Some time ago, when I was casually exploring religion and spirituality, I came across someone who explained the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha in a very clear way. I’m not a devoted Buddhist, but as I read their book, I started to realize a few important things, and I’d like to share them here.
Teachings of Buddha (Selected)
- Life does not go as you wish
- Letting go of attachments and accepting things as they are brings ease
- Be humble
- Forgive others
- Cultivate gratitude for everything
Life does not go as you want
This may seem obvious, but many people tend to forget it. Especially in relationships, people often get angry or stressed because others do not act the way they expect. Most human suffering comes from interpersonal issues. Just knowing that you cannot control others can make a difference.
Letting go of attachments
“Letting go of attachments” refers to hopes and desires. While it may sound harsh, for example: when you work hard, it’s natural to expect that your salary will eventually increase, right? But in life, things rarely go that smoothly. Holding onto such expectations can lead to anger and stress when reality doesn’t meet them.
I learned that by being content with the present and going through daily life calmly, you can feel much more at ease and gain a sense of inner peace.
My Practice
I started by practicing gratitude. Every day, I said “thank you” to absolutely everything I saw—like a fool.
Of course, this included my family and pets, but also my house, bed, bath, bicycle, car, flowers on the roadside, the sky, the wind, the commuter train, my office, my work, my hands, my feet, my eyes, my nose—my entire body. Everything.
At first, I forced myself to say it. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” It was all thank yous.
It felt ridiculous and made me laugh, but after continuing for a while, I began noticing other things I could be thankful for.
Eventually, the “thank yous” I had been jokingly saying turned into genuine gratitude.
Isn’t the fact that there are countless things to be grateful for itself a form of happiness?
It’s important to increase the number of things you can be thankful for, even small ones, as much as possible.
Be humble
I used to forget all of this.
For example, I might complain about my knees hurting when I run, but I never appreciated my arms and waist that function perfectly, my brain that can think, or my eyes that let me see the world.
I might feel annoyed by crowded trains or sudden rain, but I never took a moment to be grateful for arriving safely home.
The air we breathe, the movement of our limbs, the food we eat, the ordinary flow of daily life—none of it is truly ordinary.
Everything is a blessing from the universe or a cycle of the Earth, brought about through the efforts of others as well.
Even the loneliest person isn’t truly living alone—they are being kept alive.
Recognizing this makes you humble. Not self-deprecating, but truly humble.
When you are humble, anger or feelings of being hurt naturally decrease.
By practicing this now, I feel incredibly happy. I feel invincible, like Pharrell’s song “Happy.”
This happiness doesn’t come from being married, having a job, or having children. It doesn’t depend on your surroundings or circumstances.
It comes from being able to feel grateful.
Forgive others
My stress levels have dramatically decreased, though they are not zero.
Living in modern society makes eliminating stress extremely difficult—level 100.
Unpleasant events or people still show up occasionally.
When that happens, I try to forgive them. It’s not easy, but forgiving can lighten your heart a little.
You don’t have to force yourself to forgive.
When faced with something unforgivable, simply note in your mind: I would not do that.
Then acknowledge your emotions: This has happened, and I am angry. Just recognizing your feelings makes a big difference.
Also, understand how much time anger wastes.
Being grumpy affects everyone around you—it’s a serious wrongdoing.
So, in those moments, focus on things that are fun and meaningful to you.
Music, luxury meals, shopping, sports, video games—anything is fine.
Knowing something that can make you happy is important. Take charge of your own mood.
By noticing and observing your anger objectively, you can switch your mindset easily.
Difficult? Keep trying!
When something annoys me, I literally crumple up the irritation or anger like a scrap of paper with my hands and toss it away.
I actually do it.😂 Surprisingly effective.
It acts as a switch to change your mood.
Cultivate gratitude for everything
This is a bit of a digression, but I quit smoking at the age of 40.
And I did it… just like that.
Normally, quitting isn’t that easy, right? There were two things I did to help myself quit, one of which was the piano.
I loved the piano but had never actually played it, so I started practicing. Focusing on the piano helped me shift my attention away from cigarettes.
The other thing was gratitude.
After I began practicing gratitude, life started feeling a little better. Somehow, I had the bizarre thought that if I expressed gratitude to cigarettes themselves, I might be able to quit.
It was an extremely crazy idea—but I tried it.
Whenever I felt the urge to smoke after starting my quit attempt, I would thank the cigarettes:
“Thank you for being so delicious until now,”
“Thank you for all the relaxing moments,” or
“Thank you for showing me how addictive you can be.”
Yes, I know—you probably think I’m crazy.😅
But in the end, it worked. I’ve been smoke-free for a year now.
I’m the most surprised of all. If you’re a smoker, you know quitting for no particular reason isn’t something that just happens.
In Closing
It’s often said that in this world, when you express gratitude, it eventually comes back to you. Lately, I feel like that might actually be true. Now I can even feel grateful for annoying troubles or small challenges. Any difficulty that comes my way is a gift that helps me grow. When I think of it that way, I’m able to face obstacles with a positive and even enjoyable mindset.
For people who are deeply religious, this might sound completely normal. But for many Japanese people, who tend not to be very religious, these are important truths that we may have forgotten.
Thank you for reading!
