Kyoto Symposium on Cultural and Religious Resource
Management for Global Cooperation-Sharing Cultural Common ValueIn Kyoto, Japan
10 June 2014

Hosted by:
St. CORE Research Society of
The Center for the Study of the Creative Economy at Doshisha University
Co-hosted by:
Global Resource Management at Doshisha University
Life Risk Research Center at Doshisha University
Venue:
Doshisha University Imadegawa Campus
Doshisha Chapel
Time: 13:00-17:00

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Cultural Roots and Universality of Creative Activities-Essences of Japanese Culture and Japanese Spiritual Roots-

Stomu Yamash’ta（Chief Director of St. CORE Research Association,
Center for the Study of the Creative Economy,
Doshisha University）
It is important to explore the roots of Japanese aesthetic sensibilities in order to clarify and gaininternational respect for the national identity. In addition, it is necessary to recognize the role ofreligion in the process of forming aesthetic sensibilities. It is believed that the ancients transmitted
the sacred secrets of these relationships over generations through a system of “codes,” representing
the essences of those secrets. Only those who understood the codes could comprehend the systemof knowledge of the time.
For example, the Holy Grail, as featured in The Da Vinci Code by novelist Dan Brown, is asymbol which provides us with hints for understanding the book’s system of codes, which
represents the system of knowledge and religious comprehension of Christianity in Catholic society.
The system comprises various sets of key words denoting how one should understand divinity,
which, in turn affects how one understands the rules of one’s society. Similarly, ancient Japanesetransmitted sacred secrets by means of a system of codes. Using this system of codes, I have sought
to explore the spiritual roots of our Japanese aesthetic sensibilities. And then, I made a great
discovery.
The discovery was made explicit through a type of stone called “sanukite,” which has existed in
the geology of Japan for around 13 million years. In ancient times, through the Stone and Bronze
Ages, this stone was used to craft arrowheads and knives; now, in the digital age, it was to bereborn as a musical instrument.
Space created by the sound that sanukite makes when struck inspires in us the essence of thereligiosity of ancient Japan. It would be fair to say that the pattern of sound waves generated bysanukite produces a system of codes that encapsulate the religiosity and philosophy of the ancients.
Access to this system of codes is granted through a set of keywords as represented by the rituals
and statements of "On Zen,” which is a form of musical Zen Buddhist memorial service. In contrast
to the codes that are presented in written form, the sound waves produced by sanukite inspires incontemporary Japanese an appreciation of the roots of our culture, along with the physical reality.
It is a worthwhile task to reaffirm the excellence of Japanese aesthetic sensibilities andspirituality, which are based on the sacred secrets transmitted from ancient times to modern times
via a system of codes. Harmonious coexistence with nature is one code hidden in various religious
ceremonial festivals. Japanese creativity may reflect these spiritual bases either consciously or
unconsciously. The degree of sympathy in a society to a new creation depends on the degree towhich the concept behind such creativity incorporates the system of codes; this prevails in every
stratum of society. In an economy where creativity is a major factor in competitiveness, whether or
not a creative work has market value is a critical issue. Such market value partly stems from
sympathy which is based on the Japanese spiritual background.

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Understanding the essential meanings “clean” and “aesthetic” is an effective way to gain
universality of creative activities. These are two of the key codes for comprehending the roots ofJapanese spiritual and religious thinking. Enhancing sensitivity to “clean” and “aesthetic” improves
humans’ inherent capacity for holistic recognition via “intuition”. An example of the significanceof holistic recognition is the development of antiviral drugs through genetic engineering. The valueof the drug should only be determined after evaluating the risks to the stability of inherent humanbiological systems. In the long run, such a drug will have little value if it endangers human life or
health, even though it may be effective for its purpose in the short run. Pursuing a sense of “clean”
and “aesthetic” sharpens holistic recognition because these two codes are related to eternality anduniversality.
In Japan, the sacred codes “clean” and “aesthetic” have been central elements of spiritual
activities based on harmony with nature since ancient times. In Buddhist and Shinto religious
activities, various symbols are given specific meanings to represent the essential roles of these twocodes. Some types of innovations are evaluated via these two codes. In an economic context, thesetwo codes cover the concepts of “efficiency” and “fairness,” which are essential factors in ensuringthat the economy functions effectively.
Over time, the essential meanings of these two codes have been transmitted via various symbols,
especially through ceremonial rites. Rituals and sound waves in ceremonies have been used as
symbols whereby many Japanese have subconsciously mastered the codes. Sound waves areabsorbed into our bodies, where they inspire brain activity and help to cultivate aesthetic
consciousness in thought. Beautiful sound waves subconsciously stimulate beautiful thoughts. In
contrast, sheer noise confuses our thought patterns and reduces rationality in thinking. Behavior
motivated by one’s own desires distorts our way of thinking and results in degradation of universal
behavioral values. But, despite mankind’s repeated experience of this process, tragedy and comedy
constantly recur.
Science will lose its value in a society unless it has a philosophy. Similarly, art without aphilosophy can have no lasting value in society. Without philosophical considerations in scientificand artistic activities, it is impossible for us to perceive and recognize the sacred codes which direct
us toward becoming a better society. A society in which science and art without philosophicalunderpinnings prevail loses its future and is just like a body without a soul.
Which direction will human society opt to take?

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Purpose of the Symposium
Sharing common values to overcome conflicts in a multicultural world
Today, our world is faced with serious crises in various fields, such as conflicts among
religions and worsening income inequality not only within individual societies but also among
countries. Population growth in developing countries is leading to depletion of natural resources
such as water and foodstuffs, and drastic changes in the Earth’s climate are raising the potential
for natural disasters around the world.
It is clear that mankind needs to find sustainable solutions for these issues through sharing ofcommon values in order to bring about improved well-being for coming generations. Conflicts
arising out of mistrust due to philosophical or religious differences could be regarded as themost serious causative factor with respect to environmental crises and disastrous living
conditions. Education aimed at cultivating mutual understanding should be based on
clarification of common values which can be shared by all peoples.
The purposes of this symposium are to identify and clarify such values and to discuss solutions
for the crises that we face.

4‘SACRED SILENCE’
Emeritus Professor Stephen Hill, AM
University of Wollongong
AUSTRALIA‘Sacred Silence’ focuses on communication across cultures and the necessity of ‘listening’.
‘Silence’ is the door to listening, understanding the ‘sacredness’ of the other’s universal humanness,not ‘listening to intervene’, but ‘listening to understand’.
Understanding and honouring other cultures, preserving both their physical and intangible heritage,
provide the platform for intercultural understanding and collective action in the present. Totalitarianregimes are predicated on destroying reminders of past alternatives. Eliminating the power to listen
to the past.
Recognising the power of non-linguistic expression to communicate, in particular as in music,
dance, mime and art, allows us to suspend the immediate pragmatic world and explore feeling andconnectedness across cultural boundaries, to open the door to the sacred, the essence of ourhumanness. The power of linguistic silence.
We create meaning however in our immediate subjective world, not elsewhere. Within our current‘global’ society there is therefore a continuous play between the externality of ‘globalism’ setting a‘grammatical’, or underlying and unexamined, context, and the expression of meaning and culture
within the immediate ‘world(s)’ we inhabit. Our personal identity and ability to act are based onwhat is meaningful to us. It is synthesised in consciousness from engagement within a variety ofour ‘local’ roles – or social ‘worlds’, as employee, family member, religious devotee and so on.
Conflicts and exploitation of others are formed within the territory of the abstract distance of theother. Power to transform lies within our world-within-reach.
Therefore, to be most effective, action strategies to forge universal understanding based on sharedvalues need to focus first on the ‘local’ and build connectedness to the wider ‘worlds’ of others, tobuild expansion of collective action from this base in our ‘meaningful’ world, including throughnon-linguistic expression. Leadership through the vision of the ‘sacred silence’ basic tounderstanding and communication.
Professor Hill’s paper is based on 50 years of academic research and practical experience ranging
from phenomenology of the self, consciousness and knowledge, to development policy for
emerging Asian economies. However, his Kyoto presentation develops the application of ‘sacredsilence’ as a founding principle for universal understanding and shared values through practicalcase studies drawn largely from his direct experience in initiating and directing relevant programs
over a decade within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation,
UNESCO.

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World Heritage and Peace: The Example of Angkor in Cambodia
Philippe Delanghe
Culture Programme Specialist
UNESCO, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
After the Paris Agreements in 1991, the late King of Cambodia, His Majesty Norodom Sihanouk,made an appeal to UNESCO for the preservation of the archaeological site of Angkor. In 1992
Angkor was inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger and in 1993, the FirstIntergovernmental Conference for Angkor, held in Tokyo, Japan, lead to the establishment of the“International Coordination Committee for Angkor (ICC-Angkor), under the auspices of theGovernments of Japan and France and the secretariat provided by UNESCO.
Ever since, the ICC-Angkor gathers every six months for a technical and a plenary session,
whereby the international community exchanges ideas on project development, progress and ways
forward for the preservation of the Angkor site. Its success lead to the removal of Angkor of theWorld Heritage list in Danger in 2004 and its “listing on the World Heritage List”.
In December 2013, the Third Intergovernmental Conference for Angkor, held in Siem Reap,
Cambodia, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the ICC-Angkor and its success of 20 years ofinternational cooperation for the safeguarding and the development of the archaeological site of
Angkor. Currently 16 countries and 37 projects, national and international are being carried out
simultaneously in the archaeological park of Angkor. Discussions have brought the international
partners from pure archaeology, restoration and conservation matters to discuss sustainable
development, local community involvement and the importance of living and intangible heritage.
The ICC-Angkor has thus, through heritage management, contributed to the peace process inCambodia and could be seen as an example for international cooperation and understanding.

6Planning and its potential to overcome conflict in multicultural society
Professor Gavin Parker
University of Reading, UK
Modern town planning was conceived in the nineteenth century as a means of improving
quality of life and is as much about people as it is about place; buildings, transport, parks andresource management. In fact as time has passed many involved in urban planning have realizedthat both resolving conflict and promoting place that can be enjoyed and shared by all are key tosuccessful planning outcomes. Those outcomes are social and cultural as well as economic andenvironmental. So this presentation will focus on how we plan and for what - in that order. The
people involved and the perspectives and agendas they have as well as the design and mix ofuses and activities in towns and cities. The challenges faced by planners in a multi-cultural and‘super-diverse’ society are even more pronounced. The focus will be on ideas of transactive andcollaborative planning – including neighbourhood planning - and the role that the processes andoutcomes involved can play in assisting in developing and enabling mutual understanding toovercome conflict in a multi-cultural society.

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Cultural Dynamics: between Commonality and Diversity
Serrano Sianturi
Chairman of Sacred Bridge Foundation
Jakarta, Indonesia

Culture: cycle and dynamics
Culture is cyclical; it came to existence when human, his/her conception of deity, and thesurrounding environment inter-connected. This triangulation then gives the cultural componentsthat we have been familiar with: symbols, values, norms, belief, customs, and traditions. These
components shape the patterns of thinking and behaving that are the very foundations of how theinter-relational mechanisms are established and practiced. The outcome or manifestations of thesemechanisms are responded and/or challenged internally and externally. These responses actually requestion any part within the cycle (triangulation, set of systems, thinking pattern or mechanisms)
that may stir the current practice and force changes. This ever present re-questioning that gives
culture its cycle and dynamics. So how we re-question the current practice, and how we address thequestion will play a major role in shaping the future.
Inter-relational mechanisms, and approaches in inter-relating
Culture, as we know and live it, recognizes several inter-relational mechanisms in which
individuals, groups, communities and nations interact with each other. Through these interactions,
we often face a double-standard situation; while we learn and adopt new things, we also (either
intentionally or unintentionally) impose our interest upon others, and such imposition may wellcause a long-range and difficult-to-repair (cultural) damages.
Inter-relational mechanisms( ideology/politics, language, economy, technology, kinship andaesthetic manifestations) are the means used in exchanging among different cultures in order tofulfill the needs to survive. Exchange itself is actually a neutral conception, meaning that it could
be either mutually enriching or damaging; how it is implemented will determine which side it is on.
In practice, exchange is carried out in different characteristics; first is the approach that upholds
compatibility with others, second that completely opposes or rejects , and third that dominates.
What approach(es) to carry depends on how big of a return it would give. In economics, thisapproach is simply called the utilitarian thought.

Reciprocity between Culture and Inter-relational Mechanisms: when poly-dynamics turn intomono-dynamic
Many believe that change is the only constant in this world. To Sacred Bridge, there are things thatare bound to change, but there also things that should not. Apart from the natural changes upon theorder of nature, changes that humankind has experienced over millennia have been the unforeseen
consequences of our own acts and decisions. Many, if not most, human inventions have resulted inproblematic issues that we are still struggling in finding amenable solutions. Most of theseinventions are within the inter-relational mechanisms discussed previously. In the past two decades,8

economy and technology are the two inter-relational mechanisms that have been the dominating
forces of changes all over the globe, and they greatly affect today’s changing cultures.
What most alarming, particularly to economists who focus on the ethics and locality of economics(cultural economics), is not just about the fact that economy and technology dominate the world“development”, but also how the majority comprehend and implement the two mechanisms. Theview on, and practice of economy (and economics), for example, has narrowed down to merely
about production-distribution-consumption. Economic development has distanced itself fromhuman development. The wealth creation that we know today is measured by the improvement inmaterial well-being, not by the betterment of life quality. Economy has become commoditycentered, instead of people-centered. Almost everything is now about making money, or at least
about making a living. There is hardly anyone speaking of making a life. Economic terms have also
been dwarfed; exchange to buy and sell, values to price, and benefit to profit. Limiting thedimensions of these terms certainly changes the way people live their lives.
Most creations, either functional or aesthetical, are commoditized. The so-called Creative Economy
or Cultural Industry has nothing to do with developing and sustaining imagination, creativity andinventions within a culture or economy. Instead, it is too busy selecting who and what should betaken as creative or not. It also boils down to appreciating creations based on how much money
they can make.
As for technology, the convergence of computer, information, telecommunication, anddigitalization, along with the on-going rapid advancement, has given the world convenience andaccessibility around the clock, and within just seconds. For the inventing countries, development
triggers further development; for the using countries, the available technology (in many field cases)
tends to encourage instant mentality. So there is a big gap between the producing and theconsuming nations. The usage of this technology by the users also lacks the understanding of thecultural context behind the invention. This is one of the main reasons why the purposes of using thetechnology are often different from what it is originally for.
Commonality and Diversity
When discussing inter-cultural exchanges or dialog, we demand to put mutual respect andunderstanding at center stage. In reality, these noble thoughts are often overridden by each other’s
subjective interests. Commonality is about similarities and/or even the sameness with others.
Diversity, on the other side, is about differences among people. Commonality is more aboutbonding, while diversity is more about bridging. By common sense, perhaps it would not be too
difficult to see that diversity has more potentials to create tensions and conflicts than commonality.
So how well we manage the diversity will determine whether we can have cross-enriching cultures.
One of the key success factors in “managing” diversity is how we can always recognize
compatibilities within the differences.
Common practice is normally perceived as the consensus by the majority, and it is what most often
refer to as the “reality”. In my 15 year field work, common practice is not always based oncommon sense; in fact, it does not address the challenges people face. The “reality” of this common
practice is actually unrealistic. So commonality sometimes is not the most appropriate action, andtherefore, is not always something that we should safeguard.
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