my friend loretta encouraged me to put this on my blog, even though this is not strictly related to “flowers for homes”…… it’s more “flowers for spiritual places”.
i used to go somewhat regularly to the zen center LA, a spiritual oasis founded by a japanese zen master in 1967. the place consists of 4 craftsman houses and its surrounding gardens.
i still very much enjoy doing the flowers for the various altars there……
for the zendo, the meditation hall, right next to an antique figurine of manjushri, the boddhisatva of wisdom who carries a sword, cause he cut’s through your delusions….. the 2 rooms were teachers give formal interviews, the dining hall, the buddha hall and the dharma hall…….
some spiritual places, you just soak the energy up once you’re there……
i enjoy doing my flowers there, all slow and aware…….
being grateful to the flowers which have just graced the altars the previous week and which i will put afterwards into the green recyling…… and gratefully and gracefully arranging the new flowers i have selected at the market for the various vases…..
of course i don’t do ikebana there. that is a highly regulated craft which i appreciate, but it’s not my approach there. i guess i approach doing the flowers there from a point of grace and modesty, in a way. kind of being playful in a naive way. not too much thought. just letting the flowers be.
as i wrote before, at some spiritual places, you just soak the energy up once you’re there……
was very impressed by the vows members had put up in the zendo……
the ones that impressed me the most were
i vow to be where i am.
and
i vow to know the luminous heart of all beings.
the sun is mild and caressing today and people are kind.
pictures to follow soon.
