The second revolution, an agricultural revolution, seems to have taken place about 10,000 or 12,000 years ago. Agriculture enabled an increase in the human population by leaps and bounds. This was a really big revolution in that human beings moved away from 'gathering' activities.

The fourth revolution, a spiritual revolution, took place 2,500 years ago. Around this time, philosophers who listened to the conscience of human beings appeared. Confucius, Buddha, Socrates and others were born synchronically, to pursue an understanding of the sublimity of the soul as if they were trying to find God in the human mind. At this time, there was a search for the morals that true mankind should have.

The fifth revolution, a scientific revolution, took place in the 17th century. This did not have synchrony as did the last revolution and only Europe experienced the revolution at that time. The scientific revolution developed into the industrial revolution, which led to the world domination by Europe. It has been about 300 years since then. The 300-year period brought about the sweep of material civilization and an eagerness to pursue convenience."

"Culture is an ethos unique to each race and comprises a sense of values, aesthetics and morals. These reside in the soul of each people. This is 'culture'. On the other hand, 'civilization' has its own system. It can be seen as an instrument, for example law, which allows people in a community to live sensibly and cooperatively."

"While so called 'civilization' has continued developing since the 17th century in this scientific revolution, the culture and the inquiry into humanity has not progressed but retrogressed. The civilization process has been sacrificing further important human mind and culture development. The inner self has been impoverished while the external self has been swollen. This has led to war, devastation and environmental destruction. I would like to define the civilization that is on the verge of destroying Earth as the "deforesting civilization". This civilization believes in a value defined by Descartes and Baron that says 'human beings have a right to control nature'.

"Now is the time for us to reflect on this concept. Does progress really lead to human happiness? Progress shoots human beings forwards, because progress is possible only when we regard time as a straight line that goes from the past to the future. But the theory that time is rectilinear is not shared universally. A theory of curvilinear, circular, or transmigrating time, had already been shared throughout the world with synchrony. The five revolutions mentioned before were marvelously synchronic and had this same theory of time. The civilizations that had this theory of time were not 'deforesting civilizations' but 'civilizations of gods dwelling in woods'. It was a belief in a divine spirit or numen that was thought to live with innumerable gods."

century where Earth is being destroyed, wars are being fought and people are killing each other. Now, violence is sweeping the world. Violence is rampant in Kosovo, Timor, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Rwanda, Africa, South America and other countries that used to be in peace, and even countries far from the Balkan Peninsula from which all major wars started. Japan has seen an increase in juvenile delinquency, a private and abnormal form of crime for Japan. This country is not an exception. We must look at the present state of this kind of violence and find the cause."

　The lecturer mentioned the warning of oceanographer,Cousteau, who said that Easter Island, which had a rich heritage of a megalithic culture called Moai, was destroyed because all the trees were cut down. He then said that Earth was at risk of following in its footsteps.

"One of the problems is that human beings have to live depending on the limited resources from the planet called 'Earth'. We have to address the impending environmental issue of whether Earth can really survive until the end of the 21st century. When we think about the environmental issues, we also have to pay attention to the population problem."

"It is said that in 2050, the population will be 9 billion, almost the critical limit. When the population reaches 10 billion, Earth will never be able to provide enough resources necessary to sustain human beings; water, food, oil, coal, etc from which various kinds of energy are generated. What will happen then? The ethnic conflicts that we have now will be intensified. It is possible that violence will be more terrible in the near future. Violence will not be restricted to racial disputes, but for the survival of each individual. It might take a very cruel form."

"We have to succeed in a sixth revolution, an 'environmental revolution'.　　

　Let us return to the theory of circulation, which represents the original state of human beings. We should not deforest hills where gods dwell. We should not cut trees that are a part of nature. We should live with nature.

In other words, we live with or within nature. The environmental revolution will make us regain the recognition that we are part of nature. We can call it a theory of circulation and re-creation too. If we cannot succeed in that revolution, mankind will die out before the end of the 21st century."

"UNESCO is the only organization in the UN that addresses issues of human soul. Everyone is asked to participate in this. Everyone is asked to reform his or her consciousness. Organizations like UNESCO can find its meaning of existence there. Please bear in mind that the starting point for resolving every problem is to reform the consciousness of each and every person."

Summarized by Yukio Okusawa

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The tape was audio typed by Mr. Hirotsugu Yoshizawa
　　　　　　　　