Be Not Defeated
Featured here is the third and final installation of our three-part series of reflections on the poem "Be not Defeated by the Rain" by Japanese Buddhist poet Kenji Miyazawa, who lived in the first part of the twentieth century during a period of rapid modernization in Japan. If you haven't already participated in our discussion of the earlier sections of the poem, feel free to tune in to Part I and Part II for a recap of the conversation.
As we enter the final lap, it may be helpful to note a few additional biographical details about Miyazawa's life that informed his contemplative reflections.
Reflecting his values, including a distaste for the trend of competitive commerce sweeping over the populace, as well as a distaste for the tendency toward seeking riches that preoccupied the lives of so many of his peers, Miyazawa voluntarily spent several months in severe poverty, devoting himself fully to Buddhism while living on the streets of Japan. Rejecting society's materialism, he lived a life of renunciation even after leaving the streets, giving up worldly pleasures in search of a higher happiness. His poem "Be not Defeated by the Rain" reflects this quest.
Times of Drought
Reminding us again of Miyazawa's concern about the ecological conditions of the world, the poem returns to an image already painted in its first few lines. We enter the scene through the poet's reflections, which depict a compassionate resilience in response to hardship. Consider the following.
In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy.
In summers cold, walk in concern and empathy.
Coming full circle to the ecological concerns raised earlier in the poem, here Miyazawa again references the weatherly whims which wash over the face of the earth in the form of drought and other natural disturbances to equilibrium, calling not for stoic indifference to them, but for a wise expression of emotion. Cultivating resilience is anything but a toughening up and stomping down of sentimentality. In fact, it may be the inverse. Perhaps for resilience to be made possible, or moreover, for resilience to be made effective, it has to be made affective. A softening of heart must be undergone.
Cold apathy is unlikely to be effective in the face of such hardship, suggests Miyazawa. In fact, it may backfire and lead to further damage by neglecting to call out the root of the problems facing the natural world and its inhabitants, including us. Notice the juxtaposition in the two images featured in these lines.
First, we are asked to mentally place ourselves in a time of drought. Under such conditions, the earth by every appearance dries up under the scorching rays of the sun. On its face form deep furrows, wrinkles reflecting the cracked surface of the earth. Soil that would otherwise remain moist with recent rain and morning dew instead hardens as the land becomes inhospitable. Plants wither and die from lack of water. Rather than maintain a firm upper lip, our response, writes Miyazawa, should be to shed tears of sympathy. Perhaps such tears metaphorically moisten the earth, restoring life to its otherwise deadened exterior. If we genuinely and wholeheartedly care about the earth, we will cease the behaviors that lead to its demise.
Second, amidst cold summers (another striking paradox) we are called to walk in concern and empathy. Whether the descriptor "cold" is intended as a reflection of either temperature or lack of emotion, the juxtaposition remains salient. In the case of the latter, one may temper such coldness through empathy and concern. A cold summer may perhaps reflect the apathetic non-response to much of the fires and heat waves that sweep across the earth. While certainly there are those who actively work toward solutions to climate change, many remain unconvinced that it warrants any change in their behaviors, privileging their own pleasure above the planet. Also notice that we are asked to walk in concern and empathy. The path of resilience is active, not passive. We are asked to keep going, to move forward rather than stagnate behind.
Humility
Nearing the conclusion of the poem, another strong sentiment finds expression, namely that of humility. Here we find Miyazawa showing his distaste for the ways of the mainstream, preoccupied as it is with fame and fortune. He expresses this sentiment not out of arrogance, but with a sense of humility.
Stand aloof of the unknowing masses:
Better dismissed as useless than flattered as a "Great Man."
This is my goal, the person I strive to become.
Eschewing societally reinforced standards of success such as status, Miyazawa charts his own path instead. Material greatness is the least of his priorities. Rather than seek such prestige through wealth and reputation, Miyazawa purposefully distances himself from this egocentric way of being. Notice that despite the invocation to stand aloof of the unknowing masses, Miyazawa, in the lines just prior, encouraged engaging directly with society in service. The approach here is not to place oneself above society in a holier-than-thou fashion, but to remain engaged in service for the benefit of others out of a humane humility.
To be flattered as a "Great Man" was of no concern to Miyazawa. He would rather have his life and character dismissed as useless, he reflects. Not out for profit or prestige, he preferred to remain humbly in the background, quietly serving others. Still waters run deep, they say.
Indeed, Miyazawa's poetry did not receive much, if any, attention until long after his early death at the age of 37. He wrote the poem "Be Not Defeated by the Rain" as he was dying of pneumonia. It's said that he refused to compromise his values, rejecting the heartier meals offered to him as a potential remedy for his ailment in favor of maintaining his vegetarian diet. He would rather suffer illness than allow another being's life to be taken for the sake of his survival.
"This is my goal, the person I strive to become" mark the final lines of the poem. The sincerity of such an aspiration can be felt throughout. We hope it will be of inspiration to others.
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