I’ve got a movie to recommend this week—
It’s of the most powerful stories I’ve seen recently about the power of compassion.
“Sweet Bean” is a Japanese film, (with English subtitles). The term “Sweet Bean” was an endearment in my family of origin—but in this case, it refers to an actual sweet bean sauce, apparently a regular part of Japanese confectionary. It offers the luxurious, character-driven pace of non-American films.
Here’s a blurb for the film from imdb:
“The manager of a pancake stall finds himself confronted with an odd but sympathetic elderly woman looking for work. A taste of her homemade bean jelly convinces him to hire her, which starts a relationship that is about much more than just street food.”
It made me think, for several days, in fact, about how we impact each other as humans—the depths to which we can help and hurt one another—and the choice we have about how we use this power.
The story brings to life the damaging power of ignorance, but it also shows how the pain we have experienced in our lives makes us capable of recognizing other injured souls, and of reaching out to them. Sometimes just being seen is enough. Being recognized and appreciated is even better.
There was one line in the film I found especially precious, and I’m going to get it a little bit wrong, so excuse the paraphrasing:
“Our job on this earth is to really see life, and to listen to its stories.
So we don’t have to be ‘Somebody.’ We all matter, we have a purpose.”
The line calls to what we each reach for: the simple state of being in the moment, feeling gratitude, awe and delight. Oh, yes, we call that enlightenment, right?
Coach’s Challenge: Watch “Sweet Bean.” When you do, come back and leave me a comment about how its power of compassion impacted you.
