I want to show “the simplest Amazing Grace” through my simple treatment which we always tend to forget.
“The simplest Amazing Grace” is clearly to find out a happy dispensation of Nature.
We should know the providence that we are a ” Ningen “( a Japanese word,人間; a person who lives in an interval ) and we should try to become a realistic Ningen. The word of “Ningen”is the greatest word in the world.
The word “Ningen” is the most original and the most amazing word for the human race. This is the very word I have been looking for.
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The figure “nin（人: a person ）” of “nin-gen (人間）” stands for a preson leaning on the other person , that is, the situation of suporting each other. (Though on the etymology of nin shows the figure of the side of a walking man). The figure “gen (間）” of ningen (人間） shows a interval between those two people, a person and a society, a person and nature, a person and the Universe.
“A ningen” means a person who lives in the interval of countless mutual relationships between people, societies, nature , the Universe and everything.
You may feel hesitation about “nature” or “the Universe”.
However, strictly speaking, we can not create a drop of water or even a stone. Even a drop of water or a stone are presented by nature or the Universe to us. We know how to grow rice or vegetables. But we can not create a grain of rice or an only potato originally. If we could create a drop of water or an only potato without any stuff, we will become a God, and we would not be a Ningen anymore.
The word “gen” is also pronounced as “ma (間)”.
In Japanese , there are 200 words which have the word this “ma”; 時間 ( jikan; an interval of time ), 空間 ( kukan; an interval of space )、 瞬間( syunkan; an interval of a moment )・・・・間違い ( machigai; a mistake ) means missing to take an interval. “人間性の喪失”( ningensei-no-sousitsu ; the loss of personality ) means the loss of the interval with a person. However, most of the Japanese have not been aware of the above.
Many European languages which are based on Latin have a lot of words have “inter”; inter-national, inter-view, inter-vene, inter-rupt, inter-val and so on. Further, the word seems to be increasing by the popularization of the Inter-net.
In Chinese, the word of Ningen does not mean 人（ “hito”；a person ) or 人間( “ningen”;a personality ) but means “societies” or “this world” against the next world. Only the Japanese use the word of Ningen as the meaning of a person (人). This is amazing.
Acording to some dictionaries of Japanese: the word “ningen” means (a) this world (b)a person who lives in societies (c) a personality. However, we Japanese do not actually use the above (a). The above (a) “this world” is translated from Chinese, I think.
In particular , it is important that some prestigious Japanese Dictionaries do not show the meaning of “ma”. For indeed, this is “ma-nuke”(間-抜け; excluding “ma”, foolish ). The word “ningen” and “hito”(人) are not the same. The former have “ma” and the latter do not have “ma”. But we can not find the distinction between these two words in many Japanese Dictionaries. At any case, Japanese people do not deeply think or reserch about a word of “ningen”.
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Most of us have forgotton that we are a ” Ningen” who are born between the countless mutual relationships and so we should try to become a real Ningen. We all are Ningens. However, we tend to forget that. Even the Japanese who have the gratest word of “Ningen” have not thought about Ningen. This is one of the Seven Wonders in the world, I think. That is the most decisive thing not only for us but also for all human history.
Why ?
(1) First, I`d like to take up human self-development. A baby roam through the Universe. Soon he becomes conscious of his ego, and raise ego. Thanks to self-development, he can raise himself strongly and safely in the nature or in the society. This activity is great thing. But he forget about the Universe.
(2) Relationships change into some acts or forms .
We act with some rerationships. But we can not see and can not show the rerationships them-selves. We can remain some acts or some forms in this world. But we never remain the rerationships them-selves.
(3) We have a strong attachment for observation or some formes which we can see. Societies also require some forms; reports, records, photos, etc. But we can not show anti-observation it-self directly.
(4) Generally, we perceive by the five organs of sense. Modern natural sciences are based on the five organs. We can see many things with our eyes. We can listen many sonds with our ears. We can smell many things with our noses. We can taste many things with our tongues and we can touch many things with skin.
But we can not see our eyes with our own eyes. Can you see your own eyes ? Can you listen to your ears ? Can you smell your nose ? Can you taste your tongue ? Can you touch your skin for it-self ? We can not see our eyes, and so we can see many things.
If we can see our eyes, we can not see those things around . Strictly speaking, I can not see my eyes, therefore , I can see those things around . Ears, nose, tongue and skin are the same. The place of the eye them-selves may the place of working of God.
Our perception can not perceive our perception. This is our absolute destiny. Therefore, we are not able to know ourselves. Though Socrates ( Greece;B.C470～399 ) said, “Know yourself!”. But I don`t think it`s possible . Thus we tend to forget to stare ourselves and tend to lose the sight of ourselves.
( But we can not see our eyes , therefore , we can see those things around. At this point of view, we can not know ourselves , therefore , we can know those things around as the same. And we have the possibility to know ourselves. If we can not know those things around , we can not know ourselves wholly ).
(5) Well it is very important for us to understand modern science. The modern science gives us great favors, but has lots of problems. Especially, modern scientific thought includes dangerous aspects.
(a) It is said that a scientist eliminates all categories of his own values or morals and stands a thing in front of him and analyze it. To elimanate human categories is very useful for us. For we can have common truth by that way. So modern science is easy to spread into the world.
(b) Modern scientific thought is a one-sided view of things; this is not based on the mutural relationships. ( A relationship is mutural. A mutural relationship is a true relationship ). And
so we tend to lose a real relationship between all things and we even tend to lose humanity.
(c) We tend to lose our original themes by having scientific knowledge. Originally,we have lots of themes in our lives. But modern scientific thought does not touch our themes essentially. Our themes are left wholly.
(d) It seems that scientific studies and knowledges find out human problems or themes. But the knowledges are always not direct but indirect. For example, the most developed modern medicine can not catch our pain, itchness and numbness.
(e) Nowadays, enormous scientific objective knowledge and its information have covered the world. But how is it possible for us to develop our humanity or personality ? People who like a commentator have increased and a person who have rich human feelings have decreased and brutal criminal have also increased more than ever.
(f) Morden pathology is based on modern scientific thought. Recently, EBM ( Evidence Based Medicine ) is in. But, as the above , we can not directly catch a patient`s pain ,itchness and numbness by taking a test of scientific objective knowledges . Many people are suffering from those symptoms. Science and Scientist have serious themes. Thus , very useful modern science shows us our problems and themes more than ever ironically and paradoxically.
(6) Thus, We have had a strong tendency to forget the orginal important secret interval just like we have forgotten our mothers body or womb . Until now we could have lived without thinking about the interval between things surrounding you.
(7) By losing the original interval of mutual relationships, we gained rich lives. We became very rich by using nature one-sidely. Heven gives us all things and all things comply with our request with silence without asking anything in return for what. This is the noblest destiny but the saddest destiny for us.
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At last, we ruined the earth, caused unusual weather and we were forced into a tight corner. And we could make the richest times by making every effort and we could make the poorest times. We live in the most tragic times just as we live in the happiest times.
Even now, some people hope that modern science will solve these problems. It`s impossible. Now, should we exclude modern science from our lives ? No, it`s wrong. We must get over that and include the science. And we must open a new horizen and build a new civilization at the risk of our lives.
An old wise man said, ” Heaven has given a shower of grace without distinction between good guys and bad ones.”
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What`s the purpose of our lives? For what do we live ?
This simple but eternal theme is the most difficult one for us—But, It`s very simple. To be, to be a Ningen, to become a real true Ningen. Not to become a teacher, not to become a politician, not to become a rich man .
From the old times, people have dreamed of becoming somebody.
Some people were fulfilled and some people were not. At any rate, they have forgotten to be a Ningen. And the earth screams “I am not a gas station! I am not a factory, I can not respond to your countless strong desire!”
The earth would not be enough if the desire of 6,5 billion people who live in the world come true. Maybe the earth is not enough for the only person`s strong desire.
Then, is it wrong for you to become somebody you want ?
No, it is not wrong. But you should always try to be a Niegen at the same time. You should serve not only others or society but also nature or the Univers. Then you will become a good teacher, a good politician or a good rich man.
We should be proud that we have the word “Ningen”.
We should be aware that we are Ningen and should become real Ningen. And we should build “the culture of Ma ( interval )” and its civilization.
All cultures should be renewed by the conception of “Ma”. Politics, economy, society, education, science, agricure, medicine and all cultures should be renewed ; the politics of Ma, the economy of Ma, the society of Ma—The realization of Democracy`s ideal will certainly depend on our effort for “Ma”. My thought of medicine and my cure are also “the medical care of Ma.”
By this way, we will see “a gleam of hope”.
We are torn up just as we are blessed, we are blessed just as we are torn up.
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Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answerd them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say ,’See here!` or `See there!` For indeed , the kingdom of God is among you.”
(LUKE17-20.21)
