Friday, October 25, 2013

wabi sabi - #86

Yesterday I spotted a stout man wearing a chainsaw in the backyard. Right before my eyes, without ceremony, he lifted his apparel and began to cut off all the branches that, in this picture, are still attached. 

 The man's hair wasn't quite covering his bald spot but this didn't appear to concern him. After the branches were severed, he proceeded to slice his blade into the tree trunk. Stopping periodically to rest, he would push on the tree.  As happens when one is attempting to root out a long standing pattern, the trunk did not want to let go of its familiar stance.  

 My heart felt a tender spot for this ugly, messy, and decidedly wabi sabi tree as it finally surrendered and fell over. I wasn't alone with my affection for it - the birds are in mourning.

 It would be logical for this post to enlighten you; to describe in detail the meaning of wabi sabi. This is not easy for me to accomplish. I experienced a similar difficulty defining the elusive   Shadow.

 The following Zen quote* gives me a great deal of comfort:
"Those who know don't say; those who say don't know."

The first Japanese people involved with wabi sabi all practiced Zen and had been steeped in the Zen mindset.

Essential knowledge, in the Zen doctrine, can be transmitted only from mind to mind, not through the written or spoken word.

 Learning in this manner is foreign to us Westerners. I know what wabi sabi means to me but I am not going to wrestle with words this week.  Maybe my years meditating at the Zen Center in Des Moines rubbed off on me more than I suspected.

 We will continue to explore wabi sabi in the next few weeks.

 Each of you may want to explore the mystery of wabi sabi. Please share with us what you discover. 

 Thank you for exploring the mystery - Nicky Mendenhall

*Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren (1994 & 2008)

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2 comments:

  1. MargieOctober 30, 2013 at 12:12 PM

    Perhaps I have worked on too many disasters - my take is that, the gentleman maybe putting that tree to rest. That after disaster or death of a tree there comes a time when it is time to put behind him the life as he knew it. As painful as it is this space will never be the same. It may be left vacant, filled with new life with a tree or flowers, become a grassy mound or the stump may be left as a tombstone to remind him of his past.
    Blessings,
    Margie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NicolaOctober 30, 2013 at 12:13 PM

      Thanks Margie for an different look at what happened in my backyard. Very interesting!
      NIcky

      Delete

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