sold—one pound for thirty cents—and someone will eat and become man. Student: But if you follow justice? Mr. Kushi: Then you will become happier and happier as you are. Student: Desire might be based on mechanical or sensory judgment. Mr. Kushi: Here we have the infinite universe, full of infinite expansion; this is will. Then, in the currents of this expanding ocean, there are waves. When you see the ocean, you see waves moving, transitory yet unceasing, and you know that there are strong currents flowing there also. Today's ocean is different from yesterday's ocean; movement changed it and movement remains. These waves are desire. The currents that move under them, silently and profoundly, are will. Desire is relative; will is absolute. Desire belongs to the worlds within yin and yang. We are hungry, then we are full. We want something, then we hate it. Will is beyond these changing poles, and yet it is always within us. If your desire accords with this will, then no matter what form it takes—hunger, sexual appetite, intellectual appetite, any kind of sensory desire—you will be going towards the direction you are seeking, you will be returning to infinity. But if you become mentally ill, that is, when you become unable to find the direction of life, of these strong currents, sometimes you must return, and your life must end. Student: You mean that eventually there is no conflict between what we desire and what we should desire? Mr. Kushi: That is true. If you are eating well, then simply exercise your desire, and you will be exercising your will. On the other hand, if you are not eating well there is a good chance that you are becoming mentally ill. Look at it this way. When we want to go a certain direction, we need a magnet—a compass. Then, no matter where we go, the magnet will always point our ultimate direction. This magnet is thinking. Our magnet is always pointing to infinity. Infinity is the greatest yin. When we eat well, we can always find our direction in any situation, but when we eat poorly the quality of our magnet becomes deteriorated. Instead of pointing towards infinity it will point towards ice cream. Why does food influence us this way? Because, as you know, food contains minerals; and among minerals, iron is used for 95

making the most sensitive magnets. Our red blood cells are iron—hemoglobin is iron— and all of these cells work just like magnets. When we take plenty of water, or citrus fruits, the nucleus of the iron in the hemoglobin begins to yinnize and decompose, and we lose our direction. This magnet fades away, and we lose infinity, we lose peace, we lose happiness, and we suddenly become depressed. Darkness falls before our eyes, and we say, "I don't know what I should do." Then we know that we have lost our direction. How can we regain it? There is only one way. To re-establish the quality of our magnet. We must change the quality of each of our billions of cells of hemoglobin through proper eating, and then they will begin to point to infinity once again. When this happens to you, you will feel as if you are waking from a nightmare, and you will know that you have found what you once had and lost. Learn moderation; make your deviations small ones. Even when you abuse your freedom, you remain within order; but once you have clouded your judgment, you become mentally ill and cannot see it. Mental illness means no direction. One day, the needle is pointing this way, the next day, another. Sometimes it even points two ways. For some it seems to be indicating hundreds of directions. This is schizophrenia. For others there is only one direction, no matter what the circumstances or the movement; we call this paranoia. The needle of your magnet should be very flexible, and of a very good quality; then whatever action you take, wherever you go, it will always point towards infinity.

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Chapter 14

Food and Spiritual Development

The following is a response to several letters that were received differing with an editorial in the Order of the Universe entitled, "Food Precedes Body and Spirit." The general tenor of these letters was informed by a view that maintains that body and spirit are separate; food, therefore was felt to be unimportant to spiritual progress. "Ninety percent of it is controlling the life force and the other 10 percent food," objects one writer, and another says that "Food is that material which an organism needs in order to maximize its existence as a living form. But this food is not the source of life, except in a very superficial view of things....If you have this consciousness, there is no need to worry about illness for your form will be sustained by the consciousness—not the other way around." The follozving article is intended as a specific response to these letters and also as a general approach to the questions they raised. Thank you very much for your interest and your response to our point of view. Since many seem to be perplexed by the points you mention, we have decided to include our reply in the Order of the Universe. There will be many pages in coming issues that should clarify our philosophy concerning the importance of food and the relation between body and spirit. In the meantime, please think about the following points, and see if they help: Have you ever read, and tried to understand, this passage from the Taittiriya of the Upanishads? "Out of Brahman, who is the Self, came ether; out of ether, air; out of air, fire; out of fire, water; out of water, earth; out of earth, vegetation; out of vegetation, food; out of food, the body of

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man. The body of man, composed of the essence of food, is the physical sheath of the Self. "From food are born all creatures, which live upon food and after death return to food. Food is the chief of all things. It is therefore said to be medicine for all diseases of the body. Those who worship food as Brahman gain all relative objects. From food are born all beings which, being born, grow by food. All beings feed upon food, and then they die, food feeds upon them." Often we speak of our human spirit without realizing that everything has spirit. Have you ever considered whether our daily food of grains and vegetables has soul or spirit? If not, then how did they grow? If they do, how do they turn into our soul? You may have some hint from these words of Jesus: "If the flesh has come into existence because of the spirit, it is a marvel; but if the spirit has come into existence because of the body, it is a marvel of marvels." (From The Gospel According to Thomas) We should not restrict our meaning of food to that which we take through our mouth, for we are also eating vibrations in the form of sound and light, and with our intuitive judgment we receive directly from infinity. We eat infinity, and our daily food is a condensed form, a manifestation of, the infinity. There are some who do not eat through the mouth and who continue to live; but we must remember that they ate while they were growing and that they are still eating food in many forms with other parts of the body, as we all do. As George Ohsawa, the founder of modern macrobiotics, said, universal consciousness, or supreme judgment, is always with us, for we are always within infinity no matter what we do. How we experience this infinity, however, is another matter; it depends on our health, on the quality of our blood which nourishes our organs and determines our perceptions, and this is built and maintained by our daily food. Besides the food we chew and swallow, of course there is the exercise of our imaginations and our judgment, our study and the regulation of our daily lives, our meditations and our activity, and all of these are governed by yin and yang. We must emphasize food, however, because without the proper balance on this level none of the others can operate properly. Finally, consider this: if we separate our soul or spirit from the body and grant it an independent existence, we must explain the following questions: 98

1. How and where did soul or spirit arise? How were they born? 2. Does the spirit have a birth, a period of growth, does it change, does it die? If it changes, by what mechanism? 3. What is the actual relationship between the spirit and the body, mind, and consciousness? 4. Is mental sickness a sickness of the body or the mind, or the soul, or the the spirit? How can it be cured? The questions could go on, for dualism raises many problems. As you note, we divide everything into two categories, such as yin and yang, or you may say, Shiva and Shakti; but we have a very definite idea about the relationship between these polarities, as outlined in the Appendix, which together with our cosmology, can answer these questions. It is difficult to accept the profound influence that food has on us. For many this seems to be a negation of freedom; actually, it is just the beginning of true understanding of man's free origin. Please think about these things and write us again if you are not convinced. You are voicing the doubts of an entire generation, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss them with you in this way.

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Chapter 15

Polarities

Did you know that brown rice has seven layers? The first is a transparent covering which is resistant to chemicals, but not to physical attack. When this is punctured, air enters and lowers the quality of the grain, turning it white. Examine the rice you buy very carefully. Good rice, stored well, can last for thousands of years, maintaining its ability to sprout when planted. Food should be life—and to eat is to change one life into another. The other layers of rice contain fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins, all of the ingredients necessary for a healthy life. The center is composed of starches and carbohydrates. At the end of the grain one can see a dark spot, or "hiaga" in Japanese; these are the poles of the magnetic energy that flows through this most sensitive of plants, around which infinite feeling polarizes. Our midbrain works in the same way, and when we eat brown rice our brain cells begin to duplicate this structure. The result is clear thinking, a sense of direction, and a sure knowledge of the purpose of life.

Mouths The orifices in our head, through which we take the vibrations of infinity in many different forms, are very interesting. We have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils—but only one mouth! We might say that it is through our mouth that we unify our whole being—it is here that we disclose the inseparability of spirit and body. The navel is our mouth for animal food. Through it we take our mother's blood, which is rich in iron. After we are born our food should become more yin, and, appropriately, the mouth we use also becomes more yin, changing from the central yang loca100

tion of the navel. The basic element of our daily fare should now be carbon, which we take in the form of carbohydrates. The atomic weight of iron is 56; that of carbon is 12. When we take in more animal foods we must become heavier, more yang, nearer to the center of a spiral that melts into infinity at its periphery. The distance from the navel to the mouth is just this, then: iron minus carbon. Through our nose we eat oxygen. There is just one inch between the two, but this space makes quite a bit of difference. The less the space between the mouth and the nose, the smaller our capacity of perception and the narrower our personality will be. Another inch higher and we begin to eat vibrations. The vibrations our ears receive are very long. Another inch yet, and our eyes begin to receive light, which is made of much shorter waves. Finally, through our midbrain, one inch above the eyes, we receive the shortest waves, the infinite expansion, which is the primary source of all vibrations. Matter, on the lower levels is nothing but a transmuted form of vibrations, and this includes our blood and our entire body. There is no distinct borderline between matter, soul, and spirit.

Front and Back Our human body is very small, very yang. It eats everything in the universe. Our very nature includes an enormous amount of egocentricity. Let us remember this when we preach mercy. Man's essential selfishness makes such teachings appear sentimental. Rather, let us develop our egocentricity to the maximum; at its peak, it will change to altruism. Those who talk about mercy and love forget that every second we are killing hundreds; without death there is no life. This sort of thinking is sentimental and dualistic. Our philosophy is incomplete as long as it ignores life's structure: everything that has a front has a back. It is the incomplete philosophies, the dualistic ones, that enslave people. Only by understanding life in its entirety can you become free.

Creative Revolution Intellectual knowledge is useless for justice, happiness, and freedom. Jesus didn't read many books, and he was constantly 101

reminding his disciples that the professional thinkers, the Pharisees and Scribes, were incapable of finding justice. The seeming brightness of so many of today's children is useless and will make them very unhappy when they are older. If you have called yourself an intellectual you must reorient your direction. We should know how ignorant we are. A Zen monk, Master Shinran, once said, "Everything in this world is a lie; this is the only truth." Many are misled by the grandeur of this civilization—but this is a useless facade, a speck in the face of eternity, a false front behind which there is nothing but ignorance of life's purpose and structure. This grand edifice will collapse and be forgotten, along with this world and the entire universe. Nothing is constant but the laws of change. Without understanding this, there can be no happiness. Almost all of those who are seeking peace today are sentimental. Peace starts within ourselves. It is useless to try to change the social structure. Research work is equally hopeless. Our way is practical and immediate. Many traditional cultures were happy but they couldn't give their happiness to others because they lacked a practical method of application. Once this simple method is understood and applied, a millennium can begin. If you are really interested in establishing peace, you have but to enter our school and prepare yourself to become a teacher of the unifying principle to the world.

Infinity's Geometry What is the shortest distance between two points? The usual answer is automatic, immediate: a straight line. A little over half a century ago this idea began to be questioned, for it was realized that a straight line can exist only on a plane surface. What, it was argued, if space is curved? Many forms of geometry were devised, many conflicting theories arose, and the problem continues even today. What do you think? Listen to our answer. We say that the universe is constructed like a spiral. We do not live on a plane or a curved surface, but in many complex dimensions. Each point is the center of a spiral which returns to infinity; each spiral, each point is within infinity. Once we understand this the answer becomes very simple. When two people try to understand each other, they do not take 102

the quickest route, which we can express as a straight line drawn between the centers of two spirals. Understanding must go beyond this—away from the most relative things, which we find at the center, and return to the common origin of both spirals, which is infinity. Judging a person by his education, clothes, or thought will not make for understanding; if we pick a mate by looks alone, we are bound to be disappointed. By remembering the spiral construction of every individual, however, we will not be deceived by appearances. Everyone returns to infinity, is infinity. Their origin is clearly indicated by the spiral pattern of hair that marks each of us a child of the Kingdom of Heaven. For A to understand B he must return to infinity and come in on B's spiral. Without this there is no understanding; with this journey, however, it is possible for us to know each other, because our origin is the same. In infinity we are one. With this judgment, which is the highest in the universe, we can see another person as a totality, beyond relative understanding and with this vision, we can become free and happy. The shortest distance between two points is infinity.

Natural Dying When people learn that our medicine can cure all sickness, they often ask: how does one die? So many seem to feel that death must be unwanted and unasked for. For a person who is healthy and who knows the order of the universe, natural death is self-willed, a deliberate passage. It comes when we are ready to go further, leaving nothing behind. Lao Tsu died this way, but he was forced to write one book before he left, against his will. Whatever we leave behind will cause us misery. To leave our dream and good memories is natural; anything else is evidence of our egocentricity. We came from infinity to become the most yang thing in the universe. When we decide to return, the things we leave behind are our illusions, evidence of the poverty of our dream and the disorderly nature of our eating. We are travelers, selecting partners to enjoy the trip with us; the journey never ends. This life is just a tiny, short part of the voyage. When we have seen enough of this world we simply decide to go, and then we die. We came into this planet weighing a few pounds; when we leave we dis103

solve ourselves and our vibrations return to infinity. There is no end to this process. The cycle of life is eternal.

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Chapter 16

A Cosmological Perspective

Who has grasped the deep significance of our time? Is there meaning and order within the chaos of modern history? It seems as if the world itself were on a pivot, moving toward a direction that all can feel but few seem capable of seeing clearly. Many great thinkers have struggled to express the uniqueness of our age, but most of their efforts have turned into diagnosis. People do not need to be told that something is wrong; they remain unsatisfied and expectant. Those who search for a positive direction flounder because they have lost a unified understanding, a cosmological viewpoint, with the end result that their efforts must become analytical and partial. Modern civilization is indeed hell itself, an example of the dangers of excess on a planetary scale. Excess, whether of quantity or quality, is the cause of all disease; whatever we take in must be discharged, and if our normal functions of elimination, urination, and sweating are not sufficient we must find other ways such as anger or violence, for instance, or by blinking. A healthy person will not blink more than three times per minute; his vision will be clear, like a baby's. Today, people blink constantly; they are blinded by their desires and fears. Indeed, desire is the father of our modern world, and fear is its mother. Those whose health is complete and whose judgment is elevated lack these crippling diseases and this world makes very little sense to them. One whose sight is clear and unblinking will see this civilization simply as another form of discharge resulting from extremes in eating and drinking. History is not hard to understand. All that is necessary is a knowledge of the eating habits of the people we wish to study 105

and the application of the unifying principle. Today we have transportation systems that can take any sort of food anywhere, anytime; chemicalized, processed food, far removed from its natural state; instant dinners, multitudes of delicacies such as ice cream and soft drinks, and a growing dependence on drugs and medicines. The result cannot help but be chaos—scattered thinking, schizophrenia on a world-scale, cancer, heart disease, broken families. The Industrial Revolution seemed to be a great blessing when, in fact, it has destroyed the health and judgment of the world. Our modern conceptions of sickness do not go deep enough. The diseases that are treated are the symptoms of a much deeper malaise that has made true men almost non-existent. Modern people are egocentric; they think that somehow, they are the center of the universe. This appears in scientific as well as personal modes of thought. Having found that the earth is not the center of the solar system, and that the solar system itself is an insignificant speck on the periphery of one galaxy, scientists continue to believe that life can only be sustained on planets that are fairly similar to the earth. This, and every other trend of our scientific civilization, is dualistic and sensory. We tend to appreciate only the things we can see and touch. Beyond this, our lack of memory is appalling; we easily forget our infinite origin and our lives. There are few of us who respect our parents as we should. All of these traits can easily be traced to poor eating habits. Heavy dependence on animal products, for instance, produces materialization and sensory thinking, while sugar is a prime destroyer of memory. Since we tend to eat partially, instead of taking our food in the complete, whole fashion that nature makes it, our vision becomes limited and we tend to become ungrateful; since we have not received all that we need, we must continue to take when we should begin to give. This is a deep sickness, because our debts are limitless; when we are given something we must return it ten thousand times, as nature does. Most think power is justice. In spite of the constant flux of life, they become rigid. The way of life that we are teaching is not new. It was known to Jesus and Buddha, and it was expressed especially well by Lao Tsu. All of these great men, who lived within a few centuries of each other, were actually reviving a way of life that had been lost centuries earlier. This wonderful knowledge had been recovered and then allowed to decay many times. Each time it is discovered 106

the interpretation changes, but the basic principles remain the same. Fu Hi gave it the expression we employ today, that of yin and yang. This way—the manner developed in the I Ching—is capable of unlimited applications, and its simplicity is such that children can master it. Once this profound, practical knowledge of the way the universe works was known by an entire world civilization; the renaissance of human understanding that took place two thousand years ago has suffered many misinterpretations and has plunged millions into slavery. If we can perfect our understanding of this principle, we can once again establish a world of peace and harmony, and if we avoid the mistakes that were made before we can lay the foundation for the millennium—a civilization that can last for thousands of years. Many cosmic influences are converging today that can help to make this possible—if man will seize the opportunity that they represent. The dreams of the great personalities before us are returning; the Sermon on the Mount, Buddha's teachings, and countless vibrations from other worlds and cultures, are inundating our planet. Since we are in the hemisphere that faces toward the outside of the galaxy, toward infinity, we have an excellent chance of receiving these vibrations and transmuting them into our own dreams of peace and justice. When we think and dream, we produce vibrations in the atmosphere that become short waves, spirals, pre-atomic particles. They do not die but enter invisible worlds that are constantly interacting with the dense world that occupies most of our attention. These particles are not solid, compact things; they are not the ultimate, indivisible things that today's scientists believe them to be. There is nothing final in the universe. The particles themselves are spirals, and are composed mainly of space. Matter is nothing more than a sensory image. If we were to remove the space from all the atoms that compose the world, it would collapse to the size of a pinhead. Matter is equal to nonmatter; all of the things we see are ghosts; we are eating space. Modern science has reached this level of understanding. Scientists see that matter appears and disappears according to our psychological condition, that space is empty, that everything is nothingness. Many of them become despairing and turn to cynicism, pessimism, existentialism, and atheism—or suicide— when they discover this. The result of years of study and research seems to be a blank wall, complete instability. 107

But this is where Oriental thought began several thousand years ago. It developed from this point to include a philosophy and a science capable of cosmic understanding and unlimited happiness for those who apply themselves to it. The only hope for modern man is to abandon everything that he has done so far, embrace this principle, and devote himself to it wholeheartedly. This is difficult for many because the successes of science seem to be so overwhelming. Without exception, the dazzling products of modern science are used without regard for peace and justice, because their originators lack knowledge of life's structure. We continue to lack this today. Otherwise, we would not marvel at medicine that does not bring health, at power that cannot establish peace. Once we adjust our thinking to a cosmological angle, we cannot accept the path that modern civilization is taking, nor can we believe that the benefits offered us will contribute to our happiness. There is no difference between physical and spiritual development, between science and philosophy. The prevalent notions of spiritual advancement are often false and misleading. Many think that drugs help one's spiritual understanding; the truth is that they actually harm it. Good physical condition, hardships, and daily activity are prerequisites for spiritual understanding, which is based on the simple, clear judgment possessed by everyone. When we depend on drugs and doctors, we lose our liberty and freedom; we become slaves, selling our body and mentality into schizophrenia, arrogance, and selfishness. We must exercise the genuine judgment given us by our parents, nature, and the universe; this is the only key. Drugs are a thousand times more yin than sugar; they are sure to cause modern youth to degenerate to a degree we can hardly imagine. Who will be left to take care of the world in twenty years? Very few will have the necessary mental and physical health. Drugs should be immediately suspect by those with good judgment. How could they be good for spiritual health when they can't be taken by children or sick people? Proper eating is the only way to true health, and this way is open to everyone, regardless of age or condition. There is nothing we can depend on except our own judgment; this is the beginning of true philosophy. To realize the mutability of life, and to develop beyond this point, is true spiritual development. The result is a profound perception of illusion, an understanding of the manner in which it flows and changes. 108

This is the highest expression of God, and this the origin of yin and yang. The understanding of the laws of change, the discovery of patterns behind the seemingly chaotic flux of life, is the treasure of thousands of years of suffering and wisdom. The old renaissance of yin and yang has passed away. We have the opportunity to develop it in new unimaginable ways. Already we have learned how to transmute elements at low temperatures and low pressures—a discovery that could revolutionize the world economy. We remember the words of Jesus: "If you have faith, nothing shall be impossible to you." Nothing is impossible for the one who applies the laws of change. If these laws were universally practiced at the table, the entire world would be transformed. Although all religions have stressed the importance of proper eating, none of them knew how to apply their understanding to food in a practical manner. Some simply felt that one's tastes would change as one developed; others relied on discipline and tradition, such as the Essene societies and the Zen monasteries. Over the centuries the proper way of eating was lost, because there was never any scientific understanding of its importance, and today it has been completely forgotten— although ritual observances and token fasts remain. We can combine our present knowledge of the universe, the atomic, chemical, and biological worlds, to weave a vast cosmology that embraces everything. Our opportunities are limitless. We have found new dimensions of freedom now we can see that man has become progressively more free as his understanding has grown, and now he can make himself whatever he wants. Of course, he can also put himself in thrall, as ninety-nine percent of modern people do. Simply by the selection of what goes into our mouths, we either build a cage of misery, sickness, fear, and mental illness around ourselves, or we open our vision to a cosmos that is our true home. The time has come to review our entire past, to sponge ourselves off the slate, to begin new and fresh. There is more excitement, more danger, more possibility for adventure today than this planet has ever seen. We can select the role we want to play in the great human drama that is unfolding—we can choose a leading role or a walk-on, a tragic or a comic part. Two plays have already closed: the directors of the first one, such as Lao Tsu, Buddha, Narajuna, Moses, and Jesus, were all natives of the East. Their influence has remained although the stage has changed constantly. This was the ancient play, the abstract 109

drama, where people played liberally, without determined roles, so these directors set principles. The modern directors worked by elaborating techniques. Kant, Hegel, Marx, Emerson, Erasmus, Hume, Rousseau, and so forth, developed "isms"—communism, capitalism, existentialism—and the players became very technical, with set social roles, and extensive ways of acting and being. All of these men were Westerners. The play that is beginning now is neither Eastern nor Western. In order to prepare himself well for a role in this drama, a Westerner should learn the East, and an Easterner should study the West. Both of them should seek a synthesis. The grand finale is coming—the most wonderful stage yet. Will you be a hero, a heroine, or a director in the drama that is about to begin? The wisest men have always chosen to stay behind the wings, influencing the action without playing a part themselves. In the broad scope of history, it is these men that we remember; their influence eventually spreads much wider than the hero's. They are the teachers who show others the way; because they do not immerse themselves in action, their vision remains wider and their field of action freer. The greatest men never allow their names to be known; they leave nothing at all behind when they die. Choose for yourself—but don't forget that the director is, in turn, directed. The hidden directors are the mothers of the great personalities of history. Without them history would be flat and uneventful, and yet most of the time we don't even know their names. Who was Lincoln's or Thoreau's mother? At least we know who Maiy was! The constitution of the child is determined almost entirely by the physical condition of its mother. She carries him for nine months, during which time he develops billions of biological years, and her eating habits over this period make him what he is. A good mother, then, should be in very good condition, have a broad understanding, enjoy excellent health, and especially important, be a very good cook. A man, in order to be a good director, should have a good balance of yin and yang. If he is too yang, he will act without thinking. If he is too yin, he will become a negative hero. He should be yang within and yin without; inside, self-sufficient, and yet outwardly receptive and pliable. His dream should be all-encompassing; he must enjoy good health, boundless courage, and endless patience. He should be ready to stand 110

against the entire world if necessary. He must be able to accept everything and everyone, without qualification. A hero performs under the lights for a few moments and leaves. When he dies, statues are made for him and placed in parks, and birds come and use them for urinals. This is the end of a hero, while a director's influence never dies; his dream remains to inspire others long after his time has passed. So few aspire to this—ninety-nine percent would rather be on the stage. We must be more humble; we must stop seeking for success and wealth for ourselves and start helping others. Soon there will be many people acting and achieving our dream, and our influence will be much wider than if we try to find a place under the lights for ourselves. What can we do? The answer is simple: develop the blood quality of the people of the earth by proper eating. When this is done everything else—peace, harmony, love—will follow automatically. It is useless to try to change social structures, systems of education, institutions, concepts, or anything else without changing the biological basis of human life and society. To know the unifying principle we must begin with this—good cooking— and we will eventually find health and happiness. Very few know how to apply it yet, no more than a small handful. One must know how to select the proper foods, how to change food by various techniques, and how to arrange it into delicious, satisfying meals according to the proper combinations. These simple rules, combined with good chewing, are producing miracles every day. By giving happiness to our friends, one by one, we can change the entire world. If one person succeeds in changing two people every twentyfive years, and each of these changes two more, world peace will follow without fail. Within twenty-five years, there will be only three people, but after three-hundred years there will be 4,096; four-hundred years, 65,536; five-hundred years, 998,567 free, happy individuals; and after a thousand years, 997,153, 987, 776 will have found infinite justice and absolute health. The present population of the world is about five billion. The entire structure of this planet can be transformed by this simple process—and if we can find the proper means of expression, one that is easily understandable and acceptable to everyone, we can bring happiness to others much quicker. This is the essence of life; those who have tasted it will not be satisfied by anything else. Ill

Before there can be order there must be disorder. The seeming madness of our century will serve to remove the smaller, more limited patterns of order of the past and prepare a choice for man: an acceptance of freedom, together with the knowledge that makes it possible, or a plunge into darkness and a fresh start. Man, tired of partial life, is making these alternatives for himself. He himself wonders which he will choose. See this world—it is passing away daily. See the coming world; a door is opening that has been closed for thousands of years. We needn't worry about the chaos of today's civilization; it can only confuse us when we lower our judgment and blood quality. If we eat well, and do whatever we really want to do, we will automatically develop the abilities we need to bring peace and harmony in a measure that the world has never imagined.

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Chapter 17

Basic Palmistry

One of the chief methods of examining a patient in Oriental medicine is pulse diagnosis. Three fingers are laid across the wrist and the pulses are felt while light pressure is exerted; then the force is increased. The pulses begin just under the bone below the thumb and count toward the elbow in increments about the width of the fingers. The left wrist carries the pulses of the heart, liver, and kidneys, counting from the thumb; the right wrist that of the lungs, spleen, and upper chest. Women's pulses are reversed, so that, for instance, the heart pulse would be found on the right wrist. Why do Western doctors think that there is only one pulse? Because one's fingertips must be very sensitive to feel the differences between the pulses, and eating meat tends to lessen this ability. If you press deeply and there is no pulse, your patient is sick; if four of the six pulses are absent, it is evidence of a serious condition, even if he seems healthy. Check your own pulse every morning in order to train yourself in this ancient art. Examine the general appearance of your hands. If they are reddish or violet in appearance, you take too much yin food. If the fingertips are cracked and the nails tend to split, your sexual organs have become damaged through improper eating. All of the lines should be clear and deep, and unobscured by other lines, which are, again, an indication of excessive yin foods.

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life—unless you change your eating habits. A wide separation signifies a sudden accident or death. The fleshy area at the base of the thumb, number two, indicates the condition of your digestive system. It should be welldeveloped. If you push it sharply with the opposite thumb and feel a pain, your intestines are in bad condition. The third line indicates intelligence. If it curves downward you have a broad, deep understanding, and a kind, generous personality. A line that curves upward shows that you are an intellectual; you should eat better to cure a nature that tends to be exclusive and narrow. If the fourth line is long, you are probably a good artist. This signifies sentimentality and emotion. If it moves up and down, it indicates an erratic emotional nature; if it curves downward, you possess ample emotion but are sometimes unable to bring things to a conclusion. If it curves upward, you can expect to be successful in art, especially if it reaches the root of the index finger—because a person with this sign will rarely forget anything that is done for him The fifth line if fairly rare. Those with such a mark are full of love and kindness, but don't expect them to become rich. People with spaces between the fingers (number six) are also unlikely to attain material success; they have no interest in such things, and material things seem to have no interest in them. Just as a person with a hand like this will be unable to hold water in his cupped palms, so will the things he accumulates tend to slip through his fingers. 114

Hold your hand out flat, your fingers spread, your thumb wide, and your palm taut. See how the lines are sections of a spiral, the sections between them numbering seven. A healthy person, therefore, will have good proportions between each space. When we are in the womb, our fist is closed; no other animal opens its hand, as humans do, after they are born. The thumb is directly connected to the digestive system. In the human race it is very flexible and free. This shows the meaning of human freedom— which is achieved through proper eating habits. Human beings, the highest beings in creation, have eaten everything during their development and can eat everything. By choosing what we eat, we determine what we will become. You should be able to bend your fingers backwards ninety degrees. If you cannot, it means that you are too rigid; you have eaten too much meat during your lifetime, and your personal life if hampered by your inflexibility. If you bend more than this, you are too flexible. Judge your condition and change in any way that you wish—all you have to do is apply the laws of yin and yang in the selection and preparation of your food.

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Chapter 18

On Macrobiotic Education

The main reason my friends and I gather to study is to seek our own happiness through an understanding of the traditional cosmology expressed in various ancient philosophies and religions, to translate them into our modern terminologies and concepts, and to apply the principles to our daily lives. The cosmology we are studying is the dualistic monism that underlies all Oriental philosophies and religions. In accord with this, we are studying some of the most revered classics in world literature: the teachings of Fu Hi (I Ching), Lao Tsu (Tao Teh Ching), Confucius (Rongo), Buddhism in general, Zoroaster's teachings, the way of life described in the Old Testament, and the teachings of Jesus, Socrates, Plato, and other Eastern and Western religious leaders and philosophers. We are also studying modern scientific and technological concepts and characteristics of our own civilization from the viewpoint of this traditional dualistic monism. Our discussions deal not only with the intellectual content of these great teachings, but their practical significance as well, for we are searching for the way of life that will lead to the greatest happiness for humanity. Among these practical applications, the following points have been emphasized: 1. We must respect our parents, our elders, and the members of the society we live in. 2. We must be humble and modest. 3. We must think for ourselves, reflect upon ourselves, and not accuse others.

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4. We must develop our own judgment in order to become free and happy. 5. We must establish our own physical and mental health in order to have a peaceful society. 6. We must remember that we were the infinite universe, and that we have transmuted ourselves into vibrations, energies, preatomic particles, elements, inoiganic and organic substances, and finally, man. We must achieve the spiritual development of which we are capable by comprehending infinity and interpreting it into our daily lives. 7. We must all become the master of our own destiny, and transmute ourselves into persons of happiness, liberty, justice, and love. We are alarmed at the present trends of today's society: the decomposition of family, friendship, community, the spiritual and physical degeneration of the human race, and, especially, the direction that many young people seem to be taking. Our main purpose is to reverse this collapse, to restore our young friends' quality and understanding. Because of these efforts, many young people have stopped undesirable habits, such as drug experimentation, irregular and irresponsible social lives, and transformed their previously chaotic lifestyles. They have become happier people, and many of their parents, families, and teachers have been happy to see their lives take this new direction. In our lectures, we introduce the dietary customs that were practiced traditionally—and universally—among religious and ethical people throughout the East and the West, such as those practiced in Japan and China, in all Buddhist countries, in India, and even among our own pioneers at the age of the Founding Fathers. Their thought, which we revere, was a product of their natural dietary habits, a result of the simple fact that food becomes blood, blood becomes cells, cells form our body, and the condition of our body determines our mental activities. All of these societies used grains as their main foods; vegetables were their main side dish, and all other foods, such as meat, fish, and fruits, were secondary. These societies also developed ways of cooking and manners that were important factors in their daily lives. It should be pointed out that we are not at all interested in imposing any dietary discipline upon any members of our 117

classes. Neither do we make any suggestions concerning food for particular sickness or symptoms; this, we believe, is the concern of physicians and dietitians. We discuss dietary principles as a part of a healthful way of life in general, and as a method for improving individual health and spiritual understanding, and establishing health and peace throughout the world. George Ohsawa wrote a few books in English about traditional diet that received some criticism from the FDA and from some medical professionals. It is our understanding that these criticisms were prompted by several undesirable incidents among people who were observing the strictest form of his regime— which is actually only one of many that he recommended. We have also heard that these incidents depended upon the misconceptions of the individuals who were following this strict diet as to the methods recommended, and, although we did not know them personally, we have heard that all of them were mentally abnormal and had been for some time. They had either been treated in mental clinics, or had histories of drug habits, and these factors would seem to indicate severe mental and physical imbalance that would make them unable to undertake a severe dietary practice of any kind. On the other hand, we have seen—with our own eyes— thousands of people who have gained wonderful mental and physical health by a liberal observance of his methods, not only in this country but also in France, Japan, India, Brazil, and in other countries. For example, his practices are very popular in Japan, where many physicians support his methods—some in best-selling books—and several hospitals have been established following his way of eating. There are also several major religious groups that actively follow and apply these methods, and several national leaders as well. In India, a country with traditional dietary habits, the value of natural eating as presented by George Ohsawa is easily understood. Many national leaders, such as Mr. Goush, the chairman of the National Congress, and President Radakrishna, are in favor of his methods. In Europe, more than 50,000 people are observing his way safely and happily. As mentioned above, we are not presenting Mr. Ohsawa's method as our doctrine. We are more interested in finding a much wider way— the introduction of traditional and universal paths of life that were practiced by the majority of mankind for several thousand years. Because of the unfortunate incidents 118

which happened in the past through the teachings of Mr. Ohsawa, however misinterpreted they might have been, we are not recommending his strict regime to anyone—rather, we urge everyone not to follow the strict diet prescribed in his books. At any rate, the primary purpose of our seminars is not to lecture on dietary problems but rather to introduce the cosmology of dualistic monism, the ancient Oriental and Western philosophy which manifested itself in various ways of thought, religions, and ways of life. And we would be happy to make these teachings available for the happiness of our society and for the world to come.

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Chapter 19

War and Peace

Our modern world is now coming to an end by the twin threats of nuclear destruction and biological degeneration. Everything that we know of human history is nothing in comparison to the crisis we are facing now. Every day every newspaper headline brings us closer to that completion at a rate that increases steadily. Every invention, ideology, logic, ethic, and religion that we have made has proved futile. Our leaders share the hysteria of the masses, our sciences are impotent, and our arts protest without any idea of a practical means to change humanity toward peace and understanding. The mass wars of this century diminish in comparison to what confronts us at this moment. What should we do? What can we do? We are not frightened at the prospect of nuclear war. Neither do we attack those who make it possible for the world to be destroyed within one day. Our philosophy is to embrace everything, including war and atomic destruction. A new beginning for life on this earth would be very interesting and perhaps it is necessaiy. We can live on the side of death as well as the side of life. The present estimate of the history of homo sapiens is about 300,000 years, although recent discoveries are beginning to make some wonder whether it is not much longer. Actually, at least five million years have passed since the appearance of humanity on this planet. In addition, our biological origin, from the emergence of single-celled creatures, is three billion years. The modern concept of history is almost nothing in comparison to this. Life is endless. One who knows this realizes that this war and all human efforts are nothing more than a dream. With or without nuclear destruction, everything that we know now must someday vanish. In this world of ephemeral illusion, we could never regret any change, for there is nothing in life that 120

cannot be appreciated and enjoyed. We are trying to turn man's direction away from war, towards justice and truth, but this is not our obsession, our duty, or our destiny; it is our game.

War Patterns The war we are watching today is very unusual. The pattern it follows signals the emergence of a mentality that is unique in recorded history. The typical development of hostility has always been between countries or factions that lay on a NorthSouth line. This was the universal pattern for war, because the different climatic conditions made the eating habits very dissimilar. It is easy to see how people who eat differently come to have misunderstandings, for they come to be very different kinds of human beings. In this traditional type of war, the North usually won, being more yang from the food they needed to eat in order to adapt to their climate. Later, they would be re-conquered, from within, by the gentler culture of the southern country. The Great Wall of China, the mountains that separate the Latin countries from Germany, and the Maginot Line are good examples of the boundary typical of this form of war. Our own country's Civil War immediately comes to mind. Modern wars do not follow this pattern. Rather, they have developed on an East-West axis. This is a very big change, for the people in this situation have similar climates and should be eating the same foods. How can we understand this? There are no real differences between the people who are fighting today. The wars between the North and South were the inevitable result of nature, but this is nothing but the outcome of the degenerative arrogance of the individual, the widespread mental illness of mankind. Victory in this direction cannot be maintained. When Alexander the Great began his campaigns, he struck southwards and conquered with ease; his troubles began when he turned his direction toward the East. This type of war is a symptom of the end. There are two ways that man can take at this point. Destruction, as we noted above, would pave the way for a new construction of life on this planet. This has happened many times, and will happen again. It is nothing to fear. The other way is reflection that leads to reformation. There is a very small chance that this may happen, but it is growing. Fortunately, ev121

erything with a small beginning is destined to become very large. If humanity does not change its way of thinking, however, this will be impossible. Our only hope is to change the direction of man 180 degrees.

Weapons Think of the evolution of weapons across the centuries. Let us begin in the extreme Orient and work westward. In traditional Japan, until the modern style of war was introduced, the sword, spear, and the bow and arrow were the instruments of war. When people fought, they made long, elaborate declarations before battle, and their courtesy was exceedingly fine. In China, the tank and explosives were invented. Europe developed rifles, machine guns, larger tanks, and dynamite. Our own country has made the airplane, and the final weapon—the atomic bomb. As we travel toward the West, the ways of killing are becoming more clever, the mass killing methods more numerous and more efficient. They are typical symptoms of modern civilization— products of the same mentality that uses an injection to kill bacteria in a patient instead of changing his constitution as a whole. Since this universe is constructed in a paradoxical manner, and follows simple laws (everything that has a front, has a back; the bigger the front, the bigger the back), we are hoping that the same country that produced the atomic bomb will also produce the greatest method for peace. Everything in this world will find its turning point here—for Americans have unlimited courage. Every day they are using their own bodies to test sugar, chemicals, and drugs; they are making themselves so sick that they will be the first to understand the way to health and peace. It is in this country that we hope to see the leaders emerge that will make the way for the evolution of mankind. As weapons develop more and more, everyone will begin to search harder for more effective methods of peace. Finally, when they are sick and desperate enough, they will understand the way of life according to the order of the universe.

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The Way To Peace Here is our plan to stop war and make all people happy and peaceful. It is simple and direct. First, we must change the ideological direction of humanity. All past concepts must be changed, and a cosmology that embraces everything in the universe—all worlds, every atom and every solar system—and all forms of humanity, must be accepted. This is the order of the universe, the way of life that we are studying. It can be learned in an hour, and yet a person can spend his entire life playing with it and learning more about it. Unlike most forms of knowledge, it does not demand that we master more and more concepts; it is so refined, so simplified, that it grasps the essence of creation in one principle. It is our understanding of this principle that we deepen through study. This is the universal culture throughout endless space, wherever free men are found. Since it is the expression of life itself, it has the power to unify all antagonisms into complementary unities. Once it is understood, distinctions between science and religion will vanish, and humanity will realize its infinite origin, its birthright of eternal freedom. With this as our daily reality, we would find wars laughable. Next, and last, we must provide the method for health and peace. If we can establish true health, peace will follow naturally. For this, nothing less than a biological reformation of humanity, that will eliminate all diseases, is necessary. There is only one way to do this: purify the blood quality of man by giving him proper food. This is an evident, clear, plain fact. Fortunately, in this critical time, the principle of food has been discovered, after having been lost for thousands of years during which time everyone was a slave of food, going in directions they didn't understand for reasons beyond their comprehension.

The Importance of Food Many find this difficult to understand when they first hear about it. Let us explain, then, the importance of food. Food is the method of evolution. All theories of evolution omit this simple, unmistakable fact. In the beginning, there was no phenomena, matter, or form—just infinite, invisible, expanding force, 123

branching endlessly in all directions. Whenever these branches intersected, spirals were formed. First, atoms were made. Here evolution has been made by electromagnetic force, or vibrations. Among atoms, some are yin, some yang, so attraction arises and fusion takes place. New elements were created, which began the world of elements. Their combinations produced matter. Finally, magnesium came out; this molecule attracted other atoms and produced chlorophyll. A similar process, involving iron, made hemoglobin. In this manner the vegetable and animal worlds were created. Up to this point, evolution was made by nuclear fusion. Suddenly, things changed because each vegetable and each animal is an independent group of molecules. Now change takes place by eating. Each living thing takes something from the outside world within itself and changes it in order to sustain life and grow. So, it is by eating that we grow, that we develop and adapt to the environment. One of the principles of eating is transmutation. We eat vegetable food and change it into our own animal tissues; we transmute chlorophyll into hemoglobin. This is a bridge between two worlds. The food that we select for this process is of utmost importance. In many ways, man is nothing but a phantom of food. Each thing he eats produces a certain result. If he eats meat, he becomes aggressive and warlike; if fish, he tends to become more narrow-minded; sugar makes him depressed and erases his memory. Cereals naturally make man peaceful. This simple principle is enshrined in far eastern calligraphy: "Wa," the word for "peace," is formed from the ideograms for "cereal" and "mouth." By putting cereals into our mouth we become peaceful! In the future, human happiness will depend on this, and nothing else. The United States has now reached the turning point in her cereal consumption. It has fallen so low that it has nowhere to go but up. Japan consumes 50 percent grains; China, 60 percentAsia, 50 percent and Europe, 40 percent. Of course, all of these countries eat many other foods, including meat, sugar, fruits, dairy products, and so forth, according to their beliefs, traditions, economies, and climatic conditions. In addition, the grains they eat have become either refined or chemicalized, and this has altered the quality of the food greatly. Yet they are still retaining, in some measure, the traditional staple food of humanity in their daily diet as the main food. The United States, at this point, eats 124

only 15 percent cereals. A diet of this sort in unknown in recorded history. Our food pattern is so chaotic that it will have to change— and when it does, many will begin to discover the true meaning of life. Food can give us health, peace, and happiness— or sickness, misery, and war. There are so many teachings adrift now, many efforts to stop war, to make people loving and understanding. Without this simple, practical knowledge, all of them will be in vain. At this critical moment in the history of the world, we cannot neglect the importance of food if we wish to change our world from a hell to a paradise.

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Chapter 20

The Purpose of Life

Our life on this earth is so short. A few moments, a blink of eternity, and we have come and gone. Are you happy? Do you enjoy this rare chance to be alive? Most people would answer no to this question. Even our greatest thinkers do not know what life is. This is the mark of our modern civilization. Once in a while, when you are alone, you should reflect quietly on the meaning of existence. Why was I born? What shall I do with my life? Please discover the answer to these questions. Find what you want to do with your life. Do not spend it without purpose. Everyone is going to die. All civilizations have come and gone. Everything that becomes prosperous must decline. Everything is moving, changing, and ephemeral. What will you do in the face of these simple facts? This is the highest question, but very few ask it with a burning desire to know the truth. So few show an understanding of the seriousness of life and the courage to live it well. The common characteristic of man is intuition. Some are relatively lacking in intellectuality or sentimentality, but all possess this prime ability. If it becomes weak, we must die. We should understand what intuition is. Like everything in this universe, it has a front and a back. The passive element we call judgment; the progressive, active form, anil. Judgment is the foundation of our life; but once we have used it to find truth, we must act, and for this, will is necessary.

Courage Almost without exception, the people who live on the earth today live for sensory and sentimental pleasures. After we dis126

cover justice we must have the courage to live it. Courage, too, can be divided into yin and yang. Yang courage is often violent and attacking. The leaders of the French Revolution were full of this type of courage. What do you think of it? Do not forget that everything that is yang has a short life. We cannot run for very long without becoming tired. Courage that demonstrates your material and physical powers will soon exhaust your resources. Another land of courage, almost unknown in the West, may be called yin courage. It does not express itself outwardly very often; rather, it keeps hidden and withdrawn. Instead of waving banners and arguing for change, the person with this ability deepens himself and encourages others to change themselves. This kind of courage can last a long time, and one who has it can be long-lived and healthy. We are living within the Kingdom of Heaven, within the spiral world of relativity. Inside this spiral everything comes into being and disappears. Everything but infinity can be divided into two; time and space are divisions of the infinite. Although we are governed by relativity we are within infinity, and we have the capacity to dream beyond these changing forms. What will you do with yourself once you discover that you are infinity? Then our life must seem very short indeed. We must have a dream, and we must have the courage to achieve it. Confucius said, "If I discover justice, even though thousands oppose me, I will go." Jesus asked many to come and carry his cross. In the Orient there are many stories of youths who were so possessed by desire for the truth that they gave themselves over to amazing difficulties in order to find it. It was customary for young people to wander, carrying only a bowl of rice, searching for a teacher that they could give themselves to whole-heartedly. For many this search took years, for then, as today, there were many false and incompetent teachers. One boy, who had found the roshi (old master) he had been looking for, approached him only to be turned down. He asked a second time, but again he was refused. Finally he sat outside the master's home, silently unmoving. It began to snow, but he did not move. For three days he remained, without food or drink, until the master came and asked him to come inside. He was near death, but he was happy. If he had failed, life would have been meaningless to him. This period of waiting was traditional in the Zen monasteries in Japan. 127

This is quiet courage, a burning fire that melts everything else away with its slow, steady force. One who has this will put his life in jeopardy to find the truth. How many have this? Compare our school with modern education. Those who believe in modern education think they have acquired knowledge when they graduate. They have learned technique, but not the way of life. Jesus often observed that very few thirst for the truth. Unless we want to know what life is so much that nothing else matters, we will not seek hard enough to find it.

The Game of Self-Discovery In infinity we were one, without space and time. There were no distinctions, no differences, no pairs of opposites. After trillions of years without movement, we decided to create. We dreamed, and movement began. Endless expansion started, branching outward in all directions. Yin and yang came into play, and the worlds of multiplicity were formed—constant change, permutation, and variation. Thus the game started that we are playing now: the game of self-discovery. This game was made before the Milky Way galaxy was created. When we differentiated ourselves we gave ourselves the same abilities we had before—judgment and will. Having come from infinity, we are trying to use our intuition to return as quickly as possible, because we remember, somewhere, our origin. The better our memory, the clearer we recall this and the higher our judgment is. If this game were too simple, though, it would not be interesting. We decided to give ourselves difficulties to overcome, in the form of seven desires. They can make us forget, temporarily, our main purpose, and obscure our strongest desire. These are desire for: 1. Food 2. Sex 3. Materials 4. Intelligence 5. Society (power and fame) 6. Belief and doctrine 7. Freedom

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In order to find our way to the goal, it is not necessary to renounce food, sex, material wealth, or anything else we may want. We only need to know the construction of the universe. In this world there are only two faults, or virtues, depending on our point of view: taking and giving. We can take anything we like as long as we give it away at once. Our powers of elimination must be smooth and powerful to do this well. The problem is that most people take more than they give. Accordingly, 99.9 percent miss the target. They fall prey to the seven kinds of death: 1. Sickness 2. Suicide 3. Accident 4. Crime and punishment 5. War 6. Aging 7. Violence Most, then, become dropouts. Only a tiny fraction reach the goal. In ancient times, a few saw the way to the target and tried to get others to follow. They made many religions, most of which seem very comical today. Their expressions were sentimental and have become obsolete. Now we have science doing much the same thing, but this attempt must also fail.

Our Direction Our body is the essence of a long spiral of materialization that is enclosed by successive worlds from infinity, through the beginnings of differentiation into yin and yang, primal energy, pre-atomic and elemental worlds, and the vegetable and animal kingdoms. It is the beginning of a spiral of spiritualization that ranges through the worlds of ghost, spirit, or soul, to reach infinity at its furthest limit. All of these worlds are within infinity, all are governed by yin and yang.

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If we have not reached the end of our materialization, we must continue to take, becoming heavier and heavier. When we are growing, we must eat plenty of food; after we have made our body, we reach our early twenties and look around us, wondering what we should do with our lives now that our growing is complete. Many continue to take—food, things, power. Others, recalling their origin, begin to give away, and become lighter and lighter, returning to the worlds of spirituality. In either case, we are going in the same direction. It seems that each person is going in a different direction, along a path of his own, but in reality we are all going one way, back to infinity. All of us, that is, have will. As we give according to our own level of judgment— mercy (if we are sentimental), knowledge (if we are intellectual), and so forth, we get closer to our goal, until we finally see that there is no boundary to infinity. How can we win this immense cosmological game? The difficulties are enormous. Most make no more than a tiny step during their entire life. Since the way is so hard, we are providing a simple method, one that is open to everyone, centering on our most fundamental desire— our appetite for food. This is our first need, and if we understand it, and master it fully, we can win in all aspects of life. Today we have rediscovered this path and we are trying to give it away. Its very simplicity makes many laugh at it, but this seeming absurdity commends it to the wise. Why do most people today lack the courage to find the meaning of life? Because the quality of today's mothers is very poor. If you have this will in strong measure, you must have had a humble, hard-working, healthy mother. Our modern systems of education also destroy many on the way, enslaving them in conceptual cages. As a result, most learn and follow blindly 130

without judging for themselves. Free, healthy people thus have become fewer than at any other time. All great nations were built by sound food, small eating, hunger, coldness, and difficulties. Enduring these, they become masters of their own destiny. Today we have none of these things. Everything starts from poverty and hardship. If you have no money, titles, or school education, you are blessed. When someone gives you money, you become a slave—unless you have the will to expose yourself to difficulties. Please reflect on yourself and decide whether you are really master of your own destiny. A slave always has fear—and if you fear anything you are not free. A slave complains, and we should be happy for everything that happens to us. A slave becomes angry. (The Chinese character for anger is formed out of the words for "slave" and "mind.") And a slave lies. Since he is afraid, he pretends. If you have any of these marks, be happy— you will have a secure, comfortable life under others. A master's life has many hardships, and as he struggles more for his being, his judgment shall develop higher and higher. Most schools today contribute to the production of slaves. Our way of life is to change slaves into masters, to help people become free and happy. We especially welcome those who have dropped out, for they can understand much better than intellectuals and scholars. If you are poor, if you have suffered much and have a great dream, join our school—the way of life according to the order of the universe.

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Chapter 21

Developing Our Judgment

All education aims at developing our judgment and our will. Unfortunately, our civilization neither knows what these things are, nor how they can be nourished. Its purpose is to provide comfort and convenience. As a result, we are becoming weaker and weaker. Without civilization, only the strong, healthy ones can survive, those whose judgment is high. But what is judgment? How does it work? What is the cause of schizophrenia, the mental illness that, to some extent, afflicts most people today? With the answers to these questions we can penetrate to the depths of life and human freedom. Our present form of government is based on the will of the masses. Since most people are governed by sensory and sentimental judgment, our society has become weak, unable to provide for the deepest needs of man. It answers for the superficial levels of desire, but judgment must go farther than this if it is to build a lasting culture. Originally, its purpose was noble. The founders of our nation wanted to escape dictatorship, to find freedom. Their solution has brought the opposite result—as must always be the case with understanding that does not transcend the lower, relative worlds and achieve supreme judgment. Life is ever like this. If you tiy to protect yourself, you will decline and die in misery. This is the order of the universe. Gain fame and you will carry a heavy burden which will rob you of your freedom. This paradoxical movement is the key to life, and those who do not understand it will always be disappointed to find that their actions bring them the opposite of what they had intended.

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If we master this order, we can become free in the paradoxical, relative world. The greater the momentary joy, the greater the depression that must follow. Unless we understand this we cannot know where real freedom is. People who never learn this always become more and more unhappy, accusing others for their misfortune, and they always lie. Their lies are the cause of their misery. Lying is the common, universal cause of sickness. We lie because we want profit, advantage, protection from fear, comfort. The living principle of modern society is nothing more than this—"how to tell lies." Modern education is supposed to give health and happiness, but no one has these things. Religions are supposed to open the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven, but its ministers don't even know what it is. All are the opposite of what they appear to be. Those who claim that they can give truth cannot. Our food stores are lined with beautiful foods, promised to be the cleanest, most nutritious, ever available to man—most of which will, sooner or later, rob us of our health. In our society an honest man is regarded as a fool, while the clever one who sells out is rewarded. And while this is going on we are told that our country is the happiest, smartest, strongest, and wisest that has ever lived. A quick look at the divorce rates and the percentage of people that live in mental institutions is enough to convince us otherwise. Lying is not simply telling a falsehood. In its larger sense, it includes all words and actions that are not true to our deepest intuition. When you lie, you make a double image: the one you see in your brain and the one you actually express. Lying, then, is schizophrenia. All who lie are mentally ill. Our brain has three main divisions: the large brain, which governs our thinking and judgment; the small brain, which is more yang (being toward the rear of the head and more compact), which governs our activity; and the midbrain, which regulates the two and provides a smooth interchange between them. The midbrain, then, is the generator of our intelligence and intuition. Nerve impulses which are transmitted to the brain pass through the midbrain, enter the large brain, where they are judged, and through the small brain, where they are translated into appropriate action. From here they activate the proper nerves so that we can respond in the manner that is best for our survival and happiness. If the functioning of these organs is rough, we will not be able to judge and act the way we should. 133

Poor eating disturbs the brain centers. For instance, if we take too much yin food, it will be attracted to the yang small brain, which will enlarge and begin to function poorly. As a result, we will become less active—since the small brain governs our ability to change our judgment into action. This is schizophrenia. The brain of animals is similar to ours, but less developed; impulses cannot pass deeply into the large brain. They are much more honest than we are, and are rarely sick. We have the ability to develop ourselves infinitely, but with this goes the privilege of enslaving ourselves in sickness. The deeper into the large brain the impulses pass, the higher the judgment that is being used. If an immediate, mechanical response is sufficient, the impulses will bypass the large brain altogether, as when we jerk our hand away from something hot. From here the brain develops upward and forward, and the whole can be generally shared for the seven types of judgment possible. The first layer is mainly concerned with the senses. Our first reaction, then, is usually to please our sensory understanding. Next come the emotions, which comprise our sentimental judgment; even dogs have this, and ninety percent of the human race stops at this level. If we think deeper (notice how our language expresses what is actually a physical reality) we judge and act by our intellectual judgment; here we have passed beyond sensory gratification and emotional fulfillment alone and have begun to search for understanding that can lead to more lasting happiness. Then we develop further; our social judgment begins to emerge, which is beyond intellectuality, with a much deeper understanding of life's purpose. Someone with social judgment can solve social problems, which intellectuals and inventors cannot. The latter propose methods for world peace which remain ineffective because they have no social judgment. Many, for instance, condemn war, but few know what to do about it. Beyond this, we begin to penetrate into the regions of ideological understanding, and our judgment embraces almost everything. Very few attain this, and they are usually regarded as saints. In the West we have been accustomed to regard a saint as the highest form of man. The Orient, however, has discovered a further stage of growth. The saint, however wise he is, is still concerned with right and wrong, with good and evil, or with some form of discipline. To the extent that he remains at this 134

level, he is not yet truly free. When his highest capacities begin to unfold, he passes beyond these limited, relative expressions and attains supreme judgment. At this point he becomes a sage, or freeman. In our daily lives, these forms of judgment operate as follows:

1. An immediate, momentary, and simultaneous response, a mechanical reaction that does not call the large brain into play. 2. Sensory distinction and response, such as eating only for the purpose of satisfying hunger (using a small part of the large brain, especially the most yang part). 3. Sentimental feeling and response, such as most romantic imagination and behavior (using a little larger area of the large brain, extending into the more yin part). 4. Intellectual determination and response, such as the formation of abstract theories, systems, and related forms of reasoning (using even further extended areas, especially the central areas). 5. Wider and more practical thinking, or social understanding of interrelations between objects and individuals (using higher and wider territories of the large brain). 6. Ideological imagination, which forms the thoughts, principles, ideas, and beliefs which see causes, effects, and their processing mechanisms (using more control and peripheral areas of the large brain). 7. Supreme, spiritual, and all-embracing free judgment (using all parts of the brain in well-coordinated harmony). It is not necessary to renounce a lower level in order to attain a higher. Each level contains those that fall below it, so that the highest judgment can operate on the level of sentimentality if it is necessary. Indeed, one cannot reach higher levels of judgment without developing the lower forms as a good, solid foundation. At present, as scientists tell us, we are using only about 20 percent of our brain capacity. If we were to develop just a little higher, so that a few more percent of our brain were called into play in the formation of our judgment, war would no longer exist. If this were to happen, human development on this planet would be unlimited. This is a very real possibility for we have the means to raise judgment, to raise the lowest form of judgment to the highest—by changing the quality of the blood 135

cells that nourish the body and the brain. The only way to do this is by proper eating, by returning to the food that was meant for man to eat—grains and vegetables. Between the lowest and the highest levels of human development there is a distance of three billion years, the period of biological development. Our school exists to accelerate this development, to change anyone into someone with supreme judging ability. With the highest level of judgment, we become indifferent to duration. One who knows this can change yin into yang and back again at will. Since he can do this, he is free. The terms that govern our relative world—sickness and health, good and bad, happy and sad—mean nothing to him, because he can change one into the other according to his will. Our brain has the ability to make images that are not translated into action. If our thinking cannot be translated into any form of expression, our mentality is ill. In general yin foods develop the large brain, while yang foods develop the small brain. By finding the proper food and regulating our intake as we find necessary, we can discover the key to coordinating these centers and make our thinking and action harmonious. When we are well balanced, our dreams are translated directly into action. We think, make an image, and then act. The capacity to dream is endless, infinite; we call it imagination. Without this our life means nothing. Modern science tries to avoid imagination, and tends to confine itself within the world of the senses. As a result, the world seems meaningless, and many turn to poetry and art to regain what they have lost and give up any attempt to deal with the world directly. We must know that those in the arts and the sciences are both dealing with imagination, and that the world of imagination is the only one existing before us. This is the real world; that of the senses is nothing but an interpretation of one of our lowest faculties. Life is not matter but a changing dream. Once we have dreamed, though, we must act, we must try to achieve our dream. Otherwise we are still schizophrenic. With higher judgment we can find harmony between our dream and our life until they become one: we can make our life a work of art greater than any canvas or poem. Finally we can merge our dream with infinity, and if it is a true dream it will never die, but remain a part of man, throughout eternity. This, then, is the capacity of human judgment. All can see, in moments, glimpses of this—but it lies within our scope to make it a reality, within our 136

lifetime. If only a few can do this—becoming truly freeentire world can be changed into paradise.

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Chapter 22

The New World

Within our lifetimes we are witnessing a world event of great magnitude—the meeting of East and West. These two, being opposite, are attracted to each other and will form a complementary whole if nuclear war does not interrupt. We have a school that teaches the unification of all antagonistic opposites; those who pass through this school will be the ones to bring this union about. They will be noticeable for their health, their ability to spread order, and their high judgment. This school is growing everywhere; in Japan there is a magazine, much like this one, called The New World. Does any higher dream exist today than this? There are two ways to see a flower; we can appreciate its beauty, or we can ask why it is the way it is. Theoretical thinking, which is yang, often excludes aesthetic, or yin thinking. The West has developed the former sort of mentality to the utmost, as a result of centuries of eating meat; the Oriental and Latin American cultures have produced civilizations founded on the aesthetic principle. These are two manifestations of humanity, based on different ways of eating, and we should have both of them: unanalytical wonder and deep, piercing understanding. Ideally, they should be inseparable—and, in the world we envision, they will be. Technical culture developed techniques and tools. The peaceful, more yin countries, brought civilization to a high state of development and produced the world's great religions. In order to establish peace we need to combine both of these into one. First, we must recognize each of them in ourselves; then, we should look for their unification on a wider scale. The benefits of Western civilization are enormous. So are its pitfalls—these two are not separate but one, the front and back of 138

a philosophy that has concentrated on the world of relativity. No civilization has ever achieved such tremendous material comfort, but since "the bigger the front, the bigger the back," great disappointment has risen proportionally. Oriental culture was not blind to the physical world. It perfected amazing techniques that the West has been unable to duplicate. Alchemy, for instance, was known and was simply performed, but present-day science has ignored it. The East, having discovered the invisible worlds of dream, spirituality, and imagination, tended to forget the physical world—because the latter seemed so much more limited and insignificant by comparison. Because they concentrated on the invisible for so long, they were immediately attracted to the achievements of Western civilization, and have, seemingly, been conquered by it. This is a paradoxical situation, a deceptive front that should not confuse us. The West, when it discovers the limits of materialism, will inevitably be drawn to the East for its unifying cosmology— and only then will the millennium be possible. We have already begun to feel the limitations of our conception of the universe. Atomic physics is now in its last stage. Several decades ago, it seemed that our science had penetrated to the final secret of nature—but what has happened since then? Our laboratories today are filled with excitement, to be sure, but also despair. We are still searching for the ultimate particle, and the discovery of nothingness is leading more and more to bewilderment and uncertainty. If you think that only visible things are real, you can never discover the meaning of life, because the invisible worlds have come out of the invisible. Modern science started with Democritus, who regarded the universe as being composed of atoms and space. Thus, its very beginnings were dualistic. The method of all Western technique, from logic of science, has been to divide and conquer—but when we divide our conception of the universe it is our own selves that we are splitting, and the result is always the same: schizophrenia. Today, science is beginning to wonder about the invisible worlds. Among many riddles, here are three major examples: 1) What is electricity? 2) What is magnetism? 3) What is the binding force of matter? Those who have been searching with microscopic, analytical means have been unable to find answers to these basic questions. Now they are beginning to say that matter equals non-matter, after a three-thousand year journey from the time of Democritus. 139

There is another group, which we may call the macroscopic group. Their vision begins with a total vision of life's principle, and their understanding reaches from man to the earth, the solar system, the galaxy and to the universe—they claim this journey is endless and infinite. By the enlargement of our vision, our earth is getting smaller, as the universe is getting larger. Now we can see ten billion light years by radar. But our vision should not be limited by our sight or sensory perceptions. What happens when a sound raises beyond our range of hearing? What happens to water vapor when it disappears? If our senses were wider, we could see more. It is the same for all material things. This world is nothing but an interpretation of our sensory organs. If our senses change, the world changes. Because they are so materialistic, it is not surprising that Americans invented the strongest chemical method yet devised to experience the invisible worlds—LSD. Unfortunately, this method is as devastating as its counterpart, the atomic bomb. Nuclear weapons and psychedelics are a twoedged sword that America is wielding to slash away the veil that surrounds her. As with all violent solutions, they do the most harm to the one who raises them. Some people will sell their best friends for a small sum— others, in order to gain peace and friendship, give their whole life. This is the difference between higher and lower judgment, between those who are more spiritual and more material. Just as men and women are attracted, these two will be drawn closer together. As soon as man abandons his exclusivity, they can be united. The exclusive mentality feels that some things are good, others bad; the unifying principle, the way of life, demands that we embrace everything. Without criminals, there could be no saints. If there were no war, we could not appreciate peace; without sickness, health would be a meaningless word. Everything in this universe is complementary, and until we can include everything that it contains within us we must suffer from our self-imposed limitations. In the Orient, five thousand years ago, this conclusion was reached: matter equals non-matter, everything is changing. They searched for laws in this change, found them, and gave it the expression that we are teaching—yin and yang. This was a rebirth of a much older cosmology, when the world was united in cosmic understanding and peace. This world culture was destroyed by the flood of Noah; only those who were living on the 140

highest mountains survived. As the Biblical story indicates, in legendary fashion, they knew yin and yang; the gathering of the male and female animals is symbolic of this ancient understanding. A few thousand years later, this cosmology began to have a rebirth. Those who had been living in the Asian plateaus spread in many directions, carrying their knowledge with them. Since their climatic conditions changed, and their eating habits became accordingly different, their expressions varied. Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Vedanta, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism are nothing but branches of this ancient tree. Their teaching is one: everything is in vain and everything is changing. Because their expression lacked practical, universal application, they failed to secure lasting happiness for mankind. Now, as modern materialistic civilization approaches its end, this ancient cosmology has been resurrected to open the way to a new world. Confucius, who lived from about 550 to 479 B.C., devoted the latter part of his life to a study of the I Ching, the Book of Changes. He studied it so hard that the bindings on his copy had to be replaced three times! According to his judgment, there are four kinds of people. "People born with possession of knowledge are the highest type," he said; "those who gain it by study rank next; those who attain it only by hard study are the third; those who, although they study hard, do not attain it are the lowest." Our view differs a little on this point from that of Confucius. We consider the lowest to be the highest, because we know the way of change, and we know that "the bigger the front, the bigger the back." If you think you have knowledge you are the lowest. Our entrance requirements favor the dropouts—those who are disorderly, poor, bitter, and confused. Jesus apparently felt the same way, for he said, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected; it is the corner-stone." Sometimes—very seldom— intellectuals can enter our school, if they have a big dream. It is always very difficult for them. These are our qualifications, but we have no exit, no graduation ceremony. You must graduate yourself. Our school is very similar to that of Lao Tsu, the Oriental sage who lived about the time of Confucius. His teaching was not religious in the strict meaning of the word, but rather the way of life according to the cosmology of the ancients. He knew that 141

it was difficult to understand his path. He said, "A person of the highest caliber, hearing of the Tao, earnestly practices it. Average people, hearing of the Tao, are not interested in it Vulgar people, hearing of the Tao, laugh loudly at it. Indeed, if they did not laugh, it could not be the Tao." How true his words are! If the majority of people did not laugh, it wouldn't be truth. It is no different today. The way we are teaching is often considered silly and foolish by those who believe in modern society. Our school is growing veiy quickly, however, because many people are searching for the meaning of life. In many respects, our time is similar to the warring states period in Japan around the 11th century. There was constant turmoil, the government changed hands many times, and as a result many began to search for something deeper in life than this amusing, transitory illusion we see before us. As a result, Buddhism, which had been brought from China, grew, and Zen began to flourish. If it were not for this period of unrest, very few would have been driven to search. It is much the same today. The atom bomb has been a reality throughout the lives of today's young people—as a result, they have not been satisfied. Lao Tsu's school had four courses arranged in order of difficulty: 1. Mastering yourself. 2. Developing health and longevity—delivering yourself from all mental and physical troubles. 3. Publishing, editing, and teaching. 4. Alchemy (transmutation of matter). The first is very difficult— for most, it is impossible. The last is simplicity itself. The graduates of this school were truly free. Our school is something like La Tsu's, but the course is a little different. Here is the schedule: 1. Within thirty days, understand the order of the universe. 2. Within three months, change the direction of your life towards absolute health, happiness, and eternal freedom. 3. Within three years, establish your health. 4. Within ten years, convince at least 300 people of the way of life and change them toward their happiness. 5. Within twenty years, make 10,000 people your friends. 142

Throughout history, there have been two kinds of schools. The first urges us to suppress our desires and concentrate on our will. Self-denial, discipline, and austerity are emphasized. An opposite sort of school teaches that we should enjoy our life according to our desires. This is the carpe diem, "seize the day," or "gather ye rosebuds while ye may" school. These two traditional schools are opposite. Since they are antagonistic, we can unite them with the help of the unifying principle, which states that all antagonisms are complementary. Thus, we propose, as a third sort of school, a synthesis of these. We say that desire is not separate from will; let us have strong desires, let us enjoy them to the full, in any direction we wish to go. Along with this, in order to make the will strong, we teach the secret of proper eating. We know that as long as we are eating properly, our judgment must necessarily become higher and stronger. Although we have the same vision and the same end as all great religions, our method is very different. We do not preach virtue, humbleness, or moderation. Philosophy and ethics are concerned with producing a completely different sort of person; we wish to make real human beings; those who are capable of changing the course of humanity. Do not restrain yourself, but seek endlessly to the end, until you find. If your judgment is low, you may seek lower things, and your end will come soon. It is the same with all who look for their end in the relative world, including those who build the largest empires. The highest judgment will seek that which never ends. TTius, in our philosophy, people are neither good nor bad—they just exist on different levels of judgment. Seek, produce, anything—but use the highest judgment you have. Whoever finishes this school will find nothing impossible. After this, he can do anything he wishes. Then, there will be no more Lao Tsu, no more Confucius—he is free to begin the greatest adventure he can imagine.

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Chapter 23

What is Happiness?

Man should be happy, just as he is. We should never need to ask what happiness is. However, since most people today do not realize this, let us begin by seeing why we are happy. We became human, after a journey of trillions of years. It is very difficult to become a human being, the highest creature in the universe. Our life is endless. On this planet alone, biological life covers three billion years; and beyond the 3.5 billion years of geological time that scientists detect now, our earth has an immense astronomical era that they have, as yet, no idea of. The beginnings of human life go back at least 5,000,000 years, and homo sapiens is 300,000 years old. Our recorded history covers only 10,000 years. How limited are the imaginations of most people! What trifles they are bothered by, in comparison with this panorama! We chose our parents, and, through them, made our life. If we have encountered difficulties, it is because we wanted to— in order to develop our judgment higher. Evidently, our parents were sound and healthy, because we are alive; shouldn't we be eternally grateful for this? We live in nature. The beauty of our world is so great that it makes every person who looks at it an artist. Today, many tiy to conquer nature—this is like trying to defeat our own mother. We are eating food every day, enjoying one of life's greatest pleasures. Rain, fields, seeds, all of the creative forces of the universe, conspire to bring us nourishment. We are surrounded by teachers, all of whom are helping us to grow and develop our judgment higher and higher. As we grow, we will see new sights and viewpoints, and we will gain an ever-increasing understanding of life. Our friends, enemies, difficulties, successes, poverty, failures, misery, war, all of these 144

things are helping us immeasurably. Shouldn't we be grateful to them? We were born in the mid-20th century. This is the most critical time for humanity, for we are facing the biological degeneration of the entire world. This is a much greater crisis than the flood of Noah, which was only a geological catastrophe. Our time is much more interesting, exciting, and rewarding than the time of Jesus and Buddha; we have much greater chances to grow and enjoy this life. We know the order of the universe; we have the laws of change, which have been rediscovered after having been forgotten and misinterpreted for thousands of years. We can hold everything that we need to know in one hand; life is very simple, and we are free to enjoy it in any way that we wish. And yet most of us spend our valuable hours worrying and complaining about things that we shouldn't even notice. We live in happiness—yet most people are like fish in water complaining that they are thirsty. Not only are we happy to begin with, but we have things that no one else on this planet has had before. Happiness is not something to come, as many argue. We are living in the Kingdom of Heaven, but many do not see it. This blindness is the essence of our present crisis. Adam and Eve were not chased out of Eden—they thought they were, because they ate forbidden food against the order of the universe. We are still living in Eden, or "Takamanohara," as they say in Japan— the "high heavenly field." There are two kinds of people. The first are ignorant; they are living in heaven and call it hell. They comprise ninety-nine percent of the people living today. On the other hand, there are people who know who they are. They change their own eyes so that they can see. They are masters of themselves, and for them there is even no religion, no concept of a creator, no concepts at all. The ignorant complain when they should be grateful; they are miserable when they should be happy; they think only of themselves. Those who cure this condition exchange their egocentricity for limitless, unconditional love. They go beyond modern education, which loads people down with techniques and concepts that make them slaves, and find the meaning of life all by themselves.

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Part and Whole Medicine is an attempt to find happiness. What do you think of present-day medicine? Do you know anyone who is happy? Do you think there are many people anywhere today who are? Our science has discovered many things about our life, especially in the physical realm. We know much about our organs, our cells, our reactions—and yet we are still very far from happiness. Why? When scientists examine tissues and make experiments, they see only dead things; by analyzing, they alter the things they observe so much that they become something very different. We can never see the same thing twice; life is always changing and flowing, always moving. If we look at Niagara Falls, turn around, and look again, we will see a completely different waterfall. Examining a microscopic slide to understand life is like looking at a postcard of Niagara Falls. Our cells are always changing, but they are treated like motionless, fixed creatures. Our blood is always changing, we are always becoming something different. We have discovered much since the Golden Age of Greece, to be sure, but we have not advanced; our method is always to systematize and summarize, but since life is changing, moving, and uncategorizable, there are always new facts coming in to upset what we have already gathered. The more we divide, the more inaccurate things become. This brings us to an interesting philosophical problem. What is the relationship between a whole and its parts? This is basic to all science, and the answers that have been proposed have been hotly debated for centuries. What do you think? Here are the main answers: 1. Part + Part + Part = Whole (geometrical solution). 2. Organized Parts = Whole (systems approach—seeing in terms of biological and sociological structures). 3. Parts x Infinite = Whole (philosophical perception). The third answer is the only acceptable one, for it allows for an infinite number of parts, each with an infinite depth. That is

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why science, which has always taken the first way, can never find God.

Order If we want to grasp what life is, we must pattern our search after life itself. The secret of life is order. This is the backbone of Oriental philosophy. We must first master our own self, and then bring order to our home, peace to the nation, and harmony to the world. Thus, order should begin within us and spread from us in ever-widening circles. All of our acts are evidence of our understanding of life; if we are chaotic, we are showing that we have made ourselves ignorant of life's purpose. Order begins in our blood cells and soon manifests itself in our daily life; once this has happened, we can find it in our human relationships, and finally, metaphysically, in world and cosmological order. But those who do not follow this pattern, who do not order their lives first, are not qualified to speak of peace in the world and spiritual happiness. To understand life, we must first grasp the laws of change. Everything changes at a different rate of speed. We cannot see things when they are moving quickly; when they slow down, we can begin to detect them. If they become very slow, we might think they are unmoving, although they are still changing. The fastest rate of change is found in the invisible world; the slowest change takes place in solid matter. The intermediary range is the world of living things. Thought is so quick that no one can see it and no instruments can grasp it, while our body operates at much slower speeds. If we stop motion, we are dead. Man is a changing, acting being. The only difference between day and night is one of degree of movement. Sickness is nothing but abnormal movement. If we can control this speed of motion by our will we can become free. If we can change slowly when we desire, and quickly when we desire, we have the proper qualifications for freedom It is by this method that we changed from water animals to land animals, and eventually became human. When difficulties come, such as war, it is our ability to change that makes us adaptable and allows us to survive. If we misjudge the speed of change, however, we can harm ourselves. Many try to cure themselves all at once, with unfortunate results. We must judge 147

the proper rate of change for ourselves, and often it is better for the body to change very slowly. It is the "instant mentality" of the modern world that cannot grasp the laws of change and demands medicines and operations that cure overnight, drugs that are expected to bring enlightenment instantly, and produces bombs that can destroy the world in a flash. For our own program, please consider these proposals: Technical problems. You should graduate from these as soon as possible. Professional methods and knowledge are only means to happiness; these things are relative. You should take no more than a few months to learn and master them Cosmology, the Way of Life. Here we are in the world of spirit; we encounter infinity, so depth of understanding is required. In this world, the less you change yourself, the better; when you do, you are called a liar. In order to master this, we must be prepared to devote a lifetime of daily effort, for this world is endless. Our speed can be slow here, as long as we attain the proper understanding. When we want to learn the order of the universe, we need not read many books. We should stick to a few questions, or only one: "What am I? What is war, peace, justice?" After searching for years, perhaps we can understand one of these—and then we will be able to solve anything. This does not take much knowledge. Our civilization reads too many books; it lacks cosmology, it has little depth of understanding.

What is Happiness? Recently, several of our friends were asked their conditions for happiness. The list they gave was very good and very interesting. It included health, friends, peace, freedom, love, understanding, realization of dream. However, we can simplify this. Here is the way the ancient Chinese put it: Ko, or mental happiness. Fuku, or material, physical happiness. This is often misunderstood and applied selfishly. It means to know, and to satisfy yourself, with what you need. Confucious's highest disciple, Ganen, one among 3,000, came from a poor family and lived in a small house. He said, "I am happy with one bottle of water and one container of brown rice." Unfortunately, he contracted leprosy. (Confucious did not know 148

how to make his own disciples better.) He was visited every day by his teacher, who would talk to him through his window, and ask him what he needed. Ganen replied, "I am happy; I have what I need (Fuku), and I have you, my honorable teacher (Ko)." Do not be afraid to take material richness, if you so desire; but be ready to distribute it among your friends. Keep your elimination system working very well, and you will never be sick. Take whatever you want, but discharge it as soon as you take. Below are our conditions for happiness: 1. Enjoy everything. 2. Master yourself (this includes curing yourself of all physical and mental troubles.) 3. Like everyone you meet, without discrimination. Will Rogers, the great American humorist, said, "I have never met a man I didn't like." Make his mentality your own, if you want to be happy. If you dislike even one person, you are still limited. Up to here, our conditions are still small and selfcentered. The last two are the most important: 4. Change one into thousands, and distribute them all (social happiness.) 5. Realize an endless dream. These conditions take you out of your own self into the limitless, absolute world where real happiness begins. If you have an endless dream, your life can never end; you will have to return countless times in order to complete it This is happiness. On the other hand, we have our statistics—biological degeneration, growing mental illness, a collapsing world empire that resembles the last days of Rome—and time is growing short. You do not need to study volumes of complicated theory to detect mental illness, either in yourself or in others. Here is a good barometer: Anger—whenever there is something you don't like. Depression—whenever there is something you fear. Dreaming at night—with the exception of a true dream, such as a vision of the future. There is no difference between night and day dreams. If you have nightmares, or vague dreams that you can't remember, you awake to a hell of your own making, for your dream never stops. If you see a true dream in the night, then whatever you want, you will be able to achieve. 149

How do you score? If you wish to change yourself, you must change your eating habits; this is the only fundamental method. We eat from the earth and think from the heavens. The separation of these is the cause of misery. We must know their laws, and when we understand them we will find that they are the same laws of change, the order of the universe. If you eat from the earth, and think from the heavens, your life will become happier and happier. Most forget their mother and father (earth and heaven), forget that they were given countless treasures, that we were given everything, that there is nothing that we need. All that is left for us to do is to enjoy this life, to play and be grateful. Those who feel the call of "duty," or think that they have a "mission," don't know life at all. If you define happiness as "what we should achieve," you will never find it. Happiness is a day-to-day thing, to be found at every moment. It is not in relative things that can be realized someday in the future. Most of these concepts, including "destiny," and "fate," are conceptual and limited. If you are not happy now you are already seriously sick. Become like a child: keep a very pure mind, undisturbed by relative thoughts. Then you can dream straight to your goal; with infinity working within you, you can discover great things. Without thinking of value, purpose, or comparison, you can become one with infinity. You can find enlightenment anytime, anyplace; you needn't go to a mountain and fast. You should, however, think less and less about trifling problems. Whatever you think, accept like a child. Whatever you see, be amazed like a child. A revolution will arise in medicine, and it will be replaced with the medicine of God. It will become very simple, as it should be. Modern doctors treat in the relative world, ignoring the spiritual foundations of sickness—arrogance and selfishness. They diagnose symptoms, give the disease a name, and prescribe medicine. Although their efforts should be appreciated, their direction is backwards. To release ourselves from mental and physical troubles, first we must understand the order of the universe, justice in the Kingdom of Heaven. Before we prescribe, we must know what life is. This is a totally different kind of medicine, a medicine for humanity and not for particular symptoms. It leads to happiness 150

that few have any idea of. Life is so simple, but modern man tries to make it so complicated!

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Appendix

Principles and Laws of the Infinite Universe

Seven Universal Principles 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Everything is an appearance of one infinity. Everything changes. All antagonisms are complementary. No two things are identical. What has a front (a visible side) has a back (an invisible side). The bigger the front, the bigger the back. What has a beginning has an end.

Twelve Laws of Change 1. One infinity changes itself into complementary and antagonistic tendencies, yin and yang, in a process of endless transformation. 2. Yin and yang arise endlessly within the eternal movement of the infinite universe. 3. Yin represents centrifugality. Yang represents centripetality. Together they give birth to energy and all things. 4. Yin attracts yang. Yang attracts yin. 5. Yin repels yin. Yang repels yang. 6. Yin and yang combined in varying proportions produce different phenomena. The attraction and repulsion between phenomena is proportional to the difference of the yin and yang forces within them.

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7. All things are ephemeral, constantly changing their proportion of yin and yang energies; yin changes into yang, yang changes into yin. 8. Nothing is solely yin or solely yang. All things are composed of both tendencies in varying degrees. 9. There is nothing neutral. Either yin or yang is stronger in every phenomenon. 10. Large yin attracts small yin. Large yang attracts small yang. 11. Extreme yin produces yang, and extreme yang produces yin. 12. All physical things are yang at the center and yin at the surface.

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Resources

One Peaceful World One Peaceful World is an international information network and friendship society founded by Michio and Aveline Kushi. Its members include individuals, familes, educational centers, organic farmers, teachers, parents and children, authors and artists, homemakers and business people, and others devoted to the realization of one healthy, peaceful world. Activities include educational and spiritual tours, assemblies and forums, international food aid and environmental awareness, One Peaceful World Press, and other activities to help humanity pass safely into a new world of planetary health and peace. Annual membership is $30 for individuals, $50 for families, and $100 for supporting members. Benefits include the quarterly One Peaceful World Newsletter, discounts of selected books, cassettes, and videos, and special mailings and communications. To enroll or for further information, contact: One Peaceful World Box 10 Becket, MA 01223 (413) 623-2322 Fax (413) 623-8827

Kushi Institute Michio Kushi Seminars—Studies in Destiny—In these ongoing seminars presented at the Kushi Institute of the Berkshires, Michio Kushi presents fascinating and revealing studies of the 154

way to see, judge, and freely manage both personal destiny and planetary destiny based on yin and yang, the art of physiognomy and the art of environmental placement and household arrangement. Spiritual Training Seminars—These ongoing seminars presented at the Kushi Institute of the Berkshires, are part of a progressive series designed to enhance each person's capacity for self-realization and fulfillment. New Medicine for Humanity—In this series of seminars, Michio Kushi offers ongoing studies on the origin and development of health, the relation of diet and degenerative disease, and the reorientation of modern society in a healthier, more peaceful direction. All seminars include macrobiotic/vegetarian meals. For dates, costs, and to register, or for more information, contact: Kushi Institute of the Berkshires Box 7 Becket, MA 01223 (413) 623-5741 Fax (413) 623-8827

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Recommended Reading

Books 1. The Book of Macrobiotics. Michio Kushi with Alex Jack. Japan Publications, 1986, paperback, $15.95. 2. One Peaceful World. Michio Kushi with Alex Jack. St. Martin's Press, 1987, hardcover, $17.95. 3. Other Dimensions: Exploring the Unexplained. Michio Kushi with Edward Esko. Avery Publishing Group, 1991, paperback, $9.95. 4. Food Governs Your Destiny. Michio and Aveline Kushi, with Alex Jack. Japan Publications, 1991, paperback, $12.95. 5. The Cancer-Prevention Diet. Michio Kushi with Alex Jack. St. Martin's Press, 1983; revised, expanded, and updated edition, 1993; paperback, $10.95. 6. Diet for a Strong Heart. Michio Kushi with Alex Jack. St. Martin's Press, 1985, paperback, $10.95. 7. The Book of Do In. Michio Kushi. Japan Publications, 1979, paperback, $14.95. 8. Cancer-Free: 30 Who Triumphed Over Cancer Naturally. East West Foundation, with Ann Fawcett and Cynthia Smith. Japan Publications, 1992, paperback, $15.95. 9. Recovery: From Cancer to Health through Macrobiotics. Elaine Nussbaum. Avery Publishing Group, 1993, paperback, $9.95. 10. Macrobiotics and Oriental Medicine. Michio Kushi with Phillip Jannetta. Japan Publications, 1991, paperback, $18.95. 11. Natural Healing through Macrobiotics. Michio Kushi, with Edward Esko and Marc Van Cauwenberghe, M.D. Japan Publications, 1979, paperback, $14.95. 12. The Macrobiotic Approach to Cancer. Michio Kushi, with Edward Esko. Avery Publishing Group, 1991, paperback, $9.95.

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13. Macrobiotic Home Remedies. Michio Kushi, with Marc Van Cauwenberghe, M.D. Japan Publications, 1985, paperback, $15.95. 14. Macrobiotic Diet. Micho and Aveline Kushi, with Alex Jack. Japan Publications, 1993, paperback, $17.00. 15. AIDS, Macrobiotics, and Natural Immunity. Michio Kushi, with Martha Cotrell, M.D. Japan Publications, 1990, paperback, $19.95. 16. Standard Macrobiotic Diet. Michio Kushi. One Peaceful World Press, 1991, paperback, $5.95. 17. Nine Star Ki. Michio Kushi, with Edward Esko. One Peaceful World Press, 1991, paperback, $12.95. 18. Let Food Be Thy Medicine. Alex Jack. One Peaceful World Press, 1991, paperback, $10.95. 19. Macrobiotic Palm Healing. Michio Kushi, with Olivia Oredson. Japan Publications, 1989, paperback, $15.95. 20. Promenade Home: Macrobiotics and Women's Health. Gale and Alex Jack. Japan Publications, 1988, paperback, $18.95. 21. How to See Your Health. Michio Kushi. Japan Publications, 1980, paperback, $12.95. 22. Your Face Never Lies. Michio Kushi. Avery Publishing Group, 1983, paperback, $9.95. 23. Healing Planet Earth. Edward Esko, One Peaceful World Press, 1992, paperback, $5.95. 24. Notes from the Boundless Frontier. Edward Esko, One Peaceful World Press, 1992, paperback, $5.95. 25. Amber Waves of Grain. Alex and Gale Jack, Japan Publications, 1992, paperback, $17.00. 26. Out of Thin Air: A Satire About Owls and Ozone, Beef and Biodiversity, Grains and Global Warming. Alex Jack, One Peaceful World Press, 1993, paperback, $7.95.

Publications One Peaceful World, Becket, Massachusetts MacroNews, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Macrobiotics Today, Oroville, California

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Books by Mail Order The books listed above are available by mail-order from One Peaceful World Press. Please make check or money order payable to One Peaceful World and enclose shipping and handling of $1.75 for the first book and .75 for each additional book. Outside U.S., please pay in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank and enclose 20% of total order for surface mail and 40% for airmail. Visa or Mastercard also accepted in payment. Please enclose card number, expiration date, and authorized signature. Note: Prices subject to change.

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About the Authors

Michio Kushi was born in Japan in 1926 and devoted his early years to the study of international law at Tokyo University. Following World War II, he became interested in world peace through world government and met George Ohsawa who had revised and reintroduced the principles of Oriental philosophy and medicine under the name macrobiotics. Inspired by Ohsawa's teaching, he began his lifelong application of traditional macrobiotic thinking to modern world problems. In 1949, Michio Kushi came to the United States. Since that time, he has lived in this country and lectured throughout the United States, Canada, Eastern and Western Europe, Japan and other parts of Asia, Australia, and South America. He is the founder of Erewhon, a pioneer distributor of natural foods, the East West Journal, and the Order of the Universe. In 1978, he founded the Kushi Institute, an educational center for the training of macrobiotic teachers and health counselors headquartered now in western Massachusetts with affiliates around the world. Michio Kushi has authored a number of bestselling books, including The Book of Macrobiotics, The Cancer Prevention Diet, The Macrobiotic Way, and One Peaceful World. He lives in Brookline and Becket, Massachusetts, with his wife, Aveline, also a leading voice in macrobiotic education. Edward Esko helped pioneer macrobiotic education in North America during the 1970s. He began studies with Michio Kushi in 1971 and has taught macrobiotic philosophy, health care, and related subjects throughout the United States and Canada, as 159

well as in Western and Eastern Europe, South America, and Japan. He has lectured at the United Nations and is on the faculty of the Kushi Institute. He has co-authored or edited several popular books including Natural Healing Through Macrobiotics, Nine Star Ki, Forgotten Worlds, Healing Planet Earth, and Notes from the Boundless Frontier. He lives with his wife, Wendy, a macrobiotic cooking teacher, and their seven children, in Becket, Massachusetts.

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Health/Diet/Consciousness $12.95

"Once the laws governing the universe are understood, they may be applied to any area of life. When they are followed, health and happiness cannot help but result, for they enable humanity to find a way of life in accord with the deepseated rhythms of the universe." — Michio Kushi Over the past thirty years, Michio Kushi's teachings have been a source of inspiration for thousands of people around the world. Included in this volume are classic lectures that he has given, including such topics as "The I Ching and the Order of the Universe," "Sexual Order, Old and New," "Flexibility in Eating," "Diagnosis and Physiognomy," "Drugs and the Future of America," "You are Infinity," "Food and Spiritual Development," "Basic Palmistry," "War and Peace," "The Purpose of Life," "The New World," and "What Is Happiness?" The ideas presented in the Teachings are timeless and universal. These early lectures provided the impetus for macrobiotic education to develop into a worldwide movement. You will come away with a sense of wonder and awe, order and purpose, hope and inspiration. The Teachings will continue to energize, challenge, and enlighten many people in the years ahead. Michio Kushi is the leader of the international macrobiotic community. Founder of the Kushi Institute and One Peaceful World, he lectures and advises governments and health organizations around the world. Edward Esko is a teacher at the Kushi Institute and author of

Healing Planet Earth and Notes from the Boundless Frontier. A Paperback Original One Peaceful World Press Becket, MA 01223 ISBN 0-9628528-9-9