The word macrobiotic comes from the Greek ‘makro’ meaning great or long, and ‘bios’ meaning life. It goes back quite far in both eastern and western cultures. Scholars, philosophers, and physicians have contributed to the understanding of the macrobiotic principles over thousands of years, using the word macrobiotic to reference lifestyle and diet which promote a fit mind and body, and associated spiritual freedom.
Thanks to George & Lima Ohsawa, Shuzo Okada, Herman & Cornellia Aihara, Michio & Aveline Kushi, their students, and others, macrobiotics studies continue. Its unifying principle shows how problems of body and mind are one, removing dualism with diet and understanding overarching lifestyle. Macrobiotics is used to establish, maintain, or regain mental, spiritual, and physical health. Understanding the unifying principle of macrobiotics, coupled with an appropriately balanced diet, may restore the same to society.
Macrobiotic eating, a way of harmony, includes traditional dietary rhythmic patterns by climate, location, and seasonal progression. Its base is whole, unadulterated pure food centered on organic whole grain, beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and fermented foods.
- History of Macrobiotics — by Herman Aihara
- Macrobiotic Recipes — about 1,000
- Browse and Shop Macrobiotic Food — more than 350 items
- The Kushi Institute of Europe
The Order of the Universe and the Unique Principle
The Order of the Universe is governed by seven principles. They constitute universal logic.
- What has a beginning has an end.
- That which has a front has a back.
- There is nothing identical.
- The bigger the front, the bigger the back.
- All antagonisms are complementary.
- Yin and yang are fundamentals of all polarization. They are antagonistic and complementary.
- Yin and yang are the two arms of the One (Infinity).
Twelve Theorems of the Unique Principle
The seven principles of the Order of the Universe are completed by the twelve theorems of the Unique Principle - Yin and Yang. These theorems define the functioning of the Universe.
- Yin and yang are the two poles of the infinite pure expansion.
- Yin and yang are produced infinitely and continuously from the infinite pure expansion.
- Yin is centrifugal. Yang is centripetal. Centrifugal yin produces expansion, lightness, cold, etc. Centripetal yang produces constriction, weight, heat, light, etc.
- Yin attracts yang. Yang attracts yin.
- All phenomena are composed of yin and yang in different proportions.
- All phenomena are constantly changing their yin and yang components. Everything is restless.
- There is nothing completely yin or completely yang. All is relative.
- There is nothing neuter. There is always yin or yang in excess.
- The force of attraction between things is proportional to the difference of yin and yang in them.
- Yin repels yin and yang repels yang. The greater the difference, the weaker the repulsion.
- In time and space, yin produces yang and yang produces yin.
- Everything is yang at its center and yin at its periphery (surface).
Seven Levels of Judgement
“Our happiness depends upon our judgment. Illness or health, intelligence or foolishness, piety or vice depend upon our judgment. Judgement develops upward toward perfection, in the way I show below, from one to seven.”
--George Ohsawa
- Physical - mechanical and blind judgment
- Sensory - pleasant and unpleasant
- Sentimental - what is desirable and undesirable
- Intellectual - conceptual, scientific
- Social - social reason’s judgment; morals and economy
- Ideological - religious thinking, justice and injustice
- Supreme - universal love embraces everything and understands every antagonism is complementary.
Compiled from writing and lectures of George Ohsawa, Herman Aihara, and Michio Kushi.