3. TIL of the Japanese concept of “Wa”, in which all people strive to put the b...

TIL of the Japanese concept of “Wa”, in which all people strive to put the betterment of the overall society above that of the individual. It is considered an integral part of Japanese society.

It isn't often realised but the Jewish civilisation and the Chinese civilisation both hearken back many thousands of years.

Stories similar to this quote exist and go back between 1000-4000 years ago in the Jewish civilisation (depending which type of quotes).

It is a big bad deal if anyone needlessly harms or destroys a fruiting tree.

1800+years ago, in an early chapter of the Talmud, Rabbi Tarfon taught: "It is not your responsibility to finish the work [of planting trees, doing good, and perfecting the world], but you are not free to cease from it either" (Pirkei Avot 2:16)

A story that matches your quote more closely, if your quote would be the moral of the tale, comes from around 200-800CE in the earliest layers of Talmud.

The story recounts that the gentile ruler (Hadrian?) once passed through Palestine on his way to war in the east, where he happened upon an elderly Israelite/Jewish man slowly planting fig (or carob) trees. The sight of such altruism prompted the emperor to ask the man his why he would do that since he wouldn't be expected to live long enough to eat the fruits of his labours. “My lord, the king,” said the man, “I trouble myself to plant because if I merit it, I myself shall eat of the fruits of my labor. And if not, then my children will.”

[In the version with figs:] Three years later, the gentile ruler returned to that same spot in Palestine to be greeted by the elderly farmer with a basket full of fresh figs. He reminded the emperor of their previous conversation and gave him the figs. Awed by the man’s lack of self-centredness, Hadrian [supposedly] returned his basket full of gold coins.

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