Enjoying the Small Things: More Japanese Wisdom

I’m pretty known for my deep love for all things Japan. I’ll literally watch and read anything about the place. One of my favorite things are samurai movies and anime series like “Rurouni Kenshin: The Wandering Swordsman.” There is a great scene when he is with his fencing master and he states what his master told him when he was young.

“Cherry trees at dusk in spring, stars in summer, full moon in fall, and snow in winter. Those things alone give alcohol taste. If it still tastes bad, that proves there is a sickness inside of you.”

This was definitely deep. But think about our own life situations, recall the numerous situations when you are having a delicious meal, all the things you were dreaming of or your favorite dishes say for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

But due to some setback at work or a fight with your spouse or kid. Or you are distracted or feeling bad, or maybe feel some guilt about something you did, the food just ends up not tasting as good as you remember. Despite looking forward to it for so long.

Our inability to let go, our inability to be fully in the present. This ruins our general happiness and it happens all the time. Our brains are one of the most powerful tools in our kit but they sometimes work against us. Actively looking for the next thing, pushing our buttons, making us dissatisfied with elements of our life. Overthinking all the time. It is a kind of sickness inside of you.

That is why you need deep focus on the present. Meditation helps a lot. Only then can we reach zen: a feeling of peace, oneness, and enlightenment. Only then can we get close to perfection. Complete pure dedication and commitment to the moment and technique.

Pushing yourself to the physical extremes. Using your will and spirit, going all in.

As one of the samurai characters said: “To vanquish you and be the mightiest of them all, I will fall to any depths of savagery.”

Short of going to war or a fight to the death, this activity gives you an appreciation of life. When we are focussed on big things and surviving. When we are safe and bored, we come up with stupid petty things to worry and trouble ourselves with. (This explains a lot of the mental illness and woke garbage in the West).

“In that moment you fear death, you find the will to live. If you sacrifice yourself to protect those you hold dear, they will grieve for you. They will not be happy. Your own life is worth as much as any other. Only when you understand the gravity of it will the ultimate technique be yours. Your life does not only belong to you.”

This illustrates what I love about Japanese culture. The embodiment of “we are all in it together” versus the extreme individualism we have in America. I think we miss out on many things when we embrace our individualistic tendencies too much. And we sadly only come together during times of tragedy and challenges. Only then do we realize we have obligations to others. We have obligations to ourselves and to society.

Strong societies are made up of strong communities. Strong communities are made up of strong families. Strong families are made up of strong individuals. It’s time to get strong because as Kenshin’s master says: “The strong survive, the weak die. Reality, plain and simple.”

And it all starts with very small things.