The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way

by Héctor García

If we translate this into Japanese terms, the first part of the formula is ikigai: discovering something we become passionate about and which also comes easily to us. Once we’ve identified our mission, then comes kaika, which is sometimes the most difficult part: setting aside other people’s demands to make room for our passion, allowing the reason we feel we were put on the earth to begin to blossom. The third thing is to stay on that path, to be patient and to keep dreaming, until we obtain mankai. To sum it up, the formula goes like this: ikigai + kaika + time = mankai.

happiness with a cause and happiness without a cause. The first kind depends on external events and is therefore fleeting: when our team wins a match, when we win the lottery, when we get promoted. Happiness without a cause comes from inside, for no particular reason, like a transmission from the soul that we can decide to tune in to.

Of the four basic emotions we have examined, only happiness belongs to the present and is the home of ichigo ichie.

Steve liked the idea of using the mind to study the mind, something known in psychology as “metacognition.”

Interesting thought

1. Just sit and see what happens. Our spiritual short sightedness often causes us to look far away—in space and time—for what’s really right in front of us. Zen teaches us to simply sit and embrace the moment, with no further ambitions than this. If we are with other people, we celebrate their company as a gift. 2. Savor this moment as if it were your last breath. You can live only one day at a time, and no one can be certain that they will wake up the next morning. So let’s not postpone happiness. The best moment of your life is always this one. 3. Avoid distractions. An old proverb says that a hunter who takes aim at two prey at once will kill

none. The same thing happens when we try to follow a conversation or read a book at the same time as checking our phone. Zen teaches us to do one thing at a time, as if it were the most important thing in the world. If you do it that way, it undoubtedly will be. 4. Free yourself from everything that isn’t essential. One can recognize an expert traveler more by what they leave at home than what they carry in their suitcase. Life is a thrilling adventure through which it’s best to travel light, so every day, whenever you feel overburdened, ask yourself, What can I let go of? 5. Be your own friend. Rather than comparing yourself to others and worrying about what other people think, assume that you are unique in the world. As the celloist Pau (Pablo) Casals said in a poem written for children: You are a miracle, and there has never been—nor will there ever be—anyone like you. 6. Celebrate imperfection. If not even nature in all its complexity, with all its births and deaths, is perfect, then why should you be? Each failure is a sign that you should take a different path. Each flaw is an invitation to polish a diamond. If you have the will to improve, then it’s perfect to be imperfect. 7. Practice compassion. From a Buddhist perspective, feeling sorry for someone doesn’t mean feeling pity but rather a profound empathy that allows us to travel toward the situation of the other to understand their motivations and, if necessary, their mistakes. Each person acts according to the mo...

Even if what appears on your inner screen is an aberration, your attitude should be neutral, lest you stray from the assumption that “You are not your thoughts.” When we separate the observer from the observed in this metacognition exercise, we manage to detach ourselves from our mind at the same time we observe its processes. This helps us reach a state of calm.

Metacognition

When we stop identifying ourselves with our thoughts, our ego dissolves and we flow fully with the moment, at the same time deeply and intuitively understanding the nature of reality. These moments of epiphany are a solitary ichigo ichie, moments of such lucidity that they encompass a whole life.

• Projections. As we have seen in the first part of this book, when our mind travels into the past, where pain and resentment reside, or the future, a place of fear and worries, we are pulled away from the present moment. • Distractions. We can experience the present fully only if we aren’t trying to do several things at once. A man strolling through the forest and updating social media on his phone is not living in the moment. In fact, he’s not even in the forest. • Fatigue. Getting a bad night’s sleep or being overworked can get in the way of our enjoyment of the present moment. In the first case, because we’re in the grip of tiredness. In the second, because we’re so mentally active that we can’t reduce our level of

Enemies ICHIGO

SATORI AND KENSHŌ Satori, which literally means “understanding,” is the word used in Zen to refer to a kind of awakening or enlightenment. Another term used in Japanese Buddhism to refer to a state of enlightenment is kenshō. The differences between kenshō and satori have been discussed extensively by various authors. According to Suzuki, kenshō is a momentary experience in which you see your own nature through a direct tunnel, while satori is a deeper and more lasting transformation.

The moment is a jealous lover that demands we give it our all. Every unrepeatable moment is a small oasis of happiness. And many oases together make an ocean of happiness.