Everything That Is or Happens Exists in Itself and is Also Mirrored in the World
Chichu Garden Blossoms and Reflections
Sounds reverberate, water reflects lifeforms along its banks, and our actions leave lasting imprints. We can choose what we wish our legacies to be. We can choose to support love, beauty, and life, and to believe in Indra’s net and see life as an interconnected web with each interstice marked by a precious jewel. We can help ensure all beings are free and valued and to understand they are jewels when they add their light to the web instead of veiling it through thoughts of separation and otherness. Or, we can help sustain a culture of death and oppression. I have always believed that diversity in ecosystems and gardens creates a rich and beautiful tapestry and helps life flourish in positive ways. Acceptance of differences reduces conflict and creates more harmony, which in turn leads to greater peace. Today, my prayer is that we all tend to our inner gardens and find peace and love in our hearts and minds, so we can help radiate that peace out into the world. Let what is reflected back to us be the sacred light we share with the world when we acknowledge the beauty and value of all life.
The image above was made in the Chichu Garden on the Art Islands in the Seto Inland Sea. The azaleas were in full bloom, as were many other gorgeous plants. Azaleas are very dear to me because of their graceful beauty and symbolism. They symbolize resilience and inner strength, renewal and new beginnings, love, emotional equilibrium, abundance and so much more. In this magical setting, they left me breathless since I did not want their beauty or the beauty of their reflections to be disturbed by the reality of the current times we find ourselves in. I felt so calm and at peace and this is a place I return to in my meditations, when I need to bring myself into balance as the world becomes increasingly chaotic. We all need to call up memories of places we experienced calm and practice self-care right now. If we get thrown more off course, we can easily be dragged into the mayhem around us and our ability to help manifest peace and love will be compromised.
Azalea Blossoms, Sprig Green and Pink Lighting the Way
This triptych was made just outside the moss garden at the Saihoji Rinzai Zen Temple in Kyoto. After tracing a sutra to prepare our minds, we walked the moss garden as I mentioned in my last post. After I left the garden and before I came to the exit, I came upon these stunning azaleas. I had been practicing partially shutting my eyes and seeing with my inner eye to connect with the enduring energy of the garden. This prompted me to make some intentional camera movement images, to express how I felt the beauty of this place cascade over my being and fill me with gratitude. I combined them with an image of what the azaleas looked like frozen in a moment of time, since I experienced their beauty with both my eyes and my heart. The experience took place in time and was simultaneously timeless. After I left the garden, I was so overcome by what I had experienced that I had to sit on a bench and cry. Life is not just beautiful in the astonishing gardens of Japan though. The beauty of life exists everywhere we choose to see and protect it.
The gracefulness of nature in Japan was beyond anything I’ve ever seen, and I am sharing these images as nourishment for your souls. The image on the left was made driving through the countryside with my friends Kazuo Kazawa and Junko Yokota as well as my dear friend Aline Smithson. Kazuo took the day off from work after the Kyoto Foto Festival and showed us the area around his home and some of his favorite trees. This one was by the side of the road and I jumped out of the car to make this image of the weeping branches bringing divine beauty into the earthly sphere. The image on the right was made on Megijima Island (Onigashima), which also has a cave filled with masks and demon statues. On the walk back to the port from the cave, I saw this cherry tree with all of its flower-filled branches shimmering in the light. The plants in front of it were also reaching for the sun. Seeing these sights filled me with gratitude, awe, and hope that life will find a way to keep perpetuating itself.
Plum Tree in the Countryside
Plum trees are very revered in Japanese culture, since they are among the first trees to bloom and symbolism resilience and endurance. They are also believed to bring good fortune and are even believed to be capable of warding off evil spirits. This tree was not large and did not dominate the landscape in a flamboyant or demanding way. Yet, its graceful architecture and exquisite blossoms drew our attention and caused us to stop and take not of its gentle presence. Soft words and a calm demeanor are often the best path to reconciliation and supporting the common good.
Landscape with Wild Cherry Trees
Kazuo took us to visit these wild cherry trees and I loved seeing them in such a natural setting. The pink blossoms were so subtle and delicate and the yellow leaf cherry seemed almost electric. The whole landscape vibrated with color and light, as if the trees possessed an inherent love of life that cannot be extinguished–a feeling that often comes over me when I am in nature. It breaks my heart to think of what happens to the land when wars are fought, and it is one of many reasons why I am praying that calmer minds lead us in a safer direction.
Japanese Magnolia
Life is fleeing and it takes such courage to shine our light and open our hearts when there is so much darkness around. Yet this time we are living through is all the time we have and though it is frightening and sometimes we may just want to curl up into a ball, we have to keep opening the delicate petals surrounding our inner beings and take in all the positive energy we can. At the same time, we don’t have to hold onto that energy that does not serve us and can refuse to magnify it. We can help each other stay safe and nurture ourselves and each other.
Heron Taking Flight
And if a time comes when we need to take flight for our physical safety or mental health, we do possess the ability to chart a new course even when the odds seem stacked against us. We need to find freedom inside ourselves, especially as our society becomes less free. Most lifeforms keep doing their best to keep living, even in the midst of storms and increasingly dangerous and uncertain conditions. Even if we can’t fly very far, but can only hover over chaotic waters, it may be enough to alter our perspective and keep a spark of hope alive.