John Brady

November 3, 2024

unbeaten by the rain

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In a reflection by Fr Silouan Thompson, I read this  by Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933). I hadn't seen it before, and wanted to pass it along. He was a devout Nichiren Buddhist, but the connection to Christ's Gospel is obvious.


Ame ni mo makezu (Unbeaten by Rain)

Unbeaten by rain
 Unbeaten by wind
 Unbowed by the snow and the summer heat
 Strong in body
 Free from greed
 Without any anger
 Always serene

With a handful of brown rice a day
 Miso and a small amount of vegetables suffice

Whatever happens
 Consider yourself last, always put others first
 Understand from your observation and experience
 Never lose sight of these things

In the shadows of the pine groves in the fields
 Live modestly under a thatched roof

In the East, if there is a sick child
 Go there and take care of him
 In the West, if there is an exhausted mother
 Go there and relieve her of her burden
 In the South, if there is a man near death
 Go there and comfort him, tell him “Don’t be afraid”
 In the North, if there is an argument and a legal dispute
 Go there and persuade them it’s not worth it

In a drought, shed tears
 In a cold summer, carry on
 Even with a sense of loss

Being called a fool
 Being neither praised nor a burden

Such a person I want to be



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Gentle. Small. Humble. Slow. Simple. - The Abundance of Less
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About John Brady

Occasional thoughts, some about the Orthodox Church.