The Japanese Way of the Flower: Ikebana as Moving Meditation is part of Stone Bridge Press's MICHI: JAPANESE ARTS AND WAYS series. From chado--"the Way of tea"--to budo--"the martial Way"--Japan has succeeded in spiritualizing a number of classical arts. The names of these skills often end in Do, also pronounced Michi, meaning the "Way." By studying a Way in detail, we discover vital principles that transcend the art and relate more broadly to the art of living itself. Featuring the work of H. E. Davey and other select authors, books in the series MICHI: JAPANESE ARTS AND WAYS focus on these Do forms. They are about discipline and spirituality, about moving from the particular to the universal... to benefit people of any culture.
This volume of "moving meditations" shows how simple Japanese flower arranging (ikebana) techniques can be used to refresh the body and restore the spirit. Emphasizing that ikebana is first and foremost a "Way"--a spiritual and meditative art--the book offers solid grounding in Japanese aesthetics and philosophy, with references to Zen, tea ceremony, and other traditional Japanese arts. Line drawings and color photographs show step-by-step arrangements especially for beginners and casual practitioners.
The Japanese Way of the Flower is out of print, but the entire book was recently included in the new anthology The Japanese Way of the Artist. The Japanese Way of the Artist can be purchased at www.amazon.com.
