Posts Tagged ‘japanese society’

I am often asked why is Aura-Soma so popular in Japan. Here is a thought. Some of the ideas beneath are not held be everybody in Japan, and Japan is changing. Nevertheless i think the ideas are true to the traditional Japanese way of life which all Japanese have been born into. The idea is inspired by some stonework i was admiring while staying in Kyoto earlier this month. I was on the edge of the city on a hillside close to the forest - the area has a traditional look. Here is the wall.

Every stone fits in Japan

These are not small stones! You will notice that every stone is uniquely shaped, retaining some originality. Yet as a whole this wall is tightly knit. If a stone were removed another could not be easily found to replace it. This says several important things about Japanese society.

First it says that great care has been taken in building this wall. Each stone has been placed with care and attention to detail, small adjustments have been made at the edges to ensure a tight fit. These are magenta qualities: care and attention to detail.

It would be much easier and quicker to mass-produce regularly shaped bricks. But in Japan things are valued for their unique quality. Originality of form is prized, respect for each other is paramount. I once asked a Japanese friend if she would wear a brace to change her teeth. She replied that teeth were a gift from her parents and should be respected as such. The wall is more important than the stone! No stone in the wall requires another to be different, each is accommodated as it is, or at least the chipping away happened so long ago that now there is no memory of things being any other way. This gives greatstrength to society, yet, at the same time, it is impossible for any stone to move without upsetting the whole.

This is true of individuals in Japanese society. They live in cities of millions and millions. Any day at any hour almost every train is full. People moving together. People are expected to give a huge amount to work: traditionally you should not go home if your boss is still in the office. Everyone should know their position in society and bow to everyone else accordingly. So where is the space for the individual? Not much on the outside is the answer. “The nail that sticks up will be hammered down” is a traditional Japanese proverb.

But here is where Aura-Soma has something to offer. It presents a non intrusive, gentle, private way to nurture and explore your inner world. You may not be free outside, but you can grow inside. Come to know your inner shape better; like the stone in the wall, find your uniqueness and bring it to life with consciousness. Mike Booth used to like to talk about making pots, that every so often a pot would be made under his hands on the wheel that seemed to sing. It had an inner quality of aliveness. Aura-Soma helps to bring that aliveness to each individual life, and in Japan, that has a very high value indeed.