Toynbee's view of history metamorphosed from national history to civilizations and finally to the study of higher religions, though his paternal and maternal ancestors had been Christians for over 1100 and 1300 years respectively,Toynbee was thoroughly educated in Greek and Latin studies and became a fellow of Symmachus (c. 345-c. 405): "The heart of so great a mystery can never be reached by following one road only"(A Study of History, vol.VII, 428-429)and as an historian, he was Religio Historici. He studied 29 higher religions on earth and got an idea of higher religions tolerant,ecumenical and fair-minded view of religions. The year AD 2009 is the 120th Anniversary of the birth of Arnold J.Toynbee and the 50th Anniversary of Reitaku University and the 75th Anniversary of the Institute of Moralogy, both of which Chikuro Hiroike is the founder. His grandson,Sentaro Hiroike was interested in Toynbee and tried to introduce Moralogy to Toynbee. Sentaro Hiroike visited Toynbee's house on the 26th April 1972,and I accompanied him as his interpreter. I was and am very much honored to have this opportunity. Both Toynbee and Hiroike shared similar interest in higher religions and the supreme morality of the sages,and both presented them for the welfare and eternal peace of humankind.
Toynbee expresses the same mentality with Herman Melville concerning indefiniteness (Moby-Dick, chap. 42), "beyond human ken."(cf. Nathaniel Hawthorne's English Notebooks, p. 163)
Chikuro Hiroike (1866-1938)expounded the deeds and Scriptures of the five sages of the world: Socrates, Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and Amaterasu Omikami, and extracted the essence of their doctrines as follows:
1. the Principle of the Renunciation of Self
2. the Principle of the Benevolence of God
3. the Principle of the Precedence of Duty over Personal Rights
4. the Principle of Ortholinon (a word coined by Hiroike)
5. the Principle of Human Enlightenment and Salvation
6. the Principle of Moral Causality
Comparing Toynbee and Hiroike leads us to a similar conclusion on the emphasis of high morality;however,also some differences of mentality of both exist: Toynbee's mentality pursues an ultimate reality flying through the twilight void of the universe;on the other hand,Hiroike applied the above six principles for the edification of the souls of people. His missionary work started from a small group of his disciples, short-time seminars for working adults, and founded schools of Reitaku, junior, senior high schools, university and Graduates schools,where the first doctoral dissertation on Toynbee was awarded in March 2009.
トインビーの高等宗教と廣池千九郎の聖人研究
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