Be Like the Bamboo: 7 Lessons from the Japanese Forest
The forests that surround our village here in Nara, Japan are filled with beautiful bamboo goves. In Japan, the symbolism of the bamboo plant runs deep and wide and offers practical lessons for life and for work. I summarized the lessons below with presentation and learning in mind, but as you read these lessons from bamboo, you may think of other practical implications for your own life and work.
(1) Bend but don't break—be flexible yet strong
One of the most impressive things about the bamboo in the forest is how they sway with even the slightest breeze. This gentle swaying movement with the wind is a symbol of humility. Their bodies are hard and firm and yet sway gently in the breeze while their trunks stay rooted firmly in the ground below. Their foundation is solid even though they move and sway harmoniously with the wind, never fighting against it. In time, even the strongest wind tires itself out, but the bamboo remains standing tall and still. A bend-but-don't-break or go-with-the-natural-flow attitude is one of the secrets for success whether we're talking about bamboo trees, answering tough questions in a Q&A session, or just dealing with the everyday vagaries of life.
(2) Remember: What looks weak may in fact by strong
The body of a single bamboo tree is not large by any means when compared to the other much larger trees in the forest. It may not look impressive at first sight at all. But the plants endure cold winters and extremely hot summers and are sometimes the only trees left standing in the aftermath of a typhoon. They may not reach the heights of the other trees, but they are strong and stand tall in extreme weather. Bamboo is not as fragile as it may appear, not by a long shot. Remember the words of a great Jedi Master: "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you?" We must be careful not to underestimate others or ourselves based only on old notions of what is weak and what is strong. You may not be from the biggest company or the product of the most famous school, but like the bamboo, stand tall, believe in your own strengths, and know that you are as strong as you need to be.
(3) Be always ready
Unlike many types of wood which take a good deal of processing and finishing, bamboo needs little of that. As the Aikido master Kensho Furuya says in Kodo: Ancient Ways, "The warrior, like bamboo, is ever ready for action." In presentation or other professional activities too, through training and practice, we can develop in our own way of being ever ready. In the same spirit of bamboo’s state of readiness and natural flexibility, we too can strive to navigate life’s complexities and uncertainties with resilience, flexibility, and calm effectiveness.
(4) Unleash your power to spring back
Bamboo is a symbol of good luck and one of the symbols of the New Year celebrations in Japan. The important image of snow-covered bamboo represents the ability to spring back after experiencing adversity. In winter the heavy snow bends the bamboo back and back until one day the snow becomes too heavy, begins to fall, and the bamboo snaps back up tall again, brushing aside all the snow. The bamboo endured the heavy burden of the snow, but in the end it had to power to spring back as if to say "I will not be defeated."
5) There is wisdom in emptiness
It’s said that in order to learn, the first step is to empty ourselves of our preconceived notions. One can not fill a cup which is already full. The hollow insides of the bamboo reminds us that we are often too full of ourselves and our own conclusions; we have no space for anything else. In order to receive knowledge and wisdom from both nature and people, we have to be open to that which is new and different. When you empty your mind of your prejudices, pride and fear, you become open to the possibilities.
(6) Commit to (continuous) growth
Bamboo are among the fastest-growing plants in the world. It does not matter who you are — or where you are — today, you have amazing potential for growth. We usually speak of Kaizen or continuous improvement that is more steady and incremental, where big leaps and bounds are not necessary. Yet even with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement, our growth — like the growth of the bamboo — can be quite remarkable when we look back at what or where we used to be. Even though the bamboo that’s outside my window grew rapidly, I didn’t notice its growth from day to day. We also may not notice our own improvement even though we are making progress. How fast or how slow is not our main concern, only that we're moving forward. The bamboo grows fastest around the rainy season. You too may have "seasons" where growth accelerates, but is slower at other times. Yet with sustained effort, you are always growing. Do not be discouraged by what you perceive as your lack of growth or improvement; there may be plateaus. If you have not given up, then you are growing, you just may not see it until much later.
(7) Express usefulness through simplicity
Aikido master Kensho Furuya says that "The bamboo in its simplicity expresses its usefulness. Man should do the same." Indeed, we spend a lot of our time trying to show how smart we are, perhaps to convince others — and ourselves — that we are worthy of their attention and praise. Often we complicate the simple to impress and we fail to simplify the complex out of fear that others may know what we know. Life and work are complicated enough without our interjecting the superfluous. If we could lose our fear, perhaps we could be more creative and find simpler solutions to even complex problems that ultimately provide the greatest usefulness for our audiences, customers, patients, or students.
Bonus Lessons
(8) Spread your roots wide, make connections
Bamboo is not deeply rooted like most trees (bamboo is actually a kind of grass), instead the roots are widely spread horizontally giving the base of the bamboo a strong foundation able to withstand strong storms and heavy snow. Humans too can benefit by spreading out their roots, so to speak. Especially as we get older, we may find it harder to establish new friends or even acquaintances. However, being involved in your local community, even in the smallest of ways, has great benefits. When we help others, for example, we often get back much more in return, though that is not our motives. Having even just a view relationships outside our work is a chance for giving back, which has its own rewards contributing to our sense of well being and purpose. There is a strong connection between having a healthy social network, including involvement with our local community, and personal resilience. (See this WHO study: From Loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies.)
(9) Laugh, and the world laughs with you
It’s said that the noise that a bamboo grove makes swaying in the wind resembles laughter. In a strong wind, that “laughter” can be incredibly loud, as if the bamboo is laughing out loud and shouting mockingly to the wind “is that the best you’ve got?!” This is a reminder for us to stay positive and laugh where we can, and even to make others laugh. Interestingly, the kanji for laughter ( 笑) is comprised of 竹 which means bamboo and 夭 which in this context has a few meanings such as young/youthful, the ephemeral nature of joy, and so on. There are countless examples of how a sense of humor helped people get through difficult times and how helping others to smile and laugh has contributed to their well-being. Often, we get so wrapped up in our own issues that we forget the power of laughter.
(10) Remaining calm
There is a calming effect when one is surrounded by bamboo. I’m not sure if it is the graceful physical qualities of the bamboo grove or the calming sounds that are found amongst the bamboo, but there is a soothing, peaceful feeling that one has when walking through the bamboo. This is a reminder for us to be like bamboo in this regard as well. When we remain calm even in difficult times, we are helping ourselves to endure and yet we are helping those around us as well.
The slides used in this TEDxTokyo presentation appear in the 3rd edition of the book Presentation Zen.