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Isn't life interesting? I mean, you can be living your life a certain way one day, then something happens. You read something, you meet someone, some event moves your world, and before you know it, your whole perspective of life has changed. For me, the writings of Mitsuo Aida did just that. It took a long year of patience, determination, and explanation on the part of my good friend and mentor, Shinji Seki, for me to come to some element of understanding of Mitsuo Aida's basic concepts and ideas. Soon after, the first book, THE HERE AND NOW -- The Art, Ideas and Poetry of Mitsuo Aida, was published in 1996. Since then, I have been working with the Mitsuo Aida Museum putting other works into English. As with anything, the more I work with his writing, the deeper it influences my life. Through Mitsuo Aida's writings, I have come to realize that life is "now". I used to spend so much time thinking of past events or wondering (worrying?) what might happen in the future, that I was seldom experiencing the moment at hand. (Life is much more relaxed these days!) Another realization was that I often exerted so much energy trying to live up to others expectations of me. His simple example in "The Original Me" on page 24 of THE HERE AND NOW made me reconsider my values, and I realize I no longer have to base the way I see myself on the ways others might view me. Mitsuo's insight has taught me that the sum of my strengths and weaknesses is who I am, and that it's okay to be me. (Anything else just causes confusion!) Mitsuo Aida, thank you for the peace of mind! The phrases in this book are much shorter than in the first, but just as meaningful. I suggest you take your time, and just let everything sink in. This book would not have been possible without the knowledge, assistance and support of Noriko Hisamura, my wife Mayu Jensen, Kazuko Yamashita, Shinji Seki, Aida Kazuhito, Momoko Ando, Nami Mikami and the Mitsuo Aida Museum staff, Sanae Wada, Yoko Ono, my parents Wayne and Joanne Jensen, Kazuko Sato and the entire Diamond staff. Love and respect to all
Putting Mitsuo Aida's poetry into English has without a doubt been the most meaningful and enlightening experience of my writing career. It took over a year to complete and I have to say that translating this book has given me a warmer and brighter outlook on my life and the world around me. Mitsuo Aida didn't write about culture or history. He wrote about feelings, situations and emotions that are relevant to all human beings on this planet. I find that every time I read his poetry, I learn something new about myself and I truly believe that anyone who has the chance to read his work will walk away with a deeper understanding of themselves and the everyday situations they find themselves in. His work is written in simple, frank terms and I have tried to capture that clarity and simplicity. Some parts are direct translations, while other parts were altered slightly in order to allow English readers a better understanding of the concepts. This project would not have been possible without the patience and guidance of Shinji Seki and Kazuko Sato to whom I would like to express my deepest appreciation. I hope that Mitsuo Aida's writing will touch and inspire everyone as it has me. Please read and enjoy.
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