Monday, August 01, 2005

The Glocal Book:"The Book of Tea" by Okakura Kakuzou(Tenshin)-No.109

The Full Significance of The Flower Sacrifice

Flower stories are endless.

We shall recount but one more.

In the sixteenth century the morning-glory was as yet a rare plant with us.

Rikuiu had an entire garden planted with it, which he cultivated with assiduous care.

The fame of his convolvuli reached the ear of the Taiko, and he expressed a desire to see them, in cosequence of which Rikiu invited him to a morning tea at his house.

On the appointed day the Taiko walked through the garden, but nowhere could he see any vesige of the convolvulus.

The ground had been leveled and strewn with fine pebbles and sand.

With sullen anger the despot entered the tea-room, but a sight waited him there which completely restored his humour.

On the tokonoma,in a rare bronze of Sung workmanship, in a single morning-glory----the queen of the whole garden!

In such instances we see the full significance of the Flower Sacrifice.

Perhaps the flowers appreciated the full significance of it.

They are not cowards, like men.

Some flowers glory in death-certainly the Japanese cherry blossomes do, as they freely surrender themselves to the winds.

Anyone who has stood before the fragrant avalanche at Toshino or Arasyhiyama must have realised this.

For a moment they hover like bejewelled clouds and dance above the crystal streams; then, as they sail away on the laughing waters, they seem to say: " Farewell, O Spring! We are on to Eternity."
(From The Book of Tea-Flowers, Charles E. Tuttle Co., Rutland, Vermont, Tokyo, Japan)


This is the last part of the " Flowers".

To me , it's very difficult to understand about the Flower arrangements.

Do you agree to "The Full Significance of The Flower Sacrifice" !!

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