艱難にいって友をしる
Kannan ni itte tomo wo shiru
In hardships, you know your friends.
“Fellow samurai must support each other. We are never so keenly grateful for the kindness of others as when we have fallen on hard times.” - Oishi, The Loyal 47 Ronin - Chushingura
I appreciate everyone who came out to train with us on our first day back. Thank you all very much.
A warrior practices gratitude. Battles are never won by just one person. Every great tale has a hero, but it also features a cast of characters who are working hard and sacrificing themselves so that the hero can be successful. Robin Hood had his Merry Men, Luke had Han Solo, Chewbaca, C3PO and R2D2, and there were 47 Ronin. Understanding this, success is only a function of each person’s selflessness and generosity or in other words how much they think of others. Thinking of others can be easily summed up as harmony. Harmony requires selflessness, kindness, generosity, graciousness, and forgiveness. As we develop ourselves, the beginning levels are mostly physical and because of that it is easy for our smaller self or ego to come out and thus we act selfishly or self-centered. However, as we evolve, we realize that the path towards our greater self requires us to think or put others first. In many ways, the coronavirus is teaching us about harmony and humanity and many of us are learning the true meaning of gratitude and appreciation and the real value of kindness. In Japanese it is said, “Kannan ni itte tomo wo shiru” or “In hardships, you know your friends.” It’s true that we only really know ourselves and who are friends are when we are at our lowest. A warrior realizes that the road to true inner peace is paved with gratitude and that is why a warrior practices gratitude. Thank you all for all you do!
Today’s goal: Do your best to show true gratefulness 10 times today.