Ame ni mo makezu Not defeated by the rain
Unbeaten by rain
Unbeaten by wind
Unbowed by the snow and the summer heat
Strong in body
Free from greed
Without any anger
Always serene
With a handful of brown rice a day
Miso and a small amount of vegetables suffice
Whatever happens
Consider yourself last, always put others first
Understand from your observation and experience
Never lose sight of these things
In the shadows of the pine groves in the fields
Live modestly under a thatched roof
In the East, if there is a sick child
Go there and take care of him
In the West, if there is an exhausted mother
Go there and relieve her of her burden
In the South, if there is a man near death
Go there and comfort him, tell him “Don’t be afraid”
In the North, if there is an argument and a legal dispute
Go there and persuade them it’s not worth it
In a drought, shed tears
In a cold summer, carry on
Even with a sense of loss
Being called a fool
Being neither praised nor a burden
Such a person I want to be
This poem, written almost 80 years ago by Miyazawa Kenji, has long been one of Japan’s most loved and quoted poems. This year, its sentiments have taken on even greater significance and poignancy. In the tsunami and earthquake that devastated north-eastern Japan last March, tens of thousands of people lost their lives and whole towns were obliterated. For those who survived, their old lives most often lay beneath piles of rubble, and their new, hopefully temporary, homes were crowded community shelters with inadequate heating, food and water, where they were subjected to continuing aftershocks and the threat of an impending nuclear disaster. However, in these extreme circumstances, what struck many non-Japanese observers was the ability of the Japanese people to maintain social harmony, to share resources and to support one another. In essence, they were embodying the human quality of which Miyazawa writes: the quiet awareness of an inner strength which is cultivated through unassuming service to others. Through self-awareness and service, we prevail against the isolating force of the ego, and connect with our own hearts and the hearts of others, ensuring that we and our communities are resilient in the face of suffering and sometimes devastating loss.