The monthly “Chichi” is available only in Japanese.For further details regarding the contents of the magazine, please refer to Chichi WEB (Japanese version).
Special Feature: Taking Advantage of an
This is an anecdote of a Kabuki actor, Sojuro Sawamura the First*1, who made Genroku Kabuki*2 flourish. It was upon his final performance, where all the actors were quite nervous to support the brilliant close of the career of this master of Kabuki.
“Allow me to inform you. Allow me to inform you. Allow me…”
In a scene, one of the actors had forgotten his lines and got flustered. Sojuro, who noticed this, promptly said,
“It sounds like highly confidential. Come closer, come.”
With that, he invited the actor, who inched along toward Sojuro and whispered,
“I’m sorry. I forgot the lines.”
Sojuro listened to this with his hands over the ear, and then put his hands over the mouth and said,
“I think this is enough. Just say ‘That’s it, Sir’ and get yourself out of the stage. It will work.”
The actor raised his voice to say “That’s it, Sir,” and got himself out of the stage. It did work and the stage performance could go on.
I admire the prompt response of Sojuro, who had a quick wit and took advantage of the opportunity. It must be something that could be done because of his many years of discipline and magnanimity as a person.
*1Kabuki actors inherit their names, like Sojuro Sawamura the 2nd, Sojuro Sawamura the 3rd, etc.
*2Kabuki thrived during the Genroku period (1673–1735). The structure of a Kabuki play was formalized during this period. Conventional character types were determined.
When Mr. Gaishi Hiraiwa (Former President/Chairman of the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated) was young, he worked as a secretary to the then president, Mr. Kazutaka Kigawada. During the period, when the president Kigawada tuned his face to Mr. Hiraiwa, he could tell what the president wanted to say, and what the president wanted him to do. He could enable such miracles, as he always tried to become single-minded with the president, and lived a time shared with the president.
”I Ching”, one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts, says, “Isn’t it the God who sees signs and can predict an incident faster than anyone else?” It also teaches us, “If you seize an opportunity, execute it immediately.”
Then, what should we do to take advantage of an opportunity? I believe the requirements can be summarized into the following 4 items.
The first item is “sincerity.” Work wholeheartedly, and you will see that “sincerity reaches heaven”, functioning like God. This is something everyone who lived seriously has been insisting upon since ancient times.
The next item is “agility.” You have to maintain a positive sense of tension, in order for you to have something that rings a bell. The following are the words of Mr. Masahiro Yasuoka*3.
“The core meaning of agility is to make your mind and body work, so as to be careful as much as you can, to be helpful, to serve frequently in order to make your life beautiful, for your work, for your friends, and for the world. In plain words, never slack off and always stay agile. Instead, you can substantially slack off when it comes to mundane things in the world.”
The third item is “commitment.” Surprisingly, people are not good at making commitments. “Shu Ching”, another oldest of the Chinese classic texts, says, “Everyone has his or her own important mission. However, there have not been many people who commit to the mission since olden days.” Most people end up lukewarm. However, there is a stage that only those who commit can reach.
The last item is “courage.” Be constantly active. If you hesitate, you can’t take advantage of an opportunity.
*3 Mr. Masahiro Yasuoka was a famous scholar of Oriental philosophy. He was a spiritual advisor to many high-ranking members of
Let’s learn how to take advantage of an opportunity from each life of those active in his or her own field.
The monthly “Chichi” is available only in Japanese.For further details regarding the contents of the magazine, please refer to Chichi WEB (Japanese version).
Special Feature: Live Desperately
A disciple once asked his Zen master, Dogen*1,
”You taught me that every human being is born with Bussho*2, but if that is the case, why do some of them succeed while some don’t?”
Dogen replied,
“It’s easy to tell you the answer, but you should once think through it by yourself.”
With that, the disciple spent a night thinking over the issue, but he couldn’t figure it out.
The next morning, the disciple visited Dogen and asked again,
“I thought about the issue last night, but still I don’t understand why. Please let me know the answer.”
“Then, I will let you know. Those who succeed make efforts. Those who don’t succeed don’t make efforts. That’s the difference.”
The disciple was overjoyed, feeling he got it. However, another question came to his mind during the night. If human beings are supposed to have Bussho, why do some make efforts while others don’t? The next they, he went to see his master again and asked,
“I went home yesterday, feeling I got it. However, I still can’t figure out why some make efforts and some don’t, if human beings are supposed to have Bussho?”
“Those who make efforts have spirit. Those who don’t, have no spirit. That’s the difference.”
The disciple was well convinced with Dogen’s answer, and went home in delight. However, during the night, again, another question surfaced. If human beings are supposed to have Bussho, why do some have spirit while some don’t?
The disciple came to see his master, which was the fourth time, and raised the question. Dogen replied,
“Those who have spirit know that every human being is mortal and is sure to die. Those who have no spirit don’t know this fact in its true sense. That’s the difference.”
This is an anecdote of Dogen, which bears close resemblance to his words in “The Shobogenzo Zuimonki*3.”
*1Dogen was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and the founder of the Soto
*2Bussho is Buddha-nature, or pure humanity.
*3”The Shobogenzo Zuimonki” is a compilation of teachings orally delivered by Dogen. It explains training rules for monks in a way that is easy to understand.
“Whether or not you can achieve spiritual enlightenment doesn’t depend on your innate brightness or stupidity. Everyone who trains is sure to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
Of course, there is a difference in speed between those who try hard and those who slack off. Whether you try hard or slack off depends on whether or not your spirit is desperate. If your spirit is not desperate, it is because you are not aware of the uncertainties in life. Every human being is walking towards death every second. You have to cherish the time you live like now, and improve yourself.”
To live desperately is to live single-mindedly. To live by dedicating yourself to here and now, every moment. To forget your ego and sincerely devote yourself to something. Then, life will radiate its intrinsic glow.
Even on your deathbed, your deathbed can be the place where you can improve yourself. Dogen is said to have passed away, saying these words,
“Don’t waste your life. Live desperately.”─We should reflect on this Dogen’s last message to us on his deathbed.
The monthly “Chichi” is available only in Japanese.For further details regarding the contents of the magazine, please refer to Chichi WEB (Japanese version).
Special Feature: Improve the Place Where You Are
At the beginning of March, I visited the Shoin Shrine in Hagi to attend a meeting between Mr. Toshishige Ueda, the chief priest of the shrine, and Mr. Masaaki Kawaguchi, who edited “Daily Word from Shoin Yoshida.” After the meeting, I extended my visit to the tomb of Shoin and the trail of his home located at five minutes distance by car from the shrine.
His tombstone was curved with these words: “The Tomb of Shoin, the Fierce Samurai of 21 Times.”
“Fierce Samurai of 21 Times” is the name that Shoin gave himself at Noyamagoku, a prison in Hagi, on November 2, 1854. Shoin describes where the name came from as follows:
〔I was born in the year of the tiger in the Chinese astrological calendar in the Sugi family, and grew up to succeed the Yoshida family. In another year of the tiger (1854), I was put to prison on the charge of planning overseas travel.* Then, an apparition appeared in my dream, and gave me a piece of paper, on which these words were written: “Fierce Samurai of 21 Times”. After waking up, I thought about this dream and noticed that the Chinese character which stands for “Sugi” could be dissembled into three different Chinese characters describing 10, 8, and 3, adding up to 21. Also, the Chinese characters for Yoshida contain parts that add up to 21 in the similar manner, as well as parts that indicate the number of times. My name is Torajiro, and Tora is a kind of tiger. The virtue intrinsic to a tiger is its courage. As I am physically weak, I must have a tiger’s courage as my teacher. Otherwise, I cannot be an admirable person.
*At that time,
This dream is really like Shoin, who never allowed himself to stagnate or to become lazy even in prison, and embodies his resolution. In fact, Shoin read through 618 books during his 14 months in prison, and transformed the prison into a place of education for prisoners.
He continues, “I have faced things with courage 3 times in my life. Yet, there are still 18 times remained that I have to face with courage.” Looking at the inscription of “Fierce Samurai of 21 Times” on the tombstone, I feel like his spirit is pressing upon my heart.
Shoin’s home is several tens of meters back from the tombstone. The trail of the home was partitioned on the well-tended vacant lot. It used to be a humble house consisting of 2 six-mat rooms and 2 three-mat rooms (approximately 30��). Right next to the house was a horse barn. Standing there and thinking of the bygone days, I felt as if I went back to the old days of Shoin.
The town of
Upon the second imprisonment to the Noyamagoku, Shoin left these words on the wall of Sonjuku, his private school.
“Although Matsumoto village is a rusty and poor village, it will certainly become the backbone of
Shoin taught his private school students that if you work hard in the place assigned to you, the place will bloom. The above words crystallize such spirit.
Isn’t it this spirit that we are supposed to learn from Shoin now? Each person has a place assigned to oneself. No matter how humble the place might be, try to improve the place as much as you can, and improve the mindsets of people gathering there as much as you can. I hope all of us bear this in mind and work diligently in our daily lives.
Are you improving the place where you are?
The monthly “Chichi” is available only in Japanese.For further details regarding the contents of the magazine, please refer to Chichi WEB (Japanese version).
Have Something to Swear to in Your Life
At the beginning of the Showa Period*1, there was a man named Kikuo Tanaka, who edited the Iwanami English Dictionary and gained fame as a scholar of English. He left higher elementary school*2 before graduation, studied diligently while working as a railroad waiter of the Japan National Railways, and became a substitute teacher for elementary school at the age of 18. Furthermore, he acquired qualifications of a teacher for junior high school and high school under the old system of education, and served as a professor of Yamagata University in later years. He was born in Meiji 26 (1893) and passed away in Showa 50 (1975) at the age of 82.
Mr. Shoichi Watanabe deeply respects this self-made person from the same hometown, and said, “When I was a boy, Mr. Kikuo Tanaka was a hero in my heart.”
Following is a story about Mr. Kikuo Tanaka.（Quoted from “Gifts for an Intellectual Life.” Publisher: Mikasa Shobo）
*1Showa Period …1926-1989 : The reign of the Emperor Hirohito
*2Higher elementary school is equivalent to the junior high school nowadays. In 1907, it was decided to have 6 years for elementary school, and 2 years for higher elementary school. This school system was replaced with the current school system in 1941, and former elementary school and higher elementary school were terminated.
Immediately after leaving (in fact, before graduating) higher elementary school, I became a waiter with the railways.
I received a written appointment, went back home, and devoted the written appointment to the household Shinto alter. Even now, I can’t forget the feeling then, and I still treasure the written appointment.
“The other boys could go to school with sufficient financial support from parents. However, I can be entitled to share my parents’ burden of life by starting to work from tomorrow. I would be able to support my parents with the money I gained from working. Also, I would be able to buy books to nurture myself. I was allowed to enroll in school in the true sense of the term, a large school named “society” at this very young age. I am thankful. I will work as a really good waiter.” Overwhelmed with gratitude, hot tears ran down my cheeks.
This is the determination of a boy aged 13 or 14 upon getting a job for the first time. What an honorable determination. By having something to swear to in his life, he nurtured himself and went on developing his life.
On another note, there is a scene I have encountered recently upon every business trip. High school girls, who tuck up their skirts, sit cross-legged on the ground, at station platforms or on the street. I have seen this throughout Japan, wherever I went. Their demeanor is very vulgar. They don’t have the slightest sense of being clean or beautiful, or shame, which are supposed to be intrinsic to girls. Their facial expressions, as well as the atmosphere of the entire body are dull and stagnate.
There is no child who becomes bad on his or her own. Their character can be nurtured by discipline, good practices, and cultivation of personality from early childhood. Those girls have wasted their opportunity to enhance themselves which has led them to who they are today. This breaks my heart.
A role model said, “Every person has his own light.” However, for a person’s light to really glow, certain conditions are required. And I think the foundation is to have something to swear to in your life.
The words of Professor Tsugino to boy Goichi in “Robo no Ishi (A Pebble by the Wayside)” written by Yuzo Yamamoto, come to my mind.
There is no one like you,
And life is only once.
If you don’t fully live your life,
There is no meaning in coming to this life.
I can’t help wishing that there will be as many young souls as possible who respond to these words, and start their lives with something to swear.
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