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Why do we suffer? Perhaps because we live against nature. Learn from ancient wisdom—Zhuangzi, Laozi, and the Manyoshu—how to return to a natural, peaceful life.


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🔍 Target Keywords (naturally dispersed throughout)
living in harmony with nature / cause of suffering / Zhuangzi Laozi quotes / return to nature / modern life stress / healing the heart / living authentically / disability and life / Manyoshu nature / Laozi teachings / human relationships and nature / embracing weakness


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Table of Contents

1. Introduction｜Why Does Life Feel So Hard, Even When I Try My Best?


2. What Does It Mean to Live in Harmony with Nature? The Teachings of Zhuangzi


3. Strength in Softness｜Learning from Laozi’s “Humble Power”


4. The Manyoshu and the Japanese Spirit of Natural Living


5. Invisible Stress from Modern Life Detached from Nature


6. Returning to Nature in Small, Practical Steps


7. What Disability Taught Me about Natural Living


8. Loving Yourself Means Listening to Your Natural Rhythm


9. A Message to You, Who Want to Live More Gently


10. Conclusion｜Step Away from the Unnatural, and Find Courage to Return to Nature




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1. Introduction｜Why Does Life Feel So Hard, Even When I Try My Best?

“I try my best every day, but my heart still feels heavy.”
“I don’t know what I’m living for.”
“I want to be helpful to others, but I feel like I’m failing.”

You’re not alone if you’ve ever felt this way.
I’ve felt that, too.

After an accident left me with a severe physical disability, I once gave up hope of returning to work or contributing to society.
I often thought, “This isn’t the life I imagined.”

But one day I realized something powerful:

> “Maybe I’m suffering because I’ve been living against nature.”



This blog explores what it means to live with nature, through the lens of ancient wisdom and my own experience as a person with a disability.
My hope is to offer comfort and guidance to those who feel trapped in modern life.


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2. What Does It Mean to Live in Harmony with Nature? The Teachings of Zhuangzi

Zhuangzi, a philosopher of ancient China, advocated for a way of life called wu wei zi ran—“non-action aligned with nature.”

> “Heaven and Earth were born with me; all things and I are one.”
— Zhuangzi, Chapter: The Equality of Things



This teaching reminds us that we are part of nature, not something separate or superior.

But look at our lives today—regulated by clocks, calendars, social expectations, and constant competition. We live in artificial systems disconnected from the Earth’s natural rhythms.

Zhuangzi teaches us:

> “Don’t try to become something. Just return to who you already are.”



And that person is already enough.


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3. Strength in Softness｜Learning from Laozi’s “Humble Power”

Laozi, another great philosopher of the Daoist tradition, offered a paradoxical idea:

> “What is soft overcomes what is hard.”



He wrote in the Dao De Jing:

> “The softest thing in the world conquers the hardest.”
— Dao De Jing, Chapter 43



Think of water. It’s gentle, but it wears down mountains.

Before my disability, I believed in strength through effort, results, and productivity.
Afterward, I had no choice but to slow down, ask for help, and listen to my body.

I learned:

> “Softness is not weakness. It is wisdom.”
To flow, not to force—that is strength in natural living.




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4. The Manyoshu and the Japanese Spirit of Natural Living

Japan also holds deep cultural roots in nature, as reflected in the ancient poetry anthology Manyoshu.

> “In spring, the plum blossoms bloom first in the yard,
And I think of you as I see them bloom.”
— Manyoshu, Yamanoue no Okura



The natural world was not separate from people’s emotions.
Nature was part of everyday life, intertwined with love, loss, and longing.

Compare that to today’s world, where:

Concrete replaces rivers

Neon light replaces moonlight

Success metrics replace seasonal flow


When we disconnect from nature, we disconnect from ourselves.
Our hearts ache because they remember a gentler way of being.


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5. Invisible Stress from Modern Life Detached from Nature

Today’s society demands constant output:

Wake up at a fixed time

Meet targets and KPIs

Smile through exhaustion

Compete endlessly


But nature has no deadlines.

Trees don’t compete to bloom first

Animals rest when they’re tired

Rivers flow without meetings


Our constant stress, insomnia, and anxiety may come from one truth:

> “We are living unnaturally, and our hearts can feel it.”




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6. Returning to Nature in Small, Practical Steps

You don’t need to move to the mountains to live naturally.
Start with small, gentle steps.

Try these:

Open your curtains and greet the morning sun

Eat seasonal vegetables

Take 10 minutes to breathe under the sky

Say “I’m tired” when you are

Leave one task undone, and let it be


These are not failures.
They are tiny acts of returning to your own natural rhythm.


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7. What Disability Taught Me about Natural Living

When I became disabled, I couldn’t walk quickly, talk fluently, or work long hours.
I felt left behind. Useless. Broken.

But I came to realize:

Walking slowly lets you see flowers bloom

Working less lets you rest and reflect

Needing help lets you experience kindness


My disability forced me to live more slowly, more honestly—more naturally.
It became a gateway, not a prison.


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8. Loving Yourself Means Listening to Your Natural Rhythm

To love yourself isn’t to spoil yourself.
It’s to tune in to your own inner seasons.

Ask yourself:

Am I pushing beyond my limit?

Am I smiling when I want to cry?

Am I pretending to be okay, just to be accepted?


These are signs that you’re out of sync with your true nature.

To return, simply listen:

> “It’s okay to be tired.”
“It’s okay to take a break.”
“You are enough—even now.”




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9. A Message to You, Who Want to Live More Gently

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already tired of fighting.

Tired of pretending.
Tired of keeping up.
Tired of being strong all the time.

Here’s a truth:

> “You don’t need to become better.
You just need to return to who you are.”



Ancient wisdom—from Zhuangzi, Laozi, and the Manyoshu—was written for people just like you.

Their message:

> “Nature already accepts you.
Now, you can accept yourself.”




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10. Conclusion｜Step Away from the Unnatural, and Find Courage to Return to Nature

To change your life, you don’t need to make huge moves.
You just need to take one step closer to your true self.

Skip a meeting

Say no

Take a nap

Cry

Laugh

Do nothing at all


These are not signs of weakness.
They are signs of returning to your natural state.

You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You are just someone who’s been far from nature—and now you’re coming home.

Let nature guide you.
Let ancient wisdom hold you.
Let yourself be exactly as you are.


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