Ikebana: A Journey to the Self, A Sublime Art

(Image source: B. Lennart Persson, flickr.com)

Ikebana is a noble hobby that involves flowers and everything else in life. It is more than putting some flowers and twigs in a vase. This article explores its philosophy and meaning.

The Meaning of Ikebana

Ikebana is like meditation; it has a deep spiritual quality to it. The beauty of this art form is that anyone can practise it, and it can become part of our ordinary domestic life, transforming mundanity into something extraordinary. Ikebana means arranging flowers, but the exact meaning is making flowers alive. It has a deep connection with the Buddhist approach to life. Ikebana did not lose its charm for the fair mind, and in a recent book, the author, Yuji Ueno, called it ‘The Zen Way of Flowers’.

There is another name for Ikebana that reveals its spiritual undertones- Kado. Kado means the path of flowers. Learning and understanding this art is a profound spiritual journey to undertake.

The Origin of Ikebana

A Buddhist monk, Ikenobo, lived in the 15th century in the temple of Rokkaku-do in Tokyo. In 1462, he made a lovely flower arrangement in front of the Buddha statue, and the people of Tokyo flocked to the temple to see it. The practice continued, and the flower arrangements eventually gathered a spiritual relevance; the art was named Ikebana. Flowers became the alphabet of this new language, where an ordinary individual could express his/her emotions, hopes, memories, interactions with nature, and reactions to mundane life.

Sendensho, written in 1445, is the oldest book discovered on Ikebana, suggesting the antiquity of this art form. Now, Japan has more than 1000 Ikebana schools.

Nature repeats itself in its creations and makes them minutely different every time, a phenomenon that Ikebana imitates and draws inspiration from.

People took to this art and nourished it to perfection, using unique plant parts collected from nature. No single cherry blossom in the Spring and no pine branch in the Winter can look the same as the other cherry blossoms or pine branches, and hence, each Ikebana arrangement is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Even flowerless and leafless stems sometimes find their place in this flower arrangement. There are Ikebana masters whom students from across the globe seek and come to so that they can learn this art directly from them.

The Concept of Ma in Ikebana

Ma is a Japanese concept that represents empty spaces and their profound meanings, assigned to them by Japanese cultural thought. It is an artist’s interpretation of an empty space.

In an Ikebana flower arrangement, empty spaces appear in abundance, just like in a traditional Japanese house. These spaces are left empty between the branches and flowers. In that sense, An Ikebana is not created if we just arrange flower stalks or branches in a certain way. What we need to do is rearrange the empty spaces around them. The concept of impermanence of life, as portrayed in Buddhist philosophy, is at work here.

Ma is the negative space. The flowers, branches and all other objects are the positive space. This empty space is always filled with infinite possibilities that can exist at any time. It is where imagination can flow, and creativity can be captured, as a water drop in a green leaf.

Ikebana As A Statement

An Ikebana flower arrangement tells us something about the person who arranged it beautifully. A lot of flower and plant symbolism is involved in choosing each part.

It is a unique and peaceful sensation to look at an Ikebana arrangement. It reminds us of the simplicity of life and that there is no need to complicate it. We need to give time to look at life and understand it, just as we must be patient when we look at an Ikebana flower arrangement. It is about slowing down the gushing river of time flowing inside our minds.

Ikebana tells us about the connection between emptiness and our existence. It is an existential statement, positive and true to heart. An Ikebana flower arrangement also speaks volumes about the house it sits in, the people who created it, and the seasons of nature.

In an Ikebana arrangement, the minimalistic patterns and the colour combinations that create a striking balance between dark shades and lighter tones might also have something personal to communicate with you. An emotion that stirs your memories, rekindles your imagination, and puts your heart in a special place or at ease.

What makes Ikebana the most soulful of arts is that it is ephemeral. It exists only for a few hours. The flowers will wilt and fade.

How To Look At An Ikebana Flower Arrangement

To look at and experience an Ikebana arrangement properly, one must sit just in front of it, facing it directly. It is quite similar and as profound an activity as looking at a painting or a sculpture.

The eyes have to ponder the arrangement beginning from the base. Then, the eyes travel upwards, slowly, towards the top. At the base, you have water, or Mizugiwa, the water’s edge. Just remember that all life emerges from water. Water is the elixir that creates and sustains life.

No Ikebana is symmetric. Instead, they are harmonious. The straight lines and curves formed by an Ikebana arrangement exude the perfection that everyone craves in their individual lives. The visual image of Ikebana itself is an invitation to find beauty in your life.

Ikebana and the Hanging Scroll

In a traditional Japanese home arrangement, there will be a hanging scroll accompanying the Ikebana. The scroll will be placed in the background- on the wall -of Ikebana. Upon the scroll, there will be decoration using calligraphy or painting.

The focus will be on the lines and the use of space. Buds are also used to indicate concepts such as the flow of life and time and to express hope and the future.

In every Japanese house, there used to be a tokonoma, a place inside the room where art objects such as calligraphy, Ikebana, and hanging scrolls were displayed.

(Traditional Japanese house interior; image source: muza-chan.net)

The Styles of Ikebana

There are many styles in Ikebana. Examples Reflecting two styles of Ikebana Flower Arrangement are given below-

Example-1 The Sogetsu Ikebana Flower Arrangement

The longest stem in the flower arrangement is called the Shin. Its length is to be 1.5 x (height of the container + width of the container)

The second longest stem is Soe. Its length has to be ¾ of the Shin.

The third stem is a short one named Hikae. It has to be half the length of the Soe.

Once the stems are ready, a container is taken, and a Kenzan, or frog pin, is placed slightly near the left-hand side end of it and close to where you are standing.

Then, the container is filled with water.

If we imagine a triangle on the frog pin with the pinnacle of the triangle pointing opposite to where the arranger stands, the longest stem is placed on that pinnacle and slanting 15 degrees left.

Now, Soe is placed at the left-hand side vortex of the base of the triangle, slanting towards the left at about 45 degrees from its base.

Now, the third and shortest stem, Hikae, is placed on the right-hand side vortex of the triangle on its base. The stem is slanted 75 degrees to the right.

Before mounting on the frog pin, the edges of all stems are cut while keeping them underwater. This ensures no air enters the stem while cutting. If air enters the cut, it will become difficult for the stem to absorb water and stay fresh. The thick stems are cut at an angle suitable for mounting on the frog pin.

The above three are the primary stems. The next step is to mount the secondary stems. They are called Jushi.

The first Jushi has to be shorter than Hikae. It is placed at the centre of the frog pin at a simple right angle. The frog pin can be hidden behind this stem by tilting it to the side.

One flower, without its stem and with only its pedicel, can be put just behind the first Jushi.

Now, leaves and very short stems are added to hide the Kenzan.

Now, the arrangement is complete. The visual arrangement is to be examined in its totality. The short branches are cut from the Shin and Soe, if needed, keeping in mind the balance and harmony of the visual.

After completing the arrangement, 3/4th of the container can be filled with water.

(A Sogetsu Ikebana arrangement; image source: flickr.com)

Example-2

Take the tallest stem at a length of 1.5-2 times the diameter of the shallow vase.

Take a second stem at a length ¾ th of the first one's length.

Put these stems on the frog pin, one towards the left and slanting left, and the other towards the right and slanting right.

If there are many small branches on both stems, cut out the lengths of these branches as desired to maintain visual balance and avoid clutter. This will also help the lines in the arrangement to become clear.

Now, the three flowers with long pedicles are placed, one by one, at the centre of the frog pin. The length of the pedicels is to be slightly different from each other. These flowers can face towards the front, right, left or up, respectively.

We can add a few short stems with leaves at the base to hide the frog pin.

Example-3 The Seika Arrangement

There are many types of Ikebana arrangements. The Seika arrangement is the most popular among them. Seika, in Japanese, means 'living flower'. The long stalks and branches represent the life journey of these flowers and plants. They signify our life journeys, too, when we look at them.

In the Seika arrangement, the stems must appear as if originating from a single point. The three main branches, Shin, Soe, and Hikae, are in a mutual relationship that gives an uneven triangle.

Ikebana is similar to a graceful dance movement or a delightful brush stroke. It is part flower arrangement, part meditation. It reminds us of mornings when we and Nature don our best attire. If you seriously decide to explore this art, it will demand years of study to attain perfection, but you might find the journey equally fulfilling and leading to self-awareness.