- Saturday, April 27, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on June 27 inaugurated a Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) in Ahmedabad in the western Indian state of Gujarat via a video conference. He later shared images of the garden on his Twitter handle.
Zen gardens are often called as Japanese rock gardens that are believed to be a way to reduce stress, improve focus and develop a sense of well-being. Such gardens were created in the early sixth century to help meditation by Buddhist monks.
The Indian prime minister expressed his gratitude to the leaders of Hyogo Prefecture during the inaugural event, especially governor Toshizo Ido and Hyogo International association for their role in the establishment of the Zen Garden and Kaizen Academy.
Wanted to create a Mini-Japan in Gujarat: Modi
Modi also spoke on the occasion over his connection and appreciation of Japan’s work culture, skills and discipline. He said, “I wanted to create Mini-Japan in Gujarat.” Modi’s admiration for Japan is well-known and former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, who stepped down in September last year owing to medical conditions, has been a very close ally to him.
In his speech, the prime minister also touched upon the role Japanese companies like Suzuki Motors, Honda Motorcycle, Toyota Hitachi and Mitsubishi have played in the economic story of Gujarat, his home state.
“They are contributing skill development of the local youth. In Gujarat, three Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing is giving skill training to hundreds of youth with the tie-up with technical universities and IITs. Furthermore, Japan External Trade Organization’s (JETRO’s) Ahmedabad Business Support Centre is providing plug and play work-space facility to up to five companies simultaneously. Many Japanese companies are being benefitted by this,” he said.
Modi also recalled his friendship with Abe saying the visit of the latter to Gujarat gave a new momentum to the two countries’ relationship. He had shared information about the inauguration of the Zen Garden as a gesture to strengthen India-Japan relations.
He also pointed out similarities between the Indian and Japanese cultures, saying both ‘Zen’ in Japanese and ‘Dhyan’ in Indian look to promote inner peace along with outer progress.
“Indians will find the glimpse of the same peace, poise, and simplicity in this Zen Garden, which they experienced in Yoga through the ages. Buddha gave this ‘Dhyan‘ this enlightenment to the world,” the leader said, adding that both external and internal meanings of Kaizen focus on “continuous improvement”.
