Tadashi Nishihira

シンポジウム「死生観とケアの現場」第1部（「死生のケア・教育・文化の課題」）報告と討議2

「無(空・タオ・絶対無・・)の思想」は「子どもの教育」について何を語るか。その問いを明確に設定することが本稿の課題である。答えを出すのではない。むしろ、その問いを問いとして設定することが、いかに困難であるか。その問題性の確認である。小論(「東洋思想と人間形成-井筒俊彦の理論地平から」)において提示された枠組みを、このひとつの問いに焦点を絞って、論じ直したものである。

The so-called Postmodern philosophy is the philosophy of de-construction wherein the ontological basis of the modern human sciences has been destroyed. We have to look for a new perspective of Life Cycle. This paper tries to find a new framework from Eastern philosophy. Eastern philosophy is a philosophy of de-construction, but it is a philosophy of re-construction as well. The category of "Eastern philosophy" in this paper is strictly limited to the wording of Toshihiko lzutsu. In a word, this paper intends to re-construct the way we perceive child development from the perspective of Eastern philosophy as structured by lzutsu.<BR>In order to simplify my discussion, I made a chart which illustrates three processes;<BR>Process A is the way to construction, or the way of child development, in which he/she establishes the ego, acquires the language, and makes boundaries through the grid of language. (Izutsu called this grid "semantic articulation").<BR>Process B is the way to de-construction, or "Oh-so (往相) in Buddhism. This is the way in which one leaves from the ego, loses boundaries through dissolving the grid of language, and becomes more subtle and fluid.<BR>Process C is the way to re-construction, or" Gen-so (還相) in Buddhism. This is the way in which one returns to the world of ordinary consciousness, but in "a double perception". Through this process individual phenomenal beings are recovered. But those who have once experienced the state of no-boundary are so radically transformed that they never forget a viewpoint of no-boundary. In this sense, the perspective of Eastern philosophers can be called 'a double perception'.<BR>Eastern philosophers (the sages who have once experienced "Non-Being" and came back to the ordinary consciousness) open for us a possibility to see children in two different dimensions, i.e., as those determined by our ordinary boundaries, and as those completely free from all boundaries. What kind of image of children do Eastern philosophers suggest to us in their 'double perception'? What do they teach us about the different phases of child development which we cannot recognize within our ordinary 'single perception'? This is the starting point to read anew Eastern philosophers' texts from the viewpoint of child development or Life Cycle.

The aim of this paper is to examine the culture of the New Age Movement in Japan. In Japanese, it is called "Seishin-Sekai". Since the 1980s this culture has developed in various fields as an alternative to modem-materialistic-established science (Academia). This culture should not be understood only as an occultic science, but also a new cosmology that people need in an age of earth crisis or at the dead-end of modem civilization. It is an altemative way of looking at things, and can be described with such adjectives as "ecological, holistic, transpersonal, spiritual, cosmological". How should Academia cope with such a popular movement? The first point is to examine three keywords. First, "KOKORO" (soul, mind, psyche), is within the field of psychological spiritual religious complex. Secondly, "KARADA" (human living body), is not a material, but a body in which we are living. Finally there is "INOCHI" (Life), which means not only the life of one person but the continued life of all living creatures or of the earth itself. These keywords represent an alternative framework to a modem materialistic reductionism. The second point is to examine two main theories: First, the Holistic movement in education, followed by the Transpersonal movement in psychology. These theories have the potential to maintain the dialogue with established Academics. Based on these analyses, this paper clarifies the characteristics of this movement: l. This movement will keep increasing in popularity, especially when supported by people who are sensitive to 1: he current ecological crisis and who are disappointed with modem science; 2. Because of its romantic tendency, this movement may eventually wind up as a pop science or as a form of popular entertainment; 3. To avoid such a fate, it will be necessary for its proponents to continue the dialogue with established Academia; 4. It is also necessary for the Academia itself to have a sympathetic and a critical approach to such popular movements, and, by extension, to the actual needs of this post-modern society.

The aim of this paper is to examine the culture of the New Age Movement in Japan. In Japanese, it is called "Seishin-Sekai". Since the 1980s this culture has developed in various fields as an alternative to modem-materialistic-established science (Academia). This culture should not be understood only as an occultic science, but also a new cosmology that people need in an age of earth crisis or at the dead-end of modem civilization. It is an altemative way of looking at things, and can be described with such adjectives as "ecological, holistic, transpersonal, spiritual, cosmological". How should Academia cope with such a popular movement? The first point is to examine three keywords. First, "KOKORO" (soul, mind, psyche), is within the field of psychological spiritual religious complex. Secondly, "KARADA" (human living body), is not a material, but a body in which we are living. Finally there is "INOCHI" (Life), which means not only the life of one person but the continued life of all living creatures or of the earth itself. These keywords represent an alternative framework to a modem materialistic reductionism. The second point is to examine two main theories: First, the Holistic movement in education, followed by the Transpersonal movement in psychology. These theories have the potential to maintain the dialogue with established Academics. Based on these analyses, this paper clarifies the characteristics of this movement: l. This movement will keep increasing in popularity, especially when supported by people who are sensitive to 1: he current ecological crisis and who are disappointed with modem science; 2. Because of its romantic tendency, this movement may eventually wind up as a pop science or as a form of popular entertainment; 3. To avoid such a fate, it will be necessary for its proponents to continue the dialogue with established Academia; 4. It is also necessary for the Academia itself to have a sympathetic and a critical approach to such popular movements, and, by extension, to the actual needs of this post-modern society.