The essence of life through Japanese culture
Sandy Hernandez (Stony Brook University)
The essence and beauty of life are two elements that are exceptionally difficult to grasp. For my entire
young adult life, I have been seeking a way of life, or a set of values, that would provide me with the
insight and perseverance necessary for success and peace of mind. I believe that the Japanese people have
been able to capture this elusive essence of life though their well-structured culture. Japanese culture is
founded on the three main religions of Japan; Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shintoism, which work
together in harmony to provide the skeleton that holds up Japanese society together.

Before going into the impact Japanese culture has had on me, I would like to speak about the
aspect of Japan that first caught my attention; its language. The Japanese language has held my interest
captive since my high school years when I was introduced to it by watching Japanese animation (anime). I
was originally attracted by its simple and elegant rhythmic style, and by its beautifully structured writing
styles; Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Upon entering college, I immediately enrolled in a Japanese
language course, from which my appreciation for Japanese grew even more. Although I acknowledge that I
lack the proficiency of a native speaker, I am able to see clear fundamental differences between the
Japanese language and Western languages such as English and Spanish. These fundamental differences
stem from the difference between Western and Eastern cultures and beliefs. More specifically, the Japanese
culture values the simplicity and the concepts of intuitive thinking (as opposed to logical thinking). These
two ideals can be seen in Japanese colloquial dialogue and in the sentence syntax that provides the reader
with the information necessary to deliver the intended message, while simultaneously using as few words
as possible to avoid redundancy. These attributes in the Japanese language cannot be attributed to pure
coincidence because they can be explained by the cultural beliefs and ideals held in Japan.

Zen Buddhism is a school of Buddhism that is centered on the idea of achieving satori
(enlightenment) through zazen (quiet meditation). Buddhism provides a way of life that detaches us from
our egos and from the rest of the world, thus, allowing us to carry on with daily activities without over-
analyzing our actions. This notion of the intuitive mind ties in with the concept of Mushin no Shin (“mind
of no mind”), which advices us not to think about our actions in an analytical way, but rather to act
intuitively in order to lose the duality between us and the rest of the world. The idea of Mushin no Shin has
been critical in my pursuit of knowledge wherever I seek it, whether it be in the sciences or life itself,
because it allows me to reach the underlying truth of things, no matter how painful the truth may be.

Although I acknowledge that I have not mastered the skill of detachment, I feel that adopting that
sort of mentality has allowed me to attain the insight and intuition necessary to excel in my engineering
courses. Practicing these ideals has allowed me to avoid stressing over minor details in tasks delegated to
me in school and at work, thus, allowing me to focus on the fundamentals of the task at hand. Essentially,
one has to become one with the task to avoid duality, clear one’s mind, and to react naturally to one’s
surroundings. This concept of detachment and loss of duality can be seen with the samurai, who have to go
beyond the level of skillfulness to truly master the art of the samurai. Avoiding duality and becoming one
with his opponent allows the samurai to clear his mind and to act only on instinct. This “intuitive mind”
approach has helped me improve several areas of my life, including my academic success, my physical
fitness, and relationship with others.

Another element of Zen Buddhism that has provided me with crucial insight into how view life is
the idea that only by humbling ourselves can we continue to grow in any type of discipline. Humbling
ourselves is an important step in gaining more knowledge, insight, and experience because we need to
empty our tea cup in order to allow our teachers to pour more tea into it. I am able to apply this principle in
my practice of Shotokan Karate because no matter how strong and skillful I become, I know that I can still
learn much more from my Sensei. Alternatively, by holding on to our egos and our accomplishments, we
limit ourselves from growing further because our tea cup is essentially filled to the top and our teachers
cannot provide us with more tea. The concept of reverence to our superiors has helped me acknowledge the
fact that humbling myself can help me improve in any area of my life. Once we let go of our egos, we also
lose the fear of failure, in effect, allowing us to knock down the barriers that often impede us from
achieving our maximum potential. This way of thinking connects to the way the samurai viewed their lives;
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they needed to be ready to die at any moment (i.e. accept that death might come), and at the same time they
needed continue fighting to protect others. The resolve to continue to hone my skills, no matter how skillful
I become and without the fear of failing, is the source of my academic success and my peace of mind.

Another aspect of Japanese culture that has made a great impression in my view of life is the
importance of kokoro (heart and soul). After having read the influential Japanese novel Kokoro, by
Natsume Soseki, I have learned that no one can see within the true heart of another person. Therefore, one
should follow the feelings and intentions that lie deep within one’s heart regardless of the opinions of
others. Confucianism teaches us that a big person follows their heart. In the past, I was reluctant to try out
new and foreign activities because people around me discouraged me from initiating them, claiming that
they were too difficult and impractical. However, in my heart, I felt that practicing these activities would
build my character and would bring enjoyment to me. Such activities included studying Japanese, and
practicing Shotokan Karate, among others. However, it was not until I was introduced to the fundamentals
of Japanese culture and way of viewing life that I realized that I needed to follow my heart, and that my
actions and ideals should not be mandated by the opinions of others, but instead by what I consider
important. I have gained great inspiration from the way the Japanese people appreciate nature and all things
that are beautiful and simple. The ideas of wabi (poverty) and sabi (loneliness) come together with the
Japanese respect toward nature because one must learn to humble oneself in order to become one with
nature. Things in nature are much more beautiful than manmade materials because things in nature possess
the element of simplicity. Simplicity in art and in nature is seen as beautiful in Japanese culture because it
allows for a more intimate and intuitive connection as compared to intricate art pieces that tend to remove
the sense of wonder and awe that goes hand in hand with simplicity. Simplicity is also seen in Japanese
literature through the elegant and powerful messages written in haikus.

The tea ceremony is a way in which Japanese people practice harmony with nature because this
ceremony exemplifies four key elements; harmony, reverence, purity, and tranquility. Harmony with nature
and others plays a crucial role in providing us with the peace of mind that helps us detach from ourselves
and others and become one with nature. As mentioned before, reverence and mindfulness are essential for
maintaining our motivation high in order to propel us to achieve greater levels of skill and intuition. The
purity and tranquility of the mind and soul is essential for the mastering of Mushin no Shin and harmony
with nature because only through quiet meditation can we achieve detachment from our egos. I am able to
use these principles of the tea ceremony when performing in many areas of my life, such as when playing
the ancient board game of Go. When playing Go, one must be able to clear one’s mind to think critically in
crucial moments. Tranquility and patience also play significant roles in playing Go because one must build
insight into subsequent moves by the opponent. This insight only comes through practice and discipline.

I believe that learning about Japanese culture has helped me become a more disciplined and
focused person in all aspects of my life. Regardless of my current success, I acknowledge that I need to
continue improving and humbling myself with the same resolve and zeal in order to attain higher levels of
achievement. These higher levels of achievement include becoming a successful professional engineer, and
continuing to improve my proficiency in the Japanese language.

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