yugen, a profound mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe

Yūgen is an important concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics.  The exact translation of the word depends on the context.  In the Chinese philosophical texts the term was taken from, yūgen meant “dim”, “deep” or “mysterious”.  In the criticism of Japanese waka poetry, it was used to describe the subtle profundity of things that are only vaguely suggested by the poems, and was also the name of a style of poetry (one of the ten orthodox styles delineated by Fujiwara no Teika in his treatises).

Yugen suggests that beyond what can be said but is not an allusion to another world.  It is about this world, this experience.  All of these are portals to yugen:

“To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill.  To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands.  To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds.  And, subtle shadows of bamboo on bamboo.”  

Zeami Motokiyo

Yugen is said to mean “a profound, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe… and the sad beauty of human suffering”.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Japanese Maple Leaves Dial Face, the Zen Alarm Clock for a progressive awakening

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Bamboo trees in Kyoto, Japan

Bamboo are a group of perennial evergreen (except for certain temperate species) plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae.  Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family.

Bamboos are also the fastest growing woody plants in the world.  They are capable of growing up to 60 centimeters (24 in.) or more per day due to a unique rhizome-dependent system.  However, this astounding growth rate is highly dependent on local soil and climatic conditions. 

Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in East Asia and South East Asia where they are used extensively in everyday life as building materials, as a food source and as a highly versatile raw product.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Bamboo Chime Alarm Clock, for a progressive awakening

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Cherry blossoms (sakura), often simply called blossoms (hana) are a common spring kigo.

Kigo is a word or phrase associated with a particular season, used in Japanese poetry.  

The association of kigo with a particular season may be obvious, though sometimes it is more subtle.  Pumkins (kabocha), for example, are a winter squash that is associated with the autumn harvest.

It may be less obvious why the moon (tsuki) is an autumn kigo, since it is visible year round.  In autumn the days become shorter and the nights longer, yet they are still warm enough to stay outside, so one is more likely to notice the moon.  Often the night sky will be free of clouds so that also helps with noticing the moon.  Autumn is also the time when the full moon can help farmers work under the moonlight to harvest their crops.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Digital Zen Alarm Clock, a meditation timer and progressive alarm clock

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Kamedo Tenjin Shrine: drum bridge in the garden, Hiroshige ukiyo-e

During the Asuka period (538-710), gardens were supposed to express Buddhism and Taoism through replicating the mountainous regions in China.

During the Heian period (794-1185), gardens shifted from solely representing religious beliefs to becoming, “a place for ceremonies, amusement, and contemplation” (Miller).

peter in a japanese garden

In the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (1185-1573), a great many gardens were created during these two time periods due to improved garden techniques and the development of Syoinzukuri style.  Zen beliefs were also flourishing at this time and had great influences over garden techniques and purposes.  Another factor that allowed gardens to flourish stems from the fact that the shoguns simply enjoyed gardens.

After the Muromachi Period, Japanese tea ceremonies became an intricate part of Japanese culture.  Sen no Rikyu (1517-1591) created the traditional style of a tea house where there was usually a roji (“dewy path”) leading to the house.  Besides the tea houses, gardens constructed in the Edo period (1603-1868) reflected the tastes and style of each individual shogun ruler.  Instead of being a religious symbol, gardens shifted to being a symbol of a shogun’s prestige and power (Miller).

adapted from wikipedia.org

Zen Clocks by Now & Zen

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A kaiyu-shiki or strolling garden

Chaniwa Gardens are built for holding tea ceremonies.  There is usually a tea house where the ceremonies occur, and the styles of both the hut and garden are based on the simple concepts of the sado. 

Usually, there are stepping stones leading to the tea house, stone lanterns, and stone basins (tsukubai) where guests purify themselves before a ceremony.

tsukubai

Japanese gardens might also fall into one of these styles:

• Kanshoh-style gardens which are viewed from a residence.
• Pond gardens, for viewing from a boat.
• Strolling gardens (kaiyū-shiki), for viewing a sequence of effects from a path which circumnavigates the garden.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Bamboo yoga and meditation timer

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Hagiwara Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, California, showing the use of stone, water and plants

Tsukiyama Gardens often copy famous landscapes from China or Japan, and they commonly strive to make a smaller garden appear more spacious. 

This is accomplished by utilizing shrubs to block views of surrounding buildings, and the garden’s structure usually tries to make onlookers focus on nearby mountains in the distance.  By doing this, it seems that the garden has the mountains as part of its grounds.  Ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges, and paths are also used frequently in this style.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Zen Timer for meditation by Now & Zen Inc.

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1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

(800) 779-6383

torii gate, Meiji-jingu Shrine, Japan

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the sacred to the profane.  The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps. They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple’s own shrine, called chinjusha and usually very small.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Bamboo Zen Timers, a meditation tool

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creating water gardens, a mindfulness practice

One mindfulness practice we enjoy is to create a water garden.  It can be calming to find rocks and create a special space for meditation.   

Finding a good placement of rocks is similar to arranging a Zen garden or Japanese rock garden.   Well-done, intuitive placement of rocks can stimulate a feeling of peace or Zen while also achieving a practical effect.

Bamboo Zen Clock, a meditation timer

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1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

cherry blossoms

What a strange thing!

to be alive

beneath cherry blossoms.

                                            -Issa-

maple zen timer for meditation and yoga

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1638 Pearl Street

Boulder, CO  80302

stillness

Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, backyard ponds and garden ponds, usually referring to a man-made feature, typically combine a pool with aquatic plants and often ornamental fish.  Fixed items such as rocks, fountains, statuary, waterfalls and watercourses can be combined with the pool to add visual interest and integration with the local landscape and environment. 

Water gardens are a perfect place for a mindfulness practice.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Bamboo Zen Chime Clock

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Boulder, CO  80302