Betsy Sterling Benjamin in front of one of her kesaAs I was having a rest in my begging round at the foot of Gingakuji Mountain, I noticed a western woman busy eating a delicious ice-cream. I stopped and we started to chat. Just to discover that she was the friend of Betsy Sterling Benjamin, the famous fiber artist that made seven kesa to celebrate the Millennium. And not only that: Betsy was on her way and would be with us any minute… We had a wonderful meeting, licking ice creams and talking about kesa and the Dharma. My bowl was not even out and she was kind enough to make a donation. See what I mean… following our intuition it was made possible to meet each other, I could share a few moments with a very significant person for a kesa lover like me. What are the chances to meet in busy Kyoto? I let you play with the figures. I don’t play with figures. As much as possible, I don’t scold people anymore. I allow myself to go down the drain of wandering and celebrating life.
posted by Taigu at 4:57 PM
3 Comments:
Greetings Pierre,
During my recent visit to Malacca I managed to fashion a large outer robe or civara (Jap. kesa). I would like to call it a golden Venetian, if not the self-vindicating Dan-Dan Batake or 'layered fields' robe, which the people of mountainous Asia would appreciate.
More >
http://bauddhamata.blogspot.com/2006/05/venetian-layered-robe.html
best regards,
sritantra
I am happy to see that you have made new friends - especially those with such rare interests as your own.
I have only just learned that my ramshackle hermitage is scheduled to be bulldozed down before the end of the year; perhaps as early as August... l'existence elle-même est la vitesse de la lumière.
Maybe I'll return to Japan.
Here is an interesting data set with photo and the words:
Kujo Kesa is a large garment unique to Zen Buddhism, and said to be the origin of the Japanese word, "Ogesa," or exaggerated.
http://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/topics/eng/2005oct/10-14b.html
Dear Sritantra,
All is impermanent
All is without a self...
Enjoy your ermitage coming down, travelling more and more, going nowhere for this really the place to go to and come from.
Yes, I agree, it all goes so fast. The miror gives me back an ageing face when yesterday I was still a baby.
I love that life, you know. If you read Blue Mountain, my other blog, you'll hear how much I am deluded and in love with This. Ageing and all. More and more, Avalokitesvara is present in my heart. I can't help it. Zen practice leads too many people in dryish deserts and intolerant lands, for some reasons, it leads me to a stupid devotion to life as Kannon. Maybe, it is just because I am not good at Zen, may be I am the splendid fake that my teachers scolds...And so be it.
Be well
Kuman San
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