Dear friends,

Have you found your mountain? If not yet then, have you tried to start building yours?

Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru
塵も積もれば山となる

It means “Even dust, if piled up, becomes a mountain.” This is a beautiful serene and powerful concept, suggesting that monumental achievements and significant changes rarely happen in a single, dramatic flash. They are the quiet, inevitable result of small, persistent actions. This concept is a philosophy that whispers “Slow down. Your small effort today is the foundation of your future mountain.”

The core of Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru connects deeply with Buddhist and Zen principles that emphasize the present moment and the value of mindful practice. Everybody, even you, can practice this mindset if you feel like you need a turning point to make your life better. Nobody achieve enlightenment through the night. We have to do it patiently everyday, for years. An artisan can’t master their skills in a blink of an eye. They do it repeatly and carefully countless times, until the motion becomes a part of their body and soul.

This idea frees us from the paralyzing pressure of perfection. You don’t need a flawless grand plan today. You only need to do that one little thing and do it well. The act itself is the value, and the “mountain” is simply the natural byproduct of your continuous devotion.

This concept isn’t just a nice saying but it’s also a living philosophy seen everywhere from traditional arts to everyday life in Japan.

– The Japanese Garden (Niwa) 🌳
A traditional Japanese garden is the perfect, tangible representation of this idea. No one builds a garden in a day. It is an act of persistent, meticulous care.

– The Art of Kintsugi 🍶
Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is the art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, is an aesthetic embodiment of persistence and transformation.

When a bowl breaks, it seems like the end. But the artisan persistently and patiently uses lacquer to re-adhere each tiny shard. Each layer of repair takes time to dry, a small, recurring action of filling, waiting, and polishing. The result is a piece more beautiful and valuable than the original. It teaches us that patient work on our broken parts turns weakness into shimmering, golden strength.

I have been practicing this concept for years. Started with learning how to crochet during the quarantine time of Covid, then I can finally master the art of crocheting. In modern life, this concept is your gentle permission to go easy on yourself while staying dedicated.

Instead of aiming to write 30 articles to analyze Japanese concepts in a month, I decide to take it slow and spend 3 days to write an article. That one article is the “dust.” In a year, I can finally build “mountain”. Instead of trying to master Japanese in a year, I commit to learning 20 new words every morning. The knowledge will quietly accumulate until, one day, when I look back and realize I made it.

Take a moment today just to breathe, let go and surrender the need for instant results. If you desire the best, it’s already yours. If you want it, you’ve already got it. If you have to do it, just do it without expectation.

What is one tiny consistent thing you can do right now to begin building your mountain? Whether it’s five minutes of quiet meditation, one page of reading, or a single act of kindness, trust in the gentle power of persistence.

A small act is all you need. The mountain will follow.

Shine yourself!