RecentWords2022

Ryo Yamazaki (1973 - ), a proponent of "Community Co-creation," calls our future the "Era of Participation." He argues that waiting for the government to improve our communities is no longer sufficient. Instead, sustainable and meaningful results come when residents actively participate in solving local issues (reference: Shrinking yet Filling Japan).

Of course, to participate, we need a philosophy—a sense of what is "right." However, people are not moved by righteousness alone. Obsessing over "being right" creates a closed world centered only on the self. Paradoxically, "one's own righteousness" can lead to isolation.

We have now been living with a global pandemic for over two years. We are entering an era of accepting change, often called "With-Corona." This, too, requires the participation of every individual. Yet, we see clashes of "personal truths" regarding vaccines and masks.

By nature, when humans face each other head-on, we tend to crush one another with our opposing views. Instead of confronting each other, why don't we try becoming someone who stands beside the other—a neighbor in the truest sense? 

Let us practice Okunen (憶念): deeply keeping one another in our thoughts and imagining the feelings behind the other person's words.

The battle against the pandemic is now entering its third year. Who could have imagined it would last this long? What has transpired during this time is a sad truth: a world that once appeared friendly and peaceful was, in reality, riddled with division and discrimination.

And now, perhaps unable to bear this underlying pain, the world witnesses the outbreak of war—an attempt to alter the status quo through violence. It is an act we humans should never choose; it is weak, foolish, and produces nothing.

However, we must not simply cast unilateral blame on the nation that started it. Why? Because whether we are "for" or "against," the moment we take a side, we draw a tragic line that "shuts the other out." This mindset of severance is the true "darkness."

These times have forced us to confront darkness. Yet, it is precisely when we are plunged into pitch blackness that we become capable of perceiving even the faintest glimmer of light. Let us, therefore, gaze into the "darkness" within ourselves.

"Learn in 3 minutes," "Words that change your life in 30 seconds." The internet is flooded with catchy phrases designed to grab our attention instantly.

Even simple cooking cannot be done in three minutes without preparation. Yet, when it comes to words and deep thinking, we seem to be neglecting the necessary process.

I once heard from a TV industry insider that news scripts are written to be understood by a ten-year-old. We live in an age that demands only short, summarized, flashy, and easy-to-digest information.

However, simple thinking leads to simple conclusions. I worry that our world is becoming shallow and thin.

The French philosopher Simone Weil(1909-1943) once said: "The proper method of philosophy consists in clearly conceiving the insoluble problems in all their insolubility and then in simply contemplating them, fixedly and tirelessly, year after year, without any hope, individually."

To reach a deep understanding and a true conclusion, one needs appropriate time and quiet reflection. Because true wisdom is, in reality, something very "subtle."

Recently, we see more and more people talking lightly about "the truth" on TV and the internet. But is "truth" really something that human beings can grasp in their hands?

Shinran Shonin(親鸞聖人1173-1263), the founder of Shin Buddhism, revealed the true nature of human beings through two concepts: "Gi" (偽- Falsehood) and "Ke" (仮 - Facade).

"Gi - 偽" is the mindset that constantly tells oneself, "I am right," while judging and hurting others. "Ke - 仮" is the mindset that clings to and uses others, hoping to gain some benefit for oneself. These are the realities of who we are—traits found in everyone, everywhere, throughout history. They are the "forms of darkness," the exact opposite of the Truth.

However, those who honestly face this "Gi - 偽 and Ke -仮 " within themselves—those who look directly at this darkness—are saved. Because they deeply understand that they are "nothing but Falsehood and Facade," they do not drown in that darkness. Although it seems like the completely opposite direction, acknowledging one's own darkness is actually where we stand closest to the Truth.

The Truth is something we must seek for a lifetime; it is not a simple goal to be achieved or captured. Yet, even as we seek, the Truth is already there, patiently waiting for us.