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=**The American Dream and Satori**:=

The American Dream and Satori (nirvana), which are two different concepts, share constancy within both American Literature and Japanese Literature. These two ideas educate their believers in how to achieve a certain frame of mind. The mind frame is an archetype that established each culture’s admired characteristics of a hero. As a result the archetype is a list of characteristics to bridge one's self to a place of status or self actualization. Despite the fact these are two very different ideologies, both cultures advocate achieving an inner core self that acts as the panacea, whether it is called “[|Aparka Marg]” (enlightenment) or “[|the pursuit of happiness].” Whatever the language, the concept is still the same. No matter the country, the culture or the chronology the objective is still the same. Each culture believes it is the journey within the story that is significant. It is the impression that the voyage is different for every individual. Moreover, it is the job of the individuals to discover their own course. Usually, it is on this journey when the individual will discover a deeper meaning within one of these ideologies.

American Dream Definition:
James Adams coined the term “The American Dream.” It was first written in 1931 in his book //[|Epic of America].// In his report he describes the American philosophy as,

The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, also too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

This concept has had many names prior to its most popular terminology such as: Manifest Destiny, Democracy, and Republic. It has been indoctrinated into every American citizen since the countries beginnings. It is of the heart of American culture to the extent the country’s founders wrote these ideals into the Declaration of Independence as an “unalienable right.”

Satori Definition:
There are many definitions of “Satori,” the Japanese word for enlightenment, that float across the world, wide, web. However; the [|Joint Council for Rinzai and Obaku Zen] teaches a comprehensive connotation.

The purpose of Zen is to awaken to the bodhisattva within us. This perception, also called //kensho// 見性, “seeing self-nature,” opens the way to a true Zen life lived in unrestricted liberation. To attain such freedom, one must strive in all of one’s activities to live in accordance with the [|Bodhisattva Vows]:

Sentient beings are numberless: I vow to liberate them. Desires are inexhaustible: I vow to end them. The Dharma gates are infinite: I vow to master them. The Buddha way is unsurpassable: I vow to attain it.

Another definition of Satori that is more standard yet captures the essence is from [|//The Shambhala Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen//]. It states the following;

[Satori is the] Japanese Zen term for the experience of awakening. The word de­rives from the verb //satoru,// “to know”; however, it has nothing to do with “knowledge” in the or­dinary or philosophical sense, because in the ex­perience of enlightenment there is no distinc­tion between knower and known. The word //kenshō// is also often used as a synonym for //satori//.

Understanding both definitions of Satori offers a more literary connotation when processing Japanese literature. They both aim to rise above the material or instant gratification in order to gain a wiser perspective of humanity as a whole.

American Dream Code of Conduct:
Under the American dream, there are two forms of guidelines; the spoken and the unspoken. The spoken rules are written into our governing laws and principles. These can be found in the [|//Declaration of Independence//] and [|//The United States Constitution//]. The unspoken code of achieving the American Dream is a list of desired qualities of the American such as,


 * Nobility, courage, and devotion
 * Those who look to do more, not less.
 * Those who protect the rights, beliefs, and freedoms of others.
 * Those who live their lives in the service of others.
 * Those who live their lives for something other than themselves.
 * Those who live by words, the universal principle of heroism.
 * Those who never look the other way during an emergency.
 * Those who are never ashamed to do what they know to do.
 * Those who are never ashamed for living the lives they were meant to live.

Japanese Code of Conduct:
The Japanese path to reaching nirvana is through a series of social norms and behaviors. Under Zen Buddhism, this path is called “[|The Eightfold Path]” which teaches the following,

A-Wisdom 1. Right View 2. Right Intention B-Ethical Conduct 3. Right Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right Livelihood C-Concentration 6. Right Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8. Right Concentration

Congruent with Zen Buddhism, the [|Samurai Bushido] is the heroic or unspoken code for the Japanese hero/ warrior and coincides with Zen Buddhism's Eightfold Path


 * 1) [[image:http://my.opera.com/philips/homes/blog/zen5-Super_Buddhist.jpg width="363" height="233" align="right"]]Gi (rectitude) morality, integrity
 * 2) Yū (courage) bravery, valor
 * 3) Jin (Benevolence) kindness, compassion
 * 4) Rei (respect) reverence
 * 5) Makoto (honesty) sincerity
 * 6) Meiyo (honor, glory) nobility
 * 7) Chūgi (loyalty) faithfulness, devotion, trustworthiness
 * 8) Kō (filial piety) love and respect for parents and ancestors
 * 9) Chi (wisdom) insight
 * 10) Tei (caring for the elderly)

Reference:
[] [] [] [] [] [|http://www.japanese-buddhism.com/index.html#axzz1JB5fv86K]