We human beings have analytic thinking and holistic thinking. These are thinking styles different in cultures, which researchers suggested. The former, which is assumed to be Western, means to focus on the parts of a thing, while the latter, which is assumed to be Eastern, means to focus on the whole of the thing. This distinction is related to the idea that Westerners place importance on individuality, while Easterners place importance on community. It is also said that Westerners have an independent self, while Easterners have an interdependent self. Some people ridicule such Eastern collectivism as lack of individuality. Indeed, it would also have harmful influences on us. But Takuan said, when we are caught by the parts, the whole could not work well (we could not see the whole well). Senju-Kannon (Buddhist Goddess with thousand arms) is not stuck in one of her hands, and then she can use all of her thousand hands well. The important thing is not to be attached to the parts but to have a perspective to overview the whole. Even Easterners do not innately have this inclination to see the whole. That is a wisdom for them to live better, which has been cultivated in a climate of the East, east Asia, or Japan, for a long time. Do not forget this important wisdom.
August 31, 2018
After Reading Takuan: Part 5 不動智神妙録を読んで５
分析的思考と包括的思考というものがある。文化によって異なるとされる思考様式であり，西洋的とされる前者は部分を，東洋的とされる後者は全体を重視する。これは，個人を重視する西洋人と集団を重視する東洋人，という考えとつながる。西洋人は相互独立的な自己観を，東洋人は相互協調的な自己観を持つとも言われる。こうした東洋的な集団主義を没個性と揶揄する向きもある。確かに弊害もあろう。しかし沢庵に言わせれば，部分にとらわれると全体は機能しない（見えない）のである。千手観音は一本の手にこだわらないので，千の手をすべて万全に働かせることができる。部分へ固執せずに全体を俯瞰する視点こそが重要である。何も東洋人には，全体を視野に入れるこうした傾向が生来的に備わっているわけではない。東洋，東アジア，あるいは日本という風土の中で，長い年月をかけて培われてきた，より良く生きるための智慧なのである。その大切な智慧を忘れてはいけない。
We human beings have analytic thinking and holistic thinking. These are thinking styles different in cultures, which researchers suggested. The former, which is assumed to be Western, means to focus on the parts of a thing, while the latter, which is assumed to be Eastern, means to focus on the whole of the thing. This distinction is related to the idea that Westerners place importance on individuality, while Easterners place importance on community. It is also said that Westerners have an independent self, while Easterners have an interdependent self. Some people ridicule such Eastern collectivism as lack of individuality. Indeed, it would also have harmful influences on us. But Takuan said, when we are caught by the parts, the whole could not work well (we could not see the whole well). Senju-Kannon (Buddhist Goddess with thousand arms) is not stuck in one of her hands, and then she can use all of her thousand hands well. The important thing is not to be attached to the parts but to have a perspective to overview the whole. Even Easterners do not innately have this inclination to see the whole. That is a wisdom for them to live better, which has been cultivated in a climate of the East, east Asia, or Japan, for a long time. Do not forget this important wisdom.
We human beings have analytic thinking and holistic thinking. These are thinking styles different in cultures, which researchers suggested. The former, which is assumed to be Western, means to focus on the parts of a thing, while the latter, which is assumed to be Eastern, means to focus on the whole of the thing. This distinction is related to the idea that Westerners place importance on individuality, while Easterners place importance on community. It is also said that Westerners have an independent self, while Easterners have an interdependent self. Some people ridicule such Eastern collectivism as lack of individuality. Indeed, it would also have harmful influences on us. But Takuan said, when we are caught by the parts, the whole could not work well (we could not see the whole well). Senju-Kannon (Buddhist Goddess with thousand arms) is not stuck in one of her hands, and then she can use all of her thousand hands well. The important thing is not to be attached to the parts but to have a perspective to overview the whole. Even Easterners do not innately have this inclination to see the whole. That is a wisdom for them to live better, which has been cultivated in a climate of the East, east Asia, or Japan, for a long time. Do not forget this important wisdom.
August 24, 2018
After Reading Takuan: Part 4 不動智神妙録を読んで４
思考や感情など，何かに心がとらわれると，我々はそのことをつい追いかけてしまう。すると，連想ゲームのように次から次へと考えや思いが湧き出てくる。もしくは，無限循環で再生される映像や音楽のように，心の中で延々と同じ考えや思いが繰り返される。それはまるで飛び回る馬か猿のようなものだと，仏教では喩えられる。これがストレスを長引かせる心理学的な原因の一つにもなっている。ある種の自家中毒に陥っていると言える。こうして何かにとらわれてしまえば，他が見えなくなり，対応がおろそかになるのは想像に難くない。沢庵はこれを，十人掛かりで切ってくる敵に例えている。もし仮に一人目の敵に心がとらわれてしまったら，その敵をいつまでも追いかけてしまい，次の二人目に切られてしまう。だから，応じるけれどもとらわれてはいけない，と説く。自分が置かれた今ここの状況に，何かにとらわれることなく，全身全霊で応じる。それは，今ここになりきることである。
When we get stuck in something like emotions or thoughts, we unconsciously pursue them. Then, thoughts and feelings come to mind one after another, as if it is an association game. Or, same thoughts and feelings recur in mind endlessly, as if it is a video or music played in an infinite loop. It is just like a horse or monkey running around restlessly, metaphorically speaking in Buddhism. It is also one of psychological factors that prolong stress. It can be said that we seem to be falling in a kind of auto-intoxication (self-poisoning). We can easily imagine that getting stuck in something in this way leads to getting blinded to other things of it and paying no attention enough to cope with them. Takuan compared this to 10 cutting enemies. If our mind is captured by the first enemy, we unintentionally would follow the enemy forever, and then be cut down by the second one. Therefore, we should deal with but not be fixed on each of the enemies, Takuan explained. We should not be stuck in something, but respond to the here-now situation in front of us with all our spirit. That is as if we completely become the here-now.
When we get stuck in something like emotions or thoughts, we unconsciously pursue them. Then, thoughts and feelings come to mind one after another, as if it is an association game. Or, same thoughts and feelings recur in mind endlessly, as if it is a video or music played in an infinite loop. It is just like a horse or monkey running around restlessly, metaphorically speaking in Buddhism. It is also one of psychological factors that prolong stress. It can be said that we seem to be falling in a kind of auto-intoxication (self-poisoning). We can easily imagine that getting stuck in something in this way leads to getting blinded to other things of it and paying no attention enough to cope with them. Takuan compared this to 10 cutting enemies. If our mind is captured by the first enemy, we unintentionally would follow the enemy forever, and then be cut down by the second one. Therefore, we should deal with but not be fixed on each of the enemies, Takuan explained. We should not be stuck in something, but respond to the here-now situation in front of us with all our spirit. That is as if we completely become the here-now.
August 15, 2018
After Reading Takuan: Part 3 不動智神妙録を読んで３
「不動智」とは，とらわれない心のことを指す。不動とは，固まって＜動かない＞こと，つまり，居着いてしまうことではない。そうではなく不動とは，何かに＜動かされない＞ことを意味する。我々人間はつい知らぬ間に，何かに気を取られ，心が動かされてしまう。ああでもないこうでもないと，悪いことばかりが頭を巡る。と思えば，快楽や贅沢などの誘惑にどっぷりと浸かって抜け出せない。気がつけば絶えず何かに心がとらわれ，忙しなく揺れ動いている。それが凡夫たる人間の心である。不動明王の一切を寄せつけない猛々しい憤怒の様は，そうやって心をとらえ，引っ張り回し，迷わせるもの一切を寄せつけないことの象徴なのだと沢庵は説く。不動智に至ることが仏道の目指すところであるとすれば，それは不動明王のように何にもとわれない心を持つことである。剣を持つ猛々しい武人の姿は，何かに動かされることなく，あらゆるものから解放された自由自在な心を具象化している。
"Fudo-chi" indicates unstuck mind. Fudo is not to freeze and "unmove," in other words, stay down at a place (itsuku in Japanese). But, Fudo means to be "unmoved" by anything. We human beings unintentionally tend to be distracted and moved by something. We tend to keep particularly something wrong in mind, like shilly-shallying. On the other hands, we often remain deep in such temptations as pleasures and luxuries, and can not escape from them. We sometimes become aware that we are constantly stuck in something, and our mind are restlessly swinging here and there. That is the mind of human being as an ordinary unenlightened existence. Takuan explained that the fierce and furious appearance of Fudo-Myoo, which fights off everything, is a symbol of keeping out all of things that catch, drag about, and confuse our mind. If attaining to the state of Fudo-chi is the aim of Buddhism, it is to have the mind which is never stuck in anything like Fudo-Myoo. The appearance of fierce warrior having a sward embodies the flexible mind which is unmoved by anything and free from everything.
"Fudo-chi" indicates unstuck mind. Fudo is not to freeze and "unmove," in other words, stay down at a place (itsuku in Japanese). But, Fudo means to be "unmoved" by anything. We human beings unintentionally tend to be distracted and moved by something. We tend to keep particularly something wrong in mind, like shilly-shallying. On the other hands, we often remain deep in such temptations as pleasures and luxuries, and can not escape from them. We sometimes become aware that we are constantly stuck in something, and our mind are restlessly swinging here and there. That is the mind of human being as an ordinary unenlightened existence. Takuan explained that the fierce and furious appearance of Fudo-Myoo, which fights off everything, is a symbol of keeping out all of things that catch, drag about, and confuse our mind. If attaining to the state of Fudo-chi is the aim of Buddhism, it is to have the mind which is never stuck in anything like Fudo-Myoo. The appearance of fierce warrior having a sward embodies the flexible mind which is unmoved by anything and free from everything.
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