Learning from a highly intelligent acquaintance: The basic meanings of everyday words and perspectives for re-examining life positively

An acquaintance I know through note is a very intelligent person, and I have learned a great deal from them.

They explain the basic meanings of Japanese words used in daily life and provide perspectives for re-examining life positively based on those meanings.

Japanese is not merely a tool for communication; it plays a role like an invisible foundation that supports our thoughts and hearts. By unraveling the original program embedded in each word, the way we perceive daily life changes significantly.

Explanation of the basic meanings of words

Okagesama de (Thanks to you/Thanks to the grace of others)

The word 'kage' (shadow/shade) originated from places not hit by light, meaning a safe zone that protects one from rain, wind, or strong sunlight. Going further back in time, it came to refer to a state under the protection of gods and Buddhas (sacred areas or the shade of a great tree).

By adding the honorific 'o' to express respect, it conveys gratitude not just to a specific person, but to being protected by invisible, greater forces and one's environment. Uttering this word is also a declaration that one is not alone, but is in a safe zone protected by a greater power.

Itadakimasu (I humbly receive)

The word 'itadaki' refers to the summit of a mountain or the very top of one's head, and originally meant the act of holding something above one's head.

Using this word before a meal expresses not just gratitude to the ingredients or the producers, but a humble stance of placing the lives of animals and plants—which are equal to oneself—and the greater existence behind human activity in a higher position, and receiving life as a gift from them. It resets one's perception from merely consuming products bought with money to receiving a baton of life.

Arigato (Thank you)

The etymology is 'arigatashi,' meaning that something is difficult to exist or is rare.

While Western expressions of gratitude are a direct exchange from me to you, 'arigato' has a structure that surveys the entire sequence of events and evaluates it as miraculous. It is a word that, while thanking the person in front of you, also interposes the greater power (a higher-dimensional perspective) that brought about that miraculous encounter or event.

Osewa ni natte orimasu (I am in your care)

In this phrase frequently used in daily life and business, 'se' refers to the world, society, or the connections themselves, while 'wa' expresses the actions or state regarding them.

It is an expression that acknowledges the state of living while receiving consideration and support from others within the network of places and human relationships where one exists. It expresses a relationship where one is not standing solely on one's own power, but is being kept alive through connections with those around them.

Proposals for restarting one's life

Understanding the original meanings of words used daily becomes a power to reconstruct how one relates to oneself and the world.

Escaping from isolation and fostering a sense of security

By consciously using 'okagesama de,' one can be freed from the pressure of self-responsibility and the loneliness of carrying everything alone, and can rediscover the environment and existences that support oneself.

Re-perceiving the ordinary as a miracle

Through words like 'thank you' and 'itadakimasu' (I humbly receive), you can accept daily meals and encounters with people not as mere consumption or routine transactions, but as part of a miraculous cycle.

Aligning your inner self through the words you speak

Treating casual everyday words with care serves as self-care that quietly aligns your own axis without the need for special rituals. Carefully choosing the words you say to yourself and to those around you is the first step toward positively shaping the environment of your future life.