NAIKAN
GRATITUDE, GRACE,
AND THE JAPANESE
ART OF SELF-REFLECTION

by Gregg Krech

Go to main Naikan page

Contents

Preface--11

Introduction--19

What Is Naikan?--25
The Three Questions--26
Reflecting on Reflections--31
AN EXAMPLE OF DAILY NAIKAN: A Day of Reflection--32

Gratitude and the Practice
of Attention and Reflection in Everyday Life--35
Unwrapping Life's Gifts--36
You Saved My Life--39
Ordering a Pizza--43
"IN THE MIDST OF PAIN"--47

Naikan at Work--48
Looking beyond Our Difficulties--52
Taking Things for Granted--52
Itadakimasu--55
The Expression of Gratitude--58
"THE TRAIN"--64
SAMPLE NAIKAN REPORT: A Man Reflects on Moving into a New House--65

Giving to Others--69
Compassion and Attention--71
Strategies for Giving Yourself Away--73
Service Is Attention--75
Reconstructing Reality--76
Don't Thank Me . . .--78
A Fable: The Giving Princess--79

A Moral Self-Examination--86
Benjamin Franklin--88
The Troubles We Cause--93
Lying and Stealing--97
An Appeal on Behalf of Guilt--100
Apologies--103
Beyond Forgiveness--107
"S(S)ELF-ESTEEM"--109
Even the Best of Intentions--111

Mysteries and Myths of Separation--114
Who Am I?--115
The Roots of Stuff--118
My Heart Is Your Heart--122
Illness and Faith--124
"PINE NEEDLES"--126

Intimate Attention--132
Gaikan: The Misdirection of Attention--134
Seeing Yourself through the Eyes of Your Partner--137
AN EXAMPLE OF NAIKAN: A Man Reflects on Himself
in Relation to His Wife--138
Attention to What's Not There--141
A Fable: Giving, Receiving, and Desire-Ring--142
Relationships as a Vehicle for Training--145
"PLEASE REMIND ME"--147
Who Will Do the Laundry?--152
Two Different Worlds--152