Recently, I went back to Japan for a four-day weekend with some friends. It was the first time I had ever had a true tourist experience in Tokyo, and as such, we decided to go to a traditional tea ceremony. Despite having lived in Tokyo for over a year, I never really felt like a tourist there. Regardless of how many times I practice seiza, sitting on ones knees with a straight back, I never get used to it. More importantly, I want to talk about what our guide first told us about the tea ceremony. She talked about how a fresh flowers based on the season were always displayed, as we well a new piece of calligraphy, an artistic expression of Japanese characters. For that particular occasion, the woman had selected a scroll featuring the character for life at the very top. She explained in Japanese, no matter how long you live, how much you do, that character will always be greater than you and your life.
Imagine that, one character that encompasses all aspects of life as well as every living creature's life, that one character with every stroke is greater than your entire life. I have since thought about what that woman said everyday since. No matter what we do, who we are, how long we live, what we experience, that character will always have greater meaning. I find this both humbling, and inspiring. It's as if that one character contains so many different lives, every way of living, being, and seeing that has existed and will exist, all in one character. It as if your life becomes a part of every other living being's life, and in this idea, I found great comfort.
This blog will be an exploration of cultural boundaries, in-between places, and getting lost in-translation, but more importantly all the many ways we see life and choose live it. I will explore values, philosophy, culture, mind-sets, expectations, and interpretation, all for the greater purpose of understanding what living means and how all are lives tie to that single character for life.
No comments:
Post a Comment