5 Japanese Concepts For Mastering Your Life

Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-green-kimono-standing-near-green-trees-7956671/

Japanese culture is very rich & benevolent that combines both tradition and modernity.

Thousands of years as an isolated island country allowed it to undergo various cultural evolutions in solitude, creating a truly unique culture.

As the world is becoming more interconnected, it would be truly worthwhile to adorn its pearls of wisdom.

The following concepts are the ones that the Japanese live & thrive by -

1. シューハーリ (Shu-Ha-Ri)

The term Shu-Ha-Ri originates from a Japanese martial arts form, Aikido.

Shu-Ha-Ri is a method of learning & mastering a new technique. It has three main components -

• Shu (follow): We start out as a complete novice. We begin by learning the fundamentals & following the rules.
• Ha (breakaway): After gaining some fundamental knowledge, we start observing, exploring & doing our own experimentations.
• Ri (transcend): Finally, we enter the Ri stage where we focus on creativity & applying our learnings to different situations while conforming to the rules.

We can solidify our understanding of Shu-Ha-Ri by learning from a great definition provided by Aikido master Endō Seishirō shihan :