Fred,

Your post makes a great deal of sense. What struck me was how many see bonsai as intricately bound to certain religious beliefs. That's certainly a true statement; some do conclude that if you are involved in bonsai, you must be a Buddhist.

You may be interested to know that there are a few small exceptions, specifically in an old Southern Baptist church...mine. My church has a committee that carries the responsibility of having a "flower arrangement" in the sanctuary every Sunday. For many years now, I have provided a bonsai on occasion instead of flowers. The congregation has seen various junipers, pines, maples, crab apples, azaleas, even suiseki. I have been flattered to the point of embarrassment by members who will gather after the service at the pulpit looking at the bonsai and asking questions when they are directed to me. I find great satisfaction in this since my belief is that God is the creator of everything, including the bonsai.

Over time this has served two different advantages. It has introduced bonsai to a wide, diverse group of people who may, normally, never encounter a bonsai display. It does this while dispelling the incorrect belief that bonsai is limited to certain religions, thereby expanding its exposure. Secondly, instead of spending $75 for a flower arrangement for one day, there is no cost incurred, and the arrangement is "reuseable".

I'll admit, that the first few times, I was a little concerned that bonsai would not be well received, but quite the opposite is true. Many people ask if they can come by to see my collection. I feel that this is a very important message to others involved in bonsai. It transcends all "invisible" barriers that we create with our own personal prejudices, either true or untrue.

If you ever considered showing a bonsai in public and you attend a church, you might find a way to do it for the benefit of more than just your own satisfaction. I just wanted to mention that since this post seems the appropriate place for it.

Best regards,

John

this is a great thread...i wish i had seen it earlier. discussing these types of topics is what makes bonsai so satisfying for me...

one thing i would like to add about wabi sabi is that it must occur within the context of transitoriness/temporariness. a good example of wabi wabi sabi, and seriously not to lower the discussion, can actually be seen in Tom Cruise's movie "Last Samurai". for those who havent seen this movie, i really suggest it, not because of the story or tom cruise himself, but because it gives a good image of what life was like in japan during the transition from the bakufu (shogunate) to the meiji/taisho parliamentary system that existed until world war II. as japan was going through a monumental change, many instances of wabi sabi were created that still, in fact, exist today (if one leaves and spends periods of time in a japanese home outside of tokyo). i digress...

anyway, the best image of wabi sabi from the movie was when ken watanabe and the rest of the samura, rather than surrender, made a final charge on the meiji troops. it wasnt the charge itself that depicted wabi sabi, but if one looks in the background, cherry blossoms can be seen. it is the falling of the cherry blossoms, themselves, that depict simple beauty within the context of a transitory nature.

now why is it that pines do such a good job of showing wabi sabi? this i do not know, but as i think now, i believe that it is because the life of us humans is but a small amount of time compared to the total length of life in a pine. in this case, it is us, mortal humans, that are like the falling cherry blossoms.

jeff