Ten Life Enriching Japanese Concepts

Cheeniya · Nov 29, 2022

Ten Japanese concepts that will improve your life:

1: Oubaitori.
Never compare yourself.
Everyone blossoms in their own time in different ways.

2: Kaizen.
Continuously improve.
Constantly strive to improve across all areas of your life.
Small changes accumulate and make all the difference.

3: Wabi-sabi.
Embrace imperfection.Nothing lasts, nothing is complete.Accept your own flaws and those of others.Find beauty in imperfection.

4: Mottainai.
Don't be wasteful.
Everything deserves respect and gratitude.
Recognize the value in what's around you and don't waste it.

5: Gaman.
Have dignity during duress.
Hard times need to be met with emotional maturity and self-control.We need patience, perseverance, + tolerance.

6: Yuugen.
Appreciate mysterious beauty.
Often we FEEL the beauty in an object without it being stunning to look at.
Discover subtle beauty beyond aesthetics.
Experience something words cannot describe.

7: Ikigai.
Know your reason for being.
Define the reason you get up in the morning.
Make it something you are good at, passionate about, and that the world needs.

8: Shikata Ga Nai
Accept and let go.
Some things simply aren't within our control.
Accept what you cannot change,
and move on.

9: Kintsugi.
Repair cracks with gold.
Imperfections are a thing of beauty.
The journeys we all take are golden.
Our flaws are embellishments that make us more beautiful.

10: Omoiyari.
Show consideration for others.
Life is better when we care for others.
Be thoughtful.
Build compassion.

Thyagarajan · Nov 29, 2022

Good that you shared these ideas which is close to heart of every japanese wo(men).
JIT to to be included
with the above ten.
Just-In-Time:
Certain products are made or manufactured only when order is
received. Like in hotels - Dosa Oothapp Adáï.
The concept when adopted by biggies in industry, saves carrying large inventory, storage space, insurance etc.

In my temple town ordered kallu dosa for my family of six. It was hot summer in the morning around 7am and family & I , just watched an hour long ahābhįsháykām and deeparadhana to swami malai swaminatha.

From behind a blind spot,we heard spraying of water on large hot thava where water instantly turned into steam balls and vanishing. Mere listening to this sharp hissing sound from kitchen itself was mouth watering. In few minutes a lady brought on a large platter over 15 - 20 large thin doses.
I was wondering how so many dosas were instantly readied.
The trick was dosas were already ready and kept in a huge pile and the sound effect of steam hissing was only an added effect to satisfy
hungry-customers in tearing hurry!

A man rushed to me with sambar thooku with a couple of finger size drum stick pieces. He transferred carefully the sambar ladleful on to my banana leaf retaining the drum stick pieces in the ladle itself.
When I asked him to serve the drum sticks too, he responded with a smile saying, "Sir, if I put it to you, how others will know that this is drumstick sambar?"

Viswamitra · Nov 29, 2022

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

It is so interesting to read 10 right-living values coming from Japan. Embracing imperfection and accept and let go are two major things I struggle of the 10 values. You have given me 9 more topics to write about having already written about Ikigai here.

Ikigai

The responses in this thread were amazing more than the origional post including your response Cheeniya Sir. Hats off to @girvani to come up with such a wonderful pictorial presentation of what is Ikigai. I am sure everything she gets involved is Ikigai for @Iravati.

HariLakhera · Dec 1, 2022

Japanese have marveled at themselves in many ways. I think the losses at the hands of USA in the WW II taught them many lessons. It is said that they are too overworked. It is also known that suicides -harakiri- is rampant in Japan.
I guess, humans have still to find a balance in life and any amount of teaching coming from experience is welcome.