Obama Bows
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http://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Barack_Obama_bows_to_Japan_Emperor_Akihito.flv
The video above shows the President of America, Barack Obama, bowing down as he shakes hands with the Japanese Emperor Mr Akihito in Tokyo in 2009.
For the US, it is generally in their protocol to respect the customs and traditions of the hosts’ country. When President Barack Obama went to Tokyo, he respectfully followed the customary tradition of bowing, which is a very big element in the Japanese culture. It is wonderful to see Mr Obama so respectful of other cultures/leaders/traditions/heads of state. Wonderful example. It warms my heart to see this.
Amongst the Japanese, it is known that the one and only method to succeeding is to play by proper Japanese etiquette, customs and protocols. When you do so, together with hard work and strength, you gain credibility and respect…and thereby growth and success.
Unlike in the West, where people want that short-cut, quick way to winning – there is no short-cut to success in Japan.
The country itself is exemplary of that.
After being in complete isolation from the rest of the world for almost 200 years, Japan first emerged as a global power in 1905 after defeating a war with Russia and securing international recognition of its holdings in East Asia. This brave act came with pressures and threats from the West, and as they came, Japan rapidly transformed itself into an industrial power and built up its navy and army.
In 1941, the then militant Prime Minister Hideki Tojo expressed how he felt Japan might gradually become of 3rd world status if they just sat tight as China’s central government was getting stronger, and the West was recognizing it. With the foreign pressures and internal resources depleting…Japan went into a war with the US and China.
The fall from grace, caused by Japan’s defeat in World War II, showed the true nature of the Japanese people…they took their loss in stride with courage, strength and dignity. The country then began their recovery from a devastating world war (after which they were even occupied by another nation) by changing their focus to being reactionary rather than pro-active. Instead of building an army…in 1954, they “abolished” the army and navy and instead, now have Self-Defense Forces (SDF). Not one Japanese soldier has since been killed or has killed anybody in any wars since WWII.
They also started to focus internally, working with what they have and making that successful. Instead of gaining global power through forceful means, they decided to do it through economic growth.
Not sacrificing any part of the Japanese culture or ethics…which runs deep in the people…every single average Japanese person contributed to developing to the country’s current economic standing. It was from the Japanese’s high post-war savings that providing the country with a huge pool of money for investment in economic growth.
They are, in the 21st century, one of the greatest influences in international affairs. Having the 10th largest population, they are a major economic power and have the world’s 3rd largest economy!
They prove to other countries that a country can be successful and earn their place in the world through hard work, perseverance whilst maintaining a high regard and practice of their own culture and traditions.
Barack Obama’s respectful bow symbolized the very deep-rooted Japanese culture that has made Japan the success it is today.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Not only did President Obama bow but he bowed low. As I understand it, a person of must bow lower when doing so before someone he regards as holding a higher stature than him. Notice how low Mr Obama bowed when he was before the Emperor. And this, from the most powerful man on earth. I read that to mean, that when he bowed, Obama was not bowing to the Emperor but to the whole nation and people of Japan and to their strong culture of nobility and traditional values that have seen them through so much.
While having lost some of their economic glamour to the new kids on the block, Japan is nevertheless is still world economic power…and all that without having to fire even a single bullet.
Japan has no know enemies today. And Japanese people do businesses everywhere in the world. Strong traditional values and a culture of respect has seen them gone from a defeated nation into world power.
I think as a person Mr Obama should be quite a nice guy. I am not sure,just my assumptions.
Dear Rinpoche,
Leaving aside President Obama’s politics, as a person – in my opinion – he is a very well-rounded and grounded person. Upon reading his memoirs, I found President Obama to be a man who is aware of the reality that surrounds him and he is not afraid of hard work. Even as a young law student, he was said to have a great ability in settling difficulties and helping people to resolve their disputes. This is a trait he carried into the Senate, where his reputation rose very quickly as those around him admired his gift of crossing the table and finding common ground with others.
His family come from different areas of the world. His father was African, his mother American and he has family in Europe too. Some say the diversity of his family is what helped him to develop an understanding of the different views and needs of different people.
He cites Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Gandhi as major influences and in both his communication skills and his desire to seek solutions of compromise and mutual benefit, these influences seem to clearly shine through.
As a politician he seems to have had ups and downs, but then again, it seems there are very few politicians now who can ever please even some of the people all of the time… It’s easy to criticise anyone who has monumental responsibility – especially when we ourselves have no understanding of such responsibility.
The respect he pays to all leaders is outstanding. He recognises the value in building relationships, of holding dialogue and trying to reach a common ground. He also always ensures he makes time for his wife and children and as a Presidential candidate, he was comfortable enough to have a little dance during his broadcast interview with Ellen Degeneres – something we don’t often see!
You can see the dancing here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsWpvkLCvu4 It’s enjoyable to watch
Kind regards,
Sandy
To bow, TRULY BOW, whether by Mr Obama or the any Japanese, goes much deeper than just ‘bending low, one’s body / a gesture of respect’. i think, to TRULY BOW-as one lowers the head, one also mindfully LAYS DOWN the EGO. i guess a great person is one who appreciates another person simply for what he is; without any ulterior motive. (So that), with every bow done, one becomes a better person – hopefully more people(not only the Westerners but also our local affluent young) will understand that HUMILITY and KINDNESS make a person great. Thank you again, Rinpochela, for pointing out such a wonderful lesson.
Although Obama may be an American. He somehow shows his humility and respect not to Status but to culture of that country. What Martin says is right. Obama bows lower than the head of the Japanese Prime Minister who is short and Obama is so tall. The Japanese I understand initially are people from China who has broken away from the country and formed their own Island called Japan. Chinese characters and Japanese characters are the same when writing. But when spoken it is different. From what I know the Japanese are very committed people. They cannot bear to lose in anything. They would rather die than face being a loser. Obama does not come from a rich background. I am sure he come from a very cultured family and being liked by many people and very popular. That is the reason why he is the President of United States of America today.