■ Excerpt from Preface to the English Edition

What we, who must live in this coronavirus age, are urgently being called upon to do, I believe, is to know ourselves. We are living in an era of confusion where past conventional wisdom and standardized rules no longer work. In these times, there is nothing that can change the future with more certainty as the power to know oneself. This is because there is a constant exchange of energy between inside and outside of us, and that which exists within us is inevitably reflected in the reality outside of us.

Throughout history, there have repeatedly been crises and periods of turbulence to the extent that the world has changed. But never before has there ever been such a widespread and simultaneous global problem as in the case of the coronavirus pandemic. Wherever we are in the world, whether we are in the United States, Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, or whatever community we belong to, we are forced by COVID-19 to live a similar lifestyle. Morover, even if we had not planned it, we are led to turn our attention from outward to inward.

I sincerely hope that this book will be of help, even a little, for those of you who have heard the calling, to nurture the power to know oneself.

■ Excerpt from Forward – William L. Brooks, Translation Supervisor

Keiko Takahashi’s latest work, The Power to Know Oneself, is much more than a book of ideas, principles, and teachings drawn from sensei’s carefully structured philosophy, referred to as the Study of the Soul. It is also a practical workbook, replete with self-diagnosis tests that “decode” the “black box of the mind.” When followed, the tests will guide the reader toward a personal evaluation and self-understanding, opening the way to changes in the way we see ourselves, others, and life. Reality will be perceived in its true form, and one’s very future can now be changed.
She does so by introducing the concept of a “hat of spells,” a delightful metaphor for the false pereptions that often cloud our minds.
This book, if followed faithfully, can guide the reader toward a totally different direction in life. Please read this book carefully and follow her detailed steps. The formula works. Once you start the journey toward a new self and reality, I think you will agree.

自分を知ること――それは人生最強の力。自分を知ることによって、あなたは、複雑で予測不能なこの世界を生きる最大の手立てを手にすることができる。

本書は、その有効性が実証された独自の「自己診断チャート」によって、読者1人ひとりを「自分を知る旅」へと案内する。

そこであなたは、自らの心のタイプを知り、あなた自身が抱く無限の可能性を開く道があることを知ることになる。

新たな自分、新たな人生を生きることを願うすべての人の必読書。