Carrying the Heart of the Universe Through My Voice
Rie Oyama3 min read·Just now--
Every day, I read the poems and essays of Shinmin Sakamura, a beloved Japanese poet of prayer, in a LINE Open Chat community.
Today, I read a passage from Ho no Shiori, included in the cherished edition of Sakamura Shinmin’s poetry collection published by Sangaku Shuppan. The passage was about the mission of the Japanese people.
In that passage, Sakamura writes about what he calls “the heart of the universe.” He describes it as a heart that wishes for the happiness of all people. He also suggests that one of the missions of the Japanese people is to help people around the world come to know this heart and live with it as their own.
As I read those words, I thought deeply about the traditional Japanese sensitivity toward nature.
For many Japanese people, nature is not something separate from human life. We have long sensed something sacred in trees, flowers, stones, water, wind, and even in the sounds of insects.
For example, the sound of autumn insects may be heard as noise by some people in other cultures. But many Japanese people hear it as a sign of the season. We listen and feel, “Ah, autumn has come.”
This sensitivity is not merely aesthetic. It is a way of listening to life.
Sakamura Shinmin was a poet who could place his heart even upon a small dandelion growing by the roadside. He did not turn his attention only to famous flowers, expensive flowers, or flowers admired by many. He found meaning in humble flowers, in weeds, and in small lives that are often overlooked.
I believe this is one of the great beauties of his poetry.
It is a gaze of compassion.
It is a heart that sees dignity in all living things.
As I reflected on today’s reading, I also thought about my own path as a Japanese language teacher, reciter, and practitioner of the tea ceremony.
In the world of tea, we cherish the words Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku: harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. We also value the teachings of Rikyu, which remind us to prepare each encounter with care, sincerity, and awareness.
Every day, in the LINE Open Chat, I recite these teachings together with others.
For me, teaching Japanese is not only about grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, or communication skills. Of course, these are important. But behind the Japanese language, there is also a spirit: a way of caring for others, a way of sensing nature, and a way of giving voice to silence.
The Japanese language carries both kotodama, the spirit of words, and onkodama, the spirit of sound.
Through reading, recitation, teaching, and the tea ceremony, I hope to share this spirit with people around the world.
Today, Sakamura Shinmin’s words reminded me once again of my own mission.
To share the compassionate heart of Japan.
To carry the heart of the universe through my voice.
To offer words that may become a small light for someone, somewhere.
Perhaps this, too, is one way of living with courage.
When have you recently felt tenderness or wisdom in nature?
