Be Not Defeated - Go Forth in Each Direction - Part II

Be Not Defeated

We continue here with our excursion through the contemplative reflections of Japanese poet Kenji Miyazawa in the motivational piece "Be not Defeated by the Rain," picking up from where we left off in our last post which covered the first several lines of the poem.

To catch everyone up to speed (or, rather, to slow down some), we will briefly summarize the main "take-aways" with regard to the first few lines. These reflections set the stage for those to come.

Recall the images evoked by the poem. Miyazawa succinctly takes us through the turmoil of excessive rain, fierce winds, winters beset by blizzards, and sweltering summers burdened with oppressive fever.



First, we heard from Miyazawa that in spite of the rain and wind, regardless of the winter snow or summer heat, one ought to be not defeated. Whatever weatherly whims (as we call them) sweep over us, do not be swept away by them. Pick up the pieces and strive on diligently.

Second, be led neither by desire nor anger, advises the poet. Our default mode of being typically entails being under the command of one or the other of these vices. Indeed, they are counted among the three poisons or unwholesome roots in Buddhist contemplative contexts, and have a similarly negative reputation among others. Uproot these habitual indulgences, Miyazawa tells us.

Third, resilience doesn't come equally as easily to all. We concluded the last piece by reflecting on the struggles faced by those already suffering immense hardship at the basest level, such as in war-torn communities where access to food, housing, and basic safety is precarious at best. To simply tell such communities to cultivate resilience is unlikely to work unless real structural, systemic, societal change is enacted. Yes, change must come from within, but it must also be enacted from without.

Contentment

As we continue our excursion, a major theme of the poem, a major sentiment throughout Miyazawa's reflections, is contentment with simplicity, contentment with little. We turn here to this theme of contentment.

Perhaps reflecting the challenges of his time, the challenges faced by a rapidly modernizing Japan under pressure to conform to European notions of material progress, it appears that Miyazawa resisted many of the incoming trends toward industrialization.

According to research by Melissa Anne-Marie Curley published as "Fruit, Fossils, Footprints: Cathecting Utopia in the Work of Miyazawa Kenji," Miyazawa was a devout Buddhist vegetarian, a teacher of agricultural science, and a utopian social activist, suggesting an appreciation of the natural world and an effort to ameliorate socio-economic disparities. Kilpatrick suggests that Miyazawa was troubled by the values held by his family, among whose main concerns were social status and material wealth. Veering toward another path, Miyazawa opted for renunciation instead. Consider the following lines from his poem.

A thatch-roof house, in a meadow, nestled in a pine grove's shade.
A handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables to suffice for the day.

Here, we find references to modest living conditions that are nonetheless full of value. The thatch-roof house is reminiscent of the "ten foot square hut" in another Japanese contemplative's reflections, both of them taking a minimalist form. The meadow, nestled in a pine grove's shade, conjures a landscape that one in the modern world may otherwise take for granted as a weekend get-away before returning to the bustle of the city, where the vivid contours of nature in its myriad hues grow faint as the memory fades with time, buried under more pressing business matters.

This wasn't just the poet's imagined fantasy world. It was the world before him in which he found value without need for modification.

Likewise, with but a handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables, the poet is satisfied. No fancy feast is envisioned. The simplest of meals will do. All he requires is that which will sustain him, nothing less, nothing more. Only this meager amount, by most standards, will suffice. He finds contentment with simplicity, contentment with little, with nothing left wanting.

Go Forth in Each Direction

After such reflections on contentment, the poem resumes by painting a portrait of human suffering while offering a means to ameliorate such maladies.

If, to the East, a child lies sick:
Go forth and nurse him to health.

If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted:
Go forth, and relieve her of burden.

If, to the South, a man lies dying:
Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear.

If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues:
Go forth and beg them stop such a waste of effort and of spirit.

Every direction we look, we are sure to witness suffering. In each direction, beings endure illness, fatigue, death, conflict and so on. Natural disaster befalls us, much of it being of our own making.



Rather than turn a blind eye to such suffering, we are called to help, to lend a hand to those in need. We are called to go forth in each direction in the spirit of service.

Through what means can this be accomplished?

We'd love to hear your reflections on the practical applications of the poem's message. Leave us a comment below to contribute to this ongoing conversation.