When we make a careful study of the various areas of society, we find many failures in every part. If pain resulting from a failure was felt exclusively by the individual involved, the matter would end with his saying, “I have mismanaged,” or, “I have been unlucky,” and his then resigning himself to his misfortune. It does not end there, however. A man’s failure can make his family destitute, even homeless, and cause trouble for all of his relatives and acquaintances. It turns out to be a kind of social evil. Although he probably began with good intentions, a man’s failure cannot be passed over lightly, because of the problems it creates for others.
This being the case, it is necessary to probe into the cause of failure. The underlying reason is something most people do not easily discern. Before a man begins a project, he makes plans and in every way he can think of prepares himself for it. Once it gets underway, he realizes it is not proceeding as he planned, for unforeseen hindrances and unexpected obstacles appear, and he finds himself at a loss as to why such things have happened and what he should do about them.
There is a tide in everything, as in the growing of flowers and fruits and all agricultural products. Though other conditions are favorable, it is impossible to obtain good results unless the time is right. If a bulb is planted in autumn, flowers come out in spring. If a seed is sown in spring, flowers bloom through summer into fall. A time of ripening is fixed for fruit, also. If picked too soon, it cannot be eaten immediately, for it is good only when it is ripe. There is a right time for sowing and transplanting all agricultural products, conforming to climate and season in individual localities.
Nature shows man the importance of time, for every changing phase is the truth in action. Therefore, he should take Nature as his model in approaching any project, for to learn this lesson is to gain the basic requirement for complete success.
Johrei, Nature Farming, and the other activities I advocate follow the basic principles of Nature. That is why there are good results from these activities. Whatever I may be planning, I am never in a hurry to begin. I look at all aspects objectively and repeatedly give the entire project careful consideration. It is only after I have confirmed that the project is right in every respect, useful to humanity and lasting in its benefits that I make all the necessary preparations and then wait for the proper time.
Most people become impatient and cannot wait for the right moment. They begin before the time is ripe, so discrepancies between the plan and the actions soon appear and the project does not proceed as they expected. They become still more impatient, the discrepancies grow still bigger, and finally they fail.
It is vitally important to wait with patience for the right time. Everything has a perfect moment, without exception. This must have been understood long ago, for we have some wise old proverbs, such as, “If you wait, good weather will come and you will be able to sail on the calm sea,” “ All things come to him who waits,” and, “Take careful aim, then shoot.”
There used to be many people who were impatient with my way of doing things. There were others who suggested plans to me or expressed their own wishes about my activities. I promised to use some of their ideas, but as I was very slow in putting them into practice these people often became irritated or puzzled. They did not understand that I was only waiting because the right time for starting had not arrived.
Since ancient days there have been such sayings as, “Don’t miss an opportunity,” “Sail with the wind,” and “Grasp a chance.” They really state the truth in this regard. How can the right time be recognized? Once all necessary conditions have been established, opportunities arise which must be seized, because they indicated the plan is definitely ready to go into action, that the time is ripe. And once a project is started under such circumstances, everything works out smoothly and naturally. No force is required at all. In short, to be deliberated in preparation and prompt in action are all that are required for success.
As an example, suppose there is a heavy rock on the top of a hill. You wish to move it down the slope, but there is something in the way. If you try to force the rock past the obstacle, you must strain against it. If you wait with patience instead, the obstacle will become weaker and weaker from the weight of the leaning rock. It will loosen so a push with a finger will send the rock rolling down the hill without any difficulty.
“If the cuckoo does not sing, I will wait until it does.” This was a haiku poem composed to describe the character of Ieyasu Tokugawa, a famous Japanese shogun who was well-known for his patience; he would never begin any project before the time was right. This quality, no doubt, was one of the main reasons the government he established lasted so long, and why his descendants ruled for three hundred years.
I am sure you understand from the above how important the right timing is. As the founder of the Omoto religion said, “Even God does not tamper with time.” This exquisitely describes in one short sentence the truth of the importance of right timing.
