Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, the way of flowers. It is a disciplined art form in which nature & humanity are brought together. Ikebana emphasizes stems & leaves, & draws emphasis toward shape, line, form. Though ikebana is a creative expression, it has rules governing its form. The main rule is that all the elements used in construction must be organic, branches, leaves, grasses, or flowers. The artist's intention is shown through color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, & the usually implied meaning of the arrangement. Ikebana employs minimalism. An arrangement may consist of only a minimal number of blooms interspersed among stalks & leaves. The structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on a scalene triangle delineated by 3 main points, twigs, to symbolize heaven, earth, & man or sun, moon, love. & earth. The container is a key element of the composition. The history of ikebana dates back 500 years to the school of Ikenobo. Its beginnings from a priest of the Purple Cloud Temple in Kyoto who was so skilled in flower arrangement that other priests sought him out for instruction. As he lived by the side of a lake, for which the Japanese word is Ikenobo, the name Ikenobo became attached to the priests there who specialized in these altar arrangements. The Buddha instructed a prince in a dream to erect a temple near the pond at the cedar tree under a purple cloud. From that cedar, Rokkakudo temple was built to house a Kannon (Quan-Yin) statue. The spiritual aspect of ikebana is considered very important to its practitioners. Silence is a must during practices of ikebana. It is a time to appreciate things in nature. One becomes more patient & tolerant of differences, not only in nature, but also in general. Ikebana can inspire one to identify with beauty in all art forms. This is also the time when one feels closeness to nature which provides relaxation for the mind, body & soul.
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