Ichigo Ichie - One Time - One Meeting

I recently came across a phrase, in my never ending quest to be more present in life and to better myself, personally and professionally, called "Ichigo Ichie." It is a Japanese phrase that can be translated as "One Time - One Meeting or, One Lifetime - One Encounter." 

The phrase is derived from the famous Japanese Tea Ceremony, or Chanoyu, and is attributed to tea master Sen no Rikyuu in the 16th century. If you have ever witnessed a Japanese Tea Ceremony, every movement by the tea master, is carefully choreographed, in such as way as to capture the beauty of each moment. It is not just pouring hot water onto tea leaves. The ceremony emphasizes mindfulness, tranquility and the connection between the host making the tea and his/her guests. The tea bowl, whisk and spoon used in the ceremony are all given attention to care to emphasize the beauty inherent in these inanimate objects. 

Out of this ceremony came the concept of Ichigo Ichie. The emphasis is on the unique and unrepeatable nature of every moment. Finding beauty in the things and people we encounter on a daily basis. Mindfulness and appreciation for the present moment we find ourselves in, is the cornerstone of this phrase/philosophy. Having been a student of Stoicism for some time now, I found this concept, Ichigo Ichie, closely paralleled the Stoic ideals of living in the moment, not regretting the past or worrying about the future. But, Ichigo Ichie, takes this to another level. It is about finding, and consciously being aware of what you are doing and appreciating the fact that what you are doing, will never present itself again in the same way.

You have a cup of coffee every day at 7 am in the morning. It is Monday morning. You have your coffee. The next morning, you have another cup of coffee at 7 am in the morning. Is this the same thing? For most people it is. But in Ichigo Ichie, it is not. It is a different day. It is a different cup of coffee. Maybe the sun streaming through your window was there yesterday, but it isn't today. Maybe it's cloudy. Maybe the coffee tastes different today than yesterday. The point is that no moment, no matter how many times they repeat themselves, are exactly the same. So, you savor the uniqueness of that moment. Instead of looking at your phone, you savor the flavor of the coffee. The smell of the coffee grounds, the heat of the brew. You are enjoying the moment, knowing that this particular moment, with this particular cup of coffee, will never repeat itself - ever.

Moving forward, you can look at how this concept works with your interactions with people. Whether it is your spouse, children, co-workers, boss, strangers, friends, all are opportunities to practice Ichigo Ichie. Because each encounter with these people, in the world of Ichigo Ichie, is a one off. Yes, I see my wife Janice daily. We have our meals together, go out together to social occasions, sit on the sofa and watch TV and movies together. We work out with each other at our fitness club on a nearly daily basis. The same? No. Not the same. Because the words she is saying, in just that way, at that time, are unique.  We may be watching our favorite series but that exact experience, on that exact day, at that exact time, will never repeat itself again. My wife's words and the feelings she is expressing to me at that time to me, will never repeat itself in that way, ever again. 

So why is this so important? Because most of us go through our days in a whirlwind of activities. Waking up, getting kids ready for school, scrolling through our emails, attending meetings, after school activities, social activities, travel etc. It gets very easy to forget about what is around you. To notice the inherent beauty of the people and things we all take for granted. We don't make the most of every opportunity, not even thinking about the fact that we might not be here this time tomorrow to appreciate what we neglected to appreciate.

A Stoic concept called "Momento Mori" brings this to light. It means "You will die." It is not morbid. It is a fact. We all will die. We are all dying now. There is an ancient samurai saying that "every step of life is another step towards death." That philosophy kept the samurai warriors grounded to their craft of warfare and got them in the mindset that since they are dying daily anyway, what is there to fear on the field of battle!

We rush through life - I know that I do, missing the beauty of the encounters or things we see daily and take for granted. I know, I know, we will run into traffic jams, stupid and thoughtless people or tragedies and terrible things that happen on this planet. That is a given. And, sports fans, that is the reason why Ichigo Ichie and, by extension, Momento Mori, are so important. 

You may not be here tomorrow. You might get hit by a drunk driver on your way to work. You may have a heart attack or be the victim of a senseless crime. Maybe you will be here tomorrow but you have just received a terrible medical diagnosis. You may only have so much time to live. You don't know. The uncertainty of life is real. Our life on this planet is finite. Hopefully, we all live long and healthy lives and pass from this earth quietly. But all of us have lost friends and family members who were taken from us prematurely. I know I have. More times than I want to think of. 

So, what is the lesson here?

You have to appreciate the fleeting nature of time. Yes, we are all going to be rushed in this crazy world of ours. But what if, instead of always rushing, we purposefully practice Ichigo Ichie. We savor that sip of coffee. We admire the sunrise rather than taking it for granted. We listen to our spouses when they are talking to us rather than half listening, while watching TV or checking email on the phone. We actually taste and appreciate the food we are eating, not scarfing it up so we can move on and prep for our next meeting. 

We are present in life. We appreciate the encounters, the conversations we have with people, whether friends or strangers. When we work out, we appreciate the fact that we can move and breathe, even when exhausted and tired, when so many other people in this world are bedridden or can't move without pain. We take the time to play with our pets and appreciate the joy and unconditional love they bring to our lives. 

We are present. We are aware. Because we know that life is fleeting and that it takes no more effort to appreciate the moment, than it does to rush around all day, not taking the time to see what is around us. 

As I am writing this blog post at my desk, I am looking at things that have been given to me over the years by many people, including my wife. The mug she gave me at Christmas that says "Please do not annoy the writer. He may put you in a book and kill you!" The figurine of a gnome with sunglasses holding a briefcase - a spy gnome (thanks Juan!) or the figurine of Deadpool given to me by my grandkids. These objects are here every day. Just now, writing this blog, I am savoring them, and the memories they evoke, more than ever. Because, this moment, as I am writing this blog, will never happen again in my lifetime. 

Ichigo Ichie. Think about this concept and if you can, try and practice it. I guarantee, it will change your life. Will you still be rushed and pushed by all the things this modern world brings? Of course. That is okay. You cannot be in a state of blissful peace all the time. But the very act of consciously thinking about this phrase, this philosophy, will go so far in making your daily life on this planet better. 

Enjoy the people and things around you. You may not be here tomorrow to do so.

Ichigo Ichie - Let me know how it goes!

Till next time.