George Ohsawa

Georges Ohsawa, English: George Ohsawa, actually: Yukikazu Sakurazawa (桜 沢 如一, alternatively Nyoiti or Nyoichi Sakurazawa read ) (* October 18, 1893, † April 23, 1966 ) was a Japanese philosopher and the most important representatives of the macrobiotic diet teaching.

Name

During his stay in Europe he also wrote under the names Musagendo Sakurazawa, Nyoiti Sakurazawa and Yukikazu Sakurazawa. He used the French first name Georges while living in France. During this time he allegedly took his new name " Ohsawa " to, after the French " oh, ça va", which means something like: " Oh, it's good." In some books and translations can be found incorrectly spelling " Oshawa ".

Life

Ohsawa was born during the time of the Meiji Restoration in a family whose father was descended from samurai. His family was poor and he had to leave school after compulsory education, as there was no money for higher education. He then embarked on a spiritual path. They are triggered applies Ohsawas tuberculosis disease that overtook him at a young age and had died on the already mother and several siblings. He made ​​contact with the established by the Japanese military doctor say Ishizuka movement Shoku - yo Kai on ( " healing through food" ). Ohsawa followed and studied the lifestyle and dietary rules of the movement from 1913 at Nishibata Manabu, a student of the word Ishizuka, in Tokyo. In later books, he writes to his cure from tuberculosis this situation and begins to develop the methods of Ishizuka. His studies continued Ohsawa continued in Europe ( especially in France ), returned after a few years returned to Japan in order to establish a foundation. The first trailer for his now formalized philosophy came there. During the Second World War, he formulated pacifist ideals and moved his institution in a remote area in the mountains of Yamanashi Prefecture. After 1945, Ohsawa focused on the dissemination of his teaching, which he called macrobiotics or The only principle in Europe and the USA and found many followers quickly.

The doctrine Ohsawas

Ohsawas life's work was the development and placement of macrobiotics, which he regarded as the only way to obtain happiness, health and a long life. The two major works Ohsawas are "The Miracle of dietetics " ( about the philosophy of the Far East ) and "Zen Macrobiotics " ( about his nutrition and the practice of Oriental medicine ).

Macrobiotics is for him a philosophical system and a practice.

After Ohsawa Macrobiotic which is basically the foundation of science and all philosophies and religions of the Far East. Its implementation is the solution of all practical problems in life. It applies to Ohsawa, therefore, the perception of reality, that is to recognize the laws of nature itself and apply in daily life. The basis: The world is a manifestation of embodied infinite, one and undifferentiated. This an infinite principle can be divided into two principles: an expanding force ( Yin) and a constricting force ( Yang ). Through their contrast to the infinite manifesting itself Nevertheless, it remains always shared. Both forces are striving to find a balance again. This constant re-creation of the ( lost? ) Unit producing all the phenomena of the manifest world by the interaction of complementary opposites. Since this phenomenon is infinite and the relative world is an expression of this phenomenon, each stage of development of the world is in each case a different stage of evolution. Therefore, this view encompasses the concepts of unity of all things, the unbroken continuity and constant change.

Works

Published in German language are, inter alia:

• Zen Macrobiotics
• Macrobiotics
• Life and death
• The only principle. The philosophy of macrobiotics
• Practical Guide to macrobiotic healing of the Far East
• Survival Guide Macrobiotics
• Also, you are Sanpaku
• Macrobiotic nutrition by Ohsawa. Transferred and compiled by Jiro Nakamura and Marie Arnoldi Translated from Japanese, publisher Fritz Gebhard, Heidelberg, 11th revised edition 1980, ISBN no.