The origin of KOKOROMI
■Failing to change jobs and despairing of life
When I was in my late 20s , I failed at changing jobs, and as a result, I became pessimistic about my life, lost sight of the meaning of my existence, despaired of life, found it hard to live, and started thinking about suicide. had.
I didn't have any academic background to be particularly proud of, but to begin with, I didn't have a strong desire to get married or anything I wanted, and I didn't have any "greed" that was worthy of a reason to live.
However, he doesn't have the courage to commit suicide, so to distract himself, he reads self-help books such as ``The 7 Habits'' and ``Opening the Path,'' as well as books on psychology and philosophy, trying to find the meaning of his life. did.
Meanwhile, among the 7 habits
“If not to make each other’s lives easier, then what are we living for?”
I was impressed by this altruistic way of living, which means doing more for others than for yourself, and I discovered the meaning of my existence.
For example, bread on the breakfast table is generally made possible by the cooperation of many people, such as farmers, company workers, and supermarket clerks, who all play their roles and work together to make bread available on the breakfast table. I am.
■A difficult situation where you can't talk to anyone
When people are having trouble or are worried about something, they want to talk to their family or friends and vent.
I found the meaning of my existence in ``altruism'' and restarted my life, and then moved to another company.
Then, due to an unexpected incident, I ended up falling in love with someone I shouldn't have.
I have a personality that proactively approaches people I like. Because of that, I had to face that person every day at work, so it was really hard to suppress my feelings of liking them, stay rational, and not approach them.
I thought that this was a bad idea because I would think about that person even on holidays, and even if I tried to forget, I wouldn't forget, so I read a lot of self-help books and psychology books again. However, I was unable to suppress my emotions through rationality.
Also, because the content is so content, I can't talk to anyone at work, and even though I want to vent my feelings, I can't.
Therefore, I asked a close friend to talk to me and let out my pent-up feelings. Spitting it out made me feel a little better, but the urge came back the next morning when I woke up.
At that time, I realized that I had no choice but to solve ``problems that involve strong emotions that cannot be solved rationally'' on my own.
However, I didn't know how to control my emotions, and before I knew it, my mind became unstable, and I started to feel anxious and irritated, and I felt like I wanted to cling to God.
■Encounter with the Heart Sutra
At a time like this when I was mentally unstable, I happened to come across a book called Outdoor Heart Sutra by author Jun Miura. The Heart Sutra is a sutra written in 262 kanji characters.
This book is a very humorous book that has transcribed the 262 characters of the Heart Sutra by collecting photos of each kanji character taken one by one in the city.
In addition, it is an easy-to-understand explanation of the Heart Sutra from Jun Miura's perspective, and is more like a photo book, making it an interesting book that can be read quickly.
I was originally interested in visiting shrines and temples while traveling and sightseeing, and when I read the book, I learned the meaning of the Heart Sutra for the first time and was surprised by its contents.
Everything in this world, called the Heart Sutra, is ``emptiness'' and ``nothingness'' and does not exist.There is no point in suffering by clinging to something that does not exist, and there is no way to resolve suffering.
The idea is that suffering does not exist in this world.
I was impressed by this way of thinking, which didn't give me the feeling of ``saying complicated things'' that is typical of self-help books, psychology, and philosophy books, and I felt a sense of comfort in getting rid of everything cleanly. At the same time, I became aware of the charm of the Heart Sutra.
■Trivia about Buddhism
By the way, it is well known that the late Steve Jobs also liked Zen.
Also, did you know that Japan is the country in the world with the most companies that have been in business for over 100 years? This is attracting attention as being outstanding worldwide.
One of the reasons for this is thought to be deeply related to the spirit of Japanese Buddhism, and Japan's famous monks were invited to the Davos Conference, the World Economic Forum, and executives representing famous countries were invited to participate in the conference. People listen to the ideas of Buddhism and use them as a reference for management methods.
■I suppressed my emotions and worked hard to solve my problems/I was looking for someone to cling to.
From there, I read a lot of books about Buddhist teachings and books that incorporate Buddhist teachings into business.
However, after returning home from work on my day off, I suddenly remembered that woman and was overcome with anxiety and frustration.
For this reason, I desperately tried to copy the Heart Sutra and read it out loud, trying to concentrate and avoid remembering it as much as possible, feeling like I wanted to cling to God.
So at that time, I wanted to cling to someone, even God, and was looking for something to be passionate about, something to cling to. And I prayed in my heart that somehow this problem could be resolved.
Also, at that time, I felt that it was easier to feel a sense of reality if I prayed, wished, and encouraged myself toward something in the room, just like when I prayed at a shrine or temple, and I could expect a placebo effect. I thought so.
Anyway, I felt that it was difficult to understand without something to pray or wish for.
I looked in the mirror but felt embarrassed and uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, what kind of person is Kannon who preaches the Heart Sutra? I was curious, so I looked into Kannon.
■What kind of person is Kannon, who preaches the Heart Sutra?
The sermon that Kannon preached to his disciples is the Heart Sutra.
Kannon is a compassionate and virtuous person who, even though he has completed his training, returns to this world and practices again while saving sentient beings.
I believe that Kannon is a very noble person who is sincere to others and sticks to his beliefs.
I learned that he is a person who is living the life he aspires to live.
I was also impressed by one monk's way of thinking about ``worship''.
The monk's idea of ``worshiping toward the Buddha'' is as follows.
■A monk's idea that God resides in the hearts of those who worship.
A Buddha is simply a statue carved by a Buddhist sculptor, and the Buddha or God does not exist within the statue.
They are thought to reside in the hearts of those who worship them.
The same is true when flowers are offered on a Buddhist altar, and the flowers are placed towards the hearts of the people who worship them.
If a Buddhist statue is truly a god and the statue itself is an object of worship, then
It is not possible to offer flowers with their backs facing up.
Because God dwells in the heart of the person who worships, all offerings are made for the person who worships.
Worshiping can be said to be directed toward oneself.
This act of worshiping toward the Buddha is meant to be directed toward the God in the heart of the person worshiping.
I was able to see the God of my heart as my own potential.
Also, many people offer prayers on New Year's visit.
Based on this idea, it can also be interpreted as praying or making a wish to yourself.
■My own past bitter experiences. Risks of clinging to others
It's an embarrassing story, but when I was in my 20s , I was cheated on by three different women.
I have had experiences where I have lost faith in humanity for about half a year, including when the other person was my senior or junior.
I have also come close to falling victim to business-related scams several times.
I think it's a well-known fact that there are many troubles that arise from relying on others, not just from my own experience.
All humans have anxiety and fear about the uncertain future.
For example, people who fall for unscrupulous religions and scams may be drawn to the sense of security and hope provided by scammers and religious figures in order to dispel their psychological anxiety and fear.
Also, people who are aiming for self-actualization or growth may believe that they can achieve their goals in a rapid and easy way.
If you are running a company, you may be approached with information on investment products or stock investments that guarantee high yields, or you may become convinced of unfair business outsourcing or invitations to form alliances that may put you at a disadvantage. Sho.
In this way, it is possible to ``take advantage of one's own weaknesses and become dependent on others and suffer damage,'' or to become dependent on other family members, friends, girlfriends, etc. and develop into some kind of trouble. Storing away has been expressed as a social problem in various forms since ancient times. In order to avoid getting caught up in such situations, it is necessary to maintain a reasonable distance from others on a daily basis.
these
・I want to cling to someone
-Being dependent on others is risky
・Even if you rely on others, in the end, you cannot solve your own problems unless you make the final decision yourself.
-Only you can solve your problems
・I want an object when I pray or make a wish.
・I also want to practice a lifestyle like Kannon.
・Isn't Kannon the perfect Buddha statue for people living today?
・God in my heart = I want to believe in my potential
With this in mind, one way to not only avoid being hurt by relying on others, but also to avoid financial damage, is to create a God in your heart, believe in it, and pray to it. Did.
Furthermore, wouldn't it be a good idea to make a statue of Kannon Bodhisattva, which embodies the God in your heart, and pray and pray to it? That's what I came up with.
I think there are many people who think this is a crazy idea that would be unthinkable.
However, for me, who was in a desperate situation and had no choice but to cling to God, the act of clinging, praying, and wishing for someone was a strange thing, and at that time, I felt like I was freed from my suffering. was considered a last resort.
■Purchased the statue of Kannon Bodhisattva “for myself” with the idea of seeing it as a god in my heart.
Of course, since I was buying something for myself, I was reluctant to buy something at the market price.
This is because the quality is commensurate with the price.
Buddha statues have value as Buddhist art, so I thought it would be better to buy one that was at least 100,000 yen and had better quality than the average price, so I used the bonus to admire the beauty of the Buddhist statue as a work of art, and bought one from a long-established store. I bought the St. Kannon Bodhisattva statue = myself at the store.
Generally speaking, I think the mainstream understanding is that Buddhist statues serve as principal images of worship for the dead.
However, strictly speaking, it is a little different. The main image of worship is Amida Nyorai, the great Buddha of Nara and Kamakura. It is not common for Kannon Bosatsu statues to be used as memorial services for the dead.
At that time, I thought that since Kannon is extending a hand of mercy in this world, the statue of Kannon Bodhisattva would be perfect for people like us who are living in the present.
■After purchasing “myself”
From then on, whenever I wake up or go to bed, in addition to the minimum greetings such as "good night" or "I'm going," whenever I feel like it, I turn to my image of Kannon Bodhisattva and solve problems. I prayed, wished, and talked to them.
I was really in a corner mentally, so I prayed and prayed desperately.
Some people may think it's ridiculous, but when people are cornered, they really can't care about such things. Of course I'm alone in the room.
I'm alone in my room praying, wishing, and talking to myself, so I'm not ashamed to admit that the depression is accumulating in my heart. In other words, I was able to let things out, and my mind felt surprisingly refreshed.
Of course, when I wanted to encourage myself, I encouraged myself by facing the statue. You can say your name to the Buddha statue and say things like ``Let's do our best,'' ``I can do it,'' or ``Thank you for your hard work today.''
In addition, living with a Buddha statue in your room has a slightly mystical and extraordinary feeling, which is soothing to the soul, like visiting a shrine or temple while traveling or sightseeing.
■After 2-3 months of clinging to God in my heart
It was about two or three months after I had been living my life as if I was clinging to the statue of Kannon Bodhisattva, which embodies the God in my heart. Before I knew it, I realized that I no longer cared about that woman that much.
My emotions had calmed down and my rationality had prevailed over the woman, and my anxiety and impatience had disappeared.
■ Feeling of mental stability and improved thinking ability
Furthermore, when I had a problem, I naturally became accustomed to praying to a Buddhist statue and thinking about it before consulting someone.
As a result, they were less likely to consult others and developed the ability to think for themselves, and their self-confidence improved.
After that, I encountered a variety of endless problems in my life, such as changing jobs and attending graduate school as a working adult, but thanks to my improved thinking skills, I no longer had fear or anxiety even at crossroads in life.
I was able to think about things calmly and calmly take action without rushing.
Whenever I feel worried or anxious, I suddenly think of the Buddha statue of myself in my room.
I was able to feel like I was not alone , which gave me a sense of security.
Once I realized this, my thinking ability improved, regardless of its quality, and I was able to calmly think about ways to deal with and find solutions to the endless problems I faced in life without having to rely on others.
I am now able to think about the direction I want to go in, choose it, and take action.
Also, when I feel anxious or unpleasant due to my daily worries, I go home and pour out those thoughts to my Buddha image and say words of encouragement like ``It's okay'' or ``Don't worry about it.'' By looking at it, I felt refreshed and was able to think of constructive solutions by asking, ``What should I do?''
By having a Buddha statue of yourself in this way, you naturally have time to face yourself quietly.
When I decided to purchase a Buddha statue, I honestly did not expect it to have such an effect.
I have become more mentally stable than I imagined, no longer suffering from anxiety or fear, and am able to think about things rationally.
Even if the decision I made was wrong, I wouldn't get angry because I had thought it through and made the decision. Even if you fail, you can think about it again and find another way.
Of course, I go out for drinks with friends and acquaintances and have them talk about things like complaining or worrying about something, but as a form of communication, I never get emotional or ask for advice that will help me solve the problem. I haven't done anything like that.
I only consult with them in hopes of getting some helpful advice.
■Conclusion ~The origin of KOKOROMI~
Then, I began to think that I wanted to turn altruism into a career.
However, how do you elevate it to work and make it work? In order to solve this problem, I quit the company I was working at and went to graduate school as a working adult to sublimate and refine my ideas, and as I was doing so, I came up with the idea of selling my own Buddha statue called KOKOROMI .
When I took on the unknown challenges of quitting my job, going to graduate school, and starting my own business, I was overcome with financial anxiety and fear of failure, but I felt a strange sense of security in having a Buddha statue that represented me. I was able to make a decision without being bothered.
This is the story that led me to start KOKOROMI .
Having a statue of yourself gives you time to face yourself, listen to your own conscience, think calmly, take action, and solve problems without relying on others.
We hope that KOKOROMI 's Buddha statues can contribute even a little to improving your mental health, mental wellness, and achieving well-being.