Samurai Counseling 6
Are you interested in Fractal Psychology? Fractal Psychology (founded in Japan by Mau Isshiki) can easily analyze the cause of problem. You can learn how it is possible and how it is effective to solve problems reading an entertaining scenario! Let's enjoy!
[Case No. 1 Repay for the Past 6]
John: Oh God, Tokyo, that’s too far….
Robert: Madam did leave a message for you. She left instructions to introduce you to Satoru in the event that you came to see her during her absence. She has given Satoru all of your particulars.
John: Satoru? Who’s that?
Scene: A room resembling a kendo studio in the basement of Madam’s Bel Air mansion. (John, mouth agape, staring at the samurai in front of him.)
(Satoru is a Japanese man in his 20’s, dressed like a samurai. He resembles Goemon, the legendary Japanese outlaw hero. He is sitting on the floor wearing a hakama, brandishing a bamboo sword.)
Satoru: Stand at attention!
John: What? At attention?
Satoru: (Stands up, waving his bamboo sword) Do as I say or I shall beat the living daylights out of your rotten spirit!
John: Whoa! Wait, wait! Is this what Madam was talking about?
Satoru: No, this is simply my avocation.
John: Spare me…
(Satoru swings the bamboo sword down without compunction.)
John: Wait, I’m the victim here! Kane’s the one you ought to thrash, not me!
Satoru: I know of no Kane. (Swings again) Don’t evade the issue! You say you have been treated deplorably. If so, that is solely because you engaged in a malicious act in your dream!
John: That’s ridiculous. I don’t remember my dreams and I don’t control them.
Satoru: Fool! This is why you remain ordinary. If you desire to escape a beating, go there and prostrate yourself.
John: Prostrate? What do you mean?
Satoru: I will demonstrate to you the proper way to perform this. (Satoru casts himself down on the ground.)
Satoru: I’m really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. I was self-centered. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with just doing what felt good to me without regard for anyone else’s suffering. And so I caused you to suffer as well. I apologize. (Sinks down even lower.)
Satoru: Very well then. This is what it means to prostrate yourself. You try it now.
John: What? Did Madam give these instructions?
Satoru: Yes, indeed. Madam has imparted to me the essence of this method. That is why you must do as I instruct.
John: All right, I’ll try anything. So who am I supposed to apologize to?
Satoru: You must question your own heart. You will then discover the poor soul whom you have tormented and robbed.
John: You mean Luke? I told Madam about him. But that happened 30 years ago.
Satoru: Just do it!
John: (Gets down on the ground very slowly) I am really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. (He begins to lower his head, then looks up at Satoru.)
Satoru: What are you doing?
John: I did it, I prostrated.
Satoru: (Drops down on one knee, brandishing his bamboo sword.) Y-you blockhead! What manner of prostration do you call that? Utterly devoid of heart. I shall beat the living daylights out of your rotten spirit!
John: It doesn’t matter. No one’s listening.
Satoru: Fool! Pray, what do you believe you are doing right now? Might you desire to destroy your life by devoting years to a lawsuit? Do you expect to achieve peace of mind from that? I can tell you that is not going to happen. You must resolve the problem at its fundament. Crush the seeds before they sprout. And that is exactly what I’m teaching you now. Be more humble, open to my words. You are entirely too arrogant! John: So we’re back to that again? Arrogant? Okay, I’ll do it. That’s what you want, right?
Satoru: (Smites John’s shoulder with the bamboo sword.) Ill-mannered knave! You have quite an attitude. We are attempting to teach you, gratis, a hitherto unknown method of rapid problem resolution. You rob not only Madam’s time, but mine as well. And yet, far from comporting yourself earnestly, you fritter away your precious time! Your attitude is precisely the reason you’ll never be anything more than you already are in this life. And still you fail to realize this?
John: (Biting his lip) Um, right, I understand. (Turning serious.) I’m really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. I was self-centered. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with just doing what felt good to me without regard for anyone else’s suffering. And so I caused you to suffer as well.
Satoru: Repeat! A hundred times!
John: (He starts to turn around. He’s about to protest, but shuts up.) I’m really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. I was self-centered. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with just doing what felt good to me without regard for anyone else’s suffering. And so I caused you to suffer as well. (He meekly raises his head a very tiny bit.)
Satoru: That’s right. These are your words, the very words that the person causing your suffering will one day utter in their turn. Embrace that firmly in your mind. If you hope that one day you will hear those sincere words from the person who harmed you, then you must utter those words right now just as sincerely to the very same person whom you have until now aggrieved.
John: I’m really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. I was self-centered. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with just doing what felt good to me without regard for anyone else’s suffering. And so I caused you to suffer as well.
Scene: John’s fantasy
(Kane is prostrating himself to John, apologizing from the bottom of his heart.)
Kane: I’m really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. I am self-centered.
(Show passage of time. A clock. John bows his head many, many times, repeating his apology.)
(Gradually, the image of Kane apologizing to him is superimposed with the image of himself as Kane, then Luke, and, finally, he observes himself apologizing with sincere remorse to Luke.) (End of John's fantasy)
John: I’m really sorry. I admit to being in the wrong. I was self-centered. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with doing what felt good to me without regard for anyone else. So I caused you to suffer. (He’s shocked when tears suddenly flood his eyes.) That’s right. I remember now.
I did something horrible. I tormented Luke in front of everyone every day. He laughed at first. But then he’d hang his head down whenever he saw me. I sensed I was hurting him. But I wanted to prove that I wasn’t bad, so I kept teasing him and making everyone laugh. I wanted everyone to think I was just goofing around. I kind of knew he didn’t like it. But I wanted to be popular, I wanted to be the kid that shows everyone a good time. So I bullied Luke every day. When I grabbed his papers, I told myself I was just messing with him.
Eventually, it seemed that Luke was often sick. He started skipping school. On the rare days when he did show up, me and my other friends circled around him. “Hey, this shirt here’s kinda fancy for you,” I taunted, and made him strip off his shirt. Then laughed with everyone. I was a bully. Mean. I caused another human being to suffer. I made him feel helpless, hopeless. Exactly what I’ve been feeling lately. The humiliation, the injustice, the anxiety.
Now I see why I’m suffering like this, how wrong I was, why my future is so uncertain it makes me want to end it all. Now the shoe’s on the other foot. I’m suffering. Life’s not worth living. Rage at Kane’s betrayal fills my heart. I hate and hate, and still it isn’t enough. I feel powerless and it plunges me into despair. So that’s what this is all about. The same emotions I stirred up in Luke all those years ago. And now it’s my turn to experience them. (Prostrating on the floor)
Luke, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I made you suffer. I tormented you, and then forgot all about you. Until a short while ago, I didn’t realize what I did was such a big deal. You were just a child and I caused you so much pain. But I convinced myself that I was a good guy. I hate Kane because of all the trouble he caused me. But to you I’m just like him. I understand now. I get it. I’m sorry, I am so sorry. Maybe it’s too much to ask forgiveness, but I apologize. I’ll never do anything like that again. I’ll never bully anyone again. Now I see how I was bullying Kane too. I never thought about how other people felt. I only thought about myself. I understand now, I get it. Both Kane and Luke exist in my heart. I’m Luke, and I’m also Kane. I’m sorry, so sorry.
(John starts to cry as Satoru watches.)
(Suddenly, the screen on the wall turned on. Madam appeared.)
[To be continued]
