My Second Life: Encountering 'Zen Ways to Organize Your Life' and the Philosophy of Dignity (Part 2)
In the previous article (Part 1), I wrote about my thoughts on daily life and mindset after reading Zen Ways to Organize Your Life. As a continuation, I would like to delve a little deeper into the topic of
how to engage with others
, which left a particularly deep impression on me.⸻
“Zen Ways to Organize Your Life” by Shunmyo Masuno
There is a phrase in this book that resonated with me especially strongly. It was the Zen concept that
each individual is an absolute existence. In Zen, a person is not something to be compared with others; each individual is considered an absolute existence
that cannot be replaced by anyone else. I am absolute as myself. Others are absolute as themselves. To be 'absolute' means that the very act of wishing for others to 'do this' or 'be that,' or trying to change them, is fundamentally strange. Accepting that person as they are, just as they are—that is the starting point of human relationships. If you adopt this perspective, human relationships become much simpler and more open. When I read this passage, I realized that while people often say 'you can't change others,' I finally understood what that truly meant, and it settled deep within my heart.
⸻
Encountering the Philosophy of Dignity Around the same time, I came across a very memorable article on note. The concept of Philosophy of Dignity
written there had deep connections to Zen teachings, and I found myself reading it over and over again. If you are interested, please take a look at this article as well.
👉 Article about the Philosophy of Dignity
The Philosophy of Dignity posits that all people have equal dignity. Everyone has someone they find difficult or someone they just don't get along with. However, when you can think of that person as having the same dignity as yourself, strangely, the way you see them begins to change. Even though the other person hasn't changed at all, just by changing your own perception, you start to feel that 'maybe they aren't that difficult after all.' This sensation really resonated with me.
⸻
“Affirm in your heart, separate in reality”
That said, just because everyone has dignity doesn't mean you have to force yourself to like them. The words of a cardiologist who introduces the Philosophy of Dignity left a strong impression on me: '
Affirm in your heart, separate in reality
.' Properly acknowledge their dignity as a human being. Affirm them in your heart as 'a person with dignity.' But, adjust the distance in reality using
boundaries
. Do not deny them. Do not force yourself to get close. While respecting them, maintain an appropriate distance. I felt that this is deeply connected to the Zen concepts of 'not trying to change the other person' and 'accepting things as they are.'⸻
Both Zen teachings and the Philosophy of Dignity quietly pose questions not only about
how we view others
but also about how we treat ourselves. In the next installment (Part 3), I would like to write a bit more about
'cherishing yourself' and 'how to organize your mind as you age'
that I felt through these ways of thinking.⸻Thank you for reading until the end.*This article contains affiliate links
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