Japanese Flower Arranging

By Shuji Ikeda

When I first started learning, I thought Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) was only about arranging flowers beautifully.

I believed that since I am an artist and making beautiful things is my forte, I should be able to do this very nicely.

I always thought, I make beautiful things using my hands and brain, and then see how it looks to me. I never thought about how beauty comes from me.

I thought that to make beautiful things I need to learn a skill, cultivate my talent, and then make an effort. I was taught that these are the proper attitudes for making myself better, and I practiced this diligently until I started learning Ikebana.

At the first class I told my teacher that, "I'm a starving artist so I can't afford taking lots of classes. I just need to take couple of lessons to learn the basics, then after that I can teach myself."

The teacher said, " Well, I so happen to have a bulb here. Why don't you go home and plant this in your garden. When it blooms cut it, bring it over and then I will teach you how to arrange it."

I thought, "This isn't couple of lessons to learn the basics."

Since I was raised in Japan, I figured I had offended my teacher by telling her what I needed to learn. I assumed that she adhered to Japanese traditions and needed to be respected that way, even though she is living in the United States. So I played into her game and started taking lessons. When the bulb grew and bloomed, I cut it and brought it to my teacher and asked her to teach me to arrange this.

She said, " Did you see when and how it's new shoots broke the ground and came out?"

"No, you didn't tell me to do that."

"Oh, then you have to wait another year don't you." I was furious.

So I very carefully observed how it grew and bloomed the next time. It was beautiful the way it grew. I did not do anything. I only watered it.

That is when I realized I don't make beautiful things. Beautiful things are inside of me, because I can see beauty in flowers. I am the one thinking and feeling, and capable of finding beauty.

The next step is even more difficult. Since I found beauty is in me, I have to admit that I am beautiful.

When I see myself in a mirror, I don't think I am beautiful. How am I going to find beauty in me?
Ikebana helps me to do that every time I arrange flowers, and each time I do Ikebana humbleness wells up in me.

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