Day 4078: Tree Trunk Spider and Kiku.

       

"Day.after.day": junk collage, inks.

 

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“The wall of wonder” by Vihaan Talya Vikas, India.

 

 This was the winner, 10 Years and Under. Location: Nallur Heritage Tamarind Grove, Karnataka, India.  “Vihaan Talya Vikas watches as an ornamental tree trunk spider prevents its prey from escaping. This was Vihaan’s first visit to the tamarind grove. Fascinated by stories of the Hindu god Krishna, it seemed to Vihaan as if the spider had positioned its web after being entranced by the sound of Krishna’s flute. This spider is an orb weaver, which creates a wheel-shaped web of sticky threads to catch flying insects. As the spider grows, it elongates its web, which entangles anything that lands on it.”

 

 

 

In Japan, the beauty of the chrysanthemum or kiku (菊) represents longevity, rejuvenation and nobility. The kiku is also admired because it begins to bloom just as other flowers are starting to succumb to the cold and frost of autumn and so its bloom is a pleasant reminder to be resilient. There is a saying from an old Chinese poem that I read which typified this idea of being hardy in the face of adversity: “The autumn chrysanthemum braves the frost.” 

This metaphor reminds us that one’s true beauty comes out when they stand bravely in the face of adversity. As the seasonchanges,the kiku knows that the autumn cold is also coming but it still stands tall and blooms despite the fact that it too will succumb at some point to the cold. 

This idea of carrying out one’s duty despite imminent death is very samurai like. Does a martial art make one resilient or does it reveal what is already one’s nature? I am not sure. What I do know is that studying a martial art can change a person’s life because it teaches them how to understand themselves better which in turn makes them better human beings. When we know who we are, no amount of cold can affect us. 

 

The autumn chrysanthemum braves the frost to show us how to live our lives with a sense of grace, dignity and resilience.

 

 

 

 

A 4+ minute video, Honey, here.

 

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