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世の中は かごに乗る人 担ぐ人 そのまたわらじを 作る人
In this world
are people who ride in carriages, people who pull carriages
and the people who make their shoes
– Anonymous
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According to this tanka poem, written by an anonymous author, there are people in the world who carry the carriage because there are people who ride in it. There are also those who make the straw sandals for the carriage bearers. The tanka tells us that the world is made up of a mixture of people in different situations, occupations, and positions. Although they are in different positions, the people who ride, carry, and make the straw sandals are all acting for the common purpose of transportation.
This poem also appears in a rakugo story about the "Ō-oka Judgment," as it is commonly called. The Ō-oka Judgment took place in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1868), a time of peace, as there were no domestic conflicts among warriors and no foreign wars. In reality, however, because it was a time of peace, and due to the development of agriculture and commerce, a gap formed between the rich and the poor. As a result, there was a social division, with the people selfishly attacking big merchants and rice dealers, and merchants using evil methods for selfish gain such as buying up all available rice. Perhaps that is why this song was born.
This social division seems to have something in common with the current era. On one hand, people make a fortune, but on the other, they work hard.
Ishida Baigan was a merchant-turned-Confucian philosopher who lived in the late Edo period and taught about the "coexistence of economy and morality." Money should be earned with dignity. However, business must be conducted with honesty and frugality, and the profits earned must ultimately be used for the good of the world. Some of his sayings regarding economics and morality include:
"A merchant stands by taking profits directly. To take profits directly is the right path for a merchant. Not to take profits is not the way of a merchant."
"Many merchants take double profits, eat sweet poison, and die by their own hands."
"A true merchant thinks that he can stand up for himself as well as for others."
Many of the founders of famous Japanese companies in the Showa period (1926-1989) ran their businesses with Ishida Baigan as their company role model. Even now, these teachings are sometimes incorporated in business seminars. But how much are his teachings actually followed today?
In a society of rapidly declining birthrates, a society that pursues improvement and efficiency to the utmost limits, there are situations in which even the large corporations which pay lip service to these ideals can't actually carry them out in practice. Moreover, like a sort of Cambrian explosion, the number of individuals using the Internet to start their own companies has increased dramatically. Under these circumstances, how many of us can compete in the business world while maintaining such lofty ideals?
Such are the countless divisions that have sprouted among people who have become increasingly selfish, as in the mid-Edo period – Wealth or poverty. Man or woman. Adult or child. Employer or employee. Full-time or part-time. Married or unmarried. With or without children. One or two children.
The truth is, we know that differences in position and situation don’t necessarily create enmity. Though while we may know this, our selfish desire to protect ourselves short-term is our excuse for not being able to make big-picture, long-term decisions.
Ishida Baigan also said, "It is a character geisha who is concerned only with the minutiae of the written word." In other words, even if you know something, if you don't put that knowledge into action, it is meaningless. He taught the importance of learning, and opened free temples and schools for all those who wanted to learn. He taught a wide range of people, regardless of status, gender, or age.
Everyone knows that learning is important, but putting knowledge into practice is difficult. Baigan did not tolerate theoretical learning that could not be applied to the real world. By the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, he had produced many bold students who found their aspirations from their studies and put them into action.
In this world
are people who ride in carriages, people who pull carriages
and the people who make their shoes
We who live in the modern age are, in the words of the poem, "people riding in a carriage." We should not divide the wisdom that has developed through the twists and turns of civilization, but rather improve it, even if only a little, for the sake of the future. First of all, we need to remember that, as in this poem, we are made up of people in different positions holding each other up, but also holding each other down.
*The above statement is only my opinion, and there may be some who disagree with it. However, I’m happy to look into the past, think, and uncover what I don’t know through a poem so that I can make the most of it for myself tomorrow. Why don't you delve into and think about tanka poems that interest you, too?