Compass of the Times 259

To Accumulate

Keiko Takahashi

Walking through Autumn, the Season of Maturity

The summer heat wave of recent years has been prolonged, and even in September, the heat remains intense. In October, we finally begin to feel and savor autumn, the third season of the year.

There are many phrases associated with autumn, such as the season of appetite, the season of sports, the season of reading, the season of outings, the season of art, and the season of harvest.

Amid pleasant weather, we can genuinely appreciate the delights of nature’s bounty and feel the vibrancy of life by moving our bodies. In the long autumn nights, we can self-reflect and face our inner selves as we read. We can also visit unusual places, experience things we have never experienced before, and discover the essential commonality within the differences of things. In the process of discovering art, we find a new relationship between the world and ourselves. Indeed, the activities of nature and human beings bring forth a variety of fruits in this season.

Autumn is described in various ways because it encourages us to live our lives more deeply.

Living our lives deeply can be described as “maturity.” Through this season, we are being led to a dimension of “maturity.”

It is no coincidence that we, who live through the four seasons of life, encounter the theme of “maturity” as we age. This is because the essence of “maturity” is inherent in this season.

“Maturity,” in whatever aspect, is the result of the accumulation of our steps. Even considering the limited period of a year, autumn is a time when we face the deepening of our steps.

This month, I would like you to think about the “maturity” that is inherent in our steps.

A Leap Comes with Accumulation

The foundation of any endeavor is a series of small steps. We achieve our goals by accumulating small steps. This is the basis of our way of life.

No matter what our wish is, it will not be fulfilled immediately. We take small steps toward our wishes, and eventually, we will fulfill them.

Whether it is our life or our work, when we set a major goal, it is important to apply the Divisible Method¹ in creating several intermediate goals along the way. We make small steps toward those goals in order to fulfill our wishes.

In this way, we have attempted to fulfill many wishes and goals by taking one step at a time, day after day, with all our might, without neglect.

It is not the case, however, that we can fulfill all our wishes and achieve all our goals by accumulating small steps. No matter how much effort we put in, some wishes cannot be easily fulfilled. Some goals cannot be achieved even if we put forth our best efforts without neglect. This is the harshness and difficulty of the actual world.

I believe that this is a difficulty faced by many people, who embraced their earnest wishes in their lives, and accumulated efforts to achieve them by setting goals.

It means that a “leap” is required, which cannot be achieved only by accumulating efforts.

What is important is that it is the accumulation of daily efforts and small and earnest initiatives that will bring about that “leap.”

As we accumulate our everyday steps, at some point, a “leap” will occur that will transcend the level up to that point.

One of the keys to this is the energy that is stored within us as we put our hearts and souls into our daily efforts. As energy is stored and leads to an excited state (a higher energy state), a new dimension opens up, as if to produce a new chemical reaction. We could say that a new order or structure is precipitated and crystallized that has not yet been apparent.

That such a reality is brought about is the essence of fulfilling wishes and achieving goals.

Editor’s Note

1. Divisible Method

The Divisible Method is a technique of dividing a process into necessary steps. No matter how far along the path it may seem, it is something that can be separated, and by separating it, the possibility of realization is greatly increased. (Excerpted from the November 2017 issue of G. Monthly, “Introduction to the Study of the Soul 107,” p. 12, available only in Japanese)

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