About Zen (& Sashiko) today. Well, since the principal of Zen is “Words aren’t g

About Zen (& Sashiko) today. Well, since the principal of Zen is “Words aren’t good enough – (不立文字 – Furyumonji”, it is already kind of contradicting to explain what Zen is, but hey, I can at least try. Please understand that I am neither a master, a monk, nor even a continuous practitioner (I do meditation daily basis but I don’t have a Zen teacher).
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Zen, Sashiko, Boro. I sometimes feel non-Japanese people fantasize these words. Sashiko is merely a stitching form, and Boro is merely the results of stitching. The mindset of Zen naturally exist in the Japanese more or less. We adapted the concept in the development of Zen as a part of buddhism, in which many Japanese people naturally followed. Among many ramifications, there is one thing I can see as the common in the Japanese; it is the understanding to the spirit (or something invisible). Sashiko has many kinds, but I believe everything was the same in one mindset. They “cared” someone they loved. Sashiko & Zen (or buddhism) are both so ordinary for Japanese. Too ordinary to make it structured. No wonder some people find Sashiko as Zen-like practice. It has the same root, which is the ordinary (natural) mindset of Japanese (At least, the Japanese in the past.)
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We probably experience the moment of Zen-like when we care for someone in our ordinary life in 2019. When we think of someone, we go inner-self. When we think of ourselves (benefit, winning, and pride and such), we go outer-side to attack the others (to get what we want). I hope you can feel “Zen-like” moment in your ordinary life. Happiness isn’t something to achieve. Happiness is something to feel by caring others (and of course yourself).
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今日は禅と刺し子のお話。
英語では長いこと書きましたが、なんだかんだで禅は「不立文字」が原則と理解しているので、是非運針を通して、禅っぽい何かを感じて頂ければ。運針を大切にして頂く刺し子であれば、今は感じて無くても、きっと「あーそういうことか」と感じる時がくると思っています。この襤褸しかり、楽しんで刺し子して下さっている皆様の作品しかり。
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2019-03-09 21:41:25

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