Samurai warriors, universal connection and how to realise our purpose in life.

The Japanese have a certain way with words… they can evoke feelings of strength, honour and loyalty. This has much to do with Japanese culture and their own code of morals and of the traits that they think are important for an individual to have in life. The meanings of their words and the terms they use have a romantic sense to them also, they can convey mystique and entire concepts which can paint a picture in your minds’ eye.  Much of Japanese culture can be attributed to the feudal system of medieval Japan which arose at the collapse of aristocratic rule in approximately 1400 AD and lasted for roughly 200 years. During this period, a relative age of chaos was ushered in which was appropriately called The Warring States period. It was during this time that samurai warriors came to the fore and fought for the honour of their state, their master and most importantly their lord. The samurai warriors were known as bushi (warrior) and the creed that they lived by was called Bushido (Way of the Warrior). Bushido is a rigid value system of discipline and honour that required the samurai to live and die in the service of their lords. Much of this way of life (minus the act of seppuku or ritual suicide as it is known) from feudal times has remained in the collective consciousness of the Japanese people, and is inherent in their way of life, their speech and their language- although the act of seppuku is still used in organisations such as The Yakuza where dishonour is frowned upon and does result in ritual death.

There are two particular concepts from Japan that encapsulate the Japanese way of life, Zen teachings and the elemental forces that can be found in universal connection. These concepts are very beautiful, and in a very succinct manner, and without being too verbose or wordy cut right to the core and explain simply and easily the purpose of life. These two words, which both convey entire concepts are Yugen and Ikigai. If you know anything of Zen Buddhism, you will perhaps know the concept of Yugen. Zen Buddhism lies at the heart of Japanese culture, and has its roots in the awakening of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as The Buddha, 2500 years ago. In essence, Zen Buddhism is a method of self-discovery which is found through meditation, as well as the experience of presence that is found by living in the present moment. Japanese ideals are heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism where all things are considered to be either evolving or dissolving into nothingness- although this nothingness is not an empty space, but a space of potentiality. Through this process of self-discovery through the practices of meditation and experiential living we also realise that we are most alive and connected with the elements around us. Hence Yugen. Yugen is an awareness of the Universe that triggers an emotional response which is too deep and powerful for words. It is an innate connection with the universe and all within it, a knowing that we are a part in the inter-connectedness of all things and an active part of the Universal Consciousness. Yugen applies to our experience in this world and in this lifetime, and this implies that we are aware of our spiritual connection to all things.

Secondly, we have the word Ikigai. This word is comprised of two separate words which are iki which refers to life, and kai which roughly translates to ‘the realisation of what one expects and hopes for’.  Ikigai therefore translates to ‘our reason for being’. To get to the point where you find what your reason for being is, you will need to bring together four principal areas of our life which are namely our passion, our mission, our preferred vocation and our profession. Ikegai is the space that is found at the intersecting point (imagine a Venn diagram), and is seen as the source of value that makes one life truly worthwhile, or the reason why we get up in the morning. The word is more often used to refer to the mental and spiritual state behind our circumstances, and does not really take into account financial status to a large degree. Ikegai is often a response to natural and spontaneous actions that emerge from a deep and direct connection to life at large and the world around us. This is our life purpose. In Japanese culture, everyone is thought to have an ikegai, but to find it can require deep enquiry and introspection; a search of self which is highly regarded.

So, both of these concepts give us the ability to connect to the universe in a very deep, natural and organic way, which can make us become more motivated and proactive in our day-to-day life. The process of understanding these concepts and bringing them into our life can allow us to understand our place in this world on a microcosmic level and our place in the universe on a macrocosmic level.

Happy searching everyone!

Ben :-)

References

http://www.ushistory.org/civ/10c.asp
https://creativesystemsthinking.wordpress.com/2014/12/13/yugen-%E5%B9%BD%E7%8E%84-deep-awareness-of-the-universe/
http://upliftconnect.com/ikigai-finding-your-reason-for-being/