Life can be described as an ongoing spiritual training, unfolding naturally with each passing moment. It is like a voyage across a boundless ocean—sometimes gently swayed, at other times engulfed by towering waves.
As we reflect on our life’s journey, there are surely moments when we can say, from the depths of our hearts, "I truly gave my all."
Especially for those who have faced the fiercest storms, we encourage you to revisit those moments as you immerse yourself in the profound words of Master Okawa.
When we die and return to the other world, the only thing we can take with us is our mind. Nothing from this world will accompany us there.
Therefore, please understand deeply that everything you experience in this world is simply material for polishing your mind.
This world is a temporary home, set up as a training ground for our souls. Here, we encounter inconveniences—our exams, challenges that refine us. The training to purify the heart is an eternal practice.
We humans, who have been reincarnating countless times, are on a journey where we repeatedly face tests and refine our hearts and souls. This journey is eternal.
Everyone will inevitably confront their fundamental life challenges along the way. In those moments, we will be forced to face our true, bare self—whether we like it or not.
There may be times when the same issues resurface repeatedly, and we think, "Here it is again."
In those very moments, we may find clues to our unique life purpose and the key to refining our heart.
As we reflect on our life’s journey over the decades, our purpose and mission may become clear.
That is our soul’s current lesson, and it is crucial that we identify it clearly.
Once we understand our mission, we must live each day with deep gratitude for all that we have been given. Be mindful not to make mistakes, but if we do err, we should reflect and repent.
Those who practice this "self-reflection" are the ones who make true progress in their soul’s spiritual growth.
There is a saying, "Life is a workbook of problems to be solved."
The challenges we face repeatedly may be lessons carried over from our past lives. They could also be bad habits of the soul we need to overcome in this life.
Master Okawa emphasized two key concepts: "gratitude" and "self-reflection." While easy to say, they are not always easy to practice.
However, when we embrace life as spiritual training, when we view our soul from the perspective of past and future lives, how does that shift the way we view things?
The principle that gratitude and reflection bring peace to the heart may hold the key to understanding both ourselves and others.
The moments when we feel joy, when we sense personal growth, are the moments when our soul experiences true happiness.
Master Okawa said in The Strong Mind:
"It is not the freedom to fall into indulgence, nor the freedom to be swept away by desires, but the freedom to shape yourself—a freedom filled with true joy and happiness."
Please remember this truth.
The joy of shaping ourselves, the joy of elevating our soul—when we can feel this deeply, it is truly remarkable.
Find meaning in every experience you encounter in life, and discover the love of Buddha in all of them.
For it is through these experiences that we become wiser, deepen our understanding of life, and grow into someone who can empathize with the struggles and pains of others.
These are the sharpening stones for our spiritual growth.
With the pole of Truth in hand, we hope you will powerfully row across the great waves of destiny.