Today’s Quote
“We are living our lives seeking purpose and fulfillment outside ourselves, without ever pausing to appreciate or feel the wonder of what we are currently receiving. However, without a heart that can feel gratitude and wonder, no matter how much you seek outside yourself, it is exactly like trying to scoop water with a bottomless colander.” — Tadashi Miyagi (Buddhist priest, Shinshu Otani-ha)
Who is Tadashi Miyagi?
Tadashi Miyagi (1931–2005) was a Buddhist priest of the Shinshu Otani-ha sect and a scholar who served as the director of the sect’s Research Institute and a professor at Otani University.
He dedicated himself to re-examining the teachings of Shinran in a contemporary context, explaining concepts of “human existence” and “Buddhism as a question” in simple, piercing language. His approach—which avoided complex Buddhist jargon to address the emptiness and struggles of modern life—has influenced many people. His major works include Questions Toward Truth and Meeting Buddhism, and his thoughts continue to be read long after his passing.
My Interpretation
Good morning. May 31, 2026.
“If I could just earn more money, I would feel secure.” “If only my current environment would change, I would be happy.”
We spend our days desperately seeking something “on the outside.” A new skill, a promotion, a get-rich-quick investment, or perhaps recognition and approval from others. It is as if we believe that once we grasp those things, the hole in our hearts will finally be filled and we will finally be “satisfied.”
But isn’t it strange? No matter how hard you work to obtain “something,” the sense of satisfaction vanishes in an instant, and the next dissatisfaction or craving immediately rears its head.
Regarding this state, the priest Tadashi Miyagi left these sharp words:
“We are living our lives seeking purpose and fulfillment outside ourselves, without ever pausing to appreciate or feel the wonder of what we are currently receiving. However, without a heart that can feel gratitude and wonder, no matter how much you seek outside yourself, it is exactly like trying to scoop water with a bottomless colander.”
The Identity of the “Bottomless Colander”
As Miyagi points out, we are currently in a state of trying to hit the surface of the water with a “bottomless colander.”
The “colander” is your heart. The “water” is happiness and fulfillment.
Without a bottom made of “gratitude” or a “heart that can feel wonder,” no matter how much wealth or success you pour in, it all passes through instantly and falls out the bottom.
We only look “outside” because we live under the premise that “I am decisively lacking something.”
As long as you live with the mindset of “I’m not good enough as I am” or “I have no value unless I possess more,” that underlying sense of lack will never change, no matter how much success you accumulate. That is why happiness slips through your fingers the moment you think you have it.
Why Seeking the “Outside” Keeps You Cornered
When you keep looking for solutions on the outside, you continue to deny your “current self.”
“If only I had money,” “If only the environment were better”—these are all equivalent to telling yourself, “I have no value as I am.”
The term Tariki-hongan (Other-Power) originally holds a deep meaning of “surrendering yourself to a greater force,” but what we are doing today is just a fantasy of relying on the outside—the belief that “something other than myself should save me.”
As long as you overlook the “miracles that are already present” within you and project happiness onto the outside, there is no end to that journey. It is like trying to quench your thirst with salt water.
A Reversal of Perspective: Noticing the “Wonders” Already Here
So, how can we escape this “bottomless colander”?
It is not by going to fetch new water; it is by attaching a bottom to the colander.
That bottom is “a heart that can feel the gratitude and wonder of what you are currently receiving.”
For example:
- The fact that you are able to read this article right now.
- Your heart beating, continuing to sustain your life without any effort of your own.
- The fact that there is air today, allowing you to breathe.
These things are so “normal” that we usually ignore them like the air itself. However, each one is a mass of “wonder” that exists only because of a miraculous combination of conditions.
Instead of “I will be happy when I get X,” realize that the seeds of happiness are already sown in the fact that you are “already alive.”
Gratitude is not about adding something new; it begins with stopping for a moment to “take a long look” at the scenery of your everyday life.
How to Mend Your “Colander of the Heart” Starting Today
You don’t need a major life overhaul. Why not practice turning your focus from the “outside” to the “inside” today?
- Write down your “taken-for-granteds”: Find just three things you enjoyed today without thinking (water coming from the faucet, having a place to walk, greeting someone).
- Imagine “what if this didn’t exist”: Briefly imagine a world where those mundane things are gone. Doing so will make the “wonder” of their existence stand out.
- Stop chasing success: Once a week is enough—create a time to “just exist” without seeking anything or trying to add anything.
Happiness is not a treasure hidden in some far-off place; it is already hidden at your feet in the “now.”
Stop your feet from rushing toward the outside, take a deep breath, and check the bottom of your own heart. When you do, the suffering of “drought” will slowly begin to fade from your life.
