Japanese philosophy has historically been a fusion of both indigenous Shinto and continental religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.  Shinto revolves around supernatural entities called the kami (angels, demons, dragon, fairy, devil etc.). The kami is believed to occupy all things, including forces of nature and prominent landscape locations. The kami are worshipped at kami dana – household altar and family shrines.  Buddhists believe that human life is a cycle of suffering and rebirth, but that if one achieves a state of enlightenment (nirvana), the cycle of birth and death gets over. Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe. Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death. Confucianism built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions, and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society.

This passage speaks about the Japanese term “Gaman,” which translates to mean “patience, perseverance and tolerance,” refers to continuing difficult situations with self-control and dignity. A Zen Buddhist teaching, Gaman is a strategy of remaining resilient and patience during hard times which is characteristic of emotional maturity. It emphasises on perseverance and self-discipline in the face of hardship or adversity. Gaman is about staying strong and not giving up, even in difficult circumstances.

The Japanese philosophies about acceptance and improvement have been popular globally. Many rich and famous people have been following to live a wholesome life by following Japanese philosophy.

Indian Billionaire Harsh Mariwala is one amongst many. The Marico Chairman transformed his brand Marico among the top ten in India and global brand in the FMCG sector. Marico has a strong presence in the personal care, food, and beverage industries, with major brands including Saffola, Parachute, Hair & Care, Nihar, Livon, Set Wet, Mediker, and Revive. Mariwala believes in the seven Japanese concepts Kaizen, Ikigai, Oubaitori, Wabi-Sabi, Hara-Hachi Bu, Shikata Gai Na, and Shin Rin Yeku, which he lives by. According to Mariwala the term Gaman is the art of surviving difficulties with patience and dignity. “It is a virtue to persevere during seemingly unbearable times and display emotional maturity, discipline and self-control. You have a greater capacity for patience than you believe.”  He set up the consumer products business practically from scratch. Over the past four decades, he has not only built Marico into one of the leading FMCG companies in the country but has also transformed what was essentially a family-managed business into a professionally managed one. Mariwala, who has seen the FMCG space transform over the past few years, says Marico views every disruption as an opportunity. He says he has practiced Daman inherently.

Gaman is a powerful concept that can help individuals cultivate a sense of inner strength and resilience in the face of adversity which Japanese have developped. on July 16 1945, the nuclear age began with the world’s first nuclear weapons test explosion in the New Mexico desert. Three weeks later US attacked with the atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In minutes, the city  vanished. The explosion produced a supersonic shock wave followed by extreme winds that remained above hurricane force over three kilometers from ground zero. A secondary and equally devastating reverse wind followed, flattening and severely damaging homes and buildings several kilometers further away. The intense heat of the Hiroshima bomb reached several million degrees Celsius and scorched flesh and other flammable materials over three kilometers away. Many of those who survived the nuclear attacks would die from radiation-induced illnesses for years to come. Three days later atomic bomb used at Nagasaki, Japan,  on August 9, 1945, was “Fat Man”.   The bomb was dropped by a USAAF B-29 airplane named “Bockscar”, piloted by U.S. Army Air Force Major Charles Sweeney.  The bomb weighed 10,000 pounds and had a diameter of 60 inches.  It utilized the explosive power of dynamite to create pressure on a ball of Plutonium. The bomb was called ‘Fat Man’. Albert Einstein said after the Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombing that “The time has come now, when man must give up war. It is no longer rational to solve international problems by resorting to war.”

Due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is substantially prone to earthquakes and tsunami, having the highest natural disaster risk in the developed world. With numerous hardships facing natural disasters, foreign attacks, Japan has strongly built its foundation of righteous existence and adopted the philosophy of Buddhism through some time-tested principles of the art of living in the Japanese context which holds good for all cultures and humanity.

Japanese are extremely hard-working people by adopting the philosophy of Daman. They have faced everything from nuclear attack, earthquakes to tsunamis, but they’re emerge more stronger than ever. Japanese have revolutionized the electronic industry: Canon, Casio, Citizen, Fujifilm , Fujitsu, Hitachi ,Olympus, Sony, Panasonic, Nikon etc.

In true sense Japanese have endured hardships with patience and dignity, individuals can find meaning and purpose in the experience and use it as an opportunity for personal growth and transformation. Gaman can be applied in many ways in practical life, from the way we approach personal challenges to the way we respond to societal issues. In Japan, Gaman has been used to describe the stoical resilience of individuals during times of adversity, such as natural disasters, economic hardships, and war.

In 2011 when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and tsunami that struck Tōhoku, killing nearly 16,000 people in Japan, there were no reports of looting or arbitrary price scraping. Instead of panic and fear, the attitude in Japan after the devastating natural disaster seemed to be one of calmness and grit. The Gaman mentality is at the base of that attitude. In fact, resilience during vulnerability and chaotic acceptance helped Japan through clear and lawful civility that derives from Gaman.

In Japanese culture, showing Gaman is considered a sign of maturity and strength. It’s taught to children very early elementary school. Gaman is trained early in life. In Japan, patience and perseverance are part of education from elementary school.

The Unilever’s brand Dove has been around for 12 years, in its iconic marketing effort, in its recent campaign called “Dove Campaign for Real Beauty” which is in true sense another feel-good campaign, featuring women of different shapes and vocations talking about their looks and why the only perception of ‘their looking beautiful’ matters to the world and how it affects them.

According to the 2016 Dove Global Beauty and Confidence Report, which included interviews with 10,500 women across 13 countries, 54% of women said they have low body confidence, not being assertive, indecisiveness, due to low confidence in their appearance skipping job interviews, not claiming good ideas at work, or actively choosing not to pursue career promotion etc. This ad is breaking barriers and is challenging stereotypes about looks of women.

The society gives such a lot of importance to look of people, and it is time for society to start acknowledging accomplishments of women and goodness of women. Through the concept #MyBeautyMySay Dove inspires women everywhere to take a stand against judgments that belittles their accomplishments giving way to their ‘looks’. This beautiful campaign from Edelman, Havas, Ogilvy and PHD, is for women to define their own standards of beauty. The ad had a reach to about 19.4 million girls till date with self-esteem education, Dove has always been at the forefront of helping women and girls develop a positive relationship with beauty

Women can multitask, they can bring order in disarrayed things at home, and that’s why they are called home makers. The world likes good lookers and more so the tag of ‘beauty’ bothers the women at all stages of their lives. Most women believe that they are judged on their appearance. They therefore, spend a lot of their time, efforts and money on beauty products because that becomes their key to stand out in crowd. Friends, beauty business is a big industry. The truth is, being beautiful does not come from a lipstick tube, mascara wand, or blush brush or the foundation cream, but it comes from within. Some of the elements which make women most beautiful are:

Passion: A woman who has passion can never look dull. The biggest mistake women do, is when they neglect their passion; when they neglect that part of themselves. A hobby, an interest ignites life, keeps a person going. A woman who takes the time to follow her passions, whatever they may be, understands that life is too precious. Focusing on a hobby is a way to clear the mental palate.   A woman who follows her passion simultaneously, is certainly is admirable. It is nice to watch someone pursue her dreams; it is in fact the most beautiful experience human beings can have.

Compassion: However beautifully a woman is decked up, if she is cold-hearted, and only loves herself, she is the ugliest woman. If a woman is inept and does not feel for others, is not compassionate, all her physical beauty is waste. We see those self-absorbed attractive celebrities on the front covers of the magazines, people forget them after few years. Beauty is skin deep. A woman who understands how to give and receive love is much more desirable than a woman who has none to spare.

Has a mind of her own: A woman who uses her mind stands out. When a woman for the sake of her family neglects her intellect, it’s sad. I think neglecting one’s intellect is the worst crime against self. The pursuit of knowledge and truth is not only attractive, but essential to our existence. Knowledge is empowerment. Dr. Kadambini Ganguly and Dr. Anandi Gopal Joshi were the first Indian female physicians, trained in Western Medicine. They looked very charming because of their accomplishments.  Their ability to rise above circumstances and to realize their potentials made them look splendid.

Joyful spirit: Women should never lose their joyful spirit. A laughing, joyful woman is welcome everywhere. No one likes to sit in company of sulking person. Disappointments are part and parcel of life. But there is so much more which need not be overlooked. The point is, a sense of adventure and appreciation for all that life has to offer is more attractive. Spontaneity adds to the facevalue; taking the child for a walk, or singing a favorite song loudly, watching a comedy serial or cooking a favorite dish – so much can be done to add the extra tinge to life.

Resilience: A woman with resilience is loved by all. The world admires fighters. I think nothing is more beautiful than a woman who refuses to give up. Tenacity, whether in one’s career, marriage, or physical health, is highly inspiring. Resilience is about believing that life can never defeat unless one allows herself to become defeated. Accepting the worst or the best in equal stride is so uplifting. The movie ‘Dangal’gives the hair raising experience in the movie halls to the viewers for the resilience shown by Geeta and Babita (the Phogat sisters).  The film makes the audience aware of the struggles and achievements of the Phogat sisters. Its inspiring story for all women.

Confidence: There is thin line between bragging and confidence. The face tells it all. Confident woman stand out in crowd. Confidence is about a woman looking poised for her own assurance about her knowledge, her strategies, and her style of execution, her looks, and the way she speaks, stands and talks.   A confident woman doesn’t need other people’s support to help her feel the pride in herself. Confident women are more appealing than a women who continually seeks others’ approval.

Liveliness: I think energetic women look most beautiful, Liveliness sets them apart from others.  An energetic woman has a matchless vitality for life is and she should be idolized for it. When a woman follows her passion, shows compassion, pursues her intellect, keeps a sense of adventure, refuses to give up, and believes herself to be worthy, she is admired and followed ubiquitously.

As women, our sense of confidence derives typically from our beliefs and attitudes about ourselves and our life experiences.  When we look in the mirror, our inner beliefs color how we view our outer look. The more authentically confident we feel inside, the more favorably we see ourselves outside. Beauty lies within.