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most don't have the patience to learn what it is all about, sad state of affairs really.
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Chris, and others,
This is an interesting remark. I think Fred's subject can be viewed from a few different angles.
Mkoning finds that
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I enjoy bonsai because it brings me close to nature and gives me time for contemplation and relaxation.
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Bonsaikc says:
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Since bonsai is an art that reached its zenith in Japan, to plumb the depths of bonsai requires one to understand some of its cultural underpinnings
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These to me are very interesting thoughts on the spirit of Western and Easern Bonsai. As mentioned before, the East has gained from Western ideas. And the West has gained things from the East. The globe really does shrink even more when culturul crossings occur.
My personal view on Spirit Bonsai stems from an interesting experience I had when I was growing up. Bear with me here:
From 96-2000 I lived in Cairo, Egypt, and went to an American International school, where there was a rather large mix of many different cultures. Citizens of countries such as the USA, Russia, Korea, Japan, China, the Netherlands, even South Africa were present. This experience broadened my horizons, and I found an apprecaition for all the cultural expressions that I had learned from everybody else. However, where did all the cultural stuff (for lack of a better work) arise from? History.
I found that things are done for a reason, and I haven't truly discovered all the reasons yet why I practice bonsai. I know that I find it to be a channel through which time has no importance. I learned this from reading and researching alot. There's some information in a book I have that says monks would nurture and grow their trees, knowing that the tree would continue to flourish after their death, but it brought to mind the balance between life and death, man and earth.
To me, this is the essence and spirit of the East, balance, self-actualization through an art, and devotion.
Fondest regards,
Dane