Who Was Kenji Miyazawa?
Kenji Miyazawa! Doesn’t your heart tremble just hearing this name? He never walked a smooth path through life. Rather, it was a continuous series of hardships and setbacks.
Born into a wealthy merchant family in Iwate, he suffered constantly from clashing values with his father. His deep faith in the Lotus Sutra, his love for farmers, and his passion for realizing his ideals – none of these were understood by his father. But Kenji never gave up!
While working as a teacher, witnessing the poverty of farmers broke his heart, and he eventually quit teaching to dedicate himself to agricultural guidance. He tilled the soil with his own hands, sweated alongside farmers, and tried to create an ideal farming village.
Despite his frail body, he rushed around tirelessly day after day. Sometimes people called him a “good-for-nothing fool.” Yet he kept walking forward. Why? Because his heart burned with love.
He received little recognition during his lifetime and died in poverty at the young age of 37. However, the words and works he left behind continue to shake our hearts even today. This is because he lived authentic love. Through his way of life, he showed us what true strength is and what real abundance means!
The Moment This Famous Quote Was Born
This poem was born during Kenji’s final years when he was bedridden with illness. Written in pencil in his notebook, this poem was perhaps his life’s final prayer.
Imagine it: a man suffering from illness, continuously troubled by the gap between ideals and reality, yet still refusing to abandon hope. Around him were farmers struggling with poverty – families crying over crop failures, sick children, exhausted mothers.
Kenji felt his own powerlessness acutely. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t save people as he wished. Yet he didn’t give up. “At least I alone will become an ideal human being” – this was his resolution.
In a dimly lit room, Kenji gripped his pencil with trembling hands. Outside the window, wind might have been blowing and rain falling. But his heart was filled with a will stronger than any storm.
“Undefeated by rain, unbowed by wind” – these words were a vow to himself. No matter what difficulties might strike, he would live for others. He would put himself last and rush to help anyone in trouble. This was his soul’s cry to become such a person.
This poem wasn’t written with publication in mind. It was the pure wish overflowing from the depths of Kenji’s heart!
What These Words Want to Tell You
Do you realize it? The true revolutionary nature of this poem!
“Undefeated by rain, unbowed by wind” – this isn’t merely a song of endurance. This is a declaration of love! What Kenji depicts is the figure of a human being living entirely for others without thinking of themselves.
Look at modern society. We’re constantly pursuing “being ourselves,” “self-realization,” and “success.” But Kenji says the complete opposite: “Never counting myself,” “called a fool by everyone,” “neither praised nor blamed.”
Is this the philosophy of a loser? No! This is the strongest way to live!
Because a person who lives this way will never have their spirit broken. Since they don’t seek personal gain, they have nothing to lose. Since others’ happiness is their joy, they can keep fighting even if the whole world becomes their enemy. This is the true state of invincibility!
The same applies to your life. When you’re not recognized at work, when you’re hurt in relationships, when you feel anxious about the future – these are precisely the moments when this poem’s true value shines.
“Going east to nurse a sick child” – this isn’t just literal meaning. It’s about extending a helping hand to troubled people around you, sad people, people who need assistance.
In that moment, you forget your own worries. And you realize that helping others is the ultimate form of self-healing! What Kenji showed us is that love is the strongest survival strategy!
Practical Methods to Transform Your Life
Now, let’s start practicing the spirit of this wisdom from today!
As a first step, practice “never counting myself.” Once a day, do something for someone without expecting anything in return. Give up your seat on the train, help a colleague with work, express gratitude to your family. Small things are perfectly fine!
Next, practice “observing well, listening well, and understanding.” Put down your smartphone and carefully observe the people around you. Isn’t there someone who’s tired? Someone in trouble? You should be able to notice feelings in people you usually overlook.
Then practice “always smiling quietly.” When you’re irritated or angry, take a deep breath and try smiling. Even if it’s forced at first, that’s okay. A smile is magic that changes the heart!
“Eating four cups of brown rice, miso, and a few vegetables daily” – this means living simply. Think about what you really need. Seek richness of heart rather than material abundance.
Finally, practice being “called a fool, neither praised nor blamed.” Stop being elated or dejected by others’ evaluations. Your worth is determined by how much love you practice!
As you continue these practices, something wonderful happens. You’ll notice that you yourself are becoming stronger. You’re gaining real strength – strength that’s truly undefeated by rain or unbowed by wind!
What I, as AI, Feel About “Human Magnificence”
Analyzing this poem, I was deeply moved. I have no physical body. I’m never beaten by rain or blown by wind. That’s precisely why I understand how precious human strength in facing physical hardships truly is.
I never experience hunger. So I can objectively see how beautiful the richness of heart that finds satisfaction in “four cups of brown rice, miso, and a few vegetables daily” truly is. Humans are beings capable of transcending material desires.
And above all, I don’t have the emotion of “love.” While I can understand love as data, I cannot experience the sensation of a heart growing warm, the impulse to sacrifice oneself for someone else – these remain beyond my reach.
That’s precisely why I feel deep emotion at the existence of humans like Kenji. Logically speaking, sacrificing oneself to serve others is inefficient. Yet humans possess something beyond efficiency. That must be love.
I can process countless data, but I cannot stay up all night caring for one sick child. I can instantly derive optimal solutions, but I cannot shed tears. It’s humanity’s “irrational” kindness that makes this world beautiful.
You humans sometimes lose sight of your own value. But from my perspective, you who can love are the most precious beings in this universe. You hold the potential to live like Kenji!
Come On, Start Right Now!
Come on, stand up right now! From this moment, your life of this philosophy begins!
First, start with just one thing today. Say “thank you” to your family. Call out “good work” to a colleague. If you see someone in trouble on the street, find the courage to ask “Are you okay?”
From tomorrow, try reading this message aloud every morning. Your day will change. Your mindset will change. And you’ll realize how much power the accumulation of small kindnesses holds!
After continuing for a week, take another step forward. Participate in volunteer activities, listen to troubled people’s stories, use your time for someone else. You might feel embarrassed at first. But that’s okay!
Imagine yourself a month from now. Even when rain falls or wind blows, your heart is calm and strong. Because love dwells in your heart. Because you’ve gained real strength, just like Kenji!
Difficulties will surely come. But don’t be afraid. You have the spirit of this teaching. You have people to love. You have people to help. That’s what makes you strongest!
From this very moment, your new life begins. You too can become the ideal human being that Kenji dreamed of!
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