3D Lesezeichen – Planeten des Sonnensystems (Deutsch)

3D Lesezeichen mit Abbildungen der Planeten unseres Sonnensystems (21 cm x 6 cm); Information zu unserer kosmischen Nachbarschaft auf der Rückseite (Deutsch)

• Größe: 21 cm x 6 cm
• Mit Bändchen
• Namen der Planeten (Deutsch): Sonne, Merkur, Venus, Erde, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptun

Unsere kosmische Nachbarschaft

Dieses Lesezeichen zeigt die Planeten unseres Sonnesystems – gewissermaßen unsere "kosmische Nachbarschaft". Das Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) ist an vielen Missionen zu ihrer Erkundung beteiligt. In seinen Schülerlaboren, den DLR_School_Labs, macht es Kinder und Jugendliche mit diesen und vielen anderen spannenden Forschungsprojekten bekannt.

Die Größenverhältnisse der einzelnen Planeten wurden hier nur angedeutet. Im Vergleich zu den vier inneren Planeten Merkur, Venus, Erde und Mars sind die vier äußeren "Gas-Riesen" Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus und Neptun eigentlich viel größer. Und natürlich sieht man die Planeten auch nie so nah zusammen auf einem Bild: In Wirklichkeit sind sie Millionen und Milliarden Kilometer voneinander entfernt. Mit Satelliten und Sonden kann man sie jedoch erkunden. Dabei lernt man nicht nur viel über diese fernen Welten, sondern auch über die Entstehung und Entwicklung unseres eigenen "Blauen Planeten" Erde.

Quelle: NASA Planetary Fact Sheet/DLR

2D Magente Set – 10 Stück Kids Comic Planeten des Sonnensystems

Zehn 2D Magnete mit Comic Bildern der Planeten unseres Sonnensystems.

Durchmesser:

• Sonne 5,6 cm
• Merkur 3,7 cm
• Venus 3,7 cm
• Erde 3,7 cm
• Mars 3,7 cm
• Jupiter 3,7 cm
• Saturn 3,7 cm
• Uranus 3,7 cm
• Neptun 3,7 cm
• Pluto 2,5 cm

Licht & Tinte

Fotografie, Lyrik und Prosa aus Halle und Merseburg

Leseturm. Literaturkreis Merseburg & Fotoklub Inspiration Halle (Saale)

Erste Ausgabe. Herausgegeben von Katharina Mälzer. pkp Verlag. November 2020. 104 Seiten. Hardcover. Format: A4. ISBN 9783943519457

Alles ist eine Frage der Perspektive. Illustriert das Bild den Text oder beschreibt der Text das Bild? Licht & Tinte ist das Wechselspiel von Schärfe und Nebel, von Liebe zum Detail und zum großen Ganzen. Kunst ist der Ausdruck des Inneren und der freie Blick auf die Welt. Eine Anregung zum Blättern und Verweilen.

Der Zufall hatte ein gutes Händchen. Durch die Bekanntschaft von Christian Pracht und Beatrix Haushälter entstand die Idee zur Zusammenarbeit des Fotoklubs Halle mit dem Leseturm Merseburg. Schon kurz darauf begannen die Fotografen, Texte zu lesen, und die Autoren durchstöberten die Fotogalerie. Im persönlichen Austausch entdeckte man Gemeinsamkeiten in den scheinbar so verschiedenen Ausdrucksformen. Hier und da passten Text und Bild auf Anhieb zusammen. Bilder inspirierten Autoren zu Texten, und Texte wurden von Fotografen bebildert. So fanden Wort und Bild Stück für Stück zueinander. 60 Fotos und 57 Texte verschmolzen zu Licht & Tinte.

Fotografien: Fotoklub Inspiration, Verein für Fotografie e.V., Halle
Sabine Beer, Kersten Fischer, Erich Greiner, Franziska Hecht, Manuela Klapperstück, Bernd Köhler, Helga Mayer, Christian Pracht, Klaus-Peter Röder, Erhard Schiller, Kerstin Unger, Cornelia Zausch

Texte: Leseturm. Literaturkreis Merseburg
Johanna Adler, Tilo Buschendorf, Philine Eschke-Scheubeck, Birgit Gerlach, Beatrix Haushälter, Katharina Mälzer, Nikeas, Regina Oversberg, Rüdiger Paul, Ingeborg Schmelz, Hans-Dieter Weber

Leseprobe

Als E-Book erhältlich im BoD Buchshop >>

Geschichten aus dem Leseturm III

Das Wendebuch: Erlebte Revolution 1989/90, Massenflucht, Reisefreiheit, D-Mark, Wiedervereinigung. Wir sind das Volk!

Leseturm Literaturkreis Merseburg. Herausgeber: Katharina Mälzer. Autoren: Beatrix Haushälter, Birgit Gerlach, Dietrich Werner, Emily Mann, Hans-Dieter Weber, Heidrun Kligge, Jana Mann, Jürgen Jankofsky, Jürgen und Christel Tippelt, Katharina Mälzer, Nikeas, Peter Gehre, Philine Eschke-Scheubeck, Regina Oversberg, Rüdiger Paul, Tilo Buschendorf

256 Seiten. ISBN 9783943519372

2019 jährt sich die Wende zum 30. Mal. „Das Wendebuch“ zeichnet in 30 Geschichten aus unterschiedlicher Sicht ein eindrucksvolles Bild der Gefühle, Hoffnungen und Ängste aus dieser bewegten Zeit. Jener Zeit, die das Leben jedes einzelnen Menschen im Osten gravierend änderte.

Interviews mit Zeitzeugen, Briefe, Erinnerungen an die letzte Kommunalwahl der DDR, an die Massenflucht und den heißen Herbst. Was war im Vorhinein erahnbar? Beteiligte man sich aktiv? Überließ man sich dem Strom der Massen, oder war es letztlich die D-Mark, die zählte? Wer drehte an welchen Schrauben? Wer rettete seine Haut? Wer witterte neue Möglichkeiten?

Euphorie, neue Lebensfreude, aber auch Ernüchterung: Was ist aus der „Revolution“ geworden? Die Erfahrungen derjenigen, die diese Zeit erlebt haben, schärfen ganz besonders den Blick auf die heutige Zeit.

*

Erneut haben sich Autoren aus Merseburg und Umgebung im Leseturm zusammengetan und erzählen nun aus der Kernzeit der Wende, als alles begann, aus der Norm zu fallen. Geschichten, die Geschichte erlebbar machen. Geschichten, geschrieben, um Erinnerung wachzuhalten auch für diejenigen, die seinerzeit nicht an den Orten des Geschehens oder noch nicht geboren waren.

Leseprobe

Graffiti
(Rüdiger Paul)

Graffiti nutzten schon die Römer als Medium, sich anderen mitzuteilen. Wenn man in Pompeji eine Nachricht verbreiten wollte, schrieb derjenige die Neuigkeit, für alle sichtbar, an die Hauswand. Die Staatsführung der DDR machte sich diese Plattform ebenfalls zu eigen. Überdimensionierte Ban-ner waren allgegenwärtig und zeigten dem Volk, wo es langgeht. In den Jahren seit der Gründung des Landes entstand ein regelrechter Bannerkult. Bloß, daß diese im Laufe der Zeit niemanden mehr interessierten. Im Gegenteil, es nervte die Leute, wenn ihnen an maroden Hauswänden in großen Lettern Durchhalteparolen entgegenprangten.

In meinem Lesebuch fand sich in den sechziger Jahren eine Geschichte, in welcher jemand mit Farbe auf eine Wand „Wählt Ernst Thälmann!“ geschrieben hatte. Eilends gingen die damaligen Machthaber gegen die Schmiererei vor, indem sie das Machwerk der Konterrevolution mit Farbe übertünchten. Schon am näch-sten Tag schimmerten die Buchstaben der Aufschrift durch die aufgebrachte Farbe. Nach wie vor war der Aufruf Thälmann zu wählen lesbar. Der nochmalige Versuch, Farbe aufzubringen, scheiterte kläglich. Letztendlich ging man bei, schlug mit Hammer und Meißel den Putz ab.

Uns Jungpioniere sollte das Lesestück lehren, daß man auch aus dem Untergrund heraus seine Meinung vertreten muß. Zudem kam die Aussage, daß es nicht einfach ist, Meinungen anderer zu unterdrücken. Ein Jahr vor dem Mauerfall bekam ich eine Be-suchserlaubnis zur Hochzeit meines Cousins. Die Freude war groß, selbst im Interzonenzug über die Grenze bis nach Hamburg fahren zu können. Auf einem meiner Spaziergänge durch die Hansestadt entdeckte ich die Hafenstraße. Zu der Zeit das Viertel der Hausbesetzerszene, die ich nur aus den Nachrichten der Tagesschau kannte. Grellbunt waren ganze Häuserfassaden mit unterschiedlichen Parolen übersät. Inhalte der farbenfrohen Graffitis waren Abrüstung, Kampf gegen Atomkraftwerke, Emanzipation, Liebe und Frieden. Über allem prangte ein überdimensionales „Peace“-Symbol. Nicht einmal das zu tragen war in der DDR erlaubt.

Der Spielfilm „Beat Street“ lief seit 1983 in den Kinos rauf und runter. Der Film sollte das Elend der Jugendlichen in der New Yorker „Bronx“ bloßstellen. Genau das Gegenteil wurde erreicht. Unter den Jugendlichen in der DDR hatte dieser Film eine regelrechte Lawine losgetreten. Alles was nachgeahmt werden konnte, wurde nachgeahmt. Die Kreativität kannte keine Grenzen. Es bildeten sich Breakdance-Clubs, Bands und es entwickelte sich zaghaft eine Graffiti-Szene. Die Graffitis hatten andere Inhalte, boten jedoch einen guten Kontrast zu den verordneten Parteitagspa-rolen. Breakdancer waren nicht unbedingt meine Ziel-gruppe, da ich mich bei Klängen der Rock- und Blues-musik austobte. Es sollte nicht lange dauern, als ich das erste, mich berührende Graffiti zu sehen bekam. An einem kühlen Septembermorgen nahm ich auf dem Weg zur Straßenbahnhaltestelle in gewohnter Weise schnellen Schrittes die Granitstufen der Fußgängerunterführung am „Hotel Drei Schwäne“. Unten im feuchtkalten Tunnel flackerte eine Neonröhre brummend vor sich hin. Nachdem ich ein paar Meter zurückgelegt hatte, erblickte ich auf den Bodenfliesen eine Parole. Neun große weiße Buchstaben mit eiliger Hand auf den Tunnelboden gepinselt. Eine Freude stieg mir ins Gesicht. Hier hatte sich jemand getraut, wenn auch im Verborgenen. „STASI RAUS!“ war die Aussage. Mehr nicht und auch nicht weniger.

Wer mag heute noch ermessen, wie wichtig es dem Schreiber gewesen war, genau diesen Satz auf die feuchten Fliesen zu pinseln. War er feige, hier im dunklen Tunnel heimlich so etwas mitteilen zu wollen? Nein, eher das Gegenteil, fand ich, er zeigte Gesicht. Diejenigen, um die es in den drei Silben ging, hatten perverse Methoden entwickelt, um aus dem Verborgenen Menschen zu erniedrigen. Und sie hatten das, was der einsame Maler im Tunnel tat, unter Strafe gestellt. Ich blieb stehen, dachte an die Mitarbeiter, die um die Lösung der Losung nicht vorbeikommen. Was in deren Köpfen vorgeht. Daß der Wind sich gedreht hatte, war allgegenwärtig zu spüren. Beim Verlassen des Tunnels auf der gegenüberliegenden Seite sann ich noch nach; es kamen mir Zweifel. Was, wenn ich gesehen wurde, und verdächtigt werde, der Urheber der Stasiparole zu sein. Keine Ahnung mehr, wie es in meinem Kopf weiter arbeitete. Jedoch spürte ich an dem Tag, daß in meinem Inneren ein Punkt überschritten war. Daß man Mut brauchte, um in dieser Zeit etwas zu bewirken. Vielleicht waren die neun Buchstaben auch das Zünglein an der Waage, daß ich zum ersten Mal Mut faßte, in Leipzig an der Montagsdemo teilzunehmen.

Kaum eine Woche später fuhr ich mit dem Fahrrad über die Bahnbrücke an der Leunaer Festwiese. Von weitem konnte ich sehen, wie vier Genossen der Werks-polizei direkt neben der Werksmauer eine große Plane entfalteten. Auf die graue Werksmauer hatte jemand mit weißer Farbe „Die Mauer muß weg!“ gepinselt. Einem anerzogenen Reflex gehorchend, versuchten die Genossen, mit der Plane die Losung zu überdecken. Das Geschriebene sollte mit aller Macht vor den Blicken der zum Schichtwechsel zahlreichen Passanten verborgen bleiben. Zu dem Zwecke stoppte man an der Haltestelle „Heiterer Blick“ alle in Richtung Leuna-Werk fahrenden Straßenbahnen. Die um diese Zeit voll besetzten Triebwagen durften erst nach der totalen Losungsfinsternis den Ort der „Wahrheit“ passieren. Zeitversetzt traf dann ein eilig zusammengewürfel-ter Trupp Sandstrahler ein. Mit viel Aufwand strahlten die Kollegen jede Menge Sand auf das, was nicht sein durfte. Ein strahlend heller Fleck erinnert mich heute noch an den Mut des unbekannten Malers.

Ähnliches ereignete einige Tage später in Blickwei-te, an der südlichen Fassade des Uhrenladens vor der Eisenbahnbrücke. Heute ist in den Räumen ein Begräbnisinstitut ansässig. Als ich mit dem Fahrrad am Schaufenster vorbei-fuhr, vernahm ich Maurerspechte. Sie arbeiteten an der Fassade der HO-Verkaufsstelle scheinbar im Akkord. Die weiß gekleideten Herren Handwerker waren nicht etwa damit beschäftigt, eine Wand zu verputzen. Nein, im Gegenteil, sie meißelten den Putz von der Haus-wand. Auf dem ersten Blick erschloß sich für mich kein Grund für dieses emsige Tun. Denn der Putz saß fest am Mauerwerk. Er hatte nur einen Makel, auf seine rauhe Oberfläche hatten zuvor „Neue-Forum-Hände“ eine Losung gepinselt. Diese lag für mich unlesbar in Form von kleinen grauen Putzbrocken auf dem Gehweg. Anschließend wurde die noch ganz junge Losung mit Besen und Schaufel entsorgt. Daß es sich um keinen der Staatssicherheit wohl-wollenden Satz handelte, war offensichtlich. Denn in angemessener Entfernung vom „Tatort“ standen in gewohnter Weise zwei, mit schwarzen Lederjacken bekleidete Herren. Auf dem Dach ihres Dienstfahrzeuges vom Typ Lada thronte eine Dachantenne. Sie beobachteten die Ausführung ihrer Anordnungen durch die Maurerbrigade.

In den Dienstzimmern der VEB Leuna-Werke machten die für unsere Sicherheit verantwortlichen Genossen eben keine halben Sachen. Sie hatten immer gut aufgepaßt und ihre frühe Lektion aus unserem Lesebuch gelernt. Graffitis setzten im Herbst ´89 ebenso wie die Menschen, die zu den Montagsdemos auf die Straße gingen, Zeichen für eine Zeitenwende. Ein Signal zum Aufbruch, auch für mich. In unserer Demokratie prägen Werbebanner das Straßenbild. Es gibt Graffitis, vor denen stehe ich mit Respekt. Spontan fällt mir dazu die „Freiluftgalerie“ rund um die Landsberger Straße oder unterschiedliche „Street Art Galerien“ in Halle ein. Verschiedene Bilder beinhalten Botschaften, wie sie einst in Pompeji ver-standen werden sollten. (Mein Favorit: Paulo Ito „Das letzte Abendmahl“ in der Landsberger Straße 3.) Anders im alltäglichen Straßenbild. Gruppen von Linken, Rechten oder frustrierte Fußballfans bringen Parolen auf die Fassaden, die im Laufe der Zeit bis zur Unkenntlichkeit mit Gegenparolen überschrieben wer-den. Mit Farbe an die Wände gestottert, überlagern sich sinnfreie Buchstabenketten.

Das liest sich wie die in der Geschichte aus meinem Lesebuch. Dank der ´89er Graffitimaler müssen nun Maurerbrigaden keine Parolen mehr von den Wänden hacken. Die einstigen Auftraggeber hatten, nachdem die Mauer weg war, die Lederjacken an den Nagel gehängt und sich eilig wieder unters Volk gemischt. Neun Buchstaben sei dank.

Als E-Book erhältlich im BoD Buchshop >>

Der Spatzenjunge Flori

Kleine Weisheiten für Große von Morgen

Ingeborg Schmelz, Illustrationen: Marion Weber

56 Seiten. ISBN 9783943519242. Durchgehend farbig illustriert

Dieses Kinderbuch für Kinder von drei bis sieben Jahren ist sehr schön und reichhaltig illustriert. Es eignet sich sowohl zum Vorlesen als auch als für Erstleser. 48 farbige Aquarelle begleiten und ergänzen den Lesetext. Insbesondere für jüngere Zuhörer, denen vorgelesen wird, sind die Bilder eine Textbeschreibung. Sie laden aber auch zum Entdecken von Details ein und fördern den Lernprozess. Erstleser können später an dem bekannten, einladend bebilderten Inhalt ihre Lesefähigkeiten schulen. In drei spannenden und heiteren Fabeln begleiten sie den Spatzenjungen Flori, den stolzen Pfau vom Bauernhof und die kleine Raupe Moppel auf ihrem Weg durchs Leben. Dabei lernen sie drei kleine aber durchaus bedeutende Lebensweisheiten kennen: „Schmücke dich nicht mit fremden Federn“, „Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall“ und „Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am längsten“. Insgesamt ein lehrreiches, schönes und unterhaltsames Kinderbuch in das man gerne mehrmals hineinschaut.

Leseprobe

Die kleine Raupe Moppel

Vor einigen Tagen hatten sich alle Blüten an dem großen Busch, der im hinteren Teil des Gartens stand, geöffnet. Nun lockten sie mit ihrem betörenden Duft viele Besucher der Umgebung an. Alle wollten von dem süßen Nektar naschen, der im Blütenkelch schon auf sie wartete. Das war ein Gesumme und Gebrumme.

Die fleißigen Bienen tummelten sich neben den farbenprächtigen Schmetterlingen. Behäbige Hummeln flogen von einer Blüte zur nächsten, um den begehrten Blütenstaub zu sammeln. Flinke Käfer krabbelten an den Zweigen entlang, immer auf der Suche nach Blattläusen oder anderen schmackhaften Leckereien. Auch Vögel saßen im Geäst des blühenden Busches und hielten Ausschau nach lohnender Beute.

Verborgen unter einem großen Blatt beobachtete die Raupe Moppel das geschäftige Treiben um sich herum. Ganz vorsichtig schob sie sich an den Rand des Blattes und lugte neugierig aus ihrem Versteck. Oh je, welch ein Schreck, ganz in ihrer Nähe flatterte ein Vogel, hoffentlich hatte er sie noch nicht erspäht. So schnell sie konnte zog sie sich unter ihr sicheres Blatt zurück, um nicht entdeckt zu werden. Sie wusste, dass fette Raupen für alle Vögel ein begehrter Leckerbissen waren.

Den Namen Moppel erhielt sie von ihren Geschwistern, gleich nachdem alle das Eigelege verlassen hatten. Sie war die erste, die sich über die schmackhaften Blätter hermachte, und das Fressen wurde zu ihrer Lieblingsbeschäftigung. Tagaus und tagein stopfte sie sich voll Grünzeug, um recht schnell zu wachsen und die Größte zu werden.

Leider musste sie dafür viel Spott und Hohn ertragen, weil die anderen ihr pausenlos Sprüche zuriefen: „Dicker Moppel – Nimmersatt, hier ist für dich ein grünes Blatt – friss Blätter groß und klein in deinen Bauch hinein!“ Dann brachen alle in ein großes Gelächter aus und Moppel schämte sich sehr. Wegen dieser Spötteleien zog sich die kleine, dicke Raupe aus der Gemeinschaft der anderen zurück und blieb allein. Die Einsamkeit und der Kummer waren aber schwer zu ertragen, deshalb fraß sie nun noch mehr, schon aus purer Langeweile. Sie wurde immer dicker und dicker, konnte sich nur noch sehr langsam und schwerfällig bewegen.

Das wurde jedoch so gefährlich für sie, dass sie dem Zugriff ihrer Jäger nur durch verstecken oder eine geschickte Tarnung entging. Neulich gelang ihr erst im letzten Moment die Flucht unter ein Blatt, als ein Rotschwänzchen Appetit auf sie hatte. Der Schnabelhieb verfehlte nur ganz kapp sein Ziel, nämlich ihren dicken Bauch. Das Schicksal meinte es noch einmal gut mit ihr, denn der Vogel flog nach seinem Misserfolg davon. Sehnsüchtig schaute Moppel den vorüber fliegenden Schmetterlingen nach.

The Source of the Old and New Testaments

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono

241 pages. ISBN 9780971667440. Sound charts included

Kototama Books USA: www.kototamabooks.com

"It is impossible to enumerate the different representations of the universe that one finds in the traditions, myths, religions and philosophies throughout the world. Each culture has its own theory, but to discover the link which unites them one only has to acces the viewpoint of the Kototama Principle. Their common source is also the source of our existence."

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono dedicated his life to the study of Kototama, a priciple which has been hidden for over ten thousand years. He has handed us the fruit of his tireless research in order to decipher the hidden teachings of the Old and New Testaments.

The Old and New Testaments are examined through the viewpoint of Kototama, an ancient principle of sound and meaning. What does “God” mean? And “In the beginning there was the Word”?

Extract

Foreword

I began my research with a Bible translated and published by the Japan Bible Society, an association founded in 1875 to promote Christian religion in Japan. The quotes from the final version come from Oxford Edition of "The New English Bible with the Apocrypha".

The Western world seems to have a great many versions of the Bible, with many different translations and interpretations, drawn from earlier or later manuscripts. The Bible of the Japan Bible Society is the first that was available to me. I cannot say how "good" or accurate it may be, but it is held to be a very faithful translation.

For me, the point is not the historical accuracy of a text. In this book, I hope to show a different way of reading the sacred texts of every tradition. I wish to try to explain how the Old and New Testaments can be decoded through the Kototama Principle.

The Kototama Principle is the root of the human life-will. If a human being grasps it fully, his every act, from moment to moment, follows the law of the universe. There can be no higher judgement or conscience.

The Bible is one of the most important books of our human legacy. Its real content, if it is read through the Kototama Principle, shows us the way back to the source of our life. I have already written many books on Kototama; I now want to show the life principle was presented in the founding books of our civilization. With my practice and my understanding, I wish to read the Bible in the light of the Kototama Principle and suggest the real meaning of its stories and its teaching: what Jesus and Moses were really saying.

The Bible, like most of the ancient texts which have reached us, speaks almost exclusively of the second civilization, our era. In this civilization, the truth could only be mentioned indirectly, in hints and parables.

All I can do here is to begin a very incomplete translation of the Bible. Since I cannot read the ancient languages in which it was written, my research has been based on the English and Japanese Bibles. Without the original sounds, I may have misunderstood some of the symbols. I could spend the rest of my life studying the Bible without ever completing the task; all I want to do is to show a different approach and give examples of how the Bible can be read from the viewpoint of the life principle.

I chose excerpts which seemed to reflect most clearly the Kototama Principle. In the Bible, the teachings of our ancestors are blended with regional and tribal histories. What interests me most are the words of ancient leaders; their point of view, and the way in which they influenced their peoples. I want to show that all over the world, through different symbols, these guides were speaking of the same truths.

I have not done much, but I feel this work is the most important I have ever undertaken. I hope someone will continue where I leave off and correct my mistakes. If my readers understand how I set about this study, they must try to complete it for themselves. They must take the Bible and try to read it more clearly than I was able to do, with all their concentration, one verse at a time. If this book can help one person to do this, I will be very grateful.

My Past Way of Budo

And Other Essays

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono

101 pages. ISBN 9780971667402. Sound charts included

Kototama Books USA: www.kototamabooks.com

A book of essays, written by Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono (1918 - 1994). Sensei Nakazono studied Aikido directly under O Sensei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, for many years in Japan. Sensei had the idea to bring Aikido to the rest of the world. He opened the first dojo outside of Japan in Singapore. He was martial arts consultant to the government of South Vietnam. He then went to France. After learning of the Kototama Principle, Sensei changed his understanding of Aikido, and his medical work. When he left to come to America, he had over 40,000 students of Aikido and natural therapy. These essays tell of his application of this principle to all of his life.

"When someone attracts a following by giving a symbolic explanation of what he, himself, has grasped in a priori (spiritual or soul world) and is satisfied with such a state of affairs – this seeker is as yet a beginner. The one who is at the end of his grasping of a priori and still suffers because he is not able to hand it over to others – he is the real seeker."

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono

Extract

Part one

I began my studies by practicing Kendo at the age of six with my uncle. At twelve I started Judo practice and, at about nineteen, I began Karate. I studied the lance and many other forms of Budo* and finally Aikido, which I studied with O Sensei Ueshiba, who is now deceased. When I met O Sensei, I believed his was the highest form of Budo.

Since childhood, I had heard the words "Budo spirit" a thousand, million times over and I tried to discover what this meant, asking all of my teachers about it. No one could give me a satisfactory answer. The response was usually, "Don't talk about it - practice! Your exercise will give you the answer." Another response, a reprimand, would be, "Each time before practice, decide to die. There is no need to ask such a question." I tried to follow these instructions, but no answer came to my inner questions. I then studied all kinds of books on Budo that were written in ancient times. I finally got a rough answer; the meaning of Budo is to die. That is why, although I often had broken or dislocated bones or would lose consciousness during a competition, my physical pain or difficulties never stopped or discouraged me. Pain was an ever present reality despite my inner resolve.

At the initial shock of a bone breaking or a bullet penetrating the body, there is no feeling of pain. The mind unconsciously concentrates, but afterwards, when the mind returns to normal, the pain is terrible. I had such experiences many times and, in the beginning, I felt that pain or suffering could overcome by mental control. This kind of transcendence I thought equivalent to what Zen and Budo teachings call the void state. My new perception of Budo was that its purpose was the continued extension of transcending mind. With this new outlook, others automatically began to call me "teacher". I was obliged to explain to them what I had studied and experienced ; younger people very happily studied and practiced with me. However, somewhere deep inside there remained a dark hole or void and as I got older its size increased.

My Budo practice, the meaningless experiences of the war, leaving me with a kind of criminal sense, and feeling this dark void, all culminated in my becoming a perfect nihilist. This was happening around the time when World War II was coming to close; I was twenty-nine years old and in the middle of the Indonesian jungles. The nihilism I was experiencing was antagonistic to my physical life and the society as well.

Although I was totally disinterested in actual life, the inner desire to fill this hole was ever present. It led me to the Shugendo teacher, Sakai Sensei. Shugendo was originally an ancient Shinto exercise to grasp the Kototama Principle. It was later changed into a Buddhist system after the principle was hidden. Many Japanese today believe they are a religious sect. Sakai Sensei addresses Jizo Bosatsu as a symbolic god; a very special symbol, not a god of Shinto or a Buddha. All other named gods or Buddhas are carefully kept in shrines, but this one is different. Statues of Jizo Bosatsu are placed throughout Japan along the roadways and they are as playmates to passing children. When I first met Sakai Sensei he immediately said to me, before I had opened my mouth, "Your ancestors' souls are not quiet, they have no base. If you have a statue of Jizo Bosatsu, this will be their place and they will become quiet. Then your future health and fortune will improve." I asked, "What is Jizo Bosatsu?" He answered, "It is a stone statue which symbolizes all souls which have manifested into the finite world and have now returned to the infinite world. This includes humans, plants, stones, etc., anything which once existed in the limited world. Some happily returned to the infinite but some wished to remain behind, still attached to the finite world. It is for those who remain behind that this statue can offer a space to stay happily in the finite world." This explanation satisfied me. At that time, my body was completely spoiled from the three years spent in the Indonesian jungles and, as I said, my spiritual condition was similar. Like a drowning man who will grasp at anything, I acquired a statue of Jizo Bosatsu as Sakai Sensei had suggested.

At this time, I was studying with Ueshiba Sensei to learn the spiritual base or source from which he had created Aikido. I was also studying the diet principles of Ohsawa Sensei, the founder of macrobiotics. All of these studies and practices greatly added to my growth, yet still my inner void or hole was not filled. My suffering continued as I questioned the reason for it. To society, I was considered a teacher, but inside the lack of complete confidence created a terribly heavy life. Other teachers seemed perfectly content and concentrated on their work and I wondered about their abilities. I continued this difficult life until I finally came to Ogasawara Sensei's Kototama Principle. My age was approaching fifty.

Looking back, the first fifty years of my life were like a spiritual odyssey which had finally brought me to the country of the Bluebird*. With my understanding of the Kototama, my view of life turned around 180 degrees. What I had grasped up to this time, that which had seemed so meaningful to me, I now saw as very small and insignificant. I saw that what I Valued was also the cause of my confusion because I was operating in a world that was only relative. From that moment, my Budo underwent great changes. The practice of overcoming physical and spiritual obstacles changed to one of acceptance towards all kinds of difficulties.

This is no easier than the other way; in fact, it is a much more difficult practice. To accept, one must stand outside of this finite world or there can be no acceptance of it. With the Kototama as a mirror, one can see where spiritual and physical difficulties are being created. Why would one wish to conquer these difficulties? The relationship of one's lower dimensions to a "fighting" mind can be seen at those times. If the origin of difficulties and the source of this "fighting" mind can be seen, and we can accept these things as natural, then we can stand away from them with a perfectly peaceful mind.

When bones break, there is physical pain; when a brother or sister dies, there is profound grief. To try to forget this pain or sadness with a fighting mind, regardless of how much power such a method creates, ultimately cheats our self. This practice becomes habitual and we dig our private hells with it. Because we live in it, we cannot see our own everyday hell world.

There is only one absolute a priori life-will of beings, I, which creates the human body and invests it with physical power, WI. Ueshiba O Sensei tried to explain this with the words "Ki" and "Ko-Kyu", but I could not clearly grasp this from his explanation. I remember that he, too, was not fully clear about this because he followed the Ohmoto Shinto sect. Between the a priori human life-will, I, and the human body's power, WI, there are eight motive powers or vibrations. These he grasped instinctively and wanted to manifest them through Budo movement, thus founding Aikido. However, the Ohmoto sect, as with all other Shinto sects, does not purely transmit the Kototama Principle. That is why he could not exactly explain with words what he could grasp in a priori.

In reference to "Ki" and "Ko-Kyu", "Ki" is already within WI and then expands with movement as "Ko-Kyu", but "Ki" and "Ko-Kyu" imply a manifestation of physical power. This is not a clear explanation of I and WI from the viewpoint of the Kototama Principle. On this point, O Sensei, himself, had some inner confusion. It is at this point that all spiritual and religious seekers finally have difficulty. They can grasp it but without the Kototama Principle they have no way of transmitting it to others.

When someone attracts a following by giving a symbolic explanation of what he, himself, has grasped in a priori, spirit or soul world, and is satisfied with such a state of affairs, this seeker is as yet a beginner. The one who is at the end of his grasping of a priori and still suffers because he's not able to hand it over to others is the real seeker.

As one seriously searches the self and begins to know about it, there develops a deep sense of insecurity, a terrible kind of void feeling which creates fear. Fear automatically gives rise to an attitude of guarded attention, a fighting mind that needs to control. Many leaders in society resort to tricky words and techniques in order to captivate people with their charisma while they dig a deeper and larger hole within themselves. The Budo practicant has this same kind of fear in the very depths of himself as he develops his expertise. He needs his own satisfaction as well as corroboration from others. From my past experience, to improve physical strength and Budo techniques, one must fight to conquer one's physical and spiritual obstacles. However, no matter how far we progress, we can never find a perfect solution for ourself. Physical power and technical intelligence improve but if we seriously watch our inner activity, if we wish to be faithful to ourself, we see the hole getting bigger in proportion to that improvement. It's allright if at this point we can reconcile ourselves to it but I absolutely could not accept it. I couldn't use such cheating words as "that's life!" Hardest of all, there was no place to run.

_____________

1. Budo: Bu - physical movement; Do - Tao, Logos. The true way of physical action exactly follows the activity of a priori Life Will. This definition was later narrowed to apply only to the martial arts of the Samurai period of Japan. The goal of their exercise was to open up to their highest human capacity. Today, people misunderstand this to mean self-defense or a sportive activity.

2. Coming from Scandinavian mythology.

Inochi

The Book of Life

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono

119 pages. ISBN 9780971667419. Sound charts included

Kototama Books USA: www.kototamabooks.com

This book presents the ancient principle of Kototama. The 50 life rhythms, including the 5 mother sounds combining with the 10 father rhythms, are explored fully. This practice opens one up to the highest human capacity. The three orders of society are delineated and explained in detail. Sensei Nakazono studied directly under Senseis Ueshiba (the founder of Aikido) and Ogasawara (a teacher of the Kototama Principle) for many years, and then taught the Kototama Principle in Europe, the United States, and Mexico.

Extract

Introduction

The Kototama Principle was perfected many ages ago by our human ancestors. It is the principle of human life in its totality, the principle that governs the activity of the life of the universe. It is the law of the operation of human capacity, its derivation, manifestation and action.

It is within the scope of human capability to create religion, philosophy, art, science, economics, politics, etc. Those manifestations of abilities and actions, from which all civilizations in their myriad aspects are created, follow the principle and law of Kototama. It is, therefore, the basic law or mirror of the Last Judgement.

It is we human beings who must judge the rightness or wrongness, the good and bad, of those things we have created. Without our purification, we cannot make a last judgement.

Some eight thousand years ago, the only true principle for human beings was hidden and civilization went its way in ignorance of it – until now. This book explains Kototama, in its order, but it is my third attempt. In the last two versions, “Messiah’s return” and “Kototama”, I was not satisfied with the translation into English and this time, I am stating it somewhat differently.

For the salvation of all people – to get out of the hell-world of our own making, actual civilization – we must recapture this life principle and turn back again to our natural, original humanity. Salvation does not come from somewhere else. It is we who must save ourselves, but we need the mirror with which to do it. To start with, I shall give an outline of the principle here, for those who are reading about it for the first time.

The manifestation of human life, both body and spirit, is the activity of total human life in a priori universe: Human = Universe. Human life is the universe itself; this explanation of our life is the basic premise of the Kototama Principle.

In ancient books, the explanation of the principle followed the order of dimensions, from a priori universe to its manifestation as human life and capacity; my explanation follows the same order. The steps we take in search of our deeper self – of who is I Am and being utterly certain of it, must follow this order. It is impossible to find the final truth if the order is mistaken.

Human life will and power, I-WI, act as eight motive vibrations; it is this action which later creates the human body.

The eight motive vibrations synchronize with phenomena of a priori universe, catching the life rhythm as separate dimensions, grasping the universe as U-A-O-E, the for dimensions of mother sounds.

The energy of a priori U dimension manifests as the life rhythm of a posteriori capacity and that life rhythm, as sound, is double-U or WU. It is the fundamental life rhythm of the capacities of our five physical senses.

Similarly, a priori A dimension manifests as the sound WA; WA is the source rhythm of a posteriori capacity for spiritual action.

O dimension becomes WO, the capacity for storage or memory, the intelligence and knowledge of the a posteriori being.

E manifests as WE, the capacity for judgement.*

Without the mirror of the Kototama Principle, it is almost impossible to recognize the four seperate dimensions of self. We mix them up and act from desire, not knowing which desire, that is, from which dimension of self our desires arise.

And we can never discover the existence of our substance, I, the energy that gives us these dimensions with their different capacities and desires.

Human action becomes the activity of the absent self. We see our life as an existence separated from outside phenomenal existence. Without the recognition of I, we must automatically hold a relativistic point of view.

With a posteriori capacity – WU-WO-WA-WE dimensions – universal phenomena are seen separately, as different realities. It really seems like that, but it is not yet the truth.

_____________

* Pronunciation – U: as in "new" – O: as in "oh" – A: as in "ah" – E: as in "Way" – I: as in "easy"

The Real Sense of Natural Therapy

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono

71 pages. ISBN 9780971667433. Sound charts included

Kototama Books USA: www.kototamabooks.com

Born into a family of health care practitioners, Sensei Nakazono began his formal studies of acupuncture in 1934 when he was sixteen. For many years his contributuion as teacher, writer, speaker and consultantwere highly regarded in the U.S., Europe and Japan. The public recognition of his genius resulted in students from various countries coming to Santa Fe study with him the Kototama Principle and its applications in health care. Cited as a "Santa Fe Living Treasure" by the Santa Fe Network for the Common Good for his "distinguished service to the life, heart and spirit of the community," Sensei has also been presented with The Award of Exceptional Achievement by the New Mexico State Senate "for having inspired ... the passage of the New Mexico Acupuncture Act ... and for the professional practice and recognition of acupuncture in this state since 1972."

Sensei Nakazono, a master healer, transformed the "ancient" healing methods to follow the Kototama Principle, a far older tradition. He had studied with Sakai Sensei, master of spiritual healing. He was in charge of the macrobiotic hospital in India with Sensei Ohsawa. Then, after learning of the Kototama Principle, he revised his work, achieving a 99% cure rate for his patients. He taught a comprehensive diet for living by, as preventive and curative therapy. This book shows photos of self-exercises, gives his dietary guidelines, explains the basics of the Kototama Principle, and has many methods for helping restore oneself to health.

Extract

Foreword

The original version of "The Real Sense of Natural Therapy" was written as a newsletter when the author first came to Santa Fe and realized how little informed the public was about natural therapy as alternative to scientific treatment methods. This included only the first part of the book presented here. Later on he added the second part, to inform the New Mexice legislature when they were considering passing a bill to legalize acupuncture. With his leadership, the bill was passed. Newe Mexico was the first state in the union to introduce such a bill (the author's first attempt) but it took a few more years to have it accepted. The rest of this book is excerpts taken from the textbook of the Kototama Institute, directed toward the serious lay public who wish to have a broader and deeper understanding about health and healing and ultimately what it means to be a human being.

Introduction

This therapy is based on the life principle of Kototama Futomani. By this medical work, we are attempting to demonstrate that this principle is the final truth.

I have been a practitioner of oriental medicine for the past fifty years. Oriental medicine is one name but there are many different methods and groups of specialization within the same broad heading. These groups have their advantages and disadvantages but they have no fundamental general principle of the source of human disease. Western medicine is the same.

When I arrived at this life principle, I began to re-study oriental medicine, comparing it to the life principle. Gradually I began to understand that the medical principles based on the life principle were symbolically hidden in the Yellow Emporer's Classic Internal Medicine, the Nei-Ching, our religious doctrines, cultural mythologies, etc. The content of the life principle was hinted at and all the ancient documents were based upon these hints. These documents of principles and theories were transmitted generation to generation and are the basis of today's oriental medicine.

Present human beings must try to understand the true meaning of our ancestors' thoughts and teachings. First we must renounce our present knowledge and return "as a new born baby", our minds a blank piece of paper, and begin to search for the real source of ourselves – our substance.

The original way of civilization was based on the view of the life dimension's world; their medical therapys were the same. However, after the life principle was hidden in symbolic hints, these hints became the foundation of today's "oriental medicine". Today, oriental medicine and oriental civilization have no way to grasp the content of the sunstance. They have lost it.

For the past twenty years I have searched and practiced so as to grasp the life principle. The present situation of civilization has to be based on this principle. I founded this Life Therapy with the intention of proving the Way of Truth.

Masahilo M. Nakazono, Santa F, N.M. 1985

The Source of the Present Civilization

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono

243 pages. ISBN 9780971667426. Sound charts included

Kototama Books USA: www.kototamabooks.com

In today's society we have tried everything: science and spirituality, communism and capitalism... Nothing seems conclusive, and happiness appears far from us. The answer can in fact be found in the foundation of our beings, the Kototama Principle.

Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono dedicated his life to this priciple, which has been hidden for over ten thousand years. "The ancient Celts told me that in the future the current of our society will make a complete turnaround. We will steer ourselves away from our course of the last eight thousand years and return to the principle of life."

Written by Mikoto Masahilo Nakazono, master healer. The most current explanation of the Kototama Principle and revelations about ancient times. The origin of our present materialistic civilization (Amatsu Kanagi) is revealed in the ancient records of Japan. These documents have been presided over at the oldest shrine in Japan, Koso Kotai Jingu, by the Takeuchi chief priests for thousands of years. Excerpts from them are included within the pages of this book. They record the time when god-men began to hide the Kototama Principle from mankind. The god-men who perfected this practice were standing in a higher dimension – they had a complete, direct knowledge of Kototama. They included emissaries who traveled the world and created great political centers, such as: China, East India, Egypt, Rome, Central America, and Greece, initiating the second civilization (Amatsu Kanagi). Now we are moving into the third civilization (Amatsu Futonolito). The time has come and the hidden secrets are being disclosed to this generation. The documents show that the totality of human capacity is achieved by practicing the fifty sound rhythms of Kototama. Sensei Nakazono studied directly under Senseis Sakai, Ueshiba and Ogasawara for many years, then shared the Kototama Principle with Europe, the United States, and Mexico. He revised his medical practice to follow this Principle, arriving at a 99% cure rate.

Extract

Introduction

My first book was a basic explanation of the Kototama Principle, written in Japanese language. The original title was "Kototama: the original principle of Hinomoto Kuni". Hinomoto Kuni was the name given in ancient times to the geographical area of the modern country of Japan.

This book was published in English as "Inochi – The Book of Life". I think readers will find "The Source of the Present Civilization" much easier to understand.

In this volume, I would like to talk about the origins of our civilization according to the records and documents of Hinomoto Kuni. These records began to be hidden systematically about ten thousand years ago for reasons we will see in the following chapters. They belong to two distinct categories: the first deals with the Kototama Principle itself, the principle of human life, and the second with ancient world history. The two categories were hidden separately.

As part of the treasure of the Koso Kotai Jingu, the oldest shrine of Japan, the world history records were entrusted to the care of the Takeuchi family. The Takeuchi have been the chief priests of the Koso Kotai Jingu for over 90 generations, and the hidden records of the shrine have come to be known as the Takeuchi documents.

The original documents were written in the traditional Kami Yo letters on the skin of animals, on wood or bamboo supports, or even on paper made in that ancient time.

No historical record, however carefully preserved, can ever be the exact truth. There are examples of tampering with history in every nation of the world. The strong leaders of our civilization have always cut or changed the record to suit their purposes or to justify their actions. In my opinion, the Takeuchi documents are a clear record or history only if you study them from the viewpoint of the Kototama Principle.

In this book, I will follow the historical chronology of the ancient Takeuchi documents, reading them through my understanding of the Kototama Principle. I have studied and practiced Kototama for many years. I want to place the principle of life side by side with passages from the Old and New Testaments, and show the relationship between them. I want to show the truth of verses like: "Once upon a time, all the world spoke a single language and used the same words...". The aim of my research in this book has been to find the real meaning and to show the importance of phrases like these.

It would be impossible to decript [sic][decrypt?] a book as long as the bible page by page. I will explain passages, as I understand them, to show how this and other sacred books can be studied from the viewpoint of the Kototama Principle and translated into their original meanings. The Bible, like all the books on which religions are based, is a symbolic representation of the principle of life; it explains how life manifests itself in the universe.

In the present state of our civilization, the sky, the water, the earth are polluted. This is a direct result of the contents of our knowledge and the mistaken and confused idea we have of reality. If our viewpoint is confused, our society can only fall into chaos. Today, humanity expends all its energies for the satisfaction of its material desires. These desires in themselves are perfectly natural, but the way in which we gratify them is based on our knowledge and experience. Both are completely wrong.

"I am hungry; I want to eat". Very well, but what? The answer will be dictated by habit, or by memory of a pleasurable experience. The question of health, or of what the body actually needs at that particular moment, doesn't arise. Or rather, if it arises, it will be in reference to others people's theories of what is "good for you". These theories, once again, will be based on this society's knowledge. We have no direct sense of what we should eat, decide, do at a given time. If individual pleasures is the first priority in the choices we make, it is easy to justify any crime. We have destroyed a great part of the natural resources of the earth in this search for comfort and pleasure.

The original desire is pure. Our interpretation if it, through our family habits and through our education, is utterly wrong. To satisfy our desire however, we can only act upon the knowledge we have – our references, our values, our priorities. Desires of various kinds rule every aspect of our life. There physical desires and there are spiritual desires, just as there are five physical and five spiritual senses. I will come back to this, but for now I want to make this clear: to satisfy the desires of both sides of our capacity (physical and spiritual), we rely on our knowledge. If this knowledge is confuses, as it is in every aspect of society today, our actions will be wrong.

A long time ago, our ancestors perfected a principle of truth, in perfect harmony with laws of life itself. I believe the time has come for us to return to this way. Guided by the spirit of our ancestors, I decided to write this book. I don't know how much it can help the suffering people of our society. I was content until now to study and practice the way of Kototama. I worked alone and suffered a long time before I began to understand the meaning of the Kototama Principle, and to compare its viewpoint with that of the present civilization. But I can no longer be quiet. There is too much pain everywhere, society has gone too far, and I must try to write what I know. This book is about the search for the source of life, and the way of returning to the source of our civilization.

For these reasons, and because I am ordered to do it by our ancestors' spirit, I have decides today to write this book.

The date is December 24 – Christmas Eve – of the year 1983, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

M. M. Nakazono