Chiba Sensei's 3 Principles to a Sensible Diet

ISSUE 14 MAY 2017 Chiba Sensei’s 3 principles to a sensible diet y basic philosophy of Diet is “Shin Do Fu Ji: Body and earth are Minseparable.” Shin (body), means the physical body and presence, the “being”. Do (earth) is the multitude of conditions that comprise the “being”, includ- ing the environment, locality, and seasons. Fu Ji (inseparable), means that body and earth are one. This philosophy corresponds to the concept of the circula- Chiba Sensei tion of energy: Human beings absorb energy from other entities recognize the fact that all the life through eating, and create new forms we consume are a necessary entities with the energy we take sacrifice to maintain our lives. in. This view also parallels the This recognition is fundamental Buddhist concept of reincarna- and is the wellspring of reverence tion - the foundation of the Bud- toward life. Through it, we gain dhist view of the cosmos. awareness of the importance of All life forms depend on the self-sacrifice in our own lives as presence of other life forms. We well. exist in a continuously flowing To restate this philosophy as a cycle of life in which we eat other simple universal law applicable to life forms, absorb their energy all life forms: “Respect others!” as a source of our life force and Reverence toward life can be create other life forms with manifested through three prin- the energy we have absorbed. ciples of recognition: (1) Know The reincarnation theory of what is enough. (2) Do not Buddhism is not only an abstract waste. (3) Do not devour. These concept of rebirth to another are the principles of eating. These life, but also a reality happening three principles point to one before our very eyes. We must central theme: We should not continued on page 2 CONTENTS 1 Diet Shihan TK Chiba 3 New Dojo Alexander Gheorghiu 5 Seminar in Kolonos Alexander Gheorghiu Closing date for submission for Nov 2017 issue: 31 Sept 2017 BIRANKAI EUROPE NEWSLETTER EUROPE BIRANKAI MUSUBI BIRANKAI EUROPE ‘A sensible diet... continued from page 1 Founder Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan sacrifice more than what we need in the universal flow of life. These principles of recogni- European Birankai Shihankai tion lead us to the importance Norberto Chiesa 6th Dan, Birankai of mindful chewing when we France eat. Chewing well is important Gabriel Valibouze 6th Dan, Birankai because of the physiological France necessity of absorbing nutrition, Shinto, humans are not above Dee Chen 6th Dan, British Birankai but it is also significant because all other creatures, and therefore Tony Cassells 6th Dan, British Birankai it creates a quiet dialogue with cannot do whatever they wish to Chris Mooney 6th Dan, British Birankai the life forms being sacrificed. other life forms. MIke Flynn 6th Dan, Scottish and Through this dialogue we unite Now let’s return to my basic Borders Birankai Daniel Brunner 6th Dan, Birankai with other life forms. Only theme, the “Shin Do Fu Ji” Switzerland then are we able truly to taste philosophy. First of all, the actual Patrick Barthélémy 6th Dan, Birankai the essence of the sacrificed life practice of the philosophy - in France forms. other words, the fundamentals Joe Curran 6th Dan, British Birankai The Eastern and Western views of diet - should be based on the on this subject are quite different. earth. This means that the food Member Countries Christianity teaches us that God you consume should be based Birankai Austria and human beings are in sepa- on the life forms indigenous to Birankai France rate domains, and that humans your locale, ie life forms which Birankai Germany and other life forms are also in grow in the same environment Hellenic Birankai separate domains. It teaches us in which you live. Moreover, Birankai Israel that other life forms are created you should eat food in season Birankai Poland for humankind. This is a very (spring, summer, fall, winter). Birankai Portugal “human centered” view of the The advancement of refrigera- Birankai Switzerland British Birankai universe. tion technology and worldwide Scottish and Borders Birankai Buddha taught that “Weeds, transportation allows us to eat trees, the earth and all creation anything at any time. Without can have Buddha’s nature.” In being conscious of it, we eat this view, not only human beings, foods from all over the world, BE Musubi is published twice but also weeds, trees, earth and even if they are not in season annually in May and November. English edition available on rubble may have Buddha’s nature! locally. In this day of modern www.britishbirankai.com and Similarly, Shinto religion convenience, we need to pay the French edition on teaches us that there are eight particular attention to the food www.birankai.eu/shiun_fr.html million gods in the universe. we consume. This means that from a Shinto Second, you must eat food perspective, we see gods within which is as close to its original Individual article reflects the author’s all life forms as well as in natural form as possible. Thus, when you own views. All submissions may be phenomena. In Buddhism and eat rice, eat genmai (brown rice). edited due to space constraints and When you eat wheat, eat unpro- should be sent to the Editor. cessed flour. When you eat fish, eat it whole, as much as possible. Small fish should be eaten as they Editor (English): Dee Chen are (head and all). Large ones can [email protected] be cooked with skin and bones Editor (French): Jean-luc Busmey intact. If you eat vegetables, eat [email protected] roots, leaves, stems and flowers. Sub-editor: Wellington Tsang In short, you should basically eat [email protected] foods which are processed to the Design Consultant: Franco Chen least extent possible. Third, eat foods that still have © Copyright 2017 life (ki) in them. The question All rights reserved. you should ask is whether what Reproduction is prohibited without you are about to eat will grow express written permission if you plant it in the earth. Is 15062017 Mrs Chiba barbecuing at party in it alive? (Does it have ki?) Eat San Diego 1988 food that is as close to this state 2 BE MUSUBI MAY 2017 as possible. Examples of these love to eat, tastes completely has physical flexibility but who foods are root vegetables, beans, different when naturally caught lacks muscle and body strength. unrefined grains, seaweed and in the ocean than it does when If I describe flexibility versus seeds. They are closest to the farmed. If you must eat meat, to strength as negative (-) versus ideal foods. In the case of fish, the greatest extent possible select positive (+), he is too much on the basic method of cooking kinds that are raised in a natural the negative (-) side. In order to should be cooking whole (head, environment. Lamb is close to regain the ideal balance in his skin, flesh and bones). Dried the ideal meat in this sense. body, he must include the follow- or smoked fish, deep fried fish, The reason why I fish so ing items in his diet: high quality small fish tempura, etc, are ideal frequently is that I don’t trust protein (grains, beans, naturally methods of fish preparation. the fish that are available in raised meat or fish), a variety You should be careful about markets today. Prepared filets of vegetables (burdock, carrots, meat, however. Meat can be can be washed too much, to the radish, turnips, yams, onions, appropriate for people in cold point where nutrients have been potatoes, etc), and all kinds of climates. On the other hand, we washed off the meat. Also, they seaweed. They are positive (+) Japanese have been vegetarians are no longer a totally balanced yang foods. Consumption of for a long time and have a rather food since they are missing these sorts of foods will offset his short history with the practice heads, bones and skin. They have strong (-) tendency. In addition, of eating meat. Consumption no power to harmonize. he should include high quality of a large quantity of meant has The importance of diet is vegetable oils and salt, such as physiologically harmful effects on that it is the foundation of the sesame oil and natural vegetable us. We have a longer small intes- creative development of life and oil and neutralized salts such as sesame salt, miso (soy bean paste) and umeboshi (pickled plum). These are (+) foods. Even if he doesn’t like fish bones, smelt and smoked whitefish - when broiled well - are good companions to beer. Ancient Japanese wisdom created miso soup with dried small fish in the soup stock. It is a well known fact that during the Russo-Japanese and Sino-Japanese wars, Japanese soldiers’ body strength (stamina) was number one in the world - even though, based on European standards of nutrition, it should have been among the worst because of their “poor” diet, from a European point of view. Nowadays the simple traditional Chiba Sensei and son Kotetsu fishing on pier in San Diego 1988 Japanese diet is being reevaluated in light of contemporary nutri- tine than Europeans (because we living. We must not neglect what tional excesses. were traditionally vegetarians). kind of food we consume. The As I mentioned above, diet Therefore meat remains in our conscious choice of diet is also is the foundation of life activi- bodies longer, and the decaying a concrete way to recognize and ties. At the same time, as we are meat acidifies our blood. feel one’s participation in the law social animals (beings), it is the When you eat meat, also eat of universal nature.

Load more