In October 2007 I visited Japan for a series of lectures and consultations. The lectures took place at several venues in Tokyo and in Osaka. In Tokyo, I lectured on Nine Star Ki at Nippon CI (NCI), the macrobiotic center started many years ago by George and Lima Ohsawa. Many students requested Nine Ki consultations. I also gave lectures sponsored by Mamman Terrace, the macrobiotic restuarant and food company with restaraunts in Osaka and Tokyo. In all, several hundred people participated in the events.

Throughout most of 2007, my activities focused on the Quantum Rabbit project. I started Quantum Rabbit (QR) in 2005, together with Alex Jack and Woody Johnson, to revive and experiment with George Ohsawa’s theory of low energy transmutation. Atomic transmutation, in which elements can be guided to change into each other under relatively normal conditions, became Ohsawa’s passion toward the end of his life. He was able to confirm the theory with simple experiments before he died. The process described by Ohsawa is known by the names Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR) and others. We’ve renamed the process “Quantum Conversion,” since it seems to be taking place in the quantum realm of very tiny particles. At the QR laboratory in Vermont, we have conducted dozens of experiments based on Ohsawa’s reports. The lab is located on the Connecticut River and is powered by hydroelectric power. Test results are promising. For example, we have successfully changed non-magnetic graphite (carbon) into a powder with magnetic properties. We have also changed charcoal (primarily carbon), also non-magnetic, into a magnetic powder. These results may confirm Ohsawa’s hypothesis that an electric charge, like lightning, can cause carbon (yang) to react with oxygen (yin) to form iron and other magnetic elements.

Rice may be pressure cooked or boiled with a heavy cover. Either way is fine. But if you pressure cook, a little more water may be added than in the past. Then, in regard to animal food, fish is OK. especially white meat fish from the ocean that is less polluted than inland varieties.

The macrobiotic way has generally discouraged sweets, except for grain-based sweets such as barley malt, rice syrup, vegetable sweets like pumpkin, carrot, and chestnut, fruit sweets such as cooked apples. Now, I feel sweet consumption may be expanded. We may also add a little maple syrup and natural beet sugar. Again, the reason is that our environment is becoming more and more yang, warmer, and there has been a large increase of electricity and artificial electromagnetic radiation. To balance these influences, we need to make ourselves wider, more yin.–From Amberwaves Issue Number 17. Visit www.Amberwaves.org for info on ordering the complete interview with Michio Kushi.

At the end of August, Sennin Esko returned to the U.S. after a year of study in Germany. Pictured here with his grandmother, Lotte (R), and mother, Bettina Zumdick, Sennin spent a year in Europe studying German language and culture. While in Germany, he entered a play writing competition and won first prize for his region. The play was performed at a special competition in Berlin.

Photo: Edward Esko

Peace for all people on the earth. –Wael, in e-mail from Jordan.
On July 27, I had the honor of receiving the 2006 Aveline Kushi Award. The Award Ceremony was held at the Macrobiotic Summer Conference at Green Mountain College in Vermont. In attendance were Michio Kushi, Shizuko Yamamoto, and macrobiotic teachers and students from around the world.

The Aveline Award is presented by the Kushi Institute in deep appreciation and recognition of outstanding long-time leadership in the macrobiotic movement, dedication to improving health in individuals, families, and communities, and commitment to world peace.  Lino Stanchich, the popular macrobiotic teacher and author, also received a 2006 Aveline Award. Previous recipients have included Cornelia Aihara (2004), Denny Waxman and Sandy Pukel (2005).

I used the occasion to announce the creation of a new internet site, www.PlanetaryCommonwealth.org. In my acceptance speech I stated:

Aveline was able to come to America because she sold the most copies of a small newsletter entitled, World Government that was published in Tokyo by George Ohsawa.

I’m happy to announce that this year’s Aveline Award will be used to begin a web site PlanetaryCommonwealth.org, dedicated to Aveline’s dream of One Peaceful World. If you visit PlanetaryCommonwealth.org, you’ll see the first draft of the Declaration of Planetary Commonwealth. I invite you to sign the Declaration and join Planetary Commonwealth. Please consider Planetary Commonwealth.org to be your domain.

An event such as the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister to Elvis’s home at Graceland, together with the American President, reminds us that everything changes. The bitterest enemies can become the closest friends. Our planet is shrinking. We live in One World.

Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence inspired the Declaration of Planetary Commonwealth. It was also inspired by the dedication of macrobiotic seniors, beginning with George Ohsawa, to the dream of world peace through world federation. The reality today is that we live in one world. The planet itself has become the sovereignty that transcends others. The World Wide Web is a tool for linking like-minded individuals around the globe–participatory democracy on a planetary scale.

The principle of commonality and difference that underlies macrobiotic philosophy is the foundation of Planetary Commonwealth. The key to health and peace in the future lies in affirming the factors all of us share as human beings, while respecting the endless diversity of human experience. As stated on the web site, Planetary Commonwealth has no fixed address. It exits in the hearts and minds of everyone who shares the dream of health and peace.

From the time that PlanetaryCommonwealth.org went “live” on the net, people around the world have signed the Declaration and sent messages of support. Writing from Scotland, Bill Tara stated: The state of the planet is a direct reflection of the health of humanity. When humanity discovers the authentic state of health and the deep appreciation of the natural world, there will be peace among nations.

Bob Carr sent the following message:  The universe is orderly and peaceful: may we reflect this glory in our lives.

A doctor from Hungary emphasized the key to world peace in her message: Our health, happiness and destiny is influenced by the quality of food we eat.

Among the messages sent by friends around the world, those from the Middle East are especially poignant. Writing from Kuwait, Hussain states, Peace should be our priority.

From Baghdad, Batool writes, I agree.

On each page of Planetary Commonwealth.org is a statement that reads:

This document is presented for free and unlimited distribution. We encourage you to e-mail, print, copy, translate, record, duplicate, and distribute it through any and all possible technologies, including the human voice.

Just as one grain planted as seed yields ten thousand new grains, my hope is that the dream of Planetary Commonwealth will spread across our beautiful planet earth.

As I wrote in the One Peaceful World Song:

In each and every country
And each and every land
The people of our planet
Will start to understand
That we can live together
In peace and harmony
And love will grow between us
Like one big family

.
Edward Esko is a renowned author and lecturer. Visit www.PlanetaryCommonwealth.org to view the Declaration and comments from around the world.

On August 30, the Lundberg Rice Truck arrived in Massachusetts from California carrying 25,000 lbs of unhulled organic short grain paddy rice. A crew of seven unloaded the rice and stacked it in the Kushi Store warehouse in Becket. The rice is freshly hulled prior to sale. The Kushi Store is the sole distributor of freshly hulled organic rice in the US. Unhulled paddy rice is made available to the Kushi Store by special arrangement with Lundberg Family Farms.

Dear Mr. Esko,

Thank you very much for your quick reply. Your classification of Yin and Yang answered my previous questions but create other questions for me. I am interrested in using foods for disease prevention. For a yang person with hot symptoms for example, yin foods will be recommended to balance a yang body. Using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), I would use foods with cooling energy such as most vegetables, but I would not use spice foods or wines. Using Macrobiotics, I would also use vegetables, but it appears that it would not hurt to use spicy foods or wines since they are also yin foods by your classification. Is this correct? Please help me clarify this.

EE Replies:

In our approach to symptoms we elaborate basic yin and yang into the five transformations, or stages. So for example, a yang person with hot symptoms would be manifesting an excess of highly expansive fire energy. Foods with the opposite, or water nature of energy would be used to cancel excess heat or fire. A food such as tofu is classified as water nature and has cooling effects on the body, especially when applied raw to the skin. A plaster made from raw tofu is often used to eliminate fever.

Wine, which is composed of simple sugars, which are quickly metabolized (burning) in the body would make the symptom worse, as would spices which generate heat, or fire energy.

I hope these examples help clarify your understanding.
Once again, thanks for your questions. Feel free to write with any additional thoughts.

Dear Mr. Esko,

I read your book “Yin Yang Primer - A Guide to the Unifying Principle of Macrobiotics” with strong interest. Probably this is the first book discussing Yin and Yang in such details and depth.

I learned a lot from this book. However, I am a little confused since some Yin Yang aspects discussed in your book are in contrast with the Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1) In your book (Chapter Eight), you refer to Nei Ching and you classify internal organs such as (Lung, Kidney, Liver, Heart and Spleen) as Yang organs and associated organs such as (Large Intestine, Bladder, Small Intestine, Gallblader and Stomach) as Yin organs. This classification is reversed of all Oriental medicine textbooks which say that organs such as Lung are Yin, and organs such as Large Intestine are Yang.

2) About food energy, Macrobiotics classify salt as Yang foods and spicy foods as Yin foods. This is also reversed of Traditional Chinese Medicine which say that salt is Yin since it has cooling energy and spicy foods are Yang since spicy foods are hot.

I am in a learning process and I would appreciate it very much if you could clarify for me.the above points

EE Replies:

Thanks for your inquiry. The more we question and discuss, the deeper our understanding becomes.

Your statement regarding the classification of the organs is true. Please note however that our classification is based on the criteria established in Chapter 3. We are using a physical classification here; in other words, organs like the kidneys and liver with their more dense and compact structure are classified as yang, while hollow or more expanded organs like the bladder and intestines are classified as yin. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) view is based on the opposite, or energetic perspective. In other words, organs like the bladder and intestines have more active energy and are classified as yang, while organs like the spleen and kidney are less active and therefore yin. Both points of view are correct. It simply depends upon your criteria or perspective.

In regard to food energies, we classify foods by their effect. So, for example, salt has a yang or contractive effect on the body. Spices cause capillaries to dilate or expand. Therefore we regard them as yin. Once again, a matter of perspective. Please consult the Classification of Yin and Yang in Chapter 3 as a guide to the criteria we are using.

Fresh corn adds a light touch to this fried rice. Crumbled tofu adds extra protein, kind of like a vegetarian version of egg fried rice.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 ear cooked corn on the cob
1/3rd package tofu
1 medium onion
several scallions
organic shoyu (soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:
1. Remove kernels from corn with a knife and place in a bowl.
2. Slice onion.
3. Place olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion.
4. Add leftover brown rice and mix.
5. Add corn kernels and mix.
6. After several minutes add crumbled tofu to rice and corn (crumble over the skillet with your fingertips.)
7. Mix with wooden spoon and  season to taste with organic shoyu. Cover and let cook over a low flame for several minutes.
8. Garnish with chopped fresh scallion and serve. (You can garnish with several drops shoyu if more flavor is desired.)

A diet high in grains, vegetables, beans, fruits and fish appears to cut the risk of Alzheimer’s, a new study concluded. People who followed this Mediterranean-style approach to eating werer up to 40 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who followed a conventional diet. The study conducted by Dr. Nikolaos Scarmeas of the Columbia Universtiy Medical Center was published recently only by the Annals of Neurology. The diet investigated in the study has many parallels with a macrobiotic diet, including a limited intake of meat and dairy and the use of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. Earlier research also suggests that a diet such as this reduces the risk of heart disease.

Copyright 2006 Edward Esko. All rights reserved.