LETTER
FROM JAPAN
Paradoxically, there are answers
to be found to all these very modern stresses in the most ancient
Japanese traditions. Japan is a
place that puts great emphasis
on balance and harmony, and the
tools to help the Japanese find a
new harmony and equilibrium in
these very unharmonious times are
all around them. There are shrines
and temples and gardens everywhere. It is common to see monks
meditating and even to join them
in meditation (which I did at 8
a.m. on Sunday at the Nanzenji
temple in Kyoto). And even an ordinary meal can have an extraordinary power to it, with each place
setting positioned in a certain
way, each course presented with
ceremonial beauty. Life Artistry —
cultivating the ability to allow ourselves to be moved by small things
— is at the heart of Zen.
Most fascinating is how some
of these ancient traditions are being tailored to directly confront
the new challenges the country is
facing. In 2011, a Buddhist temple
in the Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, began a program using Zen
meditation, cold-water ablutions
and other traditional ceremonial
practices, along with lectures, to
help young people looking for jobs.
HUFFINGTON
05.12.13
“In finding fulfillment
in expressing what’s
on your mind for
the moment, Twitter
is like haiku. It is
so Japanese.”
More accurately, it’s not just about
finding a job, but finding the right
job — and to do that, a person has
to truly know who they are. “Many
young people try to get jobs at
major companies because of the
companies’ brand and status,” said
chief priest Zenkai Imoto. “Our
practice should provide opportunities for young people to find what it
is they really want to do.”