Bigaku

Today, we had tea at the beginning of class instead of at the usual break halfway through. Little experiences like these are what we live for . . . I think that in itself was very wabi-sabi because we had just come in from the cold, which we don't like very much to drink hot tea. So we couldn't say that we hate this kind of weather in that instant; it was a moment in which we were glad for the cold weather and the hot tea.

Tokonomas

• the scrolls were much livelier today
  
  
  
  • the words had feeling to them in the way they were drawn
    
  • for 'michi/tao,' I think the way you walk on that road is what makes it pleasing and special
    
  • the semi-formal scroll was created along the same lines as what I wrote above
    
  • the zen circle is 'an expression of the moment'; "the opening symbolizes that the Enso is not separate, but is part of something greater" - Wikipedia
    
  
  
• although the place where the flowers were is considered part of the tokonoma, the focus still seems to be on the scroll
  
  

Other pictures and info


the vases from last class






semi-formal room's pot was uncovered







first chance to see the formal room's firepit being used

Chabana

We had the chance of putting together a chabana and placing it in one of the tokonomas. It was an odd and exciting at the same time. Design was really at work in these pieces. To think that we won't get to see them anymore . . .

Tokonomas

• as always, the items within were related to the subject of the lecture
  
• the atmosphere when viewing the tokonomas is now very different
  
  
  
  • seems almost like a monastery, with the quietude, the uniformity
    
  • it's very calming to see the rows of people in front of the tokonomas
    
  • and even more calming to be a part of it and look at everything
    
  • very different from the bustle of the first few times
    
  
  
  

Informal, Semi-formal, and Formal

• the ceilings mentioned last time (semi-formal, formal)
  
  
• rooms seem extremely spacious with most of the screens taken out/hidden (semi-formal, formal)
  
  
• the informal room was closed, like it was out of service for the winter
  
  

Chabana exercise

• the flower arrangements were beautiful but i couldn't get pictures of all of them since my camera ran out of battery
  
• it was interesting to note that despite the shape of the container, the flowers were able to match and even accent them
  
• round containers should not go with round boards
  
• we used the containers sitting on the display wall (arranged in order of shin, gyo, so)
  
• tools we used:
  
  
• our arrangement:
  
  
• everyone else's:
  
  
  
  

Other pictures and info

• the garden still looked well put together even though the flower-bearing plants are dead
  
• the freshly fallen snow contrasted oddly with the greenness of the place, like it is still living despite how cold it was