We
sent some of these comments along with many others to Michio's son Phiya Kushi
who wrote back to say:
I read with interest the respondents to your
distributing the letter from Michio. I was particularly interested in Patricia's
response which is what would seem like a typical response from someone that jumps
to conclusions with less than all the facts and with a limited understanding of
macrobiotics.
Therefore, for the benefit of Patricia and other reader
of The Macrobiotic Guide
1. Michio acknowledges that he has not
been eating macrobiotically due to maintaining an extremely busy social and travel
schedule that became even more busy in the last 10-15 years. During that time
he ignored his own bodily needs and requirements and went beyond his own physical
limitations. His critical condition was a sharp reminder and wake-up call that,
yes, he too is human, and is subject to the same rules of life as everyone else
and that he cannot continue to consistently serve humanity, without taking time
out for himself.
2. Michio's present doctors recommend that he
follow his own macrobiotic recommendations for which he is now complying, taking
much needed rest and having quality meals prepared for him in order to recover
from his condition.
As a side note, I wish to add that life is full of
contradictions - we are born, and we die, we get healthy and we get sick. A macrobiotic
life includes experiencing both health and sickness yet is not defined by either
but rather by the length of time that one lives on earth and the difficulties
that one overcomes in that process, such that sickness and other difficulties
can often be the means for prolonging and strengthening life.
Being Michio's
third son, and recently, the Exectutive Director of the Kushi Institute for seven
years, you might say that I have a pretty good understanding of the meaning, purposes
and intentions of macrobiotics and the messages of Michio Kushi.
and went
on to say:
Also, I would like to mention publicly, having obtained Michio's
permission, that in spite of years of his smoking, a fact well-known to many,
recent x-rays of Michio's lungs were surprisingly clean, like that of a twenty
year old (remarked his physician). This is not meant to be validation of cigarette
smoking, but rather an invitation to question, in the spirit of non-credo, "proven"
or "predictable" scientific facts (what system logic do you use as evidence?).
Furthermore, the Caraka Samhita, ancient text from India's "Father Of Medicine"
recommends smoking as curative measure for various symptoms. Again, this is not
meant to be in defense of Michio's word's, cigarette smoking or an invalidation
of "proven" facts of the "dangers" of smoking or corn
oil or whatever the item may be but rather an invitation to be open minded
about all possibilties, no matter how improbable or outlandish.
Personally,
if I were forced to choose, I prefer to rely on the dynamic systems of yin/yang
logic and chaos theory rather than function analysis or statistical probability
in explaining and predicting the outcomes and results of phenomena.
Thank you,
Phiya Kushi
