How to Read “Moxa at three ri for a courier”
hikyaku ni sanri no kyū
Meaning of “Moxa at three ri for a courier”
“Moxa at three ri for a courier” is a proverb that means even experts must not neglect basic measures and preparations.
Even professional couriers who ran for a living never skipped basic moxa treatment to keep their legs healthy.
This teaches us that no matter how much skill or experience you have, fundamental preparation is what truly matters.
This proverb is used when people become overconfident in their abilities and start neglecting the basics.
It serves as a warning that veterans especially should pay attention to basic preparations and measures.
Today, it’s used to explain the importance of experts returning to fundamentals in any field.
The expression contains a deep insight: true professionals never dismiss seemingly mundane preparations.
Instead, they pay the most attention to these basic measures.
Origin and Etymology
Clear written records about the origin of this proverb are limited.
However, it likely emerged from combining the Edo period profession of hikyaku with the medical practice of moxa treatment.
Hikyaku were specialists who ran long distances to deliver letters and packages.
They could run between Edo and Kyoto in just a few days. They were true running professionals.
Meanwhile, “sanri no kyū” refers to moxa applied to the “ashi sanri” acupuncture point below the knee.
This moxa treatment at the sanri point has long been valued for travel safety and health maintenance.
What’s interesting is that even couriers who made their living by running never neglected this basic health care.
No matter how strong their legs were or how skilled at running, they still practiced this fundamental wellness method.
This wasn’t just about health. It represented their professional mindset.
Behind this expression lies the value of “cherishing the basics” that Edo period people held.
They may have recognized a paradoxical truth: the higher your expertise, the more important basic preparation becomes.
Interesting Facts
The ashi sanri acupuncture point is located on the outer side of the shin, about four finger-widths below the kneecap.
Moxa at this point was known as a “universal remedy” and was essential health care for travelers in the Edo period.
Records show that even Matsuo Basho applied moxa to his ashi sanri before setting out on his Oku no Hosomichi journey.
Couriers reportedly ran about 40 kilometers per day.
This distance rivals a modern marathon. To keep running this far day after day, daily care was essential no matter how strong their legs were.
Usage Examples
- He’s a veteran doctor, but he never skips his morning health check. That’s moxa at three ri for a courier
- Even programming masters always make backups. It’s like moxa at three ri for a courier
Universal Wisdom
The universal wisdom in “Moxa at three ri for a courier” answers the question of what true expertise really means.
As people gain skills and experience, they tend to dismiss basic things.
Thinking “I don’t need such elementary preparation anymore” is natural human psychology.
But this proverb has been passed down for generations because the opposite is actually true.
A real professional is someone who never neglects the basics.
Just as couriers were running experts yet never skipped moxa at the sanri point, the higher your expertise, the more important basic measures become.
This reveals a deep paradox in human growth.
Beginners don’t know the importance of basics. Intermediate learners dismiss them.
Only true experts rediscover their importance. This spiral growth pattern is a universal truth across all fields.
Our ancestors understood the trap of complacency that people easily fall into.
They knew that when experts value the basics, the quality of the entire field is maintained.
This proverb contains wisdom not just for individual growth, but for passing skills and culture to the next generation.
When AI Hears This
Applying moxa to a courier’s legs to strengthen them is a classic example of “excessive intervention at the bottleneck” in systems thinking.
It seems rational at first glance. Faster legs mean faster delivery.
But in reality, pushing just one part to its limit means the entire system stops when that part breaks.
This is called “concentrated vulnerability.”
What’s interesting is that modern engineering repeats the same mistake.
For example, speeding up only a computer’s CPU doesn’t improve overall processing speed if memory and storage can’t keep up.
Worse, it increases the risk of heat-related failure.
It’s the same structure as over-strengthening a courier’s legs, which concentrates stress on other parts like knees and hips, eventually preventing long-term work.
Systems theory has a principle: “The most efficient state is the most fragile state.” Because there’s no margin.
What couriers needed wasn’t explosive leg power, but endurance and recovery to run every day.
In other words, overall system sustainability was more important than local performance improvement.
Edo period people understood this “trap of over-optimization” through experience alone, without data or theory.
Their insight into the danger of single-point concentration may have been sharper than modern people’s.
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people that growth isn’t about abandoning basics, but understanding them more deeply.
Whatever field you work in, as you gain experience, there will be moments when basic preparation feels tedious.
But stop and think at those moments.
Truly excellent people value mundane basic tasks.
Not because they’re beginners, but because they know basics are the foundation of everything.
Just as athletes never skip daily stretching, and chefs never neglect knife maintenance, your field surely has basics you must protect.
Modern society demands efficiency, but some things shouldn’t be cut. Those are basic measures and preparations.
When you’re busy, when things are hectic, have the courage to return to basics.
That’s what protects you and continues to support the quality of your work.
The path to expertise is also the path to mastering the basics.
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