In English, 'passion' is both a powerful emotion and the object of such an emotion. Our understanding of our own passions are complex. On the one hand, we often need to control or subdue our passions. On the other hand, a life without passion seems to be dissatisfying.
We understand expressions like 道具が調う or 準備が整う but what could 人生がととのう mean？ what is necessary for our ととのう？ and what kind of state is that?
Kind behavior, by definition, benefits others. Indeed, kindness even seems to benefit the person who acts kindly. Whether acting kindly or receiving kindness, our attitude is transformed-our mood is uplifted. But while we all know that kindness is a good thing, for some reason it is quite difficult to commit to kindness.
With COVID-19 vaccines being distributed around the world, many believe that we are one step closer to overcoming the global pandemic. It is, perhaps, a moment of pride for our scientific and technological infrastructure. Yet, as proud as we may be of our rapid development of a vaccine, the past year certainly left us with reasons to feel humbled.
What things can we "hope" for in 2021? What kinds of things should we hope for more generally? How can we "commit" ourselves to bring those things about? What does it mean to make a promise to oneself?
When the future looks uncertain, it is helpful to re-examine how we got to the present. Who were we and what have we become? Where were we and wherein have we been thrown? For one group of ancient thinkers, getting answers to these questions is freedom. These days we believe there are a many different ways to find answers: art,...
The wildfires breaking out in the western United States have aggravated worries about our future and climate change. When our future is threatened by our present activities, we say that these activities are unsustainable.
Television, movies, video games, SNS-we have so many opportunities to experience reality 'virtually'. Especially in the year 2020, with the global pandemic, we have moved many experiences 'online'.
