Imaoka's "My Principles of Living"

#thought #seedling #flashcards

The following comes from Andrew J. Brown's latest translation (July 2025) of the final revision of Imaoka's Principles of Living in 1981.

My Principles of Living — Revised Again (Tentative) [1981] Imaoka Shin’ichirō (1881-1988)

  1. I place trust/have faith in myself [私は自己を信ずる]. I am aware of my own autonomous selfhood [主体性], creativity [創造性] and sociality [社会性], and feel the worth of living [生きがい] through them. Autonomous selfhood, creativity and sociality can also be expressed as personality [人格], divinity [神性], and Buddha-nature [仏性].

  2. I place trust/have faith in others [私は他者を信ずる]. Others are neighbours who possess their own selves as others. By affirming myself, I inevitably place trust/have faith in others.

  3. I place trust/have faith in the cooperative community [私は共同社会を信ずる]. Neither self nor others exist in isolation or self-sufficiency; instead, they inevitably [必然的に] establish a mutual interdependency [相互依存], solidarity [連帯性], and a cooperative community [共同社会].

  4. I place trust/have faith in the trinity of self, others, and cooperative community [私は自己・他者・共同社会の三位一体を信ずる]. The self, others, and the cooperative community, while each possessing unique individualities, unite into one [帰一する]. Therefore, there is no precedence or superiority among them; each always presupposes the other two.

  5. I place trust/have faith in the universal/cosmic cooperative community [私は宇宙的共同社会を信ずる]. The trinity of self, others, and the cooperative community further unites with heaven and earth and all things, to form a universal/cosmic cooperative community.

  6. I place trust/have faith in the church/kyōkai [私は教会を信ずる]. The church/kyōkai is a microcosm of the universal/cosmic cooperative community. I can only be myself by being a member of the church/kyōkai.

Addendum: I interpret the above faith as jiyū shūkyō and, as a free-religionist [自由宗教人 jiyū shūkyōjin], together with my companions, I belong to the Tokyo Kiitsu Kyōkai [the Returning-to-One Gahering], the Japan Free Religion Association [日本自由宗教連盟], and the International Association for Religious Freedom. However, jiyū shūkyō is neither opposed to established religions nor does it seek to integrate them. Instead, it aims to grasp and realise the essence and ideals, not only of various religions, but also all human activities. Therefore, these principles are nothing other than the attitude of life I always wish constantly to maintain.

The following comes from Andrew J. Brown's translation of a revision of Imaoka's Principles of Living in August 1973.

“My Principles of Living” consisting of seven articles was established in February of the 40th year of Showa (1965) as my personal statement of faith. Over time, and with the support and feedback from the members of Tokyo Kiitsu Kyokai and others, it became a tradition collectively to recite these articles together during its Sunday gatherings. However, later on, I felt the need to declare faith in nature as the foundational source of human existence and life. Therefore, a new article has been added after the fourth article in the revised version below, resulting in a total of eight articles. The freedom of free religion primarily signifies individual internal freedom, and it deeply respects this freedom. Therefore, this statement of faith is not binding on the members in any way, but I would be happy if each one of you were to use it as a reference in helping you to formulate your own principles of living. In this sense, I humbly request your thoughtful consideration and critique, not only of the new fifth article, but of all the articles.

  1. I have faith (shinzuru) in myself. I recognize my own subjectivity and creativity and feel the worth of living in life (ikigai). Subjectivity and creativity can be rephrased as personality, divinity, and Buddha-nature.
  2. I have faith in my neighbour. The neighbour is oneself as a neighbour. If I believe in myself, I inevitably believe in my neighbour.
  3. I have faith in a cooperative society. Both oneself and a neighbour, while each possessing a unique personality, are not things that exist in isolation. Because of this uniqueness, a true interdependence, true solidarity, and true human love are established, and therein a cooperative society is realized.
  4. I have faith in the trinity of self, neighbour, and cooperative society. The self, neighbour, and cooperative society, while each having a unique personality, are entirely one. Therefore, there is no differentiation of precedence or superiority/inferiority between them, and one always contains the other.
  5. I have faith in the unity of life and nature (shizen). Life, which constitutes the trinity of self, neighbour, and cooperative society, further unites with all things in the universe.
  6. I have faith in the church (kyokai). The church is the prototype/archetype (genkei) and driving force of the cooperative society. I can only be myself by being a member of the church.
  7. I have faith in a specific religion. In other words, I am a member of the Tokyo Kiitsu Kyōkai. However, a specific religion (including the Tokyo Kiitsu Kyōkai) neither monopolizes religious truth nor is it the ultimate embodiment of it.
  8. I have faith in free-religion (jiyū shūkyō). While having faith in a specific religion, the endless pursuit and improvement towards universal and ultimate truth is the core of religious life. Such a dynamic religion is called a free religion.

Prompts

Year Imaoka established his Principles of Living. :: 1965

Number of articles in Imaoka's original Principles of Living. :: 7

What did members of the Tokyo Kiitsu Kyokai do with Imaoka's Principles of Living? :: Recite them during Sunday gatherings.

Why did Imaoka revise his Principles of Living in 1973? :: He added a declaration of faith to nature.

Principle 1 of Imaoka's "My Principles of Living" (1981) (hint: Don't forget MOA) :: I place trust/have faith in myself. I am aware of my own autonomous selfhood, creativity and sociality, and feel the worth of living through them. Autonomous selfhood, creativity and sociality can also be expressed as personality, divinity, and Buddha-nature.

Principle 2 of Imaoka's "My Principles of Living" (1981) :: I place trust/have faith in others. Others are neighbours who possess their own selves as others. By affirming myself, I inevitably place trust/have faith in others.

Principle 3 of Imaoka's "My Principles of Living" (1981) :: I place trust/have faith in the cooperative community. Neither self nor others exist in isolation or self-sufficiency; instead, they inevitably establish a mutual interdependency, solidarity, and a cooperative community.

Principle 4 of Imaoka's "My Principles of Living" (1981) :: I place trust/have faith in the trinity of self, others, and cooperative community. The self, others, and the cooperative community, while each possessing unique individualities, unite into one. Therefore, there is no precedence or superiority among them; each always presupposes the other two.

Principle 5 of Imaoka's "My Principles of Living" (1981) :: I place trust/have faith in the universal/cosmic cooperative community. The trinity of self, others, and the cooperative community further unites with heaven and earth and all things, to form a universal/cosmic cooperative community.

Principle 6 of Imaoka's "My Principles of Living" (1981) :: I place trust/have faith in the church/kyōkai. The church/kyōkai is a microcosm of the universal/cosmic cooperative community. I can only be myself by being a member of the church/kyōkai.

In the addendum to his My Principles of Living (1981), Imaoka called the collection of principles as jiyū shūkyō.

In the addendum to his My Principles of Living (1981), Imaoka mentioned that he was part of what three organizations? :: Tokyo Kiitsu Kyōkai, Japan Free Religion Association (JFRA), and International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF).

In the addendum to his My Principles of Living (1981), Imaoka said that jiyū shūkyō is neither opposed to established religions nor does it seek to integrate them.

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