Mezame[目覚め]
“Fall down seven times, stand up eight!” Is a zen saying used in martial disciplines to inspire young bugeisha to treat obstacles, difficulties and challenges as lessons toward improvement In following the path of karate-Jutsu.
The fist time I read this, it occurred to me that the lessons is critical at the first proverbial fall … so I wrote:
Ahhh 😯, but it’s that first fall that matters most … by the seventh you should already have this engrained and second nature.
七転び八起き actually translates as, “Always rising after a fall!”
“Seven Falls and Eight Awakenings”
Personally, I prefer, “Always rising after a fall!” Over the seven; eight inference because it promotes rising up against obstacles, etc., at the very first occurrence.
I also found it of interest the use of “awakening,” because when you first realize the truth of it, it triggers an, “Oh Shit moment,” which can be life changing.
I look at the quote as similar to the zen koan, or as I call them, “karate koan!”
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