Sangha of Auspicious Companions

The Smile Deck Card said to knock on 10 doors, but I took it a step further and knocked on all of the 30+ doors in my apartment building.

The results were on the whole quite positive. However, my ambivalence with doing this deed stemmed from my fear that the neighbors would be suspicious of someone knocking on their door inside of a gated building. This turned out to be the case with a number of neighbors, but that was part of the challenge for me — to maintain positive, giving intentions amidst people’s doubt and suspicion.

I found that first sharing my *feeling* associated with this act helped alleviate their barriers to openness (ex. "I decided to do something nice for my neighbors and thought you might like one of these treats"). With some people who were especially doubtful, I noticed that the interaction seemed very much out of my control. It was as if my intention combined with their energy yielded a specific type of outcome (breathing was quite helpful in between doors!).

In fact, as soon as one man opened the door and saw me holding the basket, he abruptly started to close it, saying, "I’m not interested." As he was closing the door, though, I quickly said, "No, I’m not selling anything; this is a gift." Hearing this, he opened the door again and seemed appreciative of the effort I made.

It’s almost as if having little to no agenda on my end was able to cut through people’s doubt and suspicion, to some degree. If, on the other hand, I were seeking to take something from them, I would not likely have been able to make as much of a connection with them.

So coming from a place of giving and seeking connection, I found it fairly easy to make people feel comfortable and to feel (what I perceived to be) positive sensations.

Thanks!

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Video of the Week

In the supermarket, where items of all the shelves fell, people were picking up things so neatly together, and then quietly standing in line to buy food. Instead of creating panic and buying as much as needed, they bought as little as they needed. I was proud to be a Japanese.

When I was walking home, for 4 hours, there was a lady holding a sign that said, "Please use our toilet." They were opening their house for people to go to the restroom. It was hard not to tear up, when I saw the warmth of people.

At Disneyland, they were giving out candies. High school girls were taking so many so I was thinking, "What???" But then the next minute, they ran to the children in the evacuation place and handed it to them. That was a sweet gesture.

My co-worker wanted to help somehow, even if it was just to one person. So he wrote a sign: "If you’re okay with motor cycle, I will drive you to your house." He stood in the cold with that sign. And then I saw him take one gentleman home, all the way to Tokorozawa! I was so moved. I felt like I wanted to help others too.

A high school boy was saved because he climbed up on top of the roof of a department store during the flood. The flood came so suddenly, that he just saw people below him, trying to frantically climb up the roof and being taken by the flood. To help others, he kept filming them so their loved ones could see. He still hasn’t been able to reach his own parents but he says, "Its nobody’s fault. There is no one to blame. We have to stay strong."

There is a lack of gas now and many gasoline stations are either closed or have very long lines. I got worried, since I was behind 15 cars. Finally, when it was my turn, the man smiled and said, "Because of this situation, we are only giving $30 worth gas per each person. Is that alright?" "Of course its alright. I’m just glad that we are all able to share," I said. His smile gave me so much relief.

I saw a little boy thanking a public transit employee, saying, "Thank you so much for trying hard to run the train last night." It brought tears to the employee’s eyes, and mine.

A foreign friend told me that she was shocked to see a long queue form so neatly behind one public phone. Everyone waited patiently to use the phone even though they must have been so eager to call their families.

The traffic was horrible!! Only one car could move forward at a green light. But everyone was driving so calmly. During the 10 hour drive (which would only take 30 minutes normally) the only horns I heard was a horn of thank you. It was a fearful time — but then again a time of warmth and it made me love Japan more.

Last night when I was walking home (since all traffic had stopped), I saw an old lady at a bakery shop giving out free bread. Even at times like this, people were trying to find what they can do and it made my heart warm.

When I was waiting at the platform, so tired and exhausted, a homeless person came to us and gave us a cardboard to sit on. Even though we usually ignore them in our daily life, they were ready to serve us.

Suntory (a juice company) is giving out free drinks, phone companies are creating more wi-fi spots, 1,000,000 noodles were given by a food company, and everyone is trying to help the best way they can. We, too, have to stand up and do our best.

In one area, when the electricity returned, peopel rejoiced. And then someone yelled: "We got electricity because someone else probably conserved theirs! Thank you so much to EVERYONE who saved electricity for us. Thank you everyone!"

An old man at the evacuation shelter said, "What’s going to happen now?" And then a young high school boy sitting next to him said, "Don’t worry! When we grow up, we will promise to fix it back!" While saying this, he was rubbing the old man’s back.

Through all of this, I felt hope. There is a bright future, on the other side of this crisis.

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Helpful Links

Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going.

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Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good.

Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness.

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