(repost from a year ago)
Today in 2006 I posted this:
Ichi-go ichi-e – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ichi-go ichi-e, literally ‘one time, one meeting’, is a Japanese term that describes a cultural concept often linked with famed tea master Sen no Rikyu. The term is often translated as ‘for this time only,’ ‘never again,’ or ‘one chance in a lifetime.’Ichi-go ichi-e is linked with Zen Buddhism and concepts of transience. The term is particularly associated with the Japanese tea ceremony, and is often brushed onto scrolls which are hung in the tea room. In the context of tea ceremony, ichi-go ichi-e reminds participants that each tea meeting is unique.
No two meetings are the same. Each person is a world that is ever changing. Enjoy this meeting, because we won’t be the same next year, next month, next week, even tomorrow or this afternoon…
Photo of a poster in front of a school in Lisbon that says Cada Pessoa è um Mundo – Each Person is a World
The world of host and guest in tea is a reminder of creating a harmonious moment. A gentle moment that is both soft and alert at the same time.