We cannot see ourselves directly with our own eyes.
We need to be very aware of our own weak points, because we tend to see others’ weak points easier than own.
There are two ways that we can know ourselves: to ask others to tell us, or to look in the mirror.
Koichi Tohei sensei has told me that the most important thing is to be humble.
Some people misunderstood that to be humble means to be obedient to someone. However, this is not the true meaning of humility.
There are many books which tell us to be humble. However, the definition of humility is wrong in the most of those cases
Meaning of humility is not “show a humble attitude toward people” but “accept the Universe humbly”.
For example, let’s say that someone makes a big mistake.
Some people do not accept the reality of things and think “I am unfortunate!” “Why me…?”. Then they try to find an excuse outside of themselves.
In this way, the person ignores the cause of the mistake, and the same mistake will happen again in the same situation.
If the person is humble, he or she thinks “Something is wrong in my thinking or behavior”. Then, they will accept the mistake and try to find the cause inside of themselves.
As a result, we grow by not repeating the same mistakes.
To be humble is necessary to our growth.
To be humble is important in our communication also.
A humble person may get unpleasant but wholesome advice from others. Others let him know his own nature, which he may not be able to see for himself.
If we do not have a friend who can give unpleasant but wholesome advice, this is very serious situation. Because we cannot get any feedback, and therefore we cannot realize our own mistake or weak point.
If you have someone who gives unpleasant but wholesome advice, this person is a treasure.
If you think how many people who give unpleasant but wholesome advice you have, this will be a good measure of your level of humility.
How about you?
A practical way to know yourself is to do Ki breathing.
When your breath becomes calm, your mind also becomes calm.
If your mind becomes calm, you can see things as they are. Your bias, delusion and excuses will dissolve away.
If you get angry with someone, you can find your mistake during Ki breathing.
Ki breathing lets you know the shape of your mind. This is like you are reflected in the mirror.
The essence of learning Ki is to know yourself well.
When you know yourself correctly, you will gain confidence and correct your mistake or weak points.
Let’s try to know ourselves together.