Layman's Question

My favorite Japanese artist, Okamoto Taro, frequently said, "Be a layman." I guess he meant by this phrase that you should have a direct view into objects, letting nothing intervening between the objects and you. Probably, we have some assumptions on which our social lives go easily, but they sometimes prevent you from seeing the truths and making good decisions.

For example, when old persons insist that they need enough money to let them live peacefully, they seem to forget that theri request would impose big burden on their children and being destined to pass away soon. They are the members of the community, so they need to find a fair way to distribute money and foodstuff to the members of the community.

This came to me when Okamoto told me a story about a system adopted by Eskimoans as to how to reduce the number of the older persons in the society. They, turning some age, are required to throw themselves into the sea. If one of them has not drown to death, his grandaughter who was cherished by her grandfather will put his head under the water, saying "Thank you and good-bye."

I don't mean older persons should be useless. An extreme view may let us see problems in perspective, consequently to let you know your life depends upon the society in which you're living. No one knows the meaning and significance of life. Without knowing this, how can you choose your own way to live and spend your time living in this world. This awareness, I believe, will lead us to live less greedily and arrogantly.

"Be a layman" is one of my favorite words. I'm professional, so I need to keep this in my mind, like other professionals in power.

Sentenced to Freedom

In a sense, philosophy tells you that you cannot have an objective view on anything you think existing in the world. In short, you have a very limited view of the world in which you are living now.

In this limited view, some of you, including me, should try to find a better way to spend your time in this world. This type of persons are categorized into existentialists by Heidegger.

As an existentialist, I have found Sartre's existentialism and Buddhistic philosophy, but they just tell you "you're sentenced into freedom," "you have no doctrine to cling to in living in the world but to think, more exactly, to struggle.

Recently, I've found myself in impasse. I know this is common, and I need to do what I should do.

Barbarians

Japan Argues to Hunt Minke Whales (washingtonpost)
Moratorium on Commercial Whaling Upheld (washingtonpost)

This news has reminded me of the words of Claude Levi-Strauss about "barbarian." The persons called "barbarians," he said, should refer to the ones who do not accept anything they are not familiar with. Before, Japanese found it strange that some westerners eat cattle, but have accepted them as food. You know, what you should live on depends upon its geographical environment. Japan has been an isolated island country where they have found foodstuff peculiar to the island. It seems to me that anti-whaling factions have something hidden against Japan in their minds. Let me call them barbarians.

If you have questions as to the status quo of whales, go to the website.