姫路城
Here are a few photos from Himeji Castle (also called "White Crane Castle"), which I went to with a few people this weekend. I'll explain the significance it holds for me at a time when I don't have to leave for work in a few minutes. Also, there are quite a few more pictures, but evidently blogger doesn't feel like letting me post them at the moment.
Hope you all had a moderately neato weekend.
posted by bastardface at 5:34:00 PM
9 Comments:
jesus christ, that was fast! that`s 2 spams within less than 2 hours since my post! I sure would delete those if I could fucking log in from work. arrrrgh!
7:18 PM
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7:24 PM
what is it about castles and temples that makes for moments of introspection?
9:12 AM
For me, it's not castles/temples in general, but Himeji Castle in particular. According to Eiji Yoshikawa's novel Musashi, which I read/lived by during the homeless days at Drexel, Musashi, at the time still called Shinmen Takezo, after going on more or less a murderous rampage at the age of 18 or so, is caught and imprisoned in Himeji Castle by a monk named Takuan. Takuan sees something in Takezo, so instead of having him put to death, he has him confined to a single room which contains nothing but .. eh, I'll just directly quote it. Like Z. Monkey said, plagiarism is fun.
Around the table was a mountain of books, some in Japanese, some in Chinese. Books on Zen, volumes on the history of Japan. Takezo was virtually buried in these scholarly tomes ... when Takuan had sentenced him to confinement, he had said, 'you may read as much as you want. A famous priest of ancient times once said, 'I become immersed in the sacred scriptures and read thousands of volumes. When I come away, I find that my heart sees more than before' ... think of this room as your mother's womb and prepare to be born anew ... look with your mind and think. This room can be the wellspring of enlightenment,the same fountain of knowledge found and enriched by sages in the past. It is up to you to decide whether this is to be a chamber of darkness or one of light.'
Takezo studies in the room for 3 years, and is finally released and renamed Miyamoto Musashi. For the rest of the novel he goes on to become the undefeatable, legendary swordsman he is famously known as.
Anyway, this was how I used to picture Drexel ... as a prison which I would come away from born anew. Unfortunately I did not read or learn all that much in college .. the more accurate analogy would be to make Kentucky my version of Himeji Castle, but I don't want to give it that much credit, plus I almost went insane last year when I spent the entire summer reading in my apartment. To summarize, since I want toimprove at everything constantly, the idea of being locked up with nothing to do but learn, and to bereborn as a new person afterwards, is very appealing to me, so as I wandered around the castle last Saturday I was able to picture this scene in my head more vividly. Of course, the fact that there were smoke detectors, hand rails and signs everywhere sort of took away from it.
Is Japan my new Himeji Castle? Not by any means, but I kind of wish it was. I haven't learned nearly enough yet!
10:38 AM
that already took place in my head while working in Bowling Green.
10:33 AM
There are two types of learning. (1) You spend all your time trying to understand books, articles, art, archets... buildings, e&c. and shunning people, (2) You spend all your time trying to understand people and people keep you from doing anything 'productive'.
I personally like (1) better than (2), but then I have a degree in reading old shit in a room by myself. I hear a combination of the two is best. I am currently, much like yourself, spending much of my time (2)ing. Ex: I just spend the last hour having a very interesting conversation with Iwahara-san in a bar in Finland. I have a better chance of understand Iwahara's Japanese than our bartender's Finnish. Makes you feel... odd.
Anyways, my point... ahem... is Himeji Castle in Osaka? if so I just had a conversation about it last night, bizarre. Also, I think jimbo (haha) is correct in questioning your homicidal-ness.
Just spend time thinking about the people you have talked to, drunk with, fought with, listened to metaaaal with, e&c. for a couple of hours. The stuff you have read in books makes more sense.
Z.Monkey
P.S. I will be in Japan (2 hours from Tokyo) in February. I may be in Tokyo next month but I highly doubt it.
5:03 PM
I don't know if you get the comments posted to old posts... but if not: Thanks for the Christmas bukkake pic, I used it and linked to you on my post. For further info, check your comments on the original post. THANK YOU!
10:46 PM
Hahaha!
7:01 AM
no problemo, Sam ... it's comforting to know that my blog comes up when you search for "Christmas Bukkake."
11:07 AM
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