Sakura branch. Vsevolod Ovchinnikov
When I discovered how disciplined the Japanese are in all matters, I immediately realized where this quality came from. For me, a Kazakh, the author of the theory of self-reflection, it was not difficult. I automatically attributed the reflection of warriors to the Japanese. Yes, the first stage of reflection -it is the self-reflection of Zerefs has no semitones. This is the lowest reflection when warriors can’t show pity to enemies. It is when you have to follow orders.
However, after a minute, all my logic ended because the simple Japanese immediately show outstanding qualities when they don’t do other people’s business. If talents do not allow, they do not try to take someone else’s place. Natural modesty is always too obvious in Japanese etiquette. If you are an aristocrat, if you are a well-deserved person, and finally, if you are a guest in the house of a Japanese, you are always in the first place, you should sit in the most honorable place. If you don’t, because of your shyness now, the Japanese don’t know what to do in their own home. What is it? After all, the Japanese automatically follow the main motto of the Revcon – give in, skip ahead of the best. Even if this outstanding quality is a manifestation of upbringing, that is conditioned reflexes, the Japanese allegedly did not think of it himself, but he was inspired to respect his elders. Actually, in the East, old people are respected everywhere. What’s the matter here?
What is the uniqueness of Japanese intuition?
Since the Heiyang 794—1185, Japan has been structured into five hundred subclasses. There is no country in the world where people do not know someone else’s superiority, at least in something, in the smallest detail. Official status, noble origin, occupation, and even seniority are the most obvious things every nation has. At the level of intuition, the Japanese can distinguish which of them is higher and which is lower. Even if someone was born a minute earlier, he deserves more respect. Such a dictatorship of an almost eternal hierarchy brought up the Japanese. The whole history of the Japanese was taught discipline.
So, why didn’t stagnation happen in Japan?
Why didn’t the triumph of stupidity happen? After all, the elder in any form of seniority, even in social status, even in the form of a stupid older brother, must dictate his will to submissive people.
The culture of etiquette is pressing on the Japanese – this is indisputable. This culture of respect is felt even in the XXI century, although Japan can be considered the most urbanized nation in Asia. The Japanese will always smile at you, but it’s not exactly a Chinese smile absolutely. It also does not puzzle that a Japanese is obliged to smile at any stupidity and every ignoramus. The Japanese will start hinting from afar so as not to offend. He will say goodbye culturally if he gets bored and sees who is before him.
So, who is a Japanese – a Zeref or a Zelot?
This question and the confusion in my theory of reflection is because the Japanese deny everything by their behavior my whole theory. Overly tactful and friendly Japanese tell you about the long historical compulsion to be like this. It really is. During the two hundred and fifty years of the Tokugawa dictatorship, the Japanese were taught not even to touch each other to avoid being insulted. Has anyone seen Japanese people holding out their hands for a handshake? No, the Japanese fold their palms and make bows. So, is it an innate affability then, or is it the fear of many generations hidden in this way?
And who said that children who love their father are friendly from fear?
The friendliness of the nation is just an indicator of its high self-reflection. They sort of say why should we waste time on trifles? What needs to be realized does not always come from the heart. High self-reflection manifests itself precisely in the search for and finding the best option, which is the search for Zen, which is the best way. In the VI century, Buddhism penetrated Japan. The Japanese liked it so much that they always made the right choice. The Japanese have very few fools in the administrative apparatus so far. A fool would not dare to replace a talented person so as not to look like a laughingstock. They always make the right choice and always find the right path. With all the shogun administrators’ dictatorship, they could not influence the freedom of choice. Yes, the Shoguns have accustomed the Japanese to over-discipline. They brought the intuition of the Japanese to cosmic heights, but few of the Japanese turned into holy prophets, of which there are many in the West. The dictatorship of the shoguns influenced the growth of reflection. Even the most recent Japanese try not to do stupid things so as not to have clowned over him. In this regard, the Japanese are very dependent on the opinions of others. But it is dependence on the opinions of others that is the first step to perfection.
Chapter 8
When everything is simple and when everything looks like a show-off
When there is a lot of beauty, it is not beauty.
Japanese proverb
As all fans have noticed, all Japanese cars are very ergonomic. Not only Toyotas and Nissans are ergonomic, but also Japanese high-speed trains. All Japanese homes and rooms, in general, are ergonomic without a single superfluous detail, not a single superfluous object. There is no satiety and pretentiousness in architecture anywhere. The Japanese don’t like everything big and colorful except for street advertising. But all trade is subject to other laws.
If, in Japanese reality, everything is as restrained as all Japanese, then this is Japanese culture. The first Europeans who visited Japan noted the small stature of the Japanese, the absence of overweight people, and the miniaturization of Japanese things. They said that the Japanese served treats in toy dishes. All the Japanese things reminded them of children’s toys. The Japanese, like children, always bow to each other.
(The Japanese, for their part, also did not remain in debt. These red-haired Portuguese and Dutch seemed to them disgusting demons from the world of demons – so huge and with the same big noses as Tengu (Tengu is a Japanese demon with fiery hair). They called “nanbandies” actually Chinese, but the Europeans also came from the side of China – what’s the difference? So, the Europeans also turned into barbarians because the Europeans had a bad smell. Where were they supposed to take a bath? How can this be done on a ship?)
Of course, the Europeans were surprised by the absolute purity of the Japanese. The Japanese were clean and tidy, even simple peasants and porters. They wore robes in which they wrapped their body; even the Japanese socks were white. There was not a single extra thing in Japanese homes. Entering their house, the Japanese took off their shoes and put on slippers; even for the toilet, they had separate slippers. All the household members, after greeting and curiosity, disappeared somewhere. Everyone, including the head, behaved towards the guest like the Japanese emperor had come in. The guest was necessarily seated in the most honorable place. If the guest showed shyness and did not sit there, the host and wife fell into a stupor – they did not know what to do, so the Japanese had everything painted according to the age-old etiquette.
Before serving the most exquisite treats, all the housewives said the same words: “I’m sorry that we have almost nothing on the table.” It’s good that the guests did not understand anything; they themselves would have fallen into a stupor from such words because all the delicacies were put in front of them. During the meal, the host and hostess would not have said a word, except for toasts, pronounced in honor of the guest several times, and the absorption of Japanese rice vodka “sake”. In other cases, including semi-official ones, the Japanese behave as if they desire to disappear, to evaporate. Absolute modesty and tact. Buttoned-up jackets and a look at the floor. Thus, the Japanese not only have all the rooms ergonomic, but the Japanese themselves are ergonomic in their own body, if I may say so.
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