A BOOK OF SHIZEN

In Japan, the word shizen, which is usually translated into English as nature, signifies something that is self-created. Believed to be the realm of countless gods and spirits, Nature is perceived by the Japanese as the manifestation of the Sacred.

My project is an attempt to convey the awe and reverence that shizen inspires in the Japanese people. Through my images, I try to show their appreciation of nature’s mystical beauty and mystery.

PART !

EIGHT MILLION GODS

An old Japanese saying has it that a kami dwells within each daikon pulled from the ground and there are seven gods in each grain of rice.  Some claim 8,000 000 gods exist in Japan, but in reality, nobody is able to count. These Shinto gods, are believed to be formless, invisible, and omnipresent, but deeply entwined in nature. Kamis perch near streams and waterfalls, fly above impenetrable forests, lurk amid rice paddies.  People can’t see them, yet they feel close to them. They can sense their presence and it fills them with trepidation.

In ancient times, whatever seemed strikingly impressive or possessed the quality of excellence, was thought to be inhabited by a kami.  Such objects – a solitary rock, a gnarled tree, a roaring waterfall – would be venerated. To mark them as sacred, people would encircle them with a rope (shimenawa) and mark with white zig-zag signs (shide). Those zig-zag signs, also had purifying qualities – they could ward off evil spirits.

Most kamis are benevolent but some, possessed by evil spirits, can be malicious.  To avoid their harm, followers of Shinto engaged in numerous ritual practices, which often involve the act of cleansing themselves or preparing (clearing) of places that can potentially be visited by gods.

In most parts of the world, such animistic beliefs would vanish, or morph and be gradually absorbed into the universal faiths. In Japan, they were reinforced by Buddhism and perpetuated into modern times. With the arrival of Buddhism in the middle of the 6th century, more gods were welcomed. Kamis mingled with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, some of whom were believed to be reincarnations of the old Shinto spirits.  

In the Japanese language, this divine realm of coexisting Shinto and Buddhist spirits is referred to as shizen. The word, usually translated into English as nature, signifies something that is “self-created” (the literal meaning of the two ideograms that form shizen, 自然,  is “that which is of itself”).

Interestingly, shizen is a fairly recent addition to the Japanese language – it was adopted from the Chinese only after the arrival of Buddhism. Prior to that, the Japanese had no single concept to express the totality of mountains, rivers, plants, and animals.  Nature – the sacred realm – was shrouded in mystery and considered impossible to define with words.

PART II

SEA AND MOUNTAINS

Japan is an archipelago of some six thousand islands straddling the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most volatile tectonic regions.  In a country besieged by natural disasters – earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, and tsunamis – the threat of a catastrophe is always present.  In a split second, dwellings can be obliterated, crops destroyed, lives lost. Any form of existence is fragile and precarious. 

Facing such a volatile environment, the Japanese have grown to approach it with grace and humility. Unable to overpower nature, they strive to control it. Patient and resourceful, they gently manipulate their surroundings.

instead of trying to subjugate it.  In consequence, the Japanese have always strived to live in harmony with the natural world. In contrast to Western philosophy, which proposes that the earth is to be tamed and conquered, in Japan the idea of subjugation has been firmly rejected. Rather than viewing themselves as its masters, the Japanese have always aspired to be part of nature – to tame it rather than overpower it.

The landscape is threatening but also beautiful. The magnificent coastline – dramatic cliffs, fissured bays, weather-bitten rocks -- stretches more than 30,000 km. The islands are crowned by steep, volcanic mountains which enclose narrow, winding valleys and small irregular plains. Most of the country is covered by dense, often impenetrable forests. Less than one fifth of land is suitable for agriculture.

 A harsh environment forces people onto the shores. The formidable coastline – dramatic cliffs, fissured bays, weather-bitten rocks -- stretches more than 30,000 km. Sea, which for centuries has protected the country from invaders, has been an important source of sustenance. It is worshiped as a god.

So are mountains, which form the spiritual home of the Japanese. The rugged peaks and forested slopes are where souls travel after death. They are also abodes of deities who provide people with life-sustaining water. Fog, mist, rain, ice and melting snow feed streams and rivers that flow to farms and villages below. They are believed to be sacred gifts of gods and ancestral spirits. 

PART III

RICE 

In the valleys, every inch of cultivable land has been levelled, irrigated and often terraced to grow rice. Rice is the country’s staple and the foundation of its economy but is also believed to be a sacred gift. Seven gods are believed to hide in each grain of rice: gods of sun, clouds, soil and water provide nutrients; wind pollinates the stalks, while insects eliminate pests and disease. Farmers who collaborate with nature and engage in the sacred act of planting, harvesting, cultivating soil or irrigating fields, are also considered gods. 

It is sometimes pointed, that ideogram denoting rice - 米 – combines two kanjis that stand for 80 (八十) and eight (八).  The resulting number – 88 -- alludes to numerous steps and tasks involved in the laborious process of rice cultivation.

For the Japanese, though, cultivation of crops also has a profound spiritual meaning; it forms the core of Japan’s social life, customs, and culture. 

PART IV

GARDEN

Shinto and Buddhism are based on feelings and intuitions rather than well-articulated beliefs or principles. They distrust words and shun direct expression. Instead – to get closer to their gods and spirits -- they create, maintain, and contemplate gardens.