Illustration by Miki Howenstein 

​…….. A primary ingredient towards building a better future is faith (and hope), strengthened with a sincere belief that such a future is possible. Such hope can be nurtured by moving towards a higher version of yourself by doing good works and being open to life in all its forms. Faith is cultivated through a consistent effort to move towards others striving to do the same, while being constantly on guard against ideas, people, and actions which destroy your faith…….(From page 312 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)
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Author’s Comment: To be most effective, HOPE IN A BETTER FUTURE MUST BE EMPOWERED WITH ACTION, AND ACTION MUST BE INSTILLED WITH HOPE. As you build your faith, put it into practice and feel it grow and energize you. Otherwise, it remains as a dormant seed which isn’t nourished, and eventually loses all potential of beautifying the world. Ask yourself “How can I beautify the world?” And do it!

                                                             Illustration by Miki Howenstein 

What is this mystery called life? Most often, it is defined as all things having the spirit of breath and carrying out continuous processes whereby they relate to the outside world through giving and taking therefrom—in other words, all animals (humans included) and plants that constitute nature. In this sense, spirit and nature are one and the same..,…. (From page 284 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

​Author’s Comment: How fortunate we are to be granted this mysterious treasure called life! And how unfortunate that many of our fellow creatures (human and other) endure such deep suffering that they are unable to appreciate this incredible miracle. There is no greater gift you can give than to create conditions which reduce suffering while increasing the joy of being alive. And this is one of the missions of JAMBO.

                                                                                  Illustrated by Miki Howenstein

​…… It is believed by some that they must reach perfection before acting. RUBBISH! Not only does this never happen, but such a belief leads to making the perfect become the enemy of the good.,…. (From page 246 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)
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Author’s Comment: As an English teacher in Japan, I find that many Japanese want to be confident in saying something (in English) perfectly before making the attempt to speak. I often share this true story. When I first came to Japan, I went to a social dance with several “respected elders.” I’d learned the word for “exercise” in Japanese (un-doe) and wanted to show off during the dance, saying “This is good exercise.” However, I accidentally said “This is good POOP.” (The word for poop is un-koe). Strangely, this connected me more to the good folk around me, as they came to realize if it’s OK for a teacher to make such a faux pas, it’s OK for them to do so too. Simply do what you can with as much integrity as possible, and move on.

Illustration by Miki Howenstein

…….　Looking at dignity and inclusion from this perspective, we must be wary of our well-intended charitable actions that may actually be detrimental. By making others more dependent on handouts for simple􏱤􏱉􏰰 􏰰􏰲investing our time and money towards empowering these people to better care for themselves and, going a step further, personally working with them in the spirit of true kinship, making them a part of our lives, we move more towards a society where the spirit of dignity and inclusion prevails. (From page 212 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)
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Author’s Comment: For those who are well-to-do, giving generously to charity can be noble and much-needed. There is also the potential for financial giving to perpetuate the cycle of poverty and hopelessness among the recipients, doing more damage than good. Truly beneficial and meaningful giving empowers those who receive to take control of their own lives and thrive, enabling them to make a living and eventually become “empowerers” themselves.

                                                                      Illustration by Miki Howenstein

Seeking out and finding a purpose in life can be one of the most difficult and also most rewarding endeavors you can undertake. Peripherally, though it may sound easy to “have an ultimate goal,” most of us simply accept earning money, getting married, being beautiful or one of the countless other messages given to us in our schools, advertisements and the media as being “our purpose.”  ….. (From page 180 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)
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Author’s Comment: This month’s reflections focus on making the effort to find what is truly important for you, and and what you deeply FEEL is your life’s purpose. For better or for worse, nobody else can tell you what that is, though many people (friends, parents,….), media (social media, advertisements, ….) and institutions (schools, churches, governments,….) will try. Some of the goodly intentioned may provide sound counsel, but, in the end, only you can determine where your life mission lies.

                                                                         Illustration by Miki Howenstein

…… On achieving an understanding of the essence of these universal values and their benefit to all of humankind, our society can become more unified to find ways of implementing and integrating them into our everyday lives. Surely, great differences of opinion will exist on the best incorporating mechanisms of these values into our communities. However, the conflicts will be steeped in a spirit of unity, discovering ways that can benefit all, a kind of spirit which lives by, “More for you means more for me.”….. (from page 147 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)
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Author’s Comment: In this passage, the word “essence” is of the essence. The various terms which are used to define various universal ideals may have different meanings and connotations across different societies and cultures. However, our deep-down needs as human beings are very similar. Striving to understand those needs and create spaces where they can be met in our everyday lives is something each of us can do—and is the kind of atmosphere which JAMBO strives to create.

Illustration by Miki Howenstein

The concept of non-violence includes an outer and an inner dimension, simply understood as not harming others (or yourself) deliberately, physically or intangibly ………  (From page 114 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

​Author’s Comment: Nonviolence is often understood in terms of how we relate to other human beings, and yet, in a more wholistic way, it also must be included in the way we relate to all other living beings, including ourselves. A very important premise of Jambo’s way of life is that you must be good to yourself if you wish to be good to others. This includes not only not hurting yourself (through destructive bad habits) but also being nonviolent to yourself spiritually (by not wracking yourself with guilt, blaming yourself, etc while developing the good you have to give to others and focusing on positive actions you can take for yourself and others).

                                                                                Illustration by Miki Howenstein

…….. The art of true love necessitates cultivating compassion, with an often forgotten (or ignored) aspect of compassion for yourself. In the absence of self-compassion, it is impossible to be compassionate towards others. Learning to come to love even your weak points while concurrently working on bettering your strong points can help you to become a person more accepting of others’ weaknesses. ………(From page 80 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

Author’s Comment: Being compassionate towards yourself—what a challenge this can be! Yet, it’s a necessary first step towards showing the same to others. When you digress and hurt another, instead of beating yourself up, come to understand why you did it, make amends where possible, and learn from the experience. This enhanced wisdom serves to soften you and helps you to encourage other wrongdoers to work through the same process.

                                                                                Illustration by Miki Howenstein

​There are times when you feel grateful for all you are and the good things surrounding you. Hopefully, a fuller awareness of your true self will help to cultivate such a feeling. Yet, there will still be times when it is difficult to appreciate anything. For example, everything may be going wrong or you may be simply getting into one of those ornery moods. Like any worthwhile spiritual gift, a spirit of gratitude requires a discipline of consciously incorporating it into your life. Just like meditation, expressing appreciation is most beneficial when done regularly, even when (or rather, especially when) you don’t feel like it. And living in a spirit of gratitude enriches both the one bestowing it as well as the one receiving it. Grounding yourself in a spirit of appreciation fills you with a firmly planted contentment……..

(From page 48 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

Author’s Comment: The word “discipline” sounds like an unpleasant necessity at best and downright torture at worst. Yet, when you instill a discipline of feeling appreciation for the good things in life and, yes, a commitment to have fun on a regular basis, your spirit is infused with a life-generating energy which brightens and lightens your own life and those around you. Your “spirituality” is made physically manifest to others and you yourself increasingly feel a glow which warms your whole being. Far from being a burden, disciplining yourself to recurrent doses of appreciation and fun becomes a wellspring for a deeply-enjoyable existence.

Illustration by Miki Howenstein

Your journey begins with an intensive search within. It is only through better understanding of and by yourself that you can clearly see what is working for you and what isn’t. A key point here is to observe yourself non-judgmentally. How do you live your life? What do you believe deep down in your heart? Is your moral philosophy reflected in the way you live? If not, perhaps you truly don’t believe it. You need to keep the judgments out since neither self-condemnation nor putting yourself on a pedestal will do anything to make you see the life path clearly and, in turn, make the changes that reflect THE REAL YOU. It is good to remember that the only thing you consistently have the power to change is yourself and it is in so doing that you can affect a change in the people around you………
(From page 14 of the book “Jumbo Jumble”)

Author’s Comment: A new year lies before us and, for many, this signifies the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. In bettering your life path, it is important to see where you’re coming from and what is truly working for you and what isn’t. Too often, we make resolutions which we soon break because they are based on “don’ts” or “shouldn’ts” that don’t breathe life into us. Rather, how about trying affirmations, moving towards ways you want to live that betters your life and that of those around you (humans as well as other natural beings)? Find what really inspires you and move towards doing that more in your life. In the process, you better understand what moves you and the REAL YOU can bloom forth. HAPPY 2021!