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The art of tea
Looking at the photos in each of the last four posts, I highlighted a concept that is central to Zen or – in broader terms – to traditional Japanese culture. With the photo of the display in the Tokonoma I brought the word ‘harmony’ into focus, but ‘respect’, ‘purity’, or ‘tranquillity’ would not have been…
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Tranquillity
Zen rock gardens are oases of tranquillity. They are not intended as places we set foot in, but places we quietly contemplate from the outside. They are places for meditation, created in the precincts of Zen Buddhist temples. Ryoan-ji, the rock garden in the picture, dates from the end of the 15th century. With its…
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Purity
“The path is no more than a way out of this floating world – Why not wash off upon entering it the dust of impurity from our heart.” Stone wash basins like the one in the picture, containing crystal clear water, are invariably placed near the entrance of a Japanese tea room. Before participating in…
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Respect
Respect is an important aspect of Japanese culture. The emperor, ancient traditions, monuments, art, craftsmanship, they all deserve our deepest respect. As does the Japanese garden; this artistic creation of a highly idealized natural environment …. let’s call it paradise. A paradise that has never existed in real nature – the opposite of the garden…
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Harmony
If we describe the interior space of a traditional Japanese house using the word ‘harmonious’, then we may regard the display in the tokonoma as the height of harmony. The tokonoma is the alcove-like space found in a traditional house, reserved for the exhibition of a work of art, or a work of nature, or…
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A stick in shallow water
Such a simple picture, but oh so deep! Ever since I saw this stick in the water and took a picture of it, the image has fixed itself on to my mind. What we see here is clear: 1) a stick in the sun, protruding from the water, 2) the refracted continuation of the stick…
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Teashop happiness
A mother and daughter in their teashop in the mountains around Pokhara. The scene breathes unpretentious simplicity and natural ease. The amused face of the girl makes us smile too. We participate in a moment of contagious joy. How beautiful life can be! Photo of the week: Pokhara, Nepal, 1996
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Composition in ochre and black
The colour scheme and the distribution of forms within the frame of the picture, paint an image of harmony. The hen must just have picked some grain out of the black pot, and it is now tilting towards her. The pot, standing in equilibrium, creates an extra tension, which enhances the overall sense of harmony.…
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Yosemite
It had been snowing till early spring that year in the Californian Sierra Nevada. Even by July the snow had not yet disappeared from the higher altitudes and I remember us driving, and pitching our tent, between heaps of snow in full summer. This was probably the reason why, when we came to Yosemite, impressive…
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The face of beauty
or the beauty of a face A train in Kyoto. It’s the end of the day; work is over and people are going home. Everyone is immersed in their own thoughts, listening to music, or silently exchanging messages with friends or family. And in the midst of all these commuters, the strikingly beautiful face…
καιρός remembered
… the right moment, position chosen, shoot …
καιρός remembered 