A few years ago, I came across a small book, “Zen in the Art of Flower Arrangement” by Gustie L. Herrigel. I have returned to it often, for inspiration and a reminder of the true meaning of practicing Ikebana as the “flower way”. 

The book was written and first published in German as “Zen in der Kunst des Blumen-Weges” literally translated as Zen in the Art of Flower-Way, which captures the essence of the book more accurately than the later English translation of the title.  

I was able to find used copies only of the book on Amazon (here) for around 8 Euro – very affordable and is a great value.  

So far it is the only book I have been able to find in this category. The author is clearly able to see beyond the technical aspect of the art and was able to get into the spiritual realm of Ikebana. Like in most other traditions, those who have received the direct experience of the “ultimate truth” do not see a need to talk about it. Those rare occasions when a master feels compelled to put their knowledge in words and share it with the world are precious. This is one of them. 

The forward by D.T. Suzuki is worth a separate blog post on its own. He is talking about the art of Ikebana in a context of the overall spiritual experience of any artist. Yes, there is the technical part, which one needs to master in order to connect with a chosen art. But without a metaphysical aspect one cannot “penetrate the mystery of art” he says, “so long as we have not experienced this mystery, no art is real art… Japanese consider every art to be a form of schooling which grants insight into life’s beauty, for beauty transcends all rationality and utility thinking, itis is the mystery itself”.  

The book by Gustie Herrigel is written as her journey to becoming an Ikebana master in Japan in the 1920s. It captures the old days Japan, which does not exist anymore, and therefore is more precious to us, contemporary Ikebana students in understanding of the roots, traditions and essence of this art. 

This book is unique in its approach. The author is a Westerner who was able to become a part of the Japanese traditional art, and to succeed in it not only from the formal technical perspective but also penetrating the “real truth” as she calls it.  

If you are familiar with any contemporary spiritual teachings (think Eckhart Tolle, Chopra, Ram Das…) the words and concepts will sound familiar to you. She is talking about the “realm of not knowing” and how it “can be written about but never directly expressed”. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to read about her journey and her attempt to express “in simple words the mysterious and ultimately inexpressible thing about this art”. 

One of the interesting observations is about the way the teaching process was conducted. “The lessons passed silently, for in the East, special value has always been placed on ‘silent’ communication … ‘from heart to heart’… the original way of communication was therefore called the ‘secret way'”. The “ability of the pupil to grasp his master’s teaching intuitively” was essential. This, in Herrigel’s view, is the main reason old texts are concerned with the practical aspect of Ikebana but “hardly breathe a word about the deep, secret meaning of these instructions”.  

How strikingly different it is to the Western way of teaching, where students are explained all the details rather than discovering through their own experience. One can argue that it is way faster to teach the Western way and in the modern life we no longer have the time to do the many repetitions and unsuccessful attempts needed to discover the secret meaning. But perhaps this is the key: we are not looking for the full package, we are happy with learning the technical part and consider it sufficient. In any case the full account of the G. Herrington’s experience makes for intriguing reading. 

I leave you with a Lao-Tzu quote, given in the book: “He who talks, does not know; he who knows, does not talk”. 

Let me know if you found time to read this small and truly different Ikebana book and whether it provoked any thoughts. 

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