Typed by Kunio Takahashi (Kodokan)

April 6, 2006 (Thursday)
Think Why.

And Blink.

– The First Thought on Blinking Tour.
Why（なぜ）と考えよ、そして、直観せよ。
この「またたき」旅行で最初に考えたこと。

Debate is central to democracy.
「The Sun」
Blood must circulate. Money must
circulate. Thought must circulate.
Michihiro Matsumoto

Playfulness being part of my nature, this self-discovery tour begins with a discourse(a sort of an ICEE’s why-because game) with my life-long companion, my diary.
Time, four-thirty a.m. Apr.7 in Chennai. Awake, but my head swimming. Ten-hourflying kills me.
Why am I here at this hotel: Taj Connemara? Because Mr. Krishnamurti was bornand raised here. Why do I know the fact? Mr. Aftab, former Ambassador of India toJapan. Why him? Because he’s close to Kodokan through Nakanishi, a newly-born
Jukuto (Chief) of Kodokan. Why him? Because he told me the ambassador was apoet and a debater himself, comparable to Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winner ineconomics. Why an economics major? Because I read his book, ‘The Argumentative
Indian,’ in which he argued that Indians are more skeptical than religious. TIME, Aug.
29, 2005 says the debater sees dissent as par of Indians’ democratic character. Why
does that matter? Because I’m a debater, a proponent of debate education in Japan.
And any debater worth his salt, I believe, gravitates to anybody who says India is a
Kingdom of debate and the world’s largest democracy where English is a common
currency.
Is that all? Give me more becauses. Because India is “hot” now. Why?
Because – three reasons:Japanese love India, want India and need India now.
First, Japanese either love India or hate India (They’re dirty and dirt-poor). Moreand more Japanese love India, because less and less Japanese love China. Second,
they want India, because Indian economy is more stable than Chinese economy. Moreand more Chindia (China & India) lovers in Japan invest in India. India’s a democracy.
India outargues China and better communicates in English. And given population
growth, and economic (financial in particular) stability, India makes a better future friend.
Another because is emotional and psychological deep down. India is mother to us,
Buddhist Japanese, while China is historically father to us. Mother forgiving, fatherunforgiving. Why do you need India now, then? Because Chinese territorial ambition,

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Typed by Kunio Takahashi (Kodokan)

coupled by the recently military expansion has been a threat and a source of irritation tous, Japanese. We need India’s counterweight to China’s military threat. Why
Krishnamurti? Any compelling reason to seek advice from this dead philosopher?
Because he opened my eyes during this winter’s trip to America. Two books: “OnRelationship” and “Freedom From The Known” spiritually awoke me. Why? Because
both taught me triumph of spiritualism, particularly unconditional love, over religion.
Why spiritualism wins? Because religion is a thought, not thinking: A thought can turnpeople on or off. Us or them. That offer leads people to an endless war. Religion
kills; spiritualism heals. Eigodo, spirit English goes after healing words as an extensionof healing (life-giving) swords, “Katsujin-ken.”
Why is spiritualism indigenous to India? That’s what I’m in here for? But Isuspect it has to do with the concept of zero born in India. Zero, Sunya, infinity andmichi. It’s the zero philosophy of India that made Pal pass a verdict that Japan is notguilty at Tokyo Trial. In defiance of western justice? Why does zero work? Any
evidence it works? Yes, a young Chinese waitress at a NY restaurant gave me thename of the philosopher she respected: Krishnamurti. That got me. Why did you trust
young Chinese woman? Because she was pretty? No. Just a flash. I just blinked.
Blink is quicker than observation.
You might call this an esthetic
judgment. It occurred in the blink ofan eye. More than just a snap
judgment that eventually gave me aSatori(spiritualawakening).
Malcolm Gladwell, author of ‘The
Tipping Point’ bears this out in hisbook, ‘Blink.’ I picked up during
lay-over at K.L. airport.
Why?
You’re not thinking why-because, as
you preach; you’re just intuiting.
So what? This devil-may-care trip
is called ‘blinking’ tour.
Withapologies to Sherlock Holmes. Whatlies ahead tomorrow, woops, today?
Who cares?

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