Only Once, Respectfully
Recently I learned a wonderful old Japanese proverb that I’d never heard before. It says: “Ichi-go, ichi-eh.”
Into those four brief words is compressed a complex philosophical thought that, as far as I know, has no direct equivalent in English.
It means something like this – when you meet someone for the first time, it’s important to treat them kindly because you may never meet them again, and thus will never have another chance to offer them dignity and respect.
The isn’t quite the same as the Golden Rule (“do unto others as you would have others do unto you”), and it most certainly is not the same as “be nice to everybody because you never know when you may need them in the future.”
The “ichi-go, ichi-eh” proverb implies that treating others with respect is a good thing in its own right and that doing so is a privilege rather than a duty (or a strategy).
Just thinking about that idea sends a little shiver of something – joy perhaps – rolling quietly through me. Even though I know I fall far short of this ideal, it just feels good to think about living my life that way.
Of course, the Japanese can’t be the only people to realize that treating others with dignity and respect is a worthy way to live. So now I’m curious… I’d love to know if you can recall any similar saying in English (or any other language)?
Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles
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Wow, Charles
I couldn’t agree more. Here’s the really neat part though. Coincidentally, I am currently going through Og Mandino’s Ten Scrolls from his book, ‘The Greatest Salesman’. I am on Scroll II. Here is a brief excerpt:
“I will greet this day with love in my heart. In silence and to
myself I will address each person I meet and say ‘I Love You’.
Though spoken in silence these words will shine in my eyes,
unwrinkle my brow, bring a smile to my lips, and echo in my
voice; and his heart will be opened.”
Does this not back up “ichi-go, ichi-eh”? This is Universal wisdom at its best!
Russ
Not only that, ichi-go, ichi-eh almost sounds Canadian, eh?
That’s funny.
What’s even more funny though is that I haven’t heard much ‘eh’ since the late 80′s. By that time, the Asian influx began in earnest as many people, especially from Hong Kong, were getting out before the 1997 government changeover. The eastern part of Toronto where I live (Agincourt) soon became known as Asiancourt.
Canada is supposedly bi-lingual, recognizing two official languages – English and French. However, because of the extremely high percentage of Asians in our area, all bank machines are bl-lingual alright – English and CHINESE!
Maggie was part of that huge migration, arriving in Canada in 1991. We never met until 2005.
Right after the biggest wave of Asian immigrants, there was another boom of immigrants from India and other parts of the Middle East. Today, Toronto is truly multi-cultural. We also boast the largest Caribbean population outside of the… you guessed it, the Caribbean.
Eh, which is an original Scottish settler derivative has long been buried. I don’t know the actual stats for our area, but visually Caucasians are clearly in the minority.
Just a little Toronto trivia to add value to this conversation! LOL
I think the concept of treating people kindly and with respect should be at the core of all people’s beliefs. It was something that was simply expected at one time as courtesy and good manners. Unfortunately the by-gone practice of calling strangers sir or mam or saying please and thank you seems to have become rare rather than the norm. While I realize this is an oversimplification of “ichi-go, ichi-eh” it is a symptom of the lack of its practice.