1. The Path: From the Sacred Harmony of Humanity to a New Economics

Chapter 1 identifies the objective of ‘The Kyoto Manifesto for Global Economics’ and how the Chapters fit together into its overall critique. The book is the product of three Annual International Symposia in Kyoto from 2014 to 2016, together with a Review Symposium in 2017, with the objective of posing a challenge to global economics. It progressively builds a series of society-centered platforms on which a new approach to global economics can be developed, emphasizing people and their spirituality. Fundamentally, the structure of the book is anchored in spirituality and the power of musical expression—beyond words but exploring humanity’s wider harmony. The structure is influenced by Shinto and the sacred music of Stomu Yamash’ta which preceded each Symposium and conveys the relationship of humanity and spirituality to both the harmonies of the natural world and the harmony of humanity. This is a ‘polyphony’ or mirror of a musical structure which brings two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody together. This interweaving of physical and human elements is carried through the whole book, and presented in ‘musical’ form as a series of ‘Movements’ in an overall Symphony. Thus, form and content are mutual mirrors.