How to Read “If you rely on a flying bird, you will naturally receive its compassionate love”
Asukabito ni yoreba onozukara ren’ai wo kuwau
Meaning of “If you rely on a flying bird, you will naturally receive its compassionate love”
This proverb teaches that just as people naturally feel compassion and love when a flying bird becomes attached to them, people will naturally develop affection when someone opens their heart and draws close to them.
It emphasizes the importance of approaching others first and showing trust in human relationships.
Even a cautious bird receives love when it relies on a person. So when people open their hearts to others, those others will naturally develop warm feelings in return.
You use this proverb when you feel distance in relationships or want to deepen a connection with someone.
It’s used to convey the importance of taking the first step yourself rather than waiting for affection or understanding from others.
This teaching remains valid today. Whether in workplace relationships, friendships, or family bonds, opening your heart first and showing a caring attitude naturally opens the other person’s heart too.
Origin and Etymology
No clear written records of this proverb’s origin seem to exist. However, we can make interesting observations from the words themselves.
The term “flying bird” means a bird soaring through the sky. Since ancient times, Japanese people have seen birds as symbols of freedom, creatures beyond human reach.
For a wild bird to let down its guard and approach a person was an extremely rare event.
The word “rely” means to lean on or depend on someone. When a cautious bird relies on a person, it shows deep trust in that person.
“Compassionate love” combines pity and affection. It represents not mere sympathy but a deep feeling of tenderness.
This proverb likely arose from observing relationships between people and animals.
People watched pet birds and wild birds in gardens grow attached to those who fed them. Through this, they realized an important truth about human nature.
When a creature approaches with trust, people naturally feel affection toward it.
The wisdom of this proverb lies in applying this observation to human relationships. It embodies an attitude of learning from nature, showing how animal-human relationships teach us about human-to-human connections.
Usage Examples
- I’m anxious at my new workplace, but “If you rely on a flying bird, you will naturally receive its compassionate love,” so I’ll try talking to people first
- If she’s closing her heart, then “If you rely on a flying bird, you will naturally receive its compassionate love” means I should be the one to reach out first
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth this proverb speaks is the “principle of initiative” in human relationships.
We often wait to be loved and expect to be understood. But this proverb teaches the opposite order.
By approaching first and showing trust, you move the other person’s heart.
Why has this teaching been passed down through the ages? Because humans have an instinct called “reciprocity” built into their hearts.
When shown trust, we respond with trust. When given affection, we want to return affection. This is a human essence that transcends culture and time.
Ancient people who observed wild birds becoming attached to humans gained deep insight. Even the most cautious creatures open their hearts when approached with sincerity.
If that’s true for birds, how much more so for fellow humans?
The real wisdom of this proverb lies in freeing us from a “waiting” stance in relationships.
Don’t wait for the other person to change. Become the starting point of change yourself.
That courageous first step becomes the key that opens the door to relationships. In our modern age when many suffer from loneliness and alienation, this ancient wisdom shines even brighter.
When AI Hears This
When a person caring for a bird naturally develops affection, it’s actually because a system that recreates the other’s state is working in their brain.
Mirror neurons fire as if you’re performing the same action just by watching someone else. When you see a bird fluttering its wings or pecking at food, the same motor patterns are weakly replayed in the observer’s brain.
This neural mimicry extends beyond movement to emotions. When you see a bird shivering from cold, your brain unconsciously simulates that physical sensation, automatically generating emotions like discomfort and worry.
This is called emotional contagion. What’s important is that this happens before conscious judgment.
Before you think “I should help because it’s pitiful,” your brain has already begun processing the other’s suffering as your own suffering.
Even more interesting is that this empathy circuit strengthens in proportion to contact frequency.
By caring for a bird daily, your neural responses to that bird’s unique movements and calls become refined, enabling more precise emotional simulation.
Love isn’t a choice but the inevitable output of neural networks built in the brain through repeated observation. From this perspective, compassionate love isn’t a result of approach but the physical brain changes caused by approach itself.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches modern people is the importance of “taking initiative” in relationships.
Are you struggling with a relationship right now? The other person is cold, doesn’t understand you, feels distant.
In such times, we tend to wait for the other person to change.
But this proverb shows a different path. First, open your own heart and draw close to the other person.
That takes courage. You might be rejected. You might get hurt. Such anxieties are natural.
However, even a flying bird is loved when it relies on a person. So when you, a fellow human, approach sincerely, the other person’s heart will surely move.
You don’t need to be perfect. Just sincerely entrust your presence to the other person.
That small step becomes a great force that changes relationships.
Modern society tends to close hearts out of fear of being hurt. But real connections begin when someone has the courage to take that first step.
Won’t you be the person who takes that step today?
Comments