Phrases that they don't sound at all out of place 500 years later
I saw this taped up on the office wall of a small car repair shop:
Excuses emerge when done half-heartedly
Complaints come forth when done halfway
Wisdom arises when done in earnest
Even through my own experiences, I felt this to be true.
This morning, with the intention to write a comment on a daily report, I tried to find the source of the teaching, and found that it came from Takeda Shingen's Seihangoroku ('Words for Correct Living'). I'll quote the whole teaching it below:
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'Seihangoroku'
The difference of true ability is the difference of effort
The difference of accomplishment is the difference of sense of responsibility
The difference of character is the difference of hardship
The difference of judgment is the difference of informationWisdom arises when done in earnest
Complaints come forth when done halfway
Excuses emerge when done half-heartedlyMost things can be done because they are done in earnest
Everything is interesting because they are done in earnest
People will help you because you are earnest
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Takeda Shingen (1 December 1521 - 13 May 1573) was a military commander in feudal Japan. Hearing these words in the present day, 500 years later, they don't sound at all out of place. It's astonishing. They say humans never change, but it may simply be that we experience - and learn - the same things in different places.
The things you learn are lost when you die. On the other hand, someone else can learn the same things through a different set of experiences.
We need opportunities to challenge ourselves, to test ourselves, to have experiences. That's why they had wars at the time; now, we have jobs. For the 21st century, it may be video games.
So, we try things with various mindsets; we try and do things half-heartedly, seriously, grimly, enjoyably. It is through this that one's learning is gradually built.
Why do we work?
It is to learn through the process of working.
Why do we have to deal with people we don't like?
It is to acquire many perspectives.
When you consider it like this, there are an infinite amount of space to learn in. And, regardless if it is something you hate, or something you love, you can interpret each as having a role in expanding the range of your experiences.