Sleep and Wait for Good Fortune

Imagine there's something you want to achieve. You've been doing everything you can think of to make it happen (or so you believe). Yet it still hasn't come to fruition. In a moment like that, if someone were to say, "Don't rush, just be patient. Remember, good things come to those who wait," how would you feel?

The Japanese proverb "Kaho wa nete mate" literally translates to "Sleep and wait for good fortune," meaning that good results will naturally come to you in time if you wait without rushing. The word "kaho" originally referred to the present consequences of past actions - encompassing both good and bad outcomes - but over time, it came to refer almost exclusively to positive ones. Furthermore, "nete" (sleeping) is not just about physical slumber; it is a metaphor for "living with a peaceful mind." In essence, it tells us that once we have done what needs to be done, we should refrain from struggling, let go of our attachments, and let nature take its course.

When I re-examine the meaning and explore its background, I cannot help but let out a quiet "hmm" of admiration for the keen insight and robust optimism of our ancestors. What strikes me most is the emphasis on "waiting without rushing." Waiting can often be quite difficult. When results don't come, anxiety tends to creep in. This seems to be a universal human trait, as proverbs warning against impatience and preaching the importance of waiting exist across many different cultures.

In the English-speaking world, for instance, there is the saying, "Good things come to those who wait." There are variations where "Good things" is expanded to "All things" or "Everything," but it is a straightforward, easily understood, and commonly used expression. "Rome wasn’t built in a day" is another famous proverb. It teaches the importance of taking your time and not rushing when trying to build something significant.

The existence of so many proverbs emphasizing the importance of "waiting without rushing" is proof of just how difficult it is to actually do so. But why is it so hard? Is it because we are being rushed by someone else? That is part of it. Is it because we live in a competitive society? That is also a major factor. But fundamentally, isn't it because we struggle to truly believe - deep down - that everything happens at exactly the right time for us?

Imagine for a moment: if we held an unshakable conviction that everything unfolds at the perfect time for us, how would our daily lives change?

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And how can one acquire such conviction?

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There are likely many opinions on this, but personally, I suggest observing nature. Even for just a brief moment, simply gaze at the nature around you. Right now, for example, from the room where I am writing this, I can see a robin's nest. The mother bird is warming her eggs. She sits still, quietly waiting for them to hatch. She does not appear anxious. She looks genuinely calm, content, and as if she is even enjoying the wait.

It isn't just the robin. The flowers, the trees, the insects - none of them are rushing. Yet, everything happens with perfect timing, maintaining a magnificent harmony. There is a famous quote: "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." Observing nature reminds me just how true these words are. And when I remember that I, too, am living as a part of this very nature, a mysterious sense of reassurance rises within me. I wonder if you might feel the same.

Now, let us return to "Kaho wa nete mate." I invite you to say this proverb out loud once more and savor its magnanimity. ...Seeds that are not sown will not grow. But once you have sown the seeds, leave the timing of their sprouting to nature. Digging them up in a panic is the height of folly. There is joy, too, in waiting and wondering what will grow... Doesn't it feel as though the people of the past are speaking these very words to us?

At the beginning of this essay, I asked you a question. If your instinct was "yes, perhaps that's true" - it may be that through your own lived experience, you have already, without quite realizing it, come to know in your bones that everything truly does happen at the best possible time for you.