Yamabushi is a lifestyle. It’s a set of guidelines for how to live well. One of those guidelines is to go into nature at least once a year during Yamabushi training. Other than that, everything else is up for interpretation. In previous times, the aim was to be at one with Dainichi Nyorai the Buddha …
Japan is always an interesting case study, because everything is just different. I think it’s that difference that, at least initially, attracted me to the country in the first place. It’s exactly because things are different that we start to reflect on our own reality. When you notice a different way of things to get …
Wise words from a wise friend: if you know you are going to be doing something, rather than doing it of your own accord, if at all possible, work for and set the conditions in which you are instead asked to do something. This is basically what it means to become a linchpin, to be …
Just as the further you go out of your comfort zone, the more you grow, the more different your interlocutor is from you, the more you grow. When you learn more about people who aren’t like you by interacting with them, you see more of the human experience, and that provides valuable lessons for you. …
When you have a stronger will than other people, you have to be careful what you say. Sometimes although you mean well, you can come off as overbearing and it can be offensive. You have to hold back if there’s a chance your words won’t have a positive impact.
In a world where the future is becoming more and more unpredictable by the day, we need to have the ability to adapt to and accept change. Because, what’s the alternative? Instead of education systems that focus on rote learning, which by definition is things learned before, we need education systems that explore the possibilities …
I did something wrong today, which proves how much faith Japanese people put in each other, as well as their passive aggressive nature. I was searching for a car park for the longest time, not realizing there was a festival on until I had got into town. So, naturally, I park the car in the …
Create, meditate, move. These would be my top steps to living well. Create means you use your brain to get your ideas in the world. This could be anything. A blog. An artwork. A new program. A class even. When it comes to creation, we often try to talk ourselves out of doing things, usually …
Mr. Kato is a 72-year-old dude who I always see at the pool. His catch phrase is ‘Koe-‘ which is Shonai dialect for ‘this is really tiring’. Well, I have a lot of respect for this man. He comes at least five times a week, and swims half of Mt. Chokai, so about 1100m. That …
As a teacher, I learned quickly that when you don’t know something, it’s best to say you don’t know, rather than trying to fake your way to an answer. Students are curious beings, well at least they should be, and they will always question the things they want to learn. If they find out that …
