5

BSTC 2003
Lecture Date Topic

1 Jan 18 Introduction
2 Jan 25 Origin and development of Zen Buddhism
Lunar New Year Feb 1 No Class
3 Feb 8 The acceptance and development of Zen in Japan
4 Feb 13 Japanese aesthetic values 1
5 Feb 22 Japanese aesthetic values 2
6 Mar 1 Traditional Japanese arts.
Reading Week Mar 8 No Class
7 Mar 15 Influence on arts and literature
8 Mar 22 Influence on architecture and landscaping (Short Essay Due)

9 Mar 29 Zen and design

Ching Ming Festival Apr 5 No Class
10 Apr 12 Zen and lifestyle
11 Apr 19 Influence across the globe
12 Apr 26 Zen and contemporary aesthetics

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 1.Essential concepts, practices and historical background.
 2.Aesthetics of Zen:
 Philosophy and nature of beauty and taste.
 What is consider beauty? Why pleasing?
 Set of principles and concepts underlying the works of Zen.

 3.Application:
 Architecture and landscaping;
 Arts and literature;
 Spirituality;
 Design;
 Lifestyle.

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 Lecture 5
 Japanese aesthetic values.
 Mono-no-aware (物の哀れ)
 Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
 Yūgen (幽玄)
 Ma (間)
 Shibui (渋い)
 Iki (粋)
 Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
 Shu-ha-ri (守破離)
⁞

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Nara Six Buddhist School, Zen (Rinzai school) Rejection of Buddhism
later Shingon & Tendai
 Zen predominated 

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 Mono no aware 物の哀れ
 The “ahh-ness” of things.
 Focus on the impermanence of
things.
 Wabi sabi 侘び寂び
 The “Rustic” beauty.
 Focus on non-self, non-attachment,
and imperfection.

 Unique and overlapping.

 Beauty does not necessarily come
from pleasure.
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 Seems to be instinctive.
 I just like it!

 Beauty: “Enjoyment” and

“Pleasure”?
 May not apply to mono no aware...

 Universal among human?

 Everyone will have his/her own
opinion.
 Past experience.
 Shaped culturally, to a certain
extent.

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 Overlaps with wabi-sabi.
 Subtly profound grace, and
not obvious.
 In the Chinese philosophical
texts the term was taken
from, yūgen meant "dim",
"deep" or "mysterious".
 Yūgen suggests that which is
beyond what can be said.
 Feeling,
 Mysterious and ineffable.
 Seems hidden, cannot grasp,
but you know there is
something there.
 Beauty is already there...?

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 Is beauty a pleasure?
 Feeling of the dark and unknown.
 Fear of impermanence, death that is
unavoidable.
 The deep awareness of nature.
 Appreciating this unknown.
 Find beauty within fear.
 Life is full of unknown, accept this, and
enjoy our journey.
 “Aware” of this nature.
 Brings tranquility.

 Side note: natural disaster, war were

common in Japan.
 Always in a state of unknown.
 A way to transform internal fear to bliss.
 Death is not the end of life, but just a part of
it.
 If no death, there is no birth.
 Integrated into aesthetics value.

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 A Chinese term describing deep and
profound thoughts.
 Found in Buddhist sutras.
 The term is used to describe Buddhist
teachings as profound and deep.
 “Buddha’s dharma is yūgen” 佛法幽玄.
 https://tripitaka.cbeta.org/
 search: 幽玄

 Describing Taoist thoughts

 Emperor Wu of Han (141-87 BCE, 漢武帝)
described Taoist thought as “extremely
yūgen” (理極幽玄).

 “Something” deep and profound, ineffable.

 Buddha nature/ the Tao which is beautiful?

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 Fujiwara no Shunzei (藤原 俊成, 1114 –
1204)
 also known as Fujiwara no Toshinari and
Shakua (釈阿).
 A poet, courtier, and Buddhist monk of the
late Heian period.
 One of the most important waka poets.
 Influenced by Tang Chinese poetry and
Buddhism.
 Fujiwara family.
 Descendants of the imperial family.

 Famous for expressing yūgen in poetry.

 Waka poetry (和歌).
 Compiled the Senzai Wakashū (千載和歌集,
“Collection of a Thousand Years”).
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 Short poem
 5 lines 5-7-5-7-7
世の中よ / 道こそなけれ / 思ひ入る / 山の奥にも / 鹿ぞ鳴
くなる
yononaka yo/ michi koso nakere/ omoi iru/ yama no
oku ni mo/ shika zo naku naru
There is no way to escape the world. My mind made up I
have entered deep in the mountains, but even here my
pain is echoed in the plaintive belling of the stag.
Shunzei

 Collected in Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (小倉百人一首).

 Fujiwara no Teika 藤原定家 (1162–1241)
 Son of Fujiwara no Shunzei.

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13
 Uta-garuta (歌ガルタ, Poetry card)
 Traditional Japanese card game.
 Based on the Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首)

 Chihayafuru (ちはやふる) by Yuki

Suetsugu, 末次由紀.
 Manga and anime series.

torifuda yomifuda
(取り札, “grabbing cards”) (読札, “reading cards”) 14
 Expressed by contrasting between
light and shadow.
 A dim-lit room is common in
traditional Japanese design.
 Different degree of light and
shadow.
 Shadow is changing.
 In Praise of Shadows (陰翳礼讃)
Tanizaki Junichiro (谷崎 潤一郎).

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Objects looks better in dimly lit
environment.
 Dark lacquerware.
 Shades of “black” in urushi (漆, lacquer).
 brings “yūgen”.

 Tanizaki Junichiro:
 In a dark Japanese house, the light of a
candle flickering in the darkness
creates light and shadow, revealing the
gloss of lacquerware with a depth and
thickness like that of a swamp. The
beauty of lacquerware is brought out by
shadows.
 Dim lit places (the path at Koyasan
cemetery).
 Buddhist statues (Todai-ji).
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 Yūgen, the art of unknown and
untold.
 Imagined landscape is richer and
deeper than the one seen with
eyes.
 When you don’t show all of them,
keeping something mysterious,
you can convey more.
 Physical partitioning:
 Architecture hidden by trees.

Ginkaku-ji, Kyoto
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 Yūgen is not an allusion to another world. It is about
this world, this experience…
 Zen teachings: the present moment.
 Mindful on the present moment.
 Important Zen meditation practice.
 Depicted in art forms.
 Experience for contemplation:
 “To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill.
 To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return.
 To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that
disappears behind distant islands.
 To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among
the clouds…” –Zeami Motokiyo
 In the Buddhist tradition, all things are considered as
either evolving from or dissolving into nothingness.
 Reflection on the concept of non-self and
impermanence.
 This “nothingness” is not empty space. It is rather a
space of potentiality.
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 Ma (間, lit. "gap", "space", "pause")
 Empty space.
 Emptiness in the Buddhist context.

 This “nothingness” is not empty space.

It is rather a space of potentiality.
 Important in aesthetics.
 The concept of space as a positive
entity.
 As opposed the absence of things.
 It is “filled with space”, and not empty.

 An emptiness full of possibilities, like

a promise yet to be fulfilled.
 Like the silence between the notes
which compose great music.
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 Relates to all aspects of life.
 A pause in time, an interval or emptiness
in space.
 The time and space life needs to grow.
 If we have no time or if our space is
restricted, we cannot grow.
 This “space” filled with hope and potentiality
for growth and improvement.
 A pause, break in everyday life.
 A bow, pause in conversation.
 A break during lecture.

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 Appears in many areas of
Japanese arts and culture.
 Paintings.
 Chinese paintings (liu bai 留白).

 Noh.
 Tokonoma 床の間.
 Ikebana.
 Object arrangement.
 Arranging Things: A Rhetoric of
Object Placement by Leonard
Koren.
 Interior design.
 Opposed to maximalist design.

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 2 influential books
 Hara Kenya (原研哉), art director of Muji.

 Designing Design
 The importance of “emptiness” in both the visual
and philosophical traditions of Japan and its
application to design.
 Numerous illustrated examples from his work.

 White
 Japanese aesthetics - symbolizing simplicity and
subtlety.
 emptiness and the absolute void.
 emptiness doesn't mean “nothingness”, but will
likely be filled with content in the future.
 “empty container”
 Applying emptiness in design.

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 The using of white colour to represent
emptiness.
 But not nothingness.
 This emptiness is a vessel.
 Emptiness is the ‘possibility yet to be filled’.
 Always be open, do not be filled with
preconceptions.
 The company stressed that they are not
minimalist.
 “Muji products ... are succinct, but they are
not in the minimalist style. That is, they
are like empty vessels. Simplicity and
emptiness yield the ultimate universality,
embracing the feelings and thoughts of all
people”.

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 Originated during the Edo period (1603-1868)
 Genroku culture (元禄文化).

 Initially used to describe Tatsumi Geisha (辰

巳芸者)
 Geisha who were extremely popular in
Fukagawa, Edo (江戸の深川).
 Well mannered, good natured, well-fashioned,
heartfelt with enthusiasm and pride.
 Not selling their bodies but their skills.
 Considered as the symbol of the “spirit of Edo”.

 This concept later meant that a person’s

appearance and behavior were sophisticated
and cool and that she/he was loving and
smart.
 Usually describing the merchant class of the
Edo period.

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 Chōnin Culture (町人文化)
 Chōnin (町人, "townsman")
 Genroku Period元禄時代1688-1725.
 Genroku Culture (元禄文化)

 Peaceful Society.
 Merchants became increasingly wealthy.
 Trading.
 The “Middle-class” culture.

 Culture to “enjoy life”.

 Zen Buddhism is about this life.
 Enjoy this life!
 Compare to salvation for the next life.

 Integrated samurai lifestyle and art:

 Noh (能), Cha-no-yu (茶の湯), and flower
arrangement (生け花).
 “Zen” culture and aesthetics got popularized.
 As these were not accessible to the lower class.

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 Emperor

Shogun

Samurai

 Samurai class restricted the expression Peasants

of material wealth in the lower class Artisans

(merchants) through edicts.
Merchants
 Colourful fabrics, sophisticated patters
were banned on the attire of the lower Outcaste
class.
 Prevent the merchant to look better than
the samurai.
 In return, the merchants:
 Stay away from showing off, otherwise the
wealth confiscated.
 Wore ordinary clothings, but with silk
(expensive) linings.
 Built unattractive houses, but full of
treasures inside.

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 Chic, stylish. a sophisticated person
 Originated from the merchant class of the Edo
period.
 The floating world. “urban aesthetics”
 Zen: living in a world
 Kuki Shūzō 九鬼周造1888 –1941
 Academic, philosopher, poet, art critic and
university professor (Kyoto University).
 Father: Kuki Shūzō (九鬼周造).

 The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzō (岡倉覚三).

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 Reflections on Japanese taste : the structure of iki
(「いき」の構造) by Kuki Shūzō
 A consciousness phenomenon, reflects the moral
ideal of Edo culture.
 The spirit of Edokko (江戸っ子, native citizen of Edo).

 Iki (chic and stylish)

 Coquetry (bitai, 媚態)
 a “coquettish” or “seductiveness” , sexy, alluring and
elegant behavior.

 Strong and defiant spirit (ikiji, 意気地)

 a spirit of defiance or pride, and it means a kind of
contradictory attitude of not flattering on the whole.
 Resignation (akirame, 諦め)
 refrain from obsession, non-attachment.

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 The “coquetry” for the opposite sex.
 A “coquettish” or “seductiveness” to
the opposite sex, forming a sexy and
elegant behaviour.
 Flirtatiousness with restrained
eroticism.
 E.g. a woman possessing bitai
(coquetry) was charming but not
lascivious.
 “Beauty” is formed from
seductiveness, and sexuality is
involved in the process.
 Embedded in nature?
 Courtship. Evolutionary process.
 Notion of beauty is innate.

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 Ikuji (意気地) is a spirit of defiance or
pride, an opposing attitude of not
satisfying as a whole.
 The merchant class was considered as the
lowest class.
 A spirit of a sharp, direct, strong,
determined and uncompromising
attitude.
 Adapted from the samurai spirit (bushido).
 Courage, guts and willpower.
 Considered to be cool and stylish.

 Iki has a coquetry nature, but has a

strong sense of resistance against the
opposite sex.

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 Akirame (諦め) resignation.
 Reflections on Buddhist thoughts.

 Based on impermanence and

imperfection.
 The ideal beauty was restrained, not
necessarily perfect, and always pleasant.
 Stylishness or without pretentiousness.
 Refrain from obsession, non-attachment
on things.
 Plain subtle colour, pattern...
 Could be detailed and expensive.
 Influencing kimono style nowadays.

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32
 Edo period Genroku culture.
 Clothing of chōnin classes.
 Symbolic of their wealth and taste.

 Tokugawa shogunate issued a number of

edicts on kimono.
 For the lower classes, prohibiting the use of
purple or red fabric, gold embroidery, and the
use of some sophisticated patterns.
 Chōnin adapted the plain, subtle style.
 Exquisite material, usually in the lining.
 As a result, a school of aesthetic style known
as iki.
 The display of wealth through subtle
appearances.
 The concept of kimono design continues
nowadays.
 Especially the men’s kimono.

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 An expression of carefully designed
simplicity.
 Simple clothing, fine fabrics and tailoring.
 Naturalness and originality, spontaneous
and carefree.
 Opposed to the kawaii style.
 Yabo (野暮) is the antonym of iki.
 Busui (無粋), literally "non-iki", is synonymous
to yabo.
 Something that is unappealing. literally "non-iki”.
 Unrefined, gigantic, coarse, childish, colourful,
self-conscious, permanent, loud, superficial,
vulgar, snobbish, boorish, etc.

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 Geisha (芸者)
 geigi (芸妓)

 Male: taikomochi (太鼓持)

 Declined in number after WWII.

 Female entertainers trained in

traditional styles of performing art,
such as dance, music and singing.
 Maiko 舞妓
 Apprentice geisha.

 Oiren (花魁)
 “Courtesan”.
 The Anti-Prostitution Law in 1957,
banned the sexual aspect.

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okobo & tabi

koma geta
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 Kyōto-gakuha 京都学派
 Kuki Shūzō.

 New philosophical movements among

Buddhist intellectuals.
 Led by a group of Kyoto University
professors.
 Nishida Kitarō (西田幾多郎1870–1945).
 Tanabe Hajime (田辺元1885–1962).
 Nishitani Keiji (西谷啓治1900–1991).
 Engage Western philosophers like Kant,
Hegel and Nietzsche and Buddhist thought
to express a new perspective.

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 Philosopher and religious scholar.
 The founder of the Kyoto School of
philosophy.
 Zen and Western philosophy
 The Essence of Beauty (Bi no Setsumei, 美
の說明).
 Beauty is not a kind of “pleasure” (kairaku
快楽).
 Tied beauty with non-self (muga 無我).
 Beauty is a pure experience (junsui keiken 纯
粋経験).
 Non-self, devoid of subject and object.
 Beauty is there already.
 The same as with morality and truth.

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 Literally “astringent”.
 Unripe persimmon (柿の渋, taste sour and
astringent).
 Simplicity, subtly, modesty, naturalness,
everydayness, imperfection, and silence.
 Modesty, but filled with excitement (not
plain).
 Adapted from the concepts authored by
Yanagi Sōetsu (柳宗悦1898–1961).
 Everydayness.
 Raises ordinary things to a new height.
 Eliminate artificial and unnecessary
properties.
 Found in the crafts, ordinary objects made
for everyday use.

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 Shibui is not necessarily rustic.
 Wabi-sabi objects can be more
severe and sometimes exaggerate
intentional imperfections.
 Such as using techniques with
Anagama kiln (穴窯 firing method).
 To an extent that they may appear
to be artificial.
 Shibui objects are not necessarily
imperfect or asymmetrical,
although they can include these
qualities.

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 Everydayness: Zen concept of “the
present moment”.
 Simplicity with subtle detail.
 Leave out unnecessary detail.

 The subtle detail offers new meaning

with each use.
 Reflects the aesthetics of sung dynasty.

 Everyday usage.
 Concept of mingei (民芸).
 “Folk craft” / “popular art”.

 Popular in Japan and around the

world nowadays.
 https://www.muji.com/jp/feature/mi
ngei/en/

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 Focuses on the ignored beauty of art and
crafts made by ordinary people that are
practical and used in daily life.
 A reflection on:
 “What is art?”
 Created only by artists?
 Or by anyone?

 Challenges people’s narrow definition of art.

 An art can not only be created by skilled
artisans, but everyday objects created by
anyone can be an art.
 Japanese traditional folk craft.
 Yanagi was a considerable influence over the
likes of potter Bernard Leach, sculptor Isamu
Noguchi, and architect Bruno Taut.

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 Mingei art should be:

 Mass produced by hand.

 Hand-made.
 Utilitarian aspect. (rice bowl)

 Inexpensive, simple, and practical in design.

 An expensive item would not be readily accessible to
the general public.
 Functional and used by masses.

 Beauty of these objects comes from their actual usage,

not simply being admired.
 Represent the region in which it was produced.
 Each object represents a small cultural legacy that
gives it a value beyond its aesthetics.
 Their use also gives them their cultural and regional
authenticity.
 Anonymous.
 Individual artists should not expect recognition.
 The idea is that they should be appreciated as objects
of the masses, not attributed to specific artisans.
 Nowadays people agree that society should embrace
and celebrate the artisans and craftspeople who help
keep traditions and culture alive. 43
 Yanagi suggested beauty is unchanging,
created by an unchangeable nature.
 Similar to Nishida Kitarō.

 In order to observe such beauty one should not

allow previous knowledge, prejudice, or
subjectivity to hinder one's judgement.
 “Direct perception” (chokkan, 直観),
 A craft object should be seen for what it is, without
any prior knowledge or intellectual analysis Yanagi Soetsu, Bernard Leach & Hamada Shoji.
coming between object and onlooker.
 “Self surrender” (tarikidō, 他力道).
 The craftsman should leave nature to do the
creating.
 Idea will come from outside oneself.
 No craftsman had within himself the power to
create beauty.
 The beauty that came from “self surrender” was
incomparably greater than that of any work of art
produced by “individual genius”.
 Zen: Let the creation flows, without “thinking”.
 (non-self notion)
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 Shuhari (守破離)
 Learning mode.
 A concept which describes the stages of
learning to mastery.
 Especially in an traditional art form, (芸道
geido), way of tea, martial arts...
 Shu-ha-ri roughly translates to "to keep,
to fall, to break away".
 Sen no Rikyu 利休道歌
 “You may observe rules and then violate
them or break with them provided that
you are still based upon the principles.”
 規矩作法 守り尽くして破るとも離るるとても
本を忘るな

45
 Follow the rules.
 “protect”, “obey”—traditional
wisdom—learning fundamentals and
basic techniques... “the self”.
 Example: Mathematics.
 Learn the theory:
 1+1=2
 Pythagoras Theorem
 Calculus...

46
 Adapt and apply.
 “detach”, “digress”—breaking with
tradition—detachment from the
illusions of self.
 Example:
 Break away from textbooks, and
apply to actual circumstances.
 Designing new architectural
features.

47
 Be the rule.
 “leave”, “separate”—
transcendence—there are no
techniques or proverbs, all moves
are natural, without clinging to
forms.
 New discoveries.
 Example:
 Albert Einstein
 E=mc²

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 Shu (守) Tang/ Sung style.
 Tōfū 唐風 “style of Tang”.
 Li Cheng (李成, 919–967),
Luxuriant Forest among Distant
Peaks (茂林遠岫圖).

 Ha (破) Traditional Japanese

style.
 国風文化 Kokufū bunka
 Hasegawa Tōhaku (1539–1610),
Pine Trees screen, (松林図 屏風).

 Ri (離) Contemporary style.

 Shiraga Kazuo (白髪 一雄, 1924-
2008).
 Painting with feet.

49
 Shiraga Kazuo 白髪 一雄
 Shu (守)
 Studied at the Kyoto City Special School
of Painting (now Kyoto City University of
Arts)
 Ha (破)
 Had his own painting works exhibited.

 Ri (離)
 Painting with feet.

 Sold for 8,731,400 EUR in 2018.

 https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/
2018/art-contemporain-evening-sale-
pf1805/lot.9.html
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xCg79GrWaM

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 Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
 Zeami Motokiyo (世阿弥 元清, 1363-1443,
lecture 3, Kitayama culture, 北山文化).
 Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺) representative of
Kitayama culture.
 Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (足利義満, 1358 –
1408 3rd shogun).
 Fūshikaden 風姿花伝“The Style and the
Flower“. 『花鏡』、『三道』
 A concept applied to a wide variety of
traditional arts.
 Noh, tea, martial arts...
 Beginning, break, rapid.
 All actions or efforts should begin
slowly, speed up, and then end swiftly.
 “the natural rhythm of life”

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 Zeami suggested that every
phenomenon in the universe progresses
itself through a certain pattern.
 Even the cry of a bird and the noise of
an insect follow this pattern.
 This is called Jo, Ha, Kyu.
 Natural patterns (Japanese)
 Start slowly.
 Gradually and smoothly accelerate
towards a very fast peak.
 After the peak, there is usually a pause
and then a renewal of another cycle.

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 Nature:
 Sapling, blooming, fruiting.
 Cherry blossoms,
 Budding, blooming, falling.

 Apply to life.
 Youth, aging and death.

 In a play/drama/story,
 Introduction.
 Development.
 Ending (abruptly and unexpectedly).

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 begin slowly........ speed up....................end swiftly
Ja: Concentrate.
Ha: Speed up gradually, and do not rush.
kyū: Shoot without delay (mindful of the present moment).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT0XczNY9TU 54
 Lecture 5
 Japanese aesthetic values.
 Mono-no-aware (物の哀れ)
 Wabi-sabi (侘寂)
 Yūgen (幽玄)
 Ma (間)
 Shibui (渋い)
 Iki (粋)
 Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)
 Shu-ha-ri (守破離)
⁞

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 Seems to be instinctive.
 I just like it!

 Beauty: “Enjoyment” and

“Pleasure”.
 Universal among human?
 Everyone will have his/her own
opinion.
 Past experience.
 Shaped culturally, to a certain
extent.
 Aesthetics is complex!

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 Traditional Japanese arts - Geidō (芸道)
 Chado 茶道
 Noh 能楽
 Kodo 香道
 Ikebana 華道
 Bonsai 盆栽
⁞

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