Japanese Monk “Sōgiin” – 日本の僧 “そうぎいん” – “Flowers Bloom On The Mountainside Like A Brocade” – Sanka Hiraite Anishiki Ni Nitari – 山花開似錦

SOLD. – THANK-YOU!

“Sanka Hiraite Anishiki Ni Nitari” is an ancient Zen koan with multiple meanings. One is that it is a Zen reminder that beautiful flowers that are young and blooming will eventually wither and die, just like every human life. They are a Zen reminder that life is fleeting. In this respect, it is also a reminder to cherish vitality and live for the beauty of the moment. Personally, my favorite meaning is something that I related to my daughter on a morning walk to her summer camp. I told her: “Many people look at things with pessimism and claim that ‘Nothing is ever the same again’. In a way, that is true. Nothing is ever truly the same again, however, every spring, since time immemorial, “The flowers will bloom on the mountainside like a brocade”. . . . . . . have some faith . . . . . in life and beauty. . . . .   . . . . . it always returns . . . . . …and of course, look at the pattern in the brocade above and below the hoshi (main painted area)…

Good condition (a tiny bit of foxing and some light creases).

*After clicking on a picture to enlarge it, please click the top left corner to enlarge it a second time.

SOLD – THANK-YOU! – 40″ x 27″ – $150 CAD –  . Comes with a sealed document of authenticity and 3 hours worth of further reading and documentary viewing. Price includes shipping worldwide! All prices in Canadian dollars.