Numerous books have been published on the essential negotiation skills for business success.
Techniques, such as adopting active listening, timing in initiating conversations, probing questions to unearth latent needs, and presenting flexible options are presented as ways to enhance negotiation skills. While the abundance of knowledge is also crucial in addition to these techniques, ultimately, negotiation reveals one's human "comprehensive power."
In particular, the ability to seize the essence of matters and understand the counterpart's emotions deeply, known as "insight," is a human strength that AI cannot replace.
What Is the Source of Insight
Many people have experienced intuitively reading the emotions of others. This does not occur through one's logical thinking, rather, through reading other's inner thoughts revealed by their gestures and facial expressions. In this sense, humans are inherently intuitive, possessing a certain degree of psychic ability.
Continuously honing this intuitive ability gradually enables us to "see others and matters with the eyes of the mind," which allows us to understand the essence of matters more deeply and instantly grasp the counterpart's true intentions in negotiations.
This ability is cultivated through daily self-reflection and exploring the Right mind because intuition and insight rely on each individual's "spirituality." Although living in a physical body on Earth, humans are fundamentally spiritual beings. The core of this spiritual existence, shaped like a ball around one foot in diameter, contains the "mind," as described by Master Okawa ("The Ten Principles from El Cantare VOLUME I").
Purification of the Heart
The mind within each person is originally an "energy-filled entity of light," resembling an orb overflowing with the light of Buddha or God.
"However, during life in this world, different matters adhere to the mind like dust and grime and cloud it. So, in order to return your marred mind to its original round shape, it must be polished and made bright through the practice of self-reflection."
Negativity and impurities obstruct the divine light permeating the mind, hindering the individual's ability to perceive the feelings of others. Removing such impurities and restoring the heart to its original luminous spherical form is achieved through practices like self-reflection, meditation, and prayer.
This serves as the wellspring of insight.
The Self as a Part of the Whole Universe
However, why does intuition sharpen through filling the mind with light?
This is related to the mystery of human existence.
Understanding why polishing the mind with light enhances intuition involves grasping the interconnected nature of human existence. Master Okawa illustrates this interconnectedness with the metaphor of "Indra's net," where everyone is part of a vast interwoven net that spans the entire universe.
"The world is like a fishing net that is comprised of vertical and horizontal lines, which have been knotted together. Each of the knots where the lines cross represents a person's individuality, with its own name and character."
"This net of interwoven lines stretches out to encompass the entire universe and is known as Indra's net. Everyone is a part of this vast net, independent in one aspect and at the same time connected to everyone else. This net is formed by the Truth of the great universe, by the Will of Buddha of the great universe. People are part of a whole; they are a part, as well as a whole. They are alone but not alone; they are a huge multitude and yet individuals. This is the truth of life."