Haegwan Kim: Let me know your definition of success?
Shinya Shirasu: Well, it depends on people. For some people it's fame, for some people it's money. And I don't deny that.
HK: I see.
SS: I think majority of people have that kind of definition of success.
HK: Well I see.
SS: But how you live should be free - those who was born as a farmer, that's really great. Those who was born as a son of huge company but becomes a craftsman, that's also success. So if you have something that you can be proud of, then you should consider yourself successful. It's personal satisfaction.
However we connect "success" to money or social position since the war (WWII), everyone is now suffering to grasp their own definition. Of course sometimes someone feel money as a satisfaction from their bottom of heart. I think that's miserable though.
HK: Hahaha. How do you feel your own satisfaction?
SS: Well when I'm doing good job for my works, I can feel some. But that's business side of me and I'm not working 24/7. When I talk with someone or since I like Japanese antique, when I find a great earthenware, I feel satisfaction. But the best is when I eat great foods, drink great beers and have a great conversation!
HK: Haha, I agree.
SS: You know, those are what you should do always right?
HK: True.
SS: And when I sleep well and feel good morning!
HK: Well, it seems we came to far from success, haha.
SS: I don't live for success. I don't aim at high. Always my circumstances are changing, so I don't live for others' happiness, I live for myself. Of course when I provide joy for people, I feel good though.
HK: Others can't be incentives for you right?
SS: No, it never happened.
HK: I can see Japanese culture on your base, you started to learn it because you love it, right?
SS: Yea, I'm an absolutely amateur. I'm not a teacher so I don't have any responsibility, for example for apprentices. Instead I need to take responsibility for myself. I always need to reflect on myself. In Japan, culture is really fragmented and segmented, so people should settle in a narrow space. I often talk with Dr. Ken Mogi that every sector has sort of similarity.
HK: What do you mean by "similarity"?
SS: Each subject has its own knowledge, expertise, and so on - but these are connected in a way. I don't know how to describe it verbally but I believe those who engage in lots of fields would agree. Dr. Mogi has a speciality on brain science but he does lots of other stuffs. And I think that's why it's interesting - I don't want to cut signals from other fields and say "I just want to stick to this".
HK: Mogi-san often talks about principal. Although he tries to challenge many things but he has one principal that others can't bend. Can't you explain this part with proper words?
SS: No. Because it's a feature of individuals. Principal is a difficult word but in a simple way, it's just like or dislike. We are animals, so there's always physiological part on us and that's very natural thing.
HK: I see...
SS: Of course disliking others just by looks or smells is bad thing. We should care about it. But as said, we are animals and that's why the core of our body is pretty simple - just like or dislike and I regard this simple feature of humans very importantly.
HK: Some people feel difficulty to find their own principles. What do you say to them?
SS: I've been asked that often, but I don't know.
HK: I think there's social stigma to peruse their own happiness or success.
SS: Well, that's true. People are fed by the government. In old days, "good" children and "bad" children were taught at same place but now they are all average. So they don't have question on their own, like how to live as blah blah blah. They don't think deeply, so they rely on others. People just try what TVs and newspapers are saying and don't have any confidence themselves. To find principle, you should face to yourself.
HK: Face to yourself - that's a good word. I started this research to find how diverse humans are. Find your own answer - that could be an only advice to achieve success.
SS: Yes, the method is not a thing that people tell you, it's the thing you've got to find yourself. A bonze recites sutra, but they don't know its meaning at all.
HK: Hahaha.
SS: But while they recite, and being absorbed in one thing, they think deeply and deeply about "what is myself"? I know a bonze from Hieizan, he told me that "we don't do ascetic practice for a certain achievement". They don't do for purpose, they just think deeply and eventually find out what's the "principle" for themselves. I believe this is very important not only for bonzes but ordinary people like us.
HK: Thank you so much.
Shirasu Shinya is a an evangelist of Japanese culture.
