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User:Macropneuma/Masanobu Fukuoka's philosophy and language translation

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Philosophy and language translation[edit]

The Chinese: Chinese: 無為 phrase of Tao-philosophy origin, widely recognised in 'the West', translates directly to this Japanese word pronounced mu i (無為, unconditioned...).[1] Evidently some loss of some connections of awareness, occurred in use of English translations of his Japanese writing (of mu i (無為) -Wú wéi); Compare for example, in the following footnotes' webpages' wonderful writing, their different awarenesses of connections between his writings and Wú wéi (無為).[2][3]

Masanobu Fukuoka writes some articulation, philosophically, of his enlightenment experience, in Buddhist, Taoist, Gandhian, Christian and Shinto terms:

  • mu (無, "non-existent", "non-being", "Pure human awareness, prior to experience or knowledge.", 'no thing', his: "nothingness")[4]
  • mu shin (無心, "lacking (defiled) thought", his: "empty mind", "no-mind" & "state of detachment")[5]
  • mu i (無為, "unconditioned...", his: "do-nothing", his and a widely accepted translation: "no-action", also un-domesticated)[6][1]
  • mu fun betsu (無分別, "devoid of discrimination", his: "non-discrimination")[w 1][7]
  • shi zen or ji nen (自然, "spontaneously", "original nature", "suchness, thusness", "the appearance of true reality as it is, or a thing just as it is.", "self-existent", spontaneous nature, innate-nature, nature, "so of its own", 'just so', natural or naturally", original Chinese reading: zìrán)[8]
  • mu i shi.zen/ji.nen (無為自然, unconditioned nature, his "do-nothing nature", also unadulterated nature, un-domesticated nature)[9][10]

Parallel identical sentences in both Japanese and English-translation including the words "無", "無心", "無為", "無分別", "自然" and "無為自然", and further sentences clarifying and elaborating on them, became available in 1996 with his privately re-translated and published English very limited edition, The Ultimatum of God–Nature : A Recapitulation of The One–Straw Revolution.

Brief sentences in, Japanese under the heading 「矛盾の誕生」 from page 83, second column[w 2] and English under the heading "The Birth and Expansion of Contradictions" from page 110, top half[w 3] respectively, provide parallel-translation quotations juxtaposed below:


Hence from this and additional examples written in his 1996 English Recapitulation and re-translation, the English phrases: "do-nothing", "no-action" or "not doing", all refer to the Japanese word mu i (無為, unconditioned..., Wú wéi). His "do-nothing" does particularly not mean literally do nothing, nor passive, idleness, doing nothing, no work, laziness, no effort, consumerism, complacency, apathy, etc.[1] – he explicitly calls this non-intervention, laissez-faire or abandonment of nature, in English-translations;[w 4][w 5][w 6]: xxi, 13, 60  "He reminded us that his techniques are not literally do-nothing. They are more like do nothing against nature"[6] and come to our small parts of bigger-than-all-of-us god–nature, wherein god–nature coauthors all actions through all of us, each as active small-participants, and credit goes to god–nature, –come to nature–.[w 6]: 118 [11] God–nature refers in other words to: breath of life, the universal life force in all, kami (神) in Japanese, or great spirit in many cultures translated into English words, etc., not–merely to God of Judaism, Christianity, Islam or merely of any one religion. In the 1970s he apparently advised English-translators preparing the 1978 first English edition of The One–Straw Revolution, Chris Pearce, Tsune Kurosawa and Larry Korn, to use the English apparent-mystery-phrase "do-nothing" (including often inside quotation marks) for Wú wéi mu i (無為, unconditioned...). Seemingly, he intended "do-nothing" as a mystery phrase in English language, to usher readers to ourselves directly realise the meaning, by having direct, non-verbal, ineffable, experiences, as well understood in "Oriental natural philosophy"; Including as manifested in his practise of, and as experienced in the practise of Nature Farming. If this is as it seems, he took an insightful multi-level-meaning-approach to the English translation.

His subsequent reprise, in his Japanese and his English-translation, quote:


Works quotations and citations[edit]

  1. ^ 1975 (in Japanese) 自然農法-わら一本の革命 (in English) 1978 re-presentation (US edition) The One–Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming p. 124, quoting:
    ...human knowledge--discriminating and non-discriminating.** People generally believe that unmistaken recognition of the world is possible through discrimination alone. Therefore, the word "nature" as it is generally spoken, denotes nature as it is perceived by the discriminating intellect. I deny the empty image of nature as created by the human intellect, and clearly distinguish it from nature itself as experienced by non-discriminating understanding. If we eradicate the false conception of nature, I believe the root of the world's disorder will disappear. ..." - the footnote explanation, quoting: "**This is a distinction made by many Oriental philosophers. Discriminating knowledge is derived from the analytic, wilful intellect in an attempt to organize experience into a logical framework. ...in this process, the individual sets himself apart from nature. It is the "limited scientific truth and judgement" discussed on pg. 84. Non-discriminating knowledge arises without conscious effort on the part of the individual when experience is accepted as it is, without interpretation of the intellect. While discriminating knowledge is essential for analyzing practical problems in the world, ... ultimately it provides too narrow a perspective.
  2. ^ 2001 (in Japanese) わら一本の革命　総括編　—粘土団子の旅— [(a title translation:) The One–Straw Revolution: Recapitulation -Journeying [around Earth] with clay seed balls-] –under the heading 「矛盾の誕生」 p. 83 second column,
  3. ^ 1992 (in Japanese) わら一本の革命・総括編「神と自然と人の革命」 (in English) 1996 translation The Ultimatum of God Nature The One–Straw Revolution: A Recapitulation –under the heading "The Birth and Expansion of Contradictions" p. 110, top half
  4. ^ 1975 (in Japanese) 自然農法-緑の哲学の理論と実践 (in English) 1985 translation -updated 1987 The Natural Way Of Farming-The Theory and Practice of Green Philosophy pp. 132 and 190-216, -p. 132, quoting:
    There is a fundamental difference between nature and the doctrine of laissez-faire or non-intervention. Laissez-faire is the abandoning of nature by man after he has altered it, such as leaving a pine tree untended after it has been transplanted in a garden and pruned, or suddenly letting a calf out to pasture in a mountain meadow after raising it on formula milk.
  5. ^ 1992 (in Japanese) わら一本の革命・総括編「神と自然と人の革命」 (in English) 1996 translation The Ultimatum of God Nature The One–Straw Revolution: A Recapitulation pp. 5, 50, 97-8, 206-208 -p. 98, quoting:
    To put it very briefly, my theory is that human knowledge and actions have destroyed nature, and thus, if we abandon them and leave nature to nature, nature will recover on its own. This does not, however, mean nonintervention.
  6. ^ a b 1975 (in Japanese) 自然農法-わら一本の革命 (in English) 1978 re-presentation The One–Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (edition of 31 July 2010) page: mui (無為, "unconditioned") an "Oriental natural philosophy" meaning: text by "C. Muller (source(s): YBh-Ind) : Uncompounded, uncreated; ... that which is not arisen on the basis of causes and conditions. That which is unconnected with the relationship of cause and effect. Absolutely eternal true reality which transcends arising-changing-cessation. Another name for nirvāṇa or tathatā. This was originally an important technical term in Daoism." -simplified Chinese: 无为; traditional Chinese: 無爲; pinyin: Wú wéi (Sanskrit: असंस्कृत, romanized: asaṃskṛta Tibetan: འདུས་མ་བྱས, Wylie: 'dus ma byas) -login required, use username=guest password= (without a password)
  2. ^ hootenfarmer blog, Japan, -mui-kipedia pages, specific Japanese blog about Fukuoka Masanobu (福岡 正信), shizen nōhō (自然農法, Nature Farming), nendo dango (粘土団子, clay seed balls), and more related topics, including recently these linked specific 'mui-kipedia'・... ("ムイ（無為）キペディア・無為の種蒔き百科事典", mui (mui) kipedia・...) pages on his specific writings relating mui (無為). (Japanese only; Retrieved 30 November 2010)
  3. ^ TIA: The One–Straw Revolution by the Reverent Eater -online blog.
  4. ^ Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (edition of 31 July 2010) page: mu (無, "non-existent") an "Oriental natural philosophy" simplified Chinese: 无; traditional Chinese: 無; pinyin: wú -login required, use username=guest password= (without a password)
  5. ^ Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (edition of 1 November 2010) page: mu shin (無心, "lacking (defiled) thought") an "Oriental natural philosophy" meaning: text by "C. Muller: "[Chan] Without discriminating thought. Without special purpose or aim (Skt. *acetana). Natural, spontaneous. [cmuller]" Chinese: 無心; pinyin: wúxīn -login required, use username=guest password= (without a password)
  6. ^ a b Masanobu Fukuoka's 2002 Oct teachings at the Navdanya India Nature as Teacher workshop relayed by Kristi in brief-part, 2003 Jan quote part:
    Fukuoka said that while most farmers run around asking questions like "how do i do this?" or "what can i do about this?", he asks "how can i NOT do this?" or "how can i let nature do this for me?" but, he reminded us that his techniques are not literally do-nothing. they are more like do nothing against nature.
    -Fukuoka Farming Yahoo! group 31 January 2003
  7. ^ Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (edition of 31 July 2010) page: mu fun betsu (無分別, "devoid of discrimination", in English-translations': "non-discrimination"), an "Oriental natural philosophy" meaning: text by "C. Muller, S. Hodge; (reference(s): Nakamura): Without differentiation, devoid of conceptualizing (Skt. nirvikalpa,avikalpa, vinikalpa; Tib. rnam par rtog pa med pa, rnam par mi rtog pa, mi rtog pa). The function of a state of mind where there is freedom from making distinctions between objects, or between subject and objects, normally considered to be the superior mode of function of the enlightened mind in Mahāyāna Buddhism." -login required, use username=guest password= (without a password)
  8. ^ Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (edition of 31 July 2010) page: shi zen (自然, "spontaneously") meaning: text by "C. Muller: [Basic Meaning:] spontaneously; Senses: Automatically, naturally; of itself, despite effort. The situation of a person having no intention at all towards anybody to even the slightest extent. Existing in freedom without any attachment. [cmuller; source(s): JEBD,Yokoi]; The original nature of things; original nature (Skt. dharma-svabhāva-mudrā). Suchness, thusness 眞如 (Skt. tathatā). The appearance of true reality as it is, or a thing just as it is. [cmuller]; Self-existent (Skt. svayaṃ-bhū); also 自爾; 法爾 self-existing, the self-existent; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and others. [cmuller; source(s): Soothill]" -login required, use username=guest password= (without a password) -Chinese: 自然; pinyin: zìrán
  9. ^ Muller, A. Charles, ed. Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (edition of 1 October 2010) page: mui jinen/shizen (無為自然, unconditioned nature, Fukuoka, Masanobu's "do-nothing nature")-automatically changed to:>無爲自然 (using an older traditional kanji rendering of 為), an "Oriental natural philosophy" meaning: text by "C. Muller; source(s): Nakamura,Soothill (Dictionary References: Bulgyo sajeon754b-36 Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura)1313b Soothill380) Basic Meaning: unconditioned and spontaneous Senses: Causeless and spontaneous, a tr. of nivṛtti. 〔無量壽經 T 360.12.275c12〕 " -Chinese: 無爲自然; pinyin: wúwéi zìrán -login required, use username=guest password= (without a password)
  10. ^ Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary Fifth ed. 2003, Tokyo -page 2517 quote:
    むいしぜん【無為自然】〔老荘思想の [translation: The thought of Laozi and Zhuangzi]〕 abandoning artifice and (just) being oneself.
  11. ^ Blog of Partap C. Aggarwal Indian associate of Mr. Fukuoka, eulogy page: Fukuoka sensei reflecting on his dying blog post 27 August 2008. He was a student and "brother" (peer) of Mr. Fukuoka sensei meeting him numerous times in India, USA & so on. -quote:
    His insight was to blend with nature all our actions.
    He organised the first Indian English publishing of The One–Straw Revolution, with Mr. Fukuoka's permission, by The Friends Rural Centre, Rasulia, Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, in 1983–4 onwards, many imprints. Blog post 2 February 2008
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