Earlier this month, I went back to Japan to see my family. It was only a short stay, but I was happy to take my father to a place he had always wanted to visit.
My father worked very hard during Japan’s bubble economy and provided a comfortable life for our family. He will turn 80 in a few years, but he still goes to work once a week, volunteers for the community and school children for the rest of the week.
After retiring from his full-time job, he also started studying ancient Japanese history. He is a very dedicated learner and often shares new discoveries and research findings with me. Taking him to an archaeological site and museum was a highlight of my trip to Japan. He seems happy that he finally visited the site.
I was happier to see him content with his life. During my time with him, I rarely heard him complain or speak negatively about anything. He has been this way for as long as I can remember. He is aging beautifully and gracefully through every season of life.
Spending time with him made me reflect on how his life has unfolded. It reminded me of Confucius’s teaching about the stages of life in the Analects (2.4).
The stages of life — Confucius
The Master said:
“At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right.”
— The Analects, 2.4, translated by James Legge
Now, looking at where I am in my own life, I don’t feel that I am quite where Confucius described.
I will be turning fifty in a few years, and I am still not sure what the “decrees of Heaven” mean for me.
In the original Chinese text, the term is Tianming (Tenmei in Japanese), often translated as the “Mandate of Heaven.” It can be understood as recognizing the larger order of life that is far beyond our control while understanding our moral responsibility and how we should live within those circumstances.
Only Heaven knows where life will ultimately lead us. No matter how ambitious we are or how much effort we put into something, things may not always turn out as we had hoped.
Confucius believed that moral virtue, education, and proper government could improve society. His teachings offered valuable guidance for society, but his effort to put those ideas into practice through government were largely unsuccessful.
So, Confucius continued to emphasize that it is still important to act with virtue and make moral choices even when the outcome was beyond his control.
To me, “knowing the decrees of Heaven” means recognizing my own limits of my knowledge, experience, and circumstances, and accepting that there are things I cannot change no matter how much I may wish to. But that doesn’t mean I should stop doing what I believe is good for myself and others.
Perhaps it is also about learning to live with those limitations while continuing to do what matters rather than constantly trying to overcome them.
Recognizing my own limits
I am turning fifty in a few years. I often think of what I should focus on more in life as I am beginning to feel my own limitations.
Some of these limitations come from responsibilities and circumstances, but others come from my physical body.
When I work out, I notice more aches and pains afterward compared to a year ago. Recently, I have started changing my yoga routine to include more mindful movement, focusing on mobility, strength, flexibility, and relaxation. Vinyasa yoga, which I fell in love with fifteen years ago, doesn’t feel as good in my body as it used to.
But I know it doesn’t mean I need to completely stop doing what I love. I can still do it as long as I stay open to change and learn to adapt my approach.
Afterall, yoga is about learning, practicing, and meeting myself where I am right now. I am learning to listen to my body and appreciate what it can do today.
Finding purpose in what I do
Yoga is my passion. I love stepping on the mat and moving my body. I also enjoy sharing my love of yoga with others. I always keep this in mind when I teach.
If even one person benefits from my yoga class, I feel that I am fulfilling my purpose. Because that person may carry a little more ease, calmness, and relaxation into their day and share their energy with friends and family, which creates a ripple effect that extends positive energy beyond the mat.
Looking at my father, I begin to realize that contentment comes not necessarily from accomplishing more, but from finding meaning in what we do and appreciating the life we have right here and now.
I may not fully understand my own Tenmei yet, and I don’t think I will have all the answers to what it means to me by the time I turn fifty.
For now, as long as I can continue to learn, make adjustments along the way, and do what I love with care, and intention, I consider this my path. And that’s okay, because we don’t all discover our purpose at a certain age. So, I invite you to allow your purpose to grow and unfold naturally as you continue to do what matters most to you.
Reference
- Analects 2.4 translated by James Legge
https://ctext.org/analects/wei-zheng