Episode 26: God is in the Japanese Language
There are phrases we use often in daily life that make me wonder who exactly we are addressing. "Okagesama de" (thanks to you/thanks to the grace of something) and "Itadakimasu" (I humbly receive) are examples of this.
What does "Okagesama de" mean?
When greeting someone you haven't seen in a while, you might say, "Okagesama de, I'm doing well." This expresses that you are doing well thanks to someone's help. That 'someone' is not the person standing in front of you. If the person in front of you—for example, a doctor—had restored your health, you would state a specific cause, such as "thanks to your treatment" or "thanks to the medicine." When people say "Okagesama de," they are imagining something vague.
"Kage" (shadow/shade) refers to the part not hit by light, the darkness that forms behind an object. From this, the meaning of "a place to take shelter and be protected" arises. It is the "kage" in "kokage" (tree shade) or "monokage" (behind something). If you enter the shade of a sacred area or a great tree, you are protected from the wind and rain—the state of being under that protection is called "Mikage," and there is also a usage that refers to the divine power of a god itself (the notation is shared with "Mikage" [divine image], and the Mikage Festival in Kyoto and the Mikage pilgrimages in various regions belong to this lineage). In other words, "Okage" originally meant the invisible protection of gods and Buddhas. "Sama" is an honorific, but it is attached personifiedly to the abstract word "Okage." Similar words include "Gokurousama" (thank you for your trouble), "Otsukaresama" (thank you for your hard work), and "Osewasama" (thank you for your help), all of which are forms that personify an act or state to show respect. This is likely a suffix added to express feelings of gratitude more clearly.
"Okagesama de," meaning "thanks to the existence that keeps me alive," states the recognition that one is under protection. It can be said that it is a word conscious of God.
What about "Itadakimasu"?
"Itadaki" (summit/top) refers to the very top of the head. The "itadaki" in mountain peak is the same word. From this, the verb "itadaku" arose, which originally meant "to place on top of one's head."
It has been used with this original meaning since the era of the Man'yoshu. When taking down food offered to a god to eat, or when receiving something from a superior, one holds it up higher than one's eyes with both hands—this gesture is called "oshi-itadaku" (to hold up reverently). It is an action of placing what one has received at a position higher than one's head, meaning one positions the giver as superior and oneself as inferior.
Generally, "Itadakimasu" is thought to be a word for the people who made the food or for the animals and plants that can be eaten. Of course, that meaning is also significant. However, if one only wanted to express gratitude to such things, wouldn't "Kansha shimasu" (I am grateful) be more appropriate?
The ritual of Shinsen, where one offers sacred sake and eats with the gods, has continued since ancient times. One receives food from the gods. "Itadaku" refers to an action from someone superior to oneself. The people who made it and the animals and plants are not superiors, but equals. The moment you say "Itadakimasu," it implies that the one giving it to you is in a superior position. In this sense, "Itadakimasu" contains the meaning of receiving from God, or from a great existence.
What about "Arigatou" (thank you)?
This word does not seem to have the ambiguity of the recipient that "Okagesama de" or "Itadakimasu" have. It seems to be a word said directly to the person in front of you.
The etymology of "Arigatou" comes from "Arigatashi." If you break down "Arigatashi," it is "aru" (to exist) + "katashi" (difficult), meaning "it is difficult to exist" or "rare." In other words, if you go back to its etymology, "Arigatou" is a word that conveys the recognition that "what you have done for me is so rare that it is difficult for it to exist."
Let's compare it with Western languages. English "Thank you," French "Merci beaucoup," German "Danke schön." All of these, if translated literally, mean "I give thanks." It takes the form of me thanking you. It is a direct exchange between two parties. "Arigatou" is slightly different from this.
When you have done something for which you should be thanked, what happens if you rephrase it as "a rare thing"? It becomes a word that objectifies what that person has done. However, to say it is rare, you need an eye to judge whether it is rare or not. Compared to what is it rare? That eye is not on the same horizon as the person in front of you. It is an eye from the universe or a higher dimension. In other words, "a rare thing" includes the consciousness of being measured against the eye of God.
When people say "Arigatou," they seem to be talking to the other person, but unconsciously, they are saying it through God.
"Thank you," "Merci beaucoup," and "Danke schön" mean "I give thanks," which is an exchange of words between equals. "Arigatou" is an exchange through an exceptional existence, and the structure is different. Have you ever felt that when you uttered the word "Arigatou," the sense of gratitude was deeper than "Kansha shimasu"? If so, it is because it also includes interaction with God.
In this way, when we use the Japanese language, we evoke God within our deep consciousness. Pious Christians also offer prayers of gratitude to God before meals. However, this is an interaction with God contained within the act of prayer. That is the difference from the Japanese language.
In Japanese, God dwells not in the act, but in the words themselves.