I’ve lived in Asian countries, but rarely identify with Eastern thought (I find it too passive for my nature). My mind’s temperament resembles a Berserker Viking more than a Buddhist monk.
There are exceptions – at times I stumble upon a piece of Eastern philosophy that resonates.
My Thai ex-girlfriend sent me this video. It is about a Japanese practice called “Kintsukuroi.” She said she thought of me when she watched it.
Japanese wisdom via a popular Thai YouTuber.
Visualizing “Kintsukuroi” reminds me to the see the positive side of bad situations
Negative thoughts can suck the life out of me for days. I have to actively fight against this.
I’ve adopted this Eastern idea and use it to break out of depressive thought patterns. I pause and visualize the broken bowl below and the concept it represents:
It’s that simple – I just stop and think of the bowl for 10 seconds. Maybe this act could be considered a micro-meditation. The point is that it breaks the continuous loop of negative thoughts swirling in my head.
It reminds me of a Hemingway line…
Ernest Hemingway addressed the idea of being broken and mended. He was a man who suffered great pain and channeled it into the most powerful literature in American history. Not only an author, he was an adventurer without peer.
In one of my all time favorite books, A Farewell to Arms, he wrote….
East meets West
Japanese – beauty in the broken places.
American – strength in the broken places.
Similar conclusions, from opposite parts of the world. Truth.
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