Stream of life and the dialectic of life
During the course of my work in this survey I have come across some extradordinary replies which show excellence in their scope and depth. The following is such an example.
First this respondent stresses that inochi has broader meanings than seimei, and then she goes on to say that it embraces the whole of life, mind, a way of life, love, and all of human existence. She seems to emphasize that inochi should not be understood simply by a single property, such as an ability to breathe or just a brain function, but more that it should be grasped as a comprehensive whole, from every aspect. In the latter half of the first paragraph she refers to inochi as something given, and to its irreplaceability.
Second, in the middle of this reply, she presents a dialectical logic that each inochi is an individual irreplaceable inochi, and at the same time, that inochi itself is a large stream that embraces all individual inochis. This dialectic implies a kind of universal insight which can be found in religious literature. In appearance, this contention seems paradoxical because it insists on the identity of the whole and its parts. However, contentions of this kind are not so unusual in the context of philosophy and religion (31). Instead, we should pay attention to the fact that she grasps the whole as a ‘stream’, an expression often encountered in other responses and in various inochi publications (32). This kind of conceptualization makes it possible to grasp inochi as a [92/93] formless and dynamic movement, rather tan a simplistic static entity with a clear form.
In the last part of her reply, she allows her vision to soar. She states that one’s inochi is not confined to one’s body and the state of being conscious, but spreads over the realms of influence, perception, one’s way of life, and thought. In a sense, this means that inochi survives the death of a person, has a lasting influence on other people in our society, and meets other inochis somewhere in some universe. According to her understanding, inochi is not merely the sum of a functioning body and brain; nevertheless, when she uses the word inochi, she restricts the usage strictly to the realm of humanity. She does not refer to the inochi of animals, plants, or all creatures. Her religious beliefs may have influenced such an understanding. Hence, her understanding of inochi is completely different from that of the farmer cited above, though both stress the importance of a chain or stream of inochis.
>> To read more please visit:
The Concept of Inochi (life) (1991)
(You can read the entire text)
When written in hiragana, inochi has broader meanings than seimei. I feel that it means something which embraces one’s whole life, one’s mind, one’s way of life, love, and whole human existence. And I think one’s inochi is something that is entirely given. I think inochi is irreplaceable because we cannot get it at all by our own will, nor with effort, nor with money…. If my inochi is irreplaceable, then others’ inochi must be the same. Others’ inochis are connected to mine, and all these are in the stream of a large inochi. Inochi is, on the one hand, each individual being, unique and irreplaceable. On the other hand, however, it is one large inochi of the whole human race.…Aren’t such formless reminders of a deceased person, such as influence, impression, his/her way of life, thought, and religious belief a part of inochi? In this sense, I think inochis could be taken over, be connected, and meet each other beyond space and time. (30-39/femal/housewife/Christian)
First this respondent stresses that inochi has broader meanings than seimei, and then she goes on to say that it embraces the whole of life, mind, a way of life, love, and all of human existence. She seems to emphasize that inochi should not be understood simply by a single property, such as an ability to breathe or just a brain function, but more that it should be grasped as a comprehensive whole, from every aspect. In the latter half of the first paragraph she refers to inochi as something given, and to its irreplaceability.
Second, in the middle of this reply, she presents a dialectical logic that each inochi is an individual irreplaceable inochi, and at the same time, that inochi itself is a large stream that embraces all individual inochis. This dialectic implies a kind of universal insight which can be found in religious literature. In appearance, this contention seems paradoxical because it insists on the identity of the whole and its parts. However, contentions of this kind are not so unusual in the context of philosophy and religion (31). Instead, we should pay attention to the fact that she grasps the whole as a ‘stream’, an expression often encountered in other responses and in various inochi publications (32). This kind of conceptualization makes it possible to grasp inochi as a [92/93] formless and dynamic movement, rather tan a simplistic static entity with a clear form.
In the last part of her reply, she allows her vision to soar. She states that one’s inochi is not confined to one’s body and the state of being conscious, but spreads over the realms of influence, perception, one’s way of life, and thought. In a sense, this means that inochi survives the death of a person, has a lasting influence on other people in our society, and meets other inochis somewhere in some universe. According to her understanding, inochi is not merely the sum of a functioning body and brain; nevertheless, when she uses the word inochi, she restricts the usage strictly to the realm of humanity. She does not refer to the inochi of animals, plants, or all creatures. Her religious beliefs may have influenced such an understanding. Hence, her understanding of inochi is completely different from that of the farmer cited above, though both stress the importance of a chain or stream of inochis.
>> To read more please visit:
The Concept of Inochi (life) (1991)
(You can read the entire text)
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