在泰国召开的“环太平洋地区学前教育学会”年会的招待会上，日本的会员们表演了一个小组唱“One of a kind”。据说，这是一首著名的流行歌曲，关于它，有一个小故事：
    这首的日文名是：“Sekai-ni Hitotsu-dake-no Hana”，由日本著名的SMAP男子演唱组在2003年首演，后来成为了最受人喜爱的卡拉OK歌曲之一。这首歌曲的歌词在很大程度上受到日本佛教的影响，词曲的作者 Noriyuki Makihara 是日本著名的流行歌手和作曲者，他说他创作这首歌曲的灵感来自于和尚们相互间的谈话，他说他自己深受佛经的感染：
        黄花发出黄光，
        蓝花发出蓝光，
        红花发出红光，
        白花发出白光。
佛经中的这些句子说，在佛国的池塘里，许多莲花都盛开着，每一朵花都展现出自己的美丽，无须相互攀比。
    看着舞台上的那群日本人，他们唱歌时的那种轻松，那种洒脱，好像个个都已经“看破红尘”，个个都不削于争取第一。其实，这些人中我所认识和熟悉的几个，都是“拼命三郎”，为了事业的成功，是不惜代价的。


    “无须去争第一，
    你就是你，独一无二的你。
    看那些商店里的花朵，
    每一朵花的美丽都让震撼发生在你的心里。
    我们每人都有自己的偏爱，但是有一件事不容置疑。
    花朵会绽开，展现其纯洁的美丽。
    在我们中间，谁比别人更强？
    无须争斗，无须拼比。
    ……
    小花、大花，各种各样的花，
    你不会认为它们都是同一。
    无须争斗，为了第一，
    你就是你，独一无二的你。”
    在会议结束时，我碰到了几个相当熟悉的日本人，相互说的第一句话就是“One of a Kind”。虽然大家使用的是英语，虽然大家的经历和经验都不一样，但是大家都对对方讲的同一句话报以会心的一笑。
    也许，我们以前都太在意去争取第一了！


歌词（英语）
One of a kind

No need to struggle to be Number 1.
Just be yourself, be the Only One.

1.Look at the flowers that stand in the shop.
Each has a beauty that makes your heart stop.
We all have our favorites, but one thing is sure.
Flowers will bloom with a beauty that’s pure.

Which one among us is better than the rest?
No competition, no need to contest.
There in the bucket, the flowers stand tall.
Heads held in pride far above it all.

Yet why do we people do what we do?
Always wanting to compare?
Fighting each other to get to the top?
When we all have a treasure so rare.

Why don’t we get it?
In this wide world you are one of a kind.
Cherish your beauty, there’s no need to hide it.
Each of us holding a different seed.
Just be yourself,  that is all you need.

2.There is a person has been at a loss.
Laughing as like she is in trouble.
Each seed makes effort to be the flower.
Of course, all flowers bloom with a beauty.

I see her coming out of that shop.
After long time she had been looking there.
Holding  a  bunch of flowers in many colors.
Her profile seems she is so happy.

I haven’t still had an idea who she is.
But she gave a kindly smile to me that day.
As like a flower blooming with smile where.
There’s no person looking around.

Why don’t we get it?
In this wide world you are one of a kind.
Cherish your beauty, there’s no need to hide it.
Each of us holding a different seed.
Just be yourself,  that is all you need.

Small flowers,  big flowers,  any kinds of flowers.
You’ll never find any one that’s the same.
No need to struggle to be Number 1.
Just be yourself, be the Only One.