What I mean by "mindful".
็ใใใฏใใใคใณใใใซใใจใใ่จ่ใซใฉใใชใคใกใผใธใใใฃใฆใใใฎใงใใใใใ
็งใฏmindful writingใจใใ่จ่ใไฝฟใๆใใๅฝขใซๆฐใใคใใฆๆธใใไปฅไธใฎๆๅณใใใใใฆใใพใใใใใฏ
ใๆธใใใจใซ้ไธญใใใใจใงใ่ชๅใๅคงๅใซใใๆ้ใไฝใฃใฆใใใใ
ใฉใใใใใจใชใฎใใ่ฉณใใใ่ฉฑใใใพใใ
ใใจใใจใใคใณใใใซใในใฏๆฑๆดใซ่ตทๆบใใใใใจใฏใ็ใใใใๅญใใ ใจๆใใพใใใๅฎ้ใ็พไปฃใฎๆฅๆฌใซใใใฆใใจใฆใ่ฆชๅๆงใ้ซใใ
ๆฅๆฌใฎๆๅใซใฏไปๆใฎไผ็ตฑใใๆฅใฆใใใใฎใๅคใใ๏ผๅฎ้ใๆฅๆฌไบบใฏใใพใๆ่ญใใฆใใพใใใ๏ผไปๆใฎๆใใซๅฃใฃใฆใใใใจใใพใพใใใพใใ
ไพใใฐใๅญฆๆ กใงใฏใ็ๅพใใกใ็ตฆ้ฃใฎๆบๅใป็ไปใใใใใๆฎใใใใ้ฃฏใฏๆฎใใ้ฃในใใๆจๆถใใใใๆๅฎคใฎๆ้คใใใใใใใฏใใจใใจ็ฆ ๅฏบใฎๆฅๅธธใงใใใใใใไธ่ฌๅใใใใฎใงใใ็ฆ ใงใฏใๅ จใฆใฎๆฅๅธธใฎไธ็ฌไธ็ฌใซๅฟใๆณจใใใไปใใใใใซใใใใจใซ้ไธญใใไฟฎ่กใ่กใใพใใ
ใใฎไธญใซใๅญใไธๅฏงใซๆธใใจใใใใฎใใใใพใใ
ใใใใใๆฅๆฌใงใฏใๅญใไธๅฏงใซๆธใใใจใฏ๏ผ่ชญใ็ธๆใธใฎ้ ๆ ฎใ็คผๅใงใใใใพใใใๅๆใซ๏ผ่ชๅ่ช่บซใซๅฏพใใฆใใใฎๆ้ใไธๅฏงใซ็ใใฆใใใใจใใ็คผๅใงใใใ่ชๅใจใใๅฝใๅคงๅใซใใฆใใ่ก็บใงใใใใจ่ใใพใใ
่ชๅใๅคงๅใซใใใ
ใใใฏใใ ๅญใไธๅฏงใซๆธใใ ใใงใๅฎ็พใงใใใใจใชใฎใงใใ
ใใใฏ
What image comes to mind when you hear the word "mindful"?
When I use the phrase mindful writing, I mean something beyond simply paying attention to the shape of the letters. What I mean is this:
By focusing on the act of writing, you are creating time to care for yourself.
Let me explain.
Most of you will know that mindfulness has its roots in the East. And in modern Japan, perhaps more than people realise, that spirit is still very much alive โ woven into everyday life in ways that most Japanese people don't consciously think about.
Much of Japanese culture has its origins in Buddhist tradition. Take school life, for example: students prepare and clear away their own lunch. They finish every grain of rice. They greet one another. They clean their own classrooms. These practices originated in Zen monasteries, and over time they became simply the way things are done. In Zen, the practice is to bring full attention to every single moment of daily life โ to be completely present, here and now, in whatever you are doing.
Among those practices: writing characters with care.
From this comes a way of thinking that runs quietly through Japanese culture. To write carefully is not only a courtesy to the person who will read your words โ it is also a courtesy to yourself. It is a way of saying: I am living this moment with attention. I am treating my own life as something worth caring for.
To care for yourself.
That is something you can do simply by writing one character, slowly and with intention.
Iroha
