P.361
Summary
 
   The world has indeed become one, but nations and cultures
of the world  are still  at variance  with each  other, each
adamantly  maintaining  its   own  position.   Geographical,
racial, social and  psychological  barriers are hard to come
down.  Yet, people are in  contact  with each other and must
live together.  There  must be a unifying factor or force to
show the  way to harmonious  relationship.  One of the ways,
perhaps, is  to  reassess  the   nature   and   function  of
metaphysics.  So  as  we  are in the last decade of the 20th
century  and will soon enter the 21st century, it might be a
good idea to review the metaphysical foundations of East and
West.
   The  metaphysical  foundations  are  important  clues  to
understanding cultural differences.  Heretofore, the concept
of metaphysics has been understood in the traditional  sense
of substance, object, subject, world, space, time, etc.  and
many have been turned away from it because  of its technical
language and consequences.
   In this essay, 1 argue  for a novel  type of metaphysics:
an  organic  metaphysics.  The  ideas,  indeed  elements, of
organic  metaphysics  are  seen  abundantly  in Chinese  and
Buddhist  thought.  Some of these are the concept of change,
yin-yang   phenomenon,   non-action,   non-being,   vacuity,
humanity,   constant   mean,  wheel   of   life,  emptiness,
Buddha-nature,   non-self　　 and   compassion.　　 The   true
understanding  of these must inevitably  lodge in an organic
metaphysics since these terms simply defy ordinary logic and
sensibility.
 
　　　　　　　　　　  P.362
 
   One of the great assets of an organic metaphysics is that
it helps one to overcome dichotomizing  one's experience and
the world.  This  habit of dichotomization  in perception is
so  ingrained  that it will take  a huge effort  and time to
resolve   it.  One  bright  note  here  is  that  meditative
discipline, a  contribution   of  the  East, is  picking  up
steadily  in the West.  Similar efforts must be promoted  to
benefit both the realms of man and nature.
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　　　　　　　　　　  P.363
 
   As the  20th  century  comes  to  a close, it would  seem
appropriate  to have  a general  review  of the metaphysical
foundations  of both  East  and West.  The review  of course
cannot be comprehensive  nor exhaustive  but will attempt to
cover  the main  points  in both  sectors  so as to indicate
certain fruitful areas of discourse that might be pursued.
   Where  the  19th  century  West  has been  metaphysically
climactic, especially  in the philosophy  of Hegel, it ended
appropriately  enough  with Nietzsche  who, as many scholars
have   commented,  tolled   the  death   knell   to  Western
metaphysical  understanding.  True  enough, the 20th century
opened  up with a strong distaste  for entities  as such and
discourse  on  them.In  a sense, the  Western  philosophical
world  had  matured  sufficiently  to see  the  pitfalls  of
engaging in metaphysical entities and understanding based on
them. And in another sense, although science had started off
with the substantive  treatment  of nature within  a general
Newtonian  world,  it  slowly  but  gradually  came  to  the
realization  that  the  substantive  treatment framed within
absolutistic   metaphysics  either  skewed  or  limited  the
understanding   of  matters   within  the  rapidly   growing