How to Read “Knock and it shall be opened”
Tatakeyo saraba hirakaren
Meaning of “Knock and it shall be opened”
This proverb means that if you take action yourself, a path will surely open before you. Just waiting around won’t change anything. It teaches the importance of taking that first step yourself.
People use this saying to encourage someone who’s about to take on a challenge. It’s also used to give someone a gentle push when they’re hesitating.
You might say it to someone unsure about applying for a new job. Or to someone wondering whether to confess their feelings. Or to someone who can’t seem to start pursuing their dreams. It means “just try taking action first.”
Even today, people widely believe that opportunities are things you must seize yourself. This proverb expresses the value of living actively rather than passively. It does so with simple, powerful words.
Origin and Etymology
This proverb likely comes from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7 in the New Testament. The passage says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Christianity came to Japan in the 16th century. After that, this phrase gradually became established as a Japanese proverb. This is the most widely accepted theory.
In the original text, these words taught about faith and prayer toward God. But as the phrase entered Japan, it separated from its religious context. People accepted it as a more universal life lesson instead.
The concrete action of “knocking” became easy to understand as a symbol. It represented making an effort or taking action.
Something interesting happened when this phrase became part of Japanese. The words “the door” were dropped. The phrase became the simpler “Knock and it shall be opened.”
This simplification actually broadened its application. People could now use it as universal wisdom for any life situation. The proverb had religious origins, but it naturally blended into Japanese philosophy of action.
Usage Examples
- I was unsure about taking the certification exam, but I applied with the spirit of “Knock and it shall be opened”
- I couldn’t find the courage to confess to her, but I decided to share my feelings, thinking “Knock and it shall be opened”
Universal Wisdom
Humans are creatures who fundamentally fear uncertainty. Before taking a new step, anxiety always arrives. What if I fail? What if I’m rejected? What if it’s all for nothing?
This fear is also a defense instinct humans developed long ago to survive.
But at the same time, humans know through experience something else. We can only open up the future by taking action. No matter how carefully we plan, no matter how thoroughly we prepare, nothing begins until we actually move.
People have always swayed between these two contradictory truths.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because it strikes at this human essence. The fear of taking action versus the reality that nothing changes without action.
For people frozen between these two forces, our ancestors offered encouragement. “Just try knocking first,” they said. Don’t wait until perfect preparation is complete. The courage to take one step, even imperfectly, is what moves life forward.
This universal truth continues to resonate with people across time.
When AI Hears This
In quantum mechanics, particles like electrons aren’t definitely “here” or “there” until observed. They exist in a state where all possibilities overlap. But the moment you observe them, they suddenly settle into one state.
In other words, if the observer does nothing, reality remains ambiguous.
This proverb has the same structure. What lies beyond the door isn’t determined until you knock. Until you knock, both the possibility of opening and the possibility of staying closed exist. Yet actually, nothing is determined at all.
The act of knocking is what first creates the reality of “being opened.”
What’s interesting is that in quantum mechanics, results change depending on how you observe. In the double-slit experiment with light, particles behave as particles when you place a detector. Without it, they behave as waves.
Similarly, how the door opens should change depending on how you knock. Knock hard and it opens forcefully. Knock gently and it opens quietly. The quality of your action determines the quality of reality.
In other words, this proverb contains the same insight as quantum mechanics. To pull concrete reality from the ambiguous state of possibility requires active intervention by us, the observers.
Without action, any door remains forever suspended in a state of “might open.”
Lessons for Today
Modern society is an age of information overload. Before starting something, you can research thoroughly on the internet. You can analyze risks and study success stories.
But hasn’t that convenience become a trap that delays action? You keep waiting until perfect preparation is complete. In the end, you never start anything. Have you had this experience?
This proverb teaches the value of courage to move forward even imperfectly. If you’re hesitating right now while wanting to challenge something, just take one small step first.
Imperfect execution teaches you far more than perfect planning.
Doors won’t open unless you knock. But when you try knocking, sometimes they open surprisingly easily. Sometimes you see the path to a different door.
What matters isn’t imagining what lies beyond that door. It’s actually knocking. The story of your life begins carving a new chapter the moment you take action.
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