Wabi-Sabi Psychic
One of the aspects of psychic states that I have explored over the years is the apparent connection of psychic awareness with practices such as meditation and Japanese art forms. My own psychic experience seems to arise from a state of 'allowing', of receptivity, without seeking in any way. In fact, 'trying' to psychically read a person or situation stops the whole process dead for me. What this has taught me is the value of accepting as opposed to willing, receiving as opposed to seeking, and remaining in a neutral state as opposed to reacting emotionally to the information or images I pick up. However, I have sometimes sought to express in visual form the state of 'attentive being' that characterizes my psychic state. It is partly a desire to unify the various forms that my psychic experiences take and partly because I enjoy being in the psychic state. Apart from daily meditation, I sometimes take out my Sumi-e ink and brushes, put on some Koto music that I find conducive to the practice of Sumi-e painting and practice breathing out as the brush touches the paper and makes it mark. I was privileged to study under a wonderful Japanese teacher of Sumi-e, the late Tomoko Kodama, whose approach to this ancient art was based on the state of co-ordinated movement of breath and brush that gives the best Sumi-e paintings an almost tangible energy. From the moment one fills the water dish, unwraps the ink block and begins to mix the ink, there is a sense of concentrated energy that is deeply calming. Rhythmic breathing begins right then and continues in an uninterrupted sequence as the painting emerges. I cannot describe how satisfying it is to reach the point of final exhalation when a painting is finished and one emerges from this slightly altered state of being back into the 'Muggles' world. Always, a bit of magic comes back with me just as at the conclusion of a psychic reading.
Wabi-Sabi Psychic
Another Japanese art that induces a state of deep awareness is Ikebana, the artfully art-less arrangement of plant material and flowers that I find instantly absorbing and conducive to entering a meditative state. Ikebana is considered one of the Zen arts so I guess the meditative effect is not surprising. Nevertheless, there are moments when Ikebana calls out to me and I cannot focus on anything else until I have done the flower spirits' bidding. The sense of responding to what the materials want to express is uncanny to say the least. There seems to be a moment in the life of certain plants and flowers when they are ready to be immortalised in a photo of them arranged in Ikebana style. I see this process as one of honouring the spirit of nature as art.
Art In Stone
For those who prefer to contemplate a natural scene the art of the scholar's stone known as Gongshi (photo below) in Chinese and Suiseki in Japanese can transport one into the realm of the gods instantly. My affinity for stone formations goes back to earliest childhood when colored pebbles could occupy my attention for hours. The discovery of stones with fossils in them added a whole new obsession that has lasted my entire life. It is one of the blessings of a more open world that so many Oriental arts have found their way into so many other cultures. I remember attending a showing of incredibly beautiful Suiseki collections in Stockholm some years ago and another in Amsterdam a few years later. I can imagine nothing more enticing than the prospect of getting up close and personal with natural rock formations like the one pictured here. The Japanese genius for creating small scale natural tableaux is one of their greatest gifts to world civilisation. Far from being an art confined to the cogniscenti, Suiseki is available to anyone with a love of stone and an eye for exceptional beauty. Again, the mental and physical state of absorption makes time irrelevant and deepens one's connection with both matter and spirit.
The Japanese version of scholar's stones has spread around the world largely as a result of a few dedicated students of the art, such as Felix Rivera who seems to be regarded as the 'father of Western Suiseki'. As he makes clear in his book, Suiseki is inseparable from the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, the appreciation of the natural. As Rivera has observed, the emphasis in Suiseki is on entering into the reality of the rock, allowing its beauty and essential character to inspire the viewer. In most cases Suiseki rocks are cut from larger emplacements. The selected stone may be enhanced only by cleaning, polishing and mounting, usually on a bespoke wooden base. To explore some of the variety and exquisite beauty of the practice of Suiseki, River's website is here: Home
The Wabi-Sabi Connection
When I was formally introduced to the Wabi-Sabi tradition in an art class, suddenly the potential for the various natural materials that I loved to be brought together inspired me to experiment by combining Sumi-e, Ikebana and Wabi-Sabi. At its root, W-S is a way of seeing beauty in imperfection as in the beautiful but asymmetric and randomly decorated pottery pictured at left. In a society obsessed with the idea of 'perfection' - physical, athletic, mechanical, etc., Wabi-Sabi is a breath of fresh air. Although it can take many forms, perhaps my favourite expression of the W-S principle is in Japanese pottery, like Shino and Oribe ware and the work of contemporary potter extraordinaire Nishihata who created the vase pictured below. Wabi-Sabi is a way of life rather than simply a style of expression. The various forms of Wabi-Sabi from garden design to pottery is a way of living attentively in the natural world. Once you begin to see through Wabi-Sabi eyes, your new perception of beauty will guide you at every level of living that you will permit. I find that contemplating any natural object or piece of art that is based on the principle of Wabi-Sabi - not meddling too much with the materials - enhances my ability to separate myself from judging, from categorising as 'good or bad', ' right or wrong' and just appreciating What Is. It is a natural way to induce the state of Mindfulness that is the path of the Wabi-Sabi psychic.
If you would like to explore any of these subjects you can find a variety of resources HERE.
© Delia O' Riordan 2012
