Saturday, September 3, 2016

Japanese Garden


A few months ago- just as spring had turned into real summer- my friend Sarah and I visited Portland's Japanese Garden. Even though ремонт, construction had taken over certain parts of the garden, it was still a beautiful place to walk through.


Over the summer I've become quite interested in meditation. Doesn't this garden look like the perfect spot for it? Maybe I can convince D to go there with me and give it a try.


Lately I've been reading from a little book called "Springs of Roman Wisdom". It used to sit on my desk at my last office job. (Emergency stress relief, haha.) Now it's at home, lined up next to my new Russian books. Sometimes I'll pick a random page to read. Here's something from Marcus Aurelius that I really
like:




What a small portion of infinite and immeasurable time is allotted to each of us.


It is so quickly swallowed up by eternity.


How small is the clod of earth on which you crawl about.


Remember all these things and consider nothing great but this:


do what Nature bids you, and suffer what Life brings.


The Rose Garden is across the street from the Japanese Garden. Sarah and I stopped here for a lemonade before heading back into the city.


What kind of gardens are in your city?
Do you visit them often?


6 comments:

  1. Great place! I'd like to see it.

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  2. Seems so peaceful. I'm a Christian, so I tend to "meditate" differently. I worked at a Christian camp in Michigan one summer and our leader took our group to walking labyrinth's in the area. You should try to find some. I have trouble focusing so it really helped me. It was also kind of cool to learn that these labyrinths were hidden in the area. They aren't huge, sometimes just stone work made into a pattern, but I'd definitely recommend finding one.

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    1. That sounds like a really cool experience, Jasilyn :) I like that idea! There's a tiny stonework labyrinth in Portland, but I'd like to find a bigger one. I guess for now I'll settle for an autumn corn maze, haha.

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  3. That is a beautiful passage and a beautiful setting. It reminds me of the Tao, which I've been reading lately. I haven't been to the Botanical gardens here, but maybe I need to take a trip soon. :)

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    1. I bet it's beautiful in the fall, Dacia :) Hope you get the chance to go!

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