For the Japanese, feeling deprived of everything at some point in life can mean taking a step into the light of incredible knowledge. Taking on one’s vulnerability is a form of courage and the mechanism that initiates the healthy art of resilience, so as never to lose sight or will. Live.
In Japan, there is one expression that began to be used frequently after atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Has this expression somehow regained remarkable significance after the March 11, 2011 tsunami disaster. Shikata ga nai?It means “there is no solution, there is no alternative or nothing to do. “
- “Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable.
- Anyway.
- Always be honest and always transparent.
- -Teresa of Calcutta-.
Far from understanding this expression from a defeatist, submissive or negative point of view as any Westerner would, the Japanese nurture it to understand it in a more useful, dignified and broader way. In these cases of existential injustice, anger and fury are useless. Resistance to suffering also does not serve us, where we are forever captivated by a thought such as “why me or why did such misfortune happen?”
Acceptance is the first step towards liberation. We will never be able to give up pain and pain at all, of course, but by accepting what happened we will allow ourselves to move forward, assuming one fundamental thing: the desire to live.
Since the 2011 earthquake and the nuclear disaster that followed at the Fukushima plant, many Western journalists often travel to northwestern Japan to discover how the tragedy persists and how these people have gradually emerged from the disaster. It’s fascinating to understand how they manage, the pain of loss and the impact of being deprived of what their lives were until then.
However, and as curious as it may seem, journalists who make this long journey report in their country much more than a report, more than testimony and shocking photographs, take the wisdom of life, return to the ruins of their Western worlds with a clear sense of being different inside. An example of this existential courage is revealed by Mr. Sato Shigematsu, who lost his wife and son in the tsunami.
Every morning, he writes a haiku. It is a poem composed of three verses where the Japanese refer to scenes of nature or everyday life. Shigematsu finds great relief in such routines, and does not hesitate to show journalists one of these haikus:
No goods, no nude
However, blessed by nature
Caressed by the summer breeze that marks its beginning ?.
As this survivor explains, and at the same time a victim of the 2011 tsunami, the value of embracing one’s vulnerability every morning through a haiku allows him to better connect with himself to renew himself as nature itself. He also understands that life is uncertain, sometimes ruthless, cruel when he wants to.
However, do you learn to accept what happened or to tell you?Shikata ga nai? (accept it, there’s nothing to do) it allows you to put aside your anguish to focus on what it takes: rebuild your life, rebuild your land.
The saying? Nana-Korobi, Ya-Oki? (if you fall seven times, get up eight) is an ancient Japanese proverb that reflects this pattern of resistance so present in virtually every facet of Japanese culture, this surpassing essence is found in its sports, in the way it does business, in its -Face-to-face education, or even in its artistic expressions.
“The wisest and strongest warrior is armed with knowledge of his own vulnerability.
However, it should be emphasized that there are important nuances in this sense of resistance, understanding them will be of great value and, in turn, will allow us to address them in a more delicate and equally effective way in the face of adversity. look at this in detail.
According to an article published in the Japan Times, practice the art of acceptance or?Shikata ga nai? It causes positive changes in a person’s body: blood pressure is balanced and the impact of stress is reduced. vulnerability and current pain is a way to stop fighting what can no longer be changed.
Therefore, we must be patient, careful, but at the same time persevering, because no matter how many times we fall into life because of fate, luck or nature always relentless with their disasters: delivery will never occur in our minds. resists and still persists, so let’s learn from this useful and interesting wisdom presented to us by Japanese culture.