The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-10-06
DEVELOPMENT OF OUR OWN

tory. and unless he Is acquainted
with the social and moral aspec,
e.: Japanese life. Kodo is not just
nationalism. or Imperialism, or fas-
cism or anything OF that sort
though II is related 10 all OF them,
for the simple reason that the hui
man heart Is the same everywhere,
Nv old friend General Tinge. the
Manchukuo minister in Toxic told
me a few days ago. I'm Europe
they can not understand the Man
chukuo problem. because they
think II Is political question.
whereas really II is question OF
oriental philosophy" Now | will
endeavor TO explain my point OF
view and l beg you TO take II for
such and nothing more.
Many thousands OF years ago a
monument OF human thought both
metaphysical and rational appear
cd in the Far East II is called the
"Yi King" of the Book OF Changes
This creation does not belong to
the brush of a man. but to the
genius OF a race. just as most pro-
badly was the case of the Iliad In
Greece. the Scandinavian Kaievala.
or the Indian Mahabarts. Taoism
and Confuscianism are Chinese in
terpretations. one metaphysical the
other moral. which came from the
same principal root-work. In Japan
this developed In the form OF
Shintoism. mixed with the ancient
animism and hero-worship. which
have proved TO be the primitive
creeds of the Turanian race. Trac-
es Of these are still to be found in
Tibet and Central Asia. from which
regions their influence permeated
around the basin OF the Yellow or
China sea. Do not forget that the
basic hooks of Shintoism were
compiled from memory in the 18th
century. A. ID. or much more than
a thousand years after Laotzu and
King Flu Tzeu commented on the
Kings. which were then considered
TO be books OF ancient wisdom.
The fundamental idea OF the VI
King. as you all know is the Inyo-
do. meaning that in every manifest
ed object there are presented posi-
tive or masculine and negative or
feminine principle-the Yang and
the Yin. The wisdom OF the VI King
is the science OF the various group
ings OF those forces. OF the double
polarization Of all phenomena and
of the way toward their harmony
and equilibrium. Therefore. the
Way" the Road" the 3d." the
Tao" which is the keystone of all
oriental philosophy, is a tendency
toward harmony.
| shall not comment longer on
this "Weltanschauung' OF the an
cient wisdom OF the Far East or
on all the qualifications IL has had
in science. such as in medicine).
in religion, in esthetics. in philoso-
ply or social morals. l take II for
granted that you know more about
IL than ] do, but l would like TO
Justify in a few words my asser-
llOHS us III tic ilutDttIHtbS VI
Shlntoism to the Inyo principle.
because that is rather essential.
| will leave aside all complicat-
ed details of the generation of ce-
lestial and terrestrial gods. their
and all the legends sur
their deeds and their
lives that is a kind OF naturalistic
folklore and heoric epoch in which
It is plausible 10 distinguish be-
tween the symbols of celestial
bodies. this led TO the distinguished
sinilogue Mr.. j. Edkins' assembling
this system TO Babylonan astrology
and even TO suggest possible seme-
tic borrowings or to find traces
OF an homeric struggle between the
two races OF Yamato and Izumo the
bright and the dark one, just as the
Indian Ramayana. Leaving aside
the heroic nd naturalistic aspects
of Shintoistic traditions. we find
enough in the Kojiki and Hihongi
to support the theory that the
metaphysical foundation OF Shin
TO was inspired by the Ii King. At
the very beginning when the world
was still soaring In the heavens,
there appeared out Of the unknown
the urspeakable. the undetermined
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