A REPORT says that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed top-level talks with China to resolve their differences and foster good relations between the two neighbours (July 27).Their ties have been especially frayed since September following the latest flare-up of a territorial row over tiny islands in the East China Sea, which Japan calls Senkakus but for China are Diaoyus.

Some three decades back I had taken a course called ‘Chinese and Japanese Culture,’ at an American university, due to my love for both these countries (that seemed to be shared by the professor, Dr Dollarhide) and was pleasantly surprised to find many commonalities, such as culture, literature, art and religion between them.

For quite some time, Chinese had even been the court language of Japan, and the Japanese writers and poets took pride in their knowledge of their neighbour’s language and literature.

Currently, I happen to be reading some very interesting books on Japanese Zen writings that have noted how Zen Buddhism arrived in Japan from China and how some Chinese mystics have been given a Japanese name, too.

In a book of quotations, under the heading ‘Attitudes’, a Chinese saying states, “A man who cannot tolerate small ills can never accomplish great things,” and a Japanese one observes, “Cold rice and cold tea are bearable, but cold looks and cold words are not.”

Among Zen stories, there is one about how a rich man asked the mystic Sengai to write something (like an amulet) for the continued prosperity of his family that may be treasured from generation to generation. The teacher wrote on a large paper: “Father dies, son dies, grandson dies.”

The wealthy fellow got angry, saying: “I asked you to write something for the happiness of my family! Why have you made this joke?” But Sengai explained: “If before you yourself die your son should die, this would grieve you greatly. If your grandson passes away before your son, both of you would be broken-hearted. However, if your family, generation after generation, pass away in the order I have written, it will be the natural course of life. I deem this real prosperity.”

From the foregoing citations, the lessons are: 1) that China and Japan should learn to overlook all their disputes, including those over the islands, even if they contain oil and gas deposits; 2) have a warm relationship instead of cold and angry interactions; and, 3) try to revive the bonhomie of the past and benefit from Confucian and Zen wisdom, for the continued prosperity of coming generations.

Croatia and Slovenia have, instead of fighting over their territorial dispute, decided to keep joint custody of it. As a Muslim, I’ve been taught that peacemaking is even better than some kinds of worship.

Similarly, our Chinese and Japanese friends, with both of whom Pakistan has excellent relations, can either take joint custody of the islands, or donate these to the UN, UNHCR and WHO, which can utilise any likely earnings from petroleum reserves for peacekeeping, helping refugees and fighting disease globally.

KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi