In life, we will come across many situations which require a great deal of patience. Some examples are dieting, preparing for an exam, surviving the challenges of married life, or keeping up with various work problems.
In Japan, we have several words for the English word endure, bear, put up. The Japanese word “gaman” is one of these words.
This word was originally derived from Buddhism. A Japanese priest monk described the meaning to me as “self-centeredness” instead of “self-endurance.” This depicts being obsessive with oneself and being overly competitive with others in an unhealthy way, to the point of disrespecting others.
In conclusion, “gaman” can make us realize that we should get rid of our self-centered mindset, and learn to control our ego. So, whenever we speak ill of others, we should stop and take control of our emotions. Try to be honest and assess yourself deeply and take control of your ego. Through this endurance and self-control, we might be able to save ourselves from humiliation, embarrassment or regrets.
There is one Japanese proverb which goes “Enduring can become a treasure for our whole life”. This illustrates that if we can put up with anything, we can live happily forever. And I strongly agree with this proverb.
When aspects of our lives don’t go well, normally some problems are derived from our own faults. Incidences that occur where we couldn’t keep quiet or refrain from doing it can cause us more problems.
To tell the truth, lacking patience ruins our lives.
Photo: A place to make us calm down…