Bamboo Groves Abound

In the bamboo groves there is a unique quality of light, and a different sound to the wind. A stand of bamboo that has been growing for a long time is a special place to be. It grows densely, tall and straight. The density belies a spacious and open quality to the grove that is quite welcoming; there is room for the breeze to blow through yet there is still shade to cool the air.

For centuries in Japan artisans and crafts people have used this resource to its fullest potential. It is elegantly used in traditional architecture, though now it is used more in a decorative design fashion. Traditional musical instruments like the Shakuhachi, tea ceremony regalia, baskets, fencing were made from bamboo, and it is frequently used as a barrier in landscape design and gardening. It is the crucial component of Kendo swords, and is a frequent motif in traditional Japanese brush painting.

In Japanese martial culture the bamboo is a potent metaphor for the human spirit. It embodies, and possesses the characteristics, of a certain type of strength of character. When the Taifun comes, the great winds, houses are destroyed, trees are uprooted, but the bamboo only bends and does not break. It can appear delicate, but in its flexibility lies its strength and ability to endure and persist. A strong man is the same way. Through tough times and through hardship a man may have to adapt and flex, but he must never break, and always remain rooted in his essence and sense of self.

Walk this path in the Okayama mountains if you want a sublime journey.

It is advisable in your meditation practice to create an environment that is favorable to mindfulness. In the Japanese martial arts your kamae are some of the first and most basic things you learn. At first they are physical positions, but as you familiarize yourself with the kamae and their uses the concept comes to include your mental posture, your spirit, and attitude. Being mindful of these aspects integrating with the physicality of the kamae is the difference between standing in kamae and being in kamae. I find the bamboo groves conducive to mindfulness. You should practice when you feel inspired, and in a place that feels uplifting and sacred. Use the qualities of the space to demonstrate the qualities of character you are cultivating. Be spacious and open, be cool in the shade, and let your thoughts pass through you like the breeze through the grove. Feeling these qualities is the difference between sitting in the bamboo grove, and being amongst the bamboo.

If you find the right piece of bamboo, you have the world's greatest walking stick. The dragonflies will congregate to congratulate you on your luck.