Review of "The Zen Art Book"

The Zen Art Book: The Art of Enlightenment

By Stephen Addiss and John Daido Loori

Reviewed by H. E. Davey

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: Shambhala; 1 Original edition (November 3, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 159030747X

ISBN-13: 978-1590307472

Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.5 inches

List price: $21.95 (US)

When a Zen adept, or indeed any artist, puts brush to paper, the ensuing image is a picture of the state of his or her psyche. Therefore in Zen, artistic expressions are “lessons,” intended to cause the viewer to pause and reflect on ultimate reality.

In this book, forty well-known examples of painting and calligraphy by celebrated Zen teachers such as Hakuin (1685–1768) and Sengai (1750–1837) are reproduced along with observations that shed light on both the artwork and its symbolism. In essence, opposite the photo of the artwork, readers will find remarks by the two authors listed as “Zen Commentary” and “Art Comment.” The writers’ essays at the beginning of the volume present a foreword to the artistic and educational aspects of Zen art.

Mr. Loori’s treatise Art as Teacher is especially valuable to anyone exploring the deeper meaning of art, but readers should realize that while Zen is often cited for using art as moving meditation, many people in Japan practice crafts like calligraphy as meditation, and they do so without any affiliation with Zen. In short, Zen does not have a monopoly on meditative Japanese art. With that noted, Zen certainly does have a lengthy tradition of integrating its philosophy with art, something this book explains well.

The ink paintings (sumi-e) and brush calligraphy (sho) in The Zen Art Book display elements that are at times insightful, impenetrable, serious, funny, and beautiful. Although bigger, more complete, and more beautiful books on Zen art are available, The Zen Art Book is less expensive than these works, providing a concise and effective introduction to this topic and an illuminating introductory essay by Zen practitioner John Daido Loori.

About the Reviewer: H. E. Davey, the Director of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, is also the author of The Japanese Way of the Artist, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, and other works. He is a direct student of the famed calligrapher Kobara Ranseki Sensei, and he holds the highest rank in Ranseki Sho Juku calligraphic art. His Japanese calligraphy and painting has been in numerous exhibitions in Japan, where he has received multiple top awards. For more information about H. E. Davey and his classes in Japanese arts and forms of meditation, visit www.senninfoundation.com.

Review of "How to Wrap Five Eggs"

How to Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging

By Hideyuki Oka

Photographs by Michikazu Sakai

Reviewed by H. E. Davey

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Weatherhill (October 14, 2008)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590306198

ISBN-13: 978-1590306192

Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches

Retail Price: $30 (US)

This classic book was first available in 1975 and titled How to Wrap Five More Eggs. It was created by the late Oka Hideyuki, with exceptional photography by Sakai Michikazu. In many ways a “coffee table book,” this work’s striking full-page photos effectively portray the integration of classic Japanese aesthetics into daily life in Japan. How to Wrap Five Eggs is worth purchasing for the pictures alone, which comprise the majority of the book.

Time-honored Japanese packaging is an art that applies refined design and natural aesthetics to everyday objects. In Oka Hideyuki’s graceful presentation of the baskets, boxes, wrappers, and containers that were used in run of the mill, daily Japanese existence, readers are presented with eye-catching illustrations of an era prior to mass production in Japan. Principally constructed of bamboo, rice straw, hemp cord, paper, and leaves, all of the items revealed in the book come from natural substances. Through 221 black-and-white photographs of genuine models of long-established Japanese packaging—with notes on the genesis, materials, and use of every piece—the objects presented advocate looking into a rapidly disappearing craft, while they also remind us of our relationship to the natural world and the value of handicrafts that were at one time active and vibrant in scores of people’s lives.

In many industrialized societies, handmade objects are quickly fading away, and this is especially sad to see in Japan, a culture that once epitomized the idea that everyday items can be crafted and presented in a manner that adds meaning and beauty to our lives. Traditional Japanese culture at one time embodied the notion that how something is done is as important as the final outcome of a given action, and that how an object is presented and packaged is as important as the item in the wrapper. This philosophy of merging beauty with daily activities, and with commonly used objects, makes life better in countless ways, an idea we can all benefit from, and an idea well-presented in How to Wrap Five Eggs.

About the Reviewer: H. E. Davey, the Director of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, is also the author of The Japanese Way of the Artist, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, and other works. He is a direct student of the famed calligrapher Kobara Ranseki Sensei, and he holds the highest rank in Ranseki Sho Juku calligraphic art. His Japanese calligraphy and painting has been in numerous exhibitions in Japan, where he has received multiple top awards. For more information about H. E. Davey and his classes in Japanese arts and forms of meditation, visit www.senninfoundation.com

Fudoshin Calligraphy

 

This is H. E. Davey’s calligraphy of fudoshin, or “immovable mind.” You can click on the images to enlarge them.

Fudoshin is the goal of many Japanese arts and forms of meditation. It doesn’t describe a rigid, hardheaded state of mind, but rather a condition of complete mental stability, one that isn’t easily disturbed by whatever comes up in life.

It is painted using sosho and gyosho scripts, in the style of master calligrapher Kobara Ranseki Sensei. This piece of artwork was featured in Furyu magazine, along with the books Brush Meditation and The Japanese Way of the Artist.

All skillful Japanese calligraphy should display a unity of calm and action. In this case, Davey Sensei’s brushwork is so dynamic that it appears to be moving, but each character is still balanced and composed. This is the result of over 25 years of shodo training in the USA and Japan.

You can commission Davey Sensei, Sennin Foundation Director, to create this fudoshin calligraphy for your home, office, or meditation room. He can be contacted at hedavey@aol.com.

H. E. Davey's Calligraphic Art

These two scrolls by Hiseki Davey Sensei were shown at a major exhibition of Japanese calligraphy held in San Francisco in 2000. They also were shown at the Kokusai Shodo Ten in Urayasu, Japan, where they received top awards.

The calligraphy on the left is an example of Davey Sensei's kanji art, and the Chinese characters read, "Rocky mountains are embraced by white clouds." The art on the right is an example of his kana calligraphy, with a large Chinese character meaning "waterfall," which was painted to resemble a waterfall. It reads, "The waterfall no longer flows, but its sound remains in my mind and heart."

Davey Sensei can create similar hanging scrolls for your home or office. Contact him at hedavey@aol.com.

Japanese Yoga

http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html

Nakamura Tempu & Japanese Yoga

Nakamura Sensei lived in India, where he studied the art of Raja yoga, the yoga of meditation. After studying medicine at Columbia University, he blended Indian meditation and health improvement with his background in medicine, psychology, Japanese healing arts and meditation, and Japanese... martial arts. He taught for many years in Japan, authored best-selling books, and counted among his students a large number of Japan's top executives, politicians, fine artists, athletes, martial artists, and people from every walk of life. But few Westerners have yet been exposed to these extraordinary teachings. Learn more at http://www.senninfoundation.com/.

The Japanese Way of the Artist

To learn more about Japan's classic arts and crafts, pick up a copy of The Japanese Way of the Artist by Sennin Foundation Director H. E. Davey. Included in a single volume are:

* Living the Japanese Arts and Ways: 45 Paths to Meditation & Beauty

* Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony

* The Japanese Way of the Flower: Ikebana as Moving Meditation

The three works anthologized here are essential to understanding the spiritual, meditative, and physical basis of all classical Japanese crafts, fine arts, and martial arts. Living the Japanese Arts & Ways covers key concepts—like wabi and “stillness in motion”—while the other two books show the reader how to use brush calligraphy (shodo) and flower arranging (ikebana) to achieve mind-body unification. Illustrated with diagrams, drawings, and photographs.

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

For a limited time only, we're offering autographed copies of H. E. Davey Sensei's landmark book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation for just $18.95. These are BRAND NEW copies of an out of print book, which is becoming increasingly hard to find and going up in price.

Emphasizing gentle stretching and meditation exercises, the ultimate goal of Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) is enhanced mind/body integration, calmness, and willpower for a healthier and fuller life. Developed by Nakamura Tempu Sensei in the early 1900s from Indian Raja yoga, Japanese martial arts and meditation practices, as well as Western medicine and psychotherapy, Japanese yoga offers a new approach to experienced yoga students and a natural methodology that newcomers will find easy to learn.

After a brief history of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, H. E. Davey Sensei presents Mr. Nakamura's Four Basic Principles to Unify Mind and Body. These principles relate the meditative experience to the movement of everyday living and thus make it a "dynamic meditation." Each of the Four Basic Principles is illustrated with step-by-step explanations of practical experiments.

Readers are then introduced to different forms of seated and moving meditation, health exercises, and self-healing arts. All these are linked back to the Four Basic Principles and can enhance performance in art, music, business, sports, and other activities. Readers learn to use Japanese yoga techniques throughout the day, without having to sit on the floor or seek out a quiet space.

Included at the end of the book are simple but effective stretching exercises, information about ongoing practice, and a glossary and reference section. Amply illustrated and cogently presented, Japanese Yoga belongs on every mind/body/spirit reading list.

Synopsis

Based on the eclectic Western-Eastern teachings of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, this step-by-step introduction to Japanese yoga (Shin-shin-toitsu-do) presents stretching, healing, and meditation exercises designed for mind/body integration. It is the first book in English to detail the life and teachings of Mr. Nakamura. In Japanese yoga, which is based on mind and body unification principles, the ultimate goal is enhanced concentration, calmness, and willpower for a longer, healthier, and fuller life. H. E. Davey Sensei also shows how Japanese yoga relates to various classical Japanese arts as part of a tradition of spiritual practice with spiritual and aesthetic roots in India, Japan, and the West. Illustrated, with a glossary and reference section.

Reviews

"Will make many yogis feel right at home... Davey's readable, friendly guide is definitely worth a look."

— Yoga Journal, July 2002

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation is the first and only book in English on the original Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga. It received outstanding reviews in various magazines around the world, including Yoga Journal in the USA and Tempu magazine in Japan. On Amazon.com, Borders.com, and Barnes & Noble.com, it received an overall five star top rating, but you can't get BRAND NEW autographed copies of this out of print book from anyone but us! Visit http://www.senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html to order your copy today.

Japanese Jujutsu

The Sennin Foundation Center presents instruction in Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional and non-competitive martial art. While many Westerners use "jujutsu," "jujitsu," or "jiu-jitsu" to describe their art of self-defense, most of these methods bear little resemblance to the original Japanese jujutsu, Japan's oldest martial art. Both aikido and judo stem from jujutsu, and our dojo is one of few in the USA to offer authentic Japanese jujutsu.

Book Review: "The Sound of One Hand"

The Sound of One Hand: Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin

By Audrey Yoshiko Seo and Stephen Addiss

Reviewed by H. E. Davey

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Shambhala (September 7, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1590305787

ISBN-13: 978-1590305782

Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.3 x 1.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds

List Price: $65.00

Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1768) is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Zen, and this gorgeous book focuses on his life, ink paintings, and brush calligraphy. He can be considered the instigator of contemporary Japanese Rinzai Zen practice, one of the two major schools of Zen in Japan. He notably emphasized the value of koan practice in awakening, a technique that concentrates on the solving of metaphysical questions, such as the famous koan, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”

He is also known for having rejuvenated the monastic existence of his time. However, his philosophy wasn’t restricted to the monastery. Hakuin was the classic Zen master of the people, celebrated for taking his instruction to every branch of society, to people in all walks of life, and his painting and calligraphy were particularly potent vehicles for those lessons. He used long-established Buddhist images and sayings—but also themes from legends and every day living—many of which are found in this lavishly illustrated hardback. Hakuin fashioned a new visual idiom for Zen: insightful, whimsical, and different from everything that came before. He is one of the most famous practitioners of Zensho, “Zen calligraphy.” Admirers of Japanese calligraphic art (shodo) should, however, note that not all calligraphy indentifies itself as “Zensho,” and this is but one of many styles of calligraphy practiced in Japan.

In his long life, Hakuin produced thousands of ink paintings and calligraphies. These works of art, combined with his voluminous writings, stands as a testament to his philosophy, illuminating why some feel he was the most significant Zen master of the past 500 years. All of this is thoroughly covered in The Sound of One Hand. The tone of the writing is more scholarly than light, and while his artwork and life is painstakingly examined, The Sound of One Hand will not serve as a basic introduction to Zen. It’s focus is on Hakuin’s Zen life and Zen art, and to some degree it presupposes an existing knowledge of Zen Buddhism.

The Sound of One Hand is a study of Hakuin and his art, illustrated with examples of his work, well-known pieces like “Three Blind Men on a Bridge” as well as lesser acknowledged artwork. It is, without a doubt, the most complete volume on Hakuin and his Zen art currently available.

About the Reviewer: H. E. Davey, the Director of the San Francisco Bay Area-based Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts, is also the author of The Japanese Way of the Artist, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony, Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation, and other works. He is a direct student of the famed calligrapher Kobara Ranseki Sensei, and he holds the highest rank in Ranseki Sho Juku calligraphic art. His Japanese calligraphy and painting has been in numerous exhibitions in Japan, where he has received multiple top awards. For more information about H. E. Davey and his classes in Japanese arts and forms of meditation, visit http://www.senninfoundation.com/

Testimonials from Japanese Yoga Experts

Hashimoto Tetsuichi

"H. E. Davey has shown great diligence in his study of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do method of Japanese yoga. As my personal disciple since 1986, he has successively received private instruction, through correspondence, telephone, and in periods of intensive tutoring ...during his travels to Japan.I would like it to be known that he has made great progress in his assiduous practice of Shin-shin-toitsu-do and I expect him to advance further in the future. As an expert in the arts of Japan, particularly classical brush writing and the martial arts, he has thoroughly researched the relationship of Shi-shin-toitsu-do to these skills.I wish to commend him for his consummate character and attainment, and fully endorse him as an educator." — Hashimoto Tetsuichi Sensei is a resident of Tokyo, and he is one of the most senior disciples of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga. He started his study of Shin-shin-toitsu-do directly under Nakamura Sensei in 1950.

Sawai Atsuhiro

"I would like to recognize and praise H. E. Davey Sensei's long years of great effort and sincere teaching of Shin-shin-toitsu-do, or Japanese yoga. In Japan, there are a number of teachers of the methods discovered by Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of Shin-shin-toitsu-do. I am one of those teachers, but we teach on the average of once a month at best. With the exception of the late Nakamura Sensei, Davey Sensei is the only member of the Tempu Society that is a fulltime instructor of Shin-shin-toitsu-do.More and more people in Japan are coming to know of Davey Sensei's teachings and practices across the Pacific Ocean (as well as the activities of his students and assistant instructors). They are greatly impressed—especially by the fact that Master Davey has been teaching Japanese yoga professionally almost every day for many years. Our head of the Tempu Society in Japan, Mr. Omi Koji, is among the people that admire Master Davey's talents and efforts." — Sawai Atsuhiro Sensei is a direct student of Nakamura Tempu Sensei, the founder of Japanese yoga. He has attained the highest level of instructor certification in Japanese yoga, and he is one of the most advanced practitioners of Shin-shin-toitsu-do in Japan. He began studying Shin-shin-toitsu-do in 1958, and he eventually served as a personal assistant to Nakamura Sensei.

"The Japanese Way of the Artist"

Check out The Japanese Way of the Artist Blog at http://japanesewayoftheartist.blogspot.com/

Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation

Want to read more about Nakamura Tempu Sensei, Japanese yoga, and the book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation? Just drop by our sister blog at http://japaneseyoga.blogspot.com/. You can also learn more about these subjects at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts website: www.senninfoundation.com.

Art of Shodo

Check out H. E. Davey Sensei's new review of The Sound of One Hand, a book about Hakuin's Zen calligraphy, at the Art of Shodo Blog (http://artofshodo.blogspot.com/). Davey Sensei is the author of The Japanese Way of the Artist and the Director of the Sennin Foundation.



Japanese Art

For more information about Japanese fine arts go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_art