Most of us will be familiar with the Japanese camera brand called Nikon. Most will not be familiar with the Japanese system of self-reflection, which is pronounced in the same way but is spelled Naikan.
Naikan was developed in the 20th century by a Japanese businessman, Ishin Yoshimoto (1916 – 1988), whose religious roots were in the Jodo Shinshu tradition of Pure Land Buddhism. In that tradition there is a system of self-reflection, self-discovery and meditation called mishirabe.
Mishirabe is a difficult, ascetic practice requiring extended periods of solitude and sensory deprivation not appropriate for all. Its aim is the attainment of a state of spiritual enlightenment.
Yoshimoto was convinced of the broader value of the self-reflective element of the mishirabe practice and determined to create a secular version of it, more accessible to the average person.
Whereas the religious practice of mishirabe had a spiritual goal, Yoshimoto’s Naikan system is intended as a secular practice of self-improvement.
Versions of the Naikan system have become part of many Japanese psychotherapeutic practices.
Naikan has been brought to the attention of those in the United States principally through the work of Greg Krech and his ToDo Institute in Monkton, Vermont. Krech has written several books on Naikan over the past 17 years, the most recent of which is called “Question Your Life: Naikan Self-Reflection and the Transformation of Our Stories” (ToDo Institute, 2017). In it Krech writes:
“Naikan is primarily built on a foundation of three questions – simple questions, yet potentially revealing. Suppose you’re going to reflect on your relationship with your partner, or perhaps a close friend.
In most cases, we use a relationship as a basis for reflection. That relationship is our mirror. The first two questions are:
1. What have I received from _____?
2. What have I given to _____?
The third question offers an opportunity to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. What is the experience of the other person? More specifically, what is their experience dealing with you? The third question is:
3. What troubles and difficulties have I caused _____?
By using a relationship as the subject of my reflection, I have a framework for questioning my life.”
Krech, Gregg. Question Your Life: Naikan Self-Reflection and the Transformation of our Stories (p. 12-14). ToDo Institute. Kindle Edition.
The Naikan system obviously approaches self-reflection from a different perspective than that of Benjamin Franklin’s system, for example. It is not constructed on a base of established virtues, moral rules or behavioral principles. It does not measure actions against any specific impersonal value system.
Instead it suggests that I consider my actions and influences in the context of specific relationships. Or across a spectrum of relationships, such as those in a family system, work environment, or other association; but generally one relationship at a time.
Because of its relationship-based approach it is often used in therapeutic settings, whether in individual therapy or in retreat environments.
Naikan’s emphasis on specific relationships rather than on an assessment of the full spectrum of a person’s behavior, suggests it as a helpful component of an overall ethic of reflection rather than a complete system. But as an approach to understanding behavior between individuals, especially troublesome behavior that tends to persist, it seems to be effective and efficient.
The simplicity of the Naikan structure is a clear advantage. It is readily described and easily understood. There is no vocabulary to be learned; no complex concepts to master.
The fact that its question structure includes both pathways in a relationship i.e. “what have I received?” as well as “what have I given?” avoids the completely self-referral nature of some approaches.
But it does lack a component of repair, which we’ll discuss later. By “repair” I mean a provision like that found in twelve-step systems which provide for making amends and admitting wrongs. Naikan certainly leaves that door open but entry is not required.
©Charles R. Lightner