Himeji

Here are pics from my gallery opening party in Himiji. I had a wonderful, wonderful night.
Himeji Castle, a three minute walk from the gallery, is considered to be the most beautiful castle in all Japan. It was never attacked; this is the original.
Interestingly, there was one cherry tree still in bloom in the castle park.
This is my good friend Shotaro. Rika and he drove up all the way from Kochi!


"sky womb"

Shotaro, Rika, and Julie.


Yukiko and her sister, who came all the way from Kawanoe, Ehime. Yukiko brought flowers.

A couple Himeji Tanuki.

Cherry Blossoms

I spent all yesterday painting on these two new works, trying to get them done in time. The show in Himeji goes up tomorrow.

"Hanami"

"Misty Surface"

New Inter-view

Please watch this new inter-view with the Dalai Lama. It's very good. Also, if you want a more integrally informed opinion about the democrats and the republicans, you might want to watch the great Ken Wilber talk to the left. He mentions Kansas a few times. =) If you want to laugh, watch THIS video of a talking goat.

Worry Dolls

My coworker Yamamoto-san, about 40 years old, put down her book and said to me, “You know, it has taken me many years but I’m beginning to understand that it's because of uneasiness that anything important happens and that life is so interesting. It's the unknown, the uncertainty, that is thrilling and creative, and I can be ok with that, ok with unease. This is all new to me, but I can feel it. It’s taken so many years though.”

I sat up.

She continued, “During meditation the other day I felt like I was a container; just an empty container, and I could fill that container with thoughts and feelings, or I could let other people fill it with thoughts and feeling,, or not fill it. I was a container for that. It felt very freeing.”

“That’s beautiful. We can fill it, or other people can fill it. Interesting. Your image reminds me: in Kyoto, at Kyomizu temple, there is a large wooden bucket of water next to a table, and on the table is a pile of special paper. People write their worries on the thin pieces of paper and then drop them into the wooden bucket where they slowly dissolves. The water is filled with peoples’ worries, appearing as layers and layers of foggy, pulpy fields laced with lost letters and names. And it looked like unmoving clouds suspended in sky. I liked the image a lot. “



“Yeah. Sounds interesting, and beautiful.”

“When I visited there last week, there was a woman standing by the table writing furiously on dozens of sheets of paper. She had a whole book to drop in that bucket.”

“Did you write a worry to dissolve with everyone else’s?”

“No.”

“Oh, you have no worries?” she smiled.

“No, I just didn't want to wait in line.”

“That’s funny.” She said, and got back to her book.



The annual G8 summit will be in Hokkaido this year, from July 7–9. Anyone going? I'd like to go and visit my friend David at the same time.

Painting Update

There is now an elephant, frog, snake, bear, crane, fox, and dragon in this landscape. Can you find them?

Poems home

The Sun is carrying the clear light of mind in through my dusty windows today, and the cherry blossoms are falling all around; their rubbery petals roaring the lion truth of change. In the trees and on the grounds, ten thousand new faces flap prayer flagging graces, and birds fly formations like order from spaces.

moss in a mist covers the history,
tangible mystery mirrors my fist.

I'll open today, again, and fall onto you, Love. Hold onto me, and do to me what you do to the flowers.
I'm open.

Great Alan Watts

Here is a new cartoon by my old roommate and great friend Ian Horner.
Check it.

Wow

This image is definitely something the Chinese people do not want to see. I keep reading about how angry they are at the Dalai Lama and his "clique" for trying to sabotage their big chance at the Olympics. But beating and imprisoning hundreds of monks and nuns for peacefully marching in the streets is not the appropriate behavior of a modern society. Rule of thumb: don't beat up monks.

Spring Break

This is the most beautiful cherry tree I have ever seen. Gray bark, full bloom, Arashiyama, Kyoto.

Can you see my happy aunt, uncle, and cousin posing on the Arashiyama bridge?

Yohei looking concerned for a crane hunting in the pond at Nijo castle, Kyoto.

Yohei and my cousin Sarah.



Monkey Mountain, Arashiyama, Kyoto. Can you see the monkey?

Jizo sitting on some moss at Mt. Koya.

Walkway through the sacred forest at Mt. Koya.

Kannon giving the gift. Mt. Koya.

My family, Shin, and Simon at Mt. Koya.

Another great tree in Nara.


Osaka.
Osaka.

My old hat. Mt. Koya.

The Great Buddha, Dainichi Nyorai (Mahavirochana) in Nara. This is the Biggest Buddha in Japan. He is the "Kosmic Buddha" and his open-hand mudra means "Giving and receiving." I think it looks very erotic, don't you?

Todaiji, in Nara, is the largest wooden structure on Earth.


Todaiji.

Cherry blossoms at Todaiji. That gray pink/purple next to the blue is so groovy.

Tricia at our campsite on Zamami Island, Okinawa. It seamed we had the island to ourselves. But one day I was relaxing naked on the beach and suddenly a large army helicopter flew above me and landed in the mountains behind. Very dreamy.
People playing with incense at Kyomizu-dera, Kyoto.

$250 mango, Sogo department store, Osaka.

Stairway to the ceiling of Todaiji, Nara.

Ty with a new friend on the ferry to Zamami, Okinawa.

Steve in Zamami.


Ty kayaking by our campsite in Zamami.
Around the campfire at Zamami.

Stone totems in the forest on Yakushima. Yakushima is a small island off the southern coast of Kyushu. We went there to see the oldest tree in Japan.



Yakushima.

Yakushima.




This is the Jomon-sugi, a seven thousand-year-old cedar tree. This tree taught me many things, such as to be strong and never give up, slow down, and smile--there is beauty in this world.
Emilie sitting inside a hallow three thousand-year-old cedar tree.


Another three thousand-year-old tree.