Kiyozawa Manshi's Genzai-anju (Peaceful Settlement in the Present Time)

Consideration of its aspect of time

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the aspect of time in Kiyozawa Manshi's Genzai-anju. In the early part of my study, I refer to the criticism of Soga Ryojin against Kiyozawa's Seishin-shugi (Spiritual Activism). The main point of the criticism by Soga, in short, is the lack of the practice of compassion and the norm of conduct for the future in Kiyozawa's Genzaianju.
In the second part of this paper, I consider “Seishinshugi-to-sanze” as Kiyozawa's reply to the criticism of Soga. Kiyozawa responds to this criticism, saying that “Seishin-shugi is Akirame-shugi (the resignation attitude) for the past, Seishin-shugi is Anju-shugi (peaceful settlement) in the present, Seishin-shugi is Funrei-shugi (doing one's best) for the future.” [KMZ, vol. 6, p. 91] Besides he insists that the principal aim of the Seishin-shugi is peaceful settlement in the present time. In the course of my argument it should become clear that Kiyozawa insists that compassion does not have meaning for the past and the future but has meaning for the faith in the present moment and that Genzai-anju realizes release from recollection of the past and the future and that Genzai-anju results in Akirame-shugi for the past and Funrei-shugi for the future.