ichi-go ichi-e, interactions, japan, lessons, present, tea

The Japanese Tradition That Encourages Us to Be Present

More supporting evidence for my focus on units of momentary happiness:

"Japanese tradition tells of ichi-go ichi-e, a concept fortified over centuries of practice that says we only have one meeting, at one time—our experiences with one another stand alone. Every encounter we have—a dinner, a shared bottle of wine, a late evening of conversation on an old red couch—will happen once, and then will never happen again.

The circumstances surrounding an encounter, the people involved and their exact dispositions and history make each event unique. We may interact with the same people, within similar circumstances, but ichi-go ichi-e says that each interaction is an experience all unto itself, never to be re-created perfectly."

Since each encounter lasts but once, how will we choose to treat it?