Daily Yamabushi

Who I want to be

A couple of years back in early summer I was out for a run. If you knew anything about where I live, you would know that this is an area with extensive rice fields. And if you know anything about running, you would know that extensive rice fields are one of the best places to go for a run. This area is no different.

So there I was out in the middle of the rice fields early in the morning, say 6am. Usually the only people up and about at that time of day are walking their dogs, or the farmers tending to their crops. And usually the people who go out into the middle of the rice fields at that time of day, are those crazy non-Japanese people who just love to bask in the glory of the rice fields.

Like I was.

And then I saw him.

Deck chair. Beach umbrella. Book. Legs up on a wine cooler, as cool as a cucumber.

This guy had no cares for the world. He had no intention of doing anything else than to sit out in the middle of the rice fields with nothing but a bit of air and maybe a few mosquitoes getting between him and his book.

This guy was loving life, and loving it.

That’s who I want to be. That’s what I want to do. To simply do what feels right in the moment, and to not have any care in the world about it either.

Needless to say, I was impressed. This guy gets my vote. So I kept on keeping on, and let him go about his day, all the while hoping that one day that would be me.

Just have done it

It’s that you tried. It’s that you put your best foot forward. It’s that you actually went out there and did that.

Whether you can do something well or not is irrelevant. Whether you can do it blindfolded, backwards, or before anyone else isn’t what matters.

What matters is that you did that. You put in the effort, and you got a result.

Lots of people don’t even get that far. And lots of people stop there too.

Once you’ve done it once, do it again. Piece it together. Make it a streak. No matter how small or insignificant your try, try and do it a few days in a row. Then a few days more. See how far you get.

It’s the having done that counts.

The key for being in the moment

You have to enjoy it. It has to be fun.

Play allows you to explore whatever piques your interest. It allows you to do what feels right in the moment.

What else is there? Being in the moment is of the utmost importance, and if play allows you to do so, what more do you need?

Play is the key ingredient in any endeavour.

What happens when you ask a Yamabushi a question?

When you ask a Yamabushi a question, the answer is always the same, and it’s always frustrating.

Go out into nature.

This isn’t always practical, but many questions aren’t either.

The reason for this answer is very simple. Most of the time, you find you actually already know the answer. All you needed was some sort of push or some way to extract the answer. Time out in nature just happens to be one amazing way to do that.

So the next time you think to ask a Yamabushi a question, try going out into nature first. You may find you already had the answer.

Yes, it was.

Sure, you may have lost something. Sure, things may not have gone as planned. Sure, you could have done things differently.

But did you learn something? Did you learn a new way to approach things the next time around? Was there something you can take on board?

Of course there was. There’s always a chance to learn. Take it or leave it.

Extracting the extraordinary

To be extraordinary, you have to be extra-ordinary. You have to do the extraordinary. There’s no other way around it.

So then the question becomes, why be extraordinary?

Well, you already are in one way or another. It’s just a matter of extracting that extraordinary.

The world is a complicated place with complicated problems. It takes extraordinary people to solve these problems. We are the extraordinary people, and we are who we need.

You don’t get to choose weather. But there is something else you get to choose.

There’s a saying in Japan. Well, it’s a two parter: Hare-onna and hare-otoko, a woman or man, respectively, who brings the sunshine.

Late spring and early summer, or autumn here in Japan instantly come to mind, but some times of year are great for being outdoors.

If you’re lucky enough to have a hare-onna or hare-otoko in your midst things may be a little different, but the weather always has some say on proceedings.

One minute it could be sunshine and blue skies. The next, rain and thunderstorms. The weather waits for no one.

Nature does, though. Nature waits for us.

While you may not get to choose the weather, the choice to go out into the great outdoors is always there.

The kind of people you should stick around

When you surround yourself with beautiful nature, it’s easy to forget your fatigue. Nature becomes its own replenish-able energy source.

Well, the same is true for people. Some people you just can’t help but want to help. Some people are easily able to bring out the best in you. Some people are simply a pleasure to be with.

These are the people you should surround yourself with. These are the people you should dedicate your time to. These are the people you should use as an energy source.

If you let them.

Until you experience things for real, you have no idea what they will be like. You truly never know what something feels like until you go out there and actually do it.

This is the main reason why we keep the details of our yamabushi shugyo (training) a secret. Your experience should be your experience. It shouldn’t be clouded by the opinions of someone else, especially other yamabushi.

百聞は一見にしかず

There is a saying in Japanese: Hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu.

Hearing about something one hundred times has nothing on seeing (read: experiencing) it once.

You can have some idea of what’s going to happen, but the unseeable, the parts you could never predict, are the parts that keep it exciting. The unseeable is what keeps you engaged. The unseeable is what keeps you moving forward.

Don’t let your expectations get in the way of a good experience.

My definition of success

Success is something you determine on your own terms. External validation as a requirement is a fool’s game.

Derek Sivers from The Tim Ferriss Podcast:

Derek Sivers: You and I have thought for hundreds or thousands of hours about the concept of success, what it means to be successful. I’m 53 now. I have spent almost 40 years or let’s say 35 years thinking about being successful.

Just a few weeks ago in a podcast interview, somebody asked me, “What’s your definition of success?”

And I said “To me, it’s just achieving what you set out to do. That’s your personal success for that thing. I think it’s very individual.

And he said, “Nothing to do with what other people think of you?”

And I went, “What other people think? No! What?”

And he goes, “Yeah. I think for a lot of people they would define their success through the eyes of others.”

I was like, “Why? Why would anybody?”

And he said, “Wait, you seriously have never considered that?”

To be honest, I probably have. Actually, no, I have. Validation in terms of success through building an audience on Instagram, for example. We look at other people, look at their Instagram accounts or YouTube profiles to see how many followers they have.

As if this defines success.

It may define success for them, and it might feel good for a while, but it is just one vanity metric in a long line of vanity metrics. It may lead to more money, but that in turn doesn’t turn the dial. In the big scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t turn the dial in life satisfaction.

My definition of success is probably pretty close to what Derek Sivers says: achieving what you set out to do. But I would add ‘and being satisfied by it’. Not wanting to add more, but accepting your standing, and being ok with it. That way when someone else does something extraordinary that you yourself could have done, you can say to yourself ‘so what, I’m satisfied’.

The problem with this is that it can be rather unambitious. Once you’ve reached a point, it’s easy to become complacent. I like to keep a mixture of satisfaction with a mixture of hunger, as Steve Jobs famously put it.

Cleaning as a form of meditation

Samu is a part of Soto Zen training which consists of… cleaning. The whole wax on, wax off kind. It’s such a simple exercise, and is considered its own form of training.

If you allow it, cleaning can be relaxing and even therapeutic. There’s no real pressure on you to go out of your way to do a good job, but the act alone makes you want to do a good job. It makes you want to get that last tiny speck.

I like to think of this when I’m doing something I have to do, but don’t really feel like in the moment. On the other hand, I also like to make a point of doing some form of cleaning, like sweeping the floor or wiping my computer screen, when I need to take a short break.

These exercises are the perfect chances to get into a meditative state, a state where you’re still focusing on what you’re doing, but the outcomes don’t matter nearly as much as your state of mind while you’re doing it. They are the perfect moments for meditation.

Things only get worse if you let them

If you’re not careful, challenges layer on top of other challenges. If you’re not careful, these challenges snowball into one huge mess. If you’re not careful, one tiny non-event can cause things to explode.

Split them up. List them up. Think of the challenges one by one. See them as individual tasks rather than one big mess.

Then go ahead a work on them, one by one.

Things only get worse if you let them. Reverse engineer it so that things are controllable.

It’s not rocket science, but it does involve initiative and the ability to say no.

If you’re not careful.

How the Haguro Yamabushi pay their respects to the victims

Yesterday I took part in a very special ritual, with a harrowing history.

After 3.11, the Haguro Yamabushi had to do something to commemorate the souls of the deceased. Master Hoshino put a call out for Shakyo, copies of The Heart Sutra. He made a call for 10,000 copies. In return, he got over 13,800.

Then, over the course of about two weeks, they set about reading each and every one of the 13,800 copies. These copies were then carried to the summit of Gassan, where they have been buried in a special mound.

Each year since, in May (which I assume was to do with the shifting of the Kami of Gassan from Dewa Sanzan Jinja back to the summit of Gassan), Master Hoshino and some local Yamabushi spend hours on end chanting the Heart Sutra non-stop in commemoration of those souls.

I was very honoured to take part. I have only been a Yamabushi since 2017, and have only taken part a few times in the years since (thanks, COVID), but it is something that makes me proud to be a Yamabushi.

Yesterday when we were praying, I had a think about the victims of the disaster, and thought about how easily it could have been me. I was in Japan at the time. I was even doing a job that at least one of the victims was doing (JET ALT). I felt the earthquake (it was looong), and I was only a few hundred kilometers away from where the tsunami hit.

I even went to help with the cleanup at a small village called Minamisanriku. It was a real sight to see, but I’m glad I got to go back there a few years later to see the town doing well, on top of a new massive sea wall at that.

It’s already (only?) been twelve years, but it changed the course of history forever. And we Yamabushi will be praying forever too.

Use your obsessive mindset to push through

This is how you learn any skill.

The first step is simply learning how to do it. Learning the pronunciation of the words. Learning the way to hold the drumsticks. Learning the basic commands.

Then it’s all a matter of rinsing and repeating, until you’ve built enough proficiency.

The thing is, if we’re not careful, we stop at the first part. We stop at the simply doing part, and we rest on our laurels. It’s pretty obvious to see why this would happen, even reaching this stage can be quite the challenge for some.

This is where many people falter at learning a second language. I’ve seen it first hand many times. They just don’t have the nous to stick it through, in spite of going through all the effort to pick up the basics.

To truly master a skill, it takes doing, and repeating. It takes constant practice at core competencies over and over again. This is where the right mindset truly comes into play. This is where the so-called men are separated from the so-called boys.

So if you truly want to be able to do something, you need to be obsessed with doing it well. At the very least, you need to put in the effort to do it, and then you need the obsessive mindset to push through.

Enable the positive habits to outweigh the negative

Life sucks. It’s full of seemingly unnecessary struggles, and some necessary ones too, that sometimes it all gets a bit too much. Sometimes your brain explodes and all you want to do is sit in a corner and cry.

But there’s so much more to life than that. There’s so much that we can do to not be in a funk. And oftentimes, it’s staring us in the face.

Sure, it takes regular maintenance, like a well-oiled engine, to get through unscathed, or at least relatively). This means different things for different people. For me as a Yamabushi, it’s regularly getting out and praying to nature, then things like writing this blog, and making coffee by hand.

These habits can be tough to maintain at times, but it is most certainly worth it. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. And sometimes it’s just a matter of reminding ourselves of this.

Tipping the scales in our favour is about making the positive outweigh the negative. It’s not so much about reducing the negative, although that helps. It’s more making sure you have systems in place so that the positive comes, and not letting yourself, or anyone else, get in the way of that.

See what sticks.

Throw it against the wall. See what sticks.

Keep at it long enough, and you learn what sticks. And what doesn’t. You’ll find a lot of it doesn’t stick, perhaps none. Sooner or later, however the stuff that does stick, sticks. You just have to keep at it.

Do more of that. Keep at it until the wall is completely covered.

And then some.

And the adage of little steps

We all know the adage of little steps. The adage of, if you put one foot in front of the other, then repeat in perpetuity, who knows how far you’ll get.

We also know it can be easy to get stuck. Especially when you’re doing something that’s never been done before. You’re unsure whether you’re making the right step or not. You’re afraid you may have to backtrack, and what the implications for that could be.

What’s the alternative, though? To not even try?

That’s not going to happen.

The work is finding a way through. The work is coming up to the wall again and again and finding a way past it. Sure it can be hard to know how to proceed, but it’s important you find out. Otherwise it’s back to square one.

If not for the sake of those who follow in your footsteps, do it to prove to yourself you have what it takes to do something original. Do it to prove you can beat the resistance, and keep at it until you do.

“You’re making it hard for yourself.” – Everyone’s Dad.

Everyone’s dad was probably right. Sometimes we do irrational things just to spite people, knowing fully well they are right.

That’s just stupid. Get over yourself.

My dad always said to take the option that makes options easier down the road. Make life easier for yourself as you go along. Put your later life in easy mode.

Of course when you get there, you find things probably aren’t as easy as you thought they would be. Either way, it beats having to deal with the same problems over and over.

There are a lot of things in my life that bring anxiety, but if considered seriously aren’t actually important. Best to get rid of those.

What areas in your life are you making hard for yourself? What if you just stopped doing them?

Be someone who gets chosen

Replaceable is replaceable. Replaceable is risky.

Schoolyard rugby. A team or B team. Size matters. To a degree.

A friend of mine never used to get picked. Until, that is, he worked hard on his technique. His defense became impenetrable. Small, but strong. Needless to say, he was never picked last again.

Quit being a jack of all trades, or a generalist. Don’t even aim for it. These roles make you much easier to become a simple cog, which for some is perfectly fine, but it shouldn’t be perfectly fine for you.

Replaceable is risky. If you’re not someone who gets chosen, become one. Useful and unique.

How a simple word change can change your trajectory

I don’t have problems. I have challenges.

This isn’t to say my challenges aren’t problems. This is to say that problems when seen as problems can become real problems.

When problems are challenges, they are something you can work with. They are something with the potential to be overcome with a little bit of effort, some perseverance, and a touch of patience.

And all it takes is a simple word change.

The only way to get anything done

Go on the offensive. It’s the only way to get anything done. No autopilot. No complaints. Get out there and get moving.

See something that needs changing? Change it. With gusto. Get out there and put your mark on the world. Be remarkable.

Beast mode is you and your best work. The only work you’re allowed to do. Go beast mode and show us what you’ve got.

Don’t let your losses bring you down further.

Way back when I was playing in a semi-final for a waterpolo game. We had all worked our arses off for months on end to get there. Alas, it just wasn’t meant to be. The other team, longtime foes of ours, proved too strong.

That was when our coach told us a story I’d never forget.

He had been in the exact situation. He had worked his arse off for months on end only to fall short in the semi-final. Only, he let it get to him. He was so strung out by the feelings of dejection that he forgot about the task in front of him: the playoff for third and fourth.

Such was his pain that he played recklessly. He played without a care in the world.

Not only did it cost his team the game, it cost him opportunities he couldn’t see at the time.

People judge you on your character. They judge you on how well you are able to deal with the bad, and how well you are able to get through. Talent scouts included.

Our coach missed the perfect opportunity to make the New Zealand team. He had all the talent in the world, but his attitude got to him.

When we heard that story, we resolved not to let that happen to us.

And it didn’t. We won. Even though we came third, we felt like winners.

Don’t let the dejection take you down further. See the opportunity for what it is: an opportunity to prove yourself in spite of a bad situation.

An opportunity to do some good.

When you’re wanting to get back into the rhythm of something, you have permission to do whatever you need to to make it so.

I’ve been putting off restarting my YouTube channel for a while. There are tons and tons of excuses, but they are all worthless. What matters is that you do something. What matters is that you turn your camera on, set up the mic, record, and then put out something. Otherwise all you’re left with is excuses.

The rest will take care of itself

As Master Hoshino says, put your self in nature. Sense. Then reflect on what you sense.

That’s all there is to it.

Well, of course there’s more to it than that, but this is the premise of Yamabushi training. It’s about saying yes to nature. It’s about saying yes to what happens, and accepting.

But the thing is, you can’t just read about this stuff. It has to be experienced. There’s no two ways about it.

When you learn to say yes to nature when you learn to accept nature, you learn what it means to be a yamabushi, and you learn what it means to live well.

Say yes to nature. The rest will take care of itself.

Never forget

The mountains will always be there. The mountains will forever offer a place of solace, of comfort, of refuge. The mountains won’t escape you.

Focus on maintaining your daily routine, and know that you are not alone.

It’s extremely easy for your daily routine to fall out of whack when something big happens. Just one thing out of place and it can all turn to custard. But your daily routine is what helps you maintain your daily routine. It helps get you back to ‘normal’, and can keep you busy in the interim.

Make sure you keep it up.

Second, is to remind yourself that you are not alone. Of course you may be in a unique situation. Perhaps big things happen consecutively, or to multiple people. Your experience is different. The emotional roller coaster rolls different ways for different people too. But you don’t have to go through things alone. You’re allowed to talk about your feelings. You’re allowed to look elsewhere for answers. Sure people may not be able to understand completely, but they can at least try, and they can at least offer an outsider’s perspective, which at times is all you need.

Hope this helps.

Write your feelings down, then sit on them.

When you feel flustered or otherwise overwhelmed, write your feelings down, and then sit on them.

When you get emotional, you also get irrational, your feelings can lead you astray from clear thoughts. It’s why a buffer is important. However, there may also be something in the feelings. Hence the need to write them down for later use, if you need them of course.

By the time you need them, you may well have calmed down enough to not need them. Then you would have been worrying about nothing at all.

This is especially true of thoughts that keep you up at night! The writing part lets you see your thinking more clearly, and helps give perspective that can help you get back to sleep.

Assuming makes an ass out of u and Ming.

Not all of us are mind readers. Not all of us know what you’re thinking. So when it comes to the important stuff, you have to let us know. It’s no use thinking your subtle hints and attempts at telepathy will work. While they may work for some, not all of us are mind readers.

Be clear. Be honest. And most of all, be open.

Let them keep pushing you forward

We often forgo celebrating the small wins in the hope that when the big wins happen, they’ll make up for it. The problem with this is that, we never know when the big wins will come, or even if they will in the first place. This leaves us hopeful for an undeterminable amount of time, and without celebrating the small wins, it can be enough for us to lose faith completely.

Celebrate the small wins! Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done every once in a while. Although you may not have gotten the result you desired, that you strived for better, and put your best foot forward is reason enough.

This post was inspired by this podcast.