eSOM
The Road to D, or the Story of Singularity High School (SHS) and Cowa
2025.05.09
『The Road to D, or the Story of Cowa』(6): NYC Buddhism, Calligraphy, and the “Birth of Vagabondism (Iki/Cool)” as the “Culture of D”
1. Even the content of the first “Home Economics Basics” schooling session, which I discussed in 『The Road to D』(5), already connects with various subjects beyond just home economics. First is calligraphy (art). Through the “construction” of the art of calligraphy, we physically understand what “flow” is. This is because there is a theory that “ku (emptiness)” as advocated in 『The Book of Five Rings』 written by Musashi Miyamoto, who was also an accomplished calligrapher, is “flow.” Therefore, in the compulsory subject “Japanese Language and Culture,” we will learn about the final chapter of 『The Book of Five Rings』, “Emptiness.” On the other hand, SDGs (and the United Nations, its main body) and ESG investment, which are part of the content of the first “Home Economics Basics” schooling session, are studied in ”Civics” in social studies. Furthermore, in relation to SDG goal “16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions,” current international conflicts, for which resolution should be the top priority in all “global issues,” will be explored in all social studies subjects, particularly history and geography, along with their solutions. In this way, the curriculum of SHS forms a complex system centered on “Home Economics”. 2. So, what about “Clothing,” “Food,” and “Shelter,” which will be studied from the second session onwards of the compulsory subject “Home Economics Basics”? First, these also relate to SDG”16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.” How so? Simply put, social sciences have proven that the exploitation and expropriation of people in developing countries, who are the main producers of the essential elements of human life—clothing, food, and shelter—by a minority who belong to developed countries, and the resulting poverty in developing countries, are fundamental causes of international conflict. The historical and theoretical connections between ① clothing, food, and shelter, ② (post-)colonialism, and ③ poverty and war will be studied at “Cowa University” (tentative name), which is scheduled to open several years from now, in relation to Mr. Karatani’s theory of modes of exchange. Social studies at SHS is positioned as its “preparatory course.” On the other hand, clothing, food, and shelter are also closely linked to technology, engineering (manufacturing), and therefore science and art. In other words, “Home Economics” is also the “entrance” to STEAM education. In relation to the second schooling session, “‘Constructing My Vagabond Self’ (1): Clothing,” we will read Kuki Shūzō’s 『The Structure of Iki』 in the compulsory subject “Japanese Language and Culture.” Undeniably, 『The Structure of Iki』 is the most important text for SHS. A detailed explanation of 『The Structure of Iki』 can be found here: g.co/gemini/share/1 Professor Kuki states that a “suijin (粋人),” a person who has mastered the Japanese aesthetic of “iki (粋), is a “wanderer who continues ‘continued finiteness’.” (Note: Although I have been blessed with many excellent teachers, the only individuals I call with the title “sensei” (which I usually resist to use) are Kuki Shūzō and Yasujirō Ozu, who had continued to create films that I consider the “ultimate expression of iki.”) In the English translation of 『The Structure of Iki』, the “wanderer” in this quotation is translated as “vagabond.” And I believe that this “wanderer = vagabond = suijin” discussed in this passage is given the ultimate artistic expression by the “Musashi = Vagabond” that Inoue began to draw with a brush during the serialization of Vagabond. In fact, the “Vagabond (Musashi)” drawn by Inoue wanders relentlessly, and his appearance and demeanor embody the elements of iki that Kuki advocates. 3. The “vagabond/suijin” constructs “Cowa = A” as an inquiry-based learning student, and as a result, “Cowa = A” as a whole becomes “Ryoma” who constructs “D.” If so, iki itself is the driving force that turns “Cowa” members into “vagabonds,” and makes them construct “A” and then “D.” The definition of iki as “‘coquetry’ that has gained ‘resignation’ through ‘fate’ living freely with ‘spirit'” seems synonymous with “becoming vagabond/Ryoma” which is Cowa’s ultimate goal in the above sense. In other words, by globalizing this unique Japanese culture, the “culture of D” should be born. Let’s write “globalized iki” as “iki/cool.” This is because, through my many years of living in America (not limited to just the “United States”), I felt that the English word “cool” was closest to the iki as I understand it (note: it is “neither close nor far” from the Japanese word “クール”). And “iki/cool” is given the ultimate musical expression by Bill Evans’ piano intro to Miles Davis’ “So What,” the first track of Kind of Blue (1959), which followed Birth of the Cool (1957; recorded in 1949, 1950). Also, it is expressed so vividly in the sound of A Love Supreme (January 1965; recorded December 9, 1964) by John Coltrane who participated in the production of Kind of Blue. In constructing “D,” the construction of “iki/cool,” which is the “culture of D,” is indispensable. I named it “Vagabondism” in my final academic paper, “A Secret History.” SHS will be the place for the “birth of Vagabondism (iki/cool).” 4. In fact, SHS is directly related to the “birth of cool” in New York City (NYC) in the 1950s and 1960s. It’s not just because NYC is one of my hometowns. Jazz musicians of the 1950s and 1960s’ NYC, such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane, who created jazz styles like “cool” and “mode,” were greatly influenced by Daisetsu Suzuki’s Buddhism. One reason Suzuki’s Buddhism had a significant impact on musicians and writers (the Beat Generation) in NYC at the time was that Suzuki lectured at Columbia University located in Harlem, NYC, in the 1950s. On the other hand, Suzuki was from the same hometown as Kitaro Nishida, a central figure of the “Kyoto School philosophy,” and they were lifelong close friends. And Nishida and Kuki had such a deep spiritual connection that just ten days before Nishida passed away on June 7, 1945, he inscribed the epitaph (a line from Goethe’s “Wanderer’s Night Song”) for Kuki’s tombstone (who died on May 6, 1941) while in his sickbed. In other words, the Buddhism that Kuki discusses as one of the three major elements of iki in 『The Structure of Iki』 is fundamentally connected to Nishida’s philosophy and even to the Buddhism that influenced Miles and Coltrane’s works in the 1950s and 60s. 5. Through the artistic activities in NYC in the 1950s and 1960s, and Daisetsu Suzuki’s Buddhism that influenced them, iki and calligraphy become connected. A crucial role here is played by Allen Ginsberg, a central figure of the “Beat Generation.” Regarding the “Beat Generation,” please see here: g.co/gemini/share/f The story of Ginsberg, who was active in San Francisco and became strongly interested in Daisetsu Suzuki’s Buddhism, especially Zen, through calligraphy, is well-known. He attended the San Francisco Zen Center in the late 1950s, listened to Suzuki’s lectures, and participated in calligraphy workshops. Ginsberg was deeply impressed by the philosophy of Zen, the practice of meditation, and the spontaneity and spirituality of calligraphy, and it is said that this had a significant impact on his poetry. In his poems, we can see an awareness of the Zen concept of “this very moment” and an emphasis on direct experience. Furthermore, the energy of a single brushstroke in calligraphy and the free expression unconstrained by form resonate with his poetic style. Don’t you think that what is being said here about Ginsberg’s poetry has something in common with Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings? In any case, while there were other Beat Generation poets and writers who encountered Zen through Daisetsu Suzuki’s writings and lectures, Allen Ginsberg is particularly known as a figure who entered the world of Zen through the concrete gateway of calligraphy and deeply reflected its influence in his art. In this way, iki and calligraphy, connected through Musashi (Vagabond) and Buddhism, become more strongly related through Daisetsu Suzuki as well as the jazz and literary movements in NYC in the 1950s and 60s that were under Suzuki’s influence. And “iki/cool” will rapidly globalize through Buddhism and calligraphy, heading towards “Vagabondism” as the “culture of D.” From SHS. From Yasuura Commons. (To be continued)
