Monday 5 April 2021

D is for Delight in Impermanence #AtoZChallenge

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the second week of the #Blogging from A to Z  April Challenge 2021. My theme this year is based on the Japanese concept of Ichigo Ichie which means--"What we are experiencing right now will never happen again. And therefore, we must value each moment like a beautiful treasure."

I've put together a collage of such moments which can be seen as chance occurrences, coincidences , pre-destined or random (depending on who you ask) for this month's challenge.

I thank you for spending your precious moments with me today.

Arti

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 "You know how everyone's always saying 'seize the moment'?" She says excitedly. "I don't know, I'm kinda thinkin' it's the other way round. You know, like, the moment seizes us."

This quote is from the end scene of the film Boyhood
Although I've seen and love the film, I came across this quote on page 16 of The Book of Ichigo Ichie and decided to use it for today's post because it fits the photo essay that follows.

April 2019, I was roaming the streets of Barcelona when my attention was captured by two young children squealing with such delight that I couldn't help but stop and look.
Dance in abandon. Let the moment seize you.

 Bubbles burst without warning.
Now rainbows--
now a piece of string.
New beginnings are always buried in ends.
Life's effervescence:
joy, sorrow, breath, death.
I'll sign off this post with a short poem I wrote recently. It's called 'a glass teapot' and it wonders about life's impermanence.

A glass teapot
I'd bought 
a few years ago
had a bamboo handle:
a crescent with nodes
polished with care so that it didn't shine 
but looked beautiful
faded like old embroidery
and just as charming.

Kamala, our cleaner,
one day last May,
washed the pot with such force
that the hook that held the handle broke.
Without the hook, the handle lost its use
and without the handle, 
what's a teapot?
I thought: useless,
empty.

I was upset.
Kamala was sorry.
We couldn't undo that which was.

Why do we play with bubbles when we know they'll burst?

And why are glass teapots bought?

Only in impermanence lies the truth of life.
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Has a broken piece of ceramic or glass made you sad -- ever? 
Have you found a new avatar for remnants of your prized possession? 
I'd love to hear, if you'll share:)

And in case, you'd like to relish the beauty of nature's impermanence, then hop on to last year's 'D' post which wandered through dewdrops on deodars and daisies.


This year, I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z  powered by theblogchatter.com 

37 comments:

  1. Beautifully put, why do we play with bubbles when we know they will burst

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  2. Yes indeed, it's all about valueing each moment like a beautiful treasure. Same for the bubbles, same for the teapot. Now it can be a new item, repurpose into a beautiful vase for pretty flowers, no?
    Quilting Patchwork & Appliqué

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  3. Why do we play with bubbles when we know they will burst? Amazing!
    Bubbles are like fantasy... a colourful dream...a beautiful flower...Echoing Loud and Clear...Change is the only permanent thing in this world, treasure it, enjoy it till it lasts!
    The pictures has perfectly captured the happy moment of the kids and frozen the Bubble's life, forever.
    Cheers my friend.
    PS: The beautiful teapot will continue to serve you as a potpourri /flowers holder in your living room or an interesting inhouse plant pot! Iam always looking for ways to reuse/recycle such treasures!

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  4. Beautiful. Why indeed. But that's what we do, hoping for a different result every time. I broke my share of mugs. So much that I've stopped buying them now, lol.

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    1. Aiyoo! Luckily, steel cups and glasses don't break:)

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  5. Hari OM
    Delightful indeed! I am sure I have broken (or someone else has broken) a favourite piece of china somewhere along life... but it is forgotten now. YAM xx

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    1. Most of my broken cups/mugs reincarnate as pens/brushes/utensils holders and the broken plate pieces are used as crocs in pots:) So they live on...

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  6. I love your theme and I do agree with the quote. Sometimes the moments seize us. Beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing.https://diaryofthesundayvisitor.blogspot.com

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  7. Delightful photos. What a thought-provoking you've given us! As for the teapot, gone but never to be forgotten!

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    1. Cheers Keith. that teapot--staying on in the kitchen actually--waiting to be reborn:)

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  8. As the good old saying goes: the only thing that is permanent is Change.
    Nothing lasts for ever. No one lasts for ever.
    As much as we enjoy our lives in the present, we should reach out to others for they too won't be there for ever.

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  9. Such a beautiful and philosophical poem. Loved reading this post.

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    1. Thank you Purba. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  10. This is lovely Arti. The photos are fabulous - I would have been in the street squealing with the littles. I love bubbles! I really love the idea of moments seizing us. I really do subscribe to the notion that we're all (and I mean ALL things) are co-players and co-creators in this divine adventure of us. A great big quantum field. Things change as we notice them - and why shouldn't we believe we change as we're noticed?

    Your poem is evocative. I think perhaps it's a human condition that we struggle accepting impermanence. We love things and we want to hold on to them forever. I'm not all that successful, but I do try to love things so deeply enough in the moment so that it's possible to release them into their next adventure and there can be joy in that. Clearly, at least for me, it's a lifetime - make that lifetimes - practice to master.

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    1. Thank you for writing such a beautiful comment Deborah. I love this :Things change as we notice them - and why shouldn't we believe we change as we're noticed?

      And I can see you squealing with the bubbles and the bubble busters:)

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  11. I had not expected that and I'm so happy to be surprised. Delight in impermanence - love it! And the photos are beautiful!

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    1. Thank you Suchita. I'm glad you had a pleasant surprise:)

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  12. There is a joy in impermanence. I loved how you drew parallels between the bubbles and teapot and made us wonder about life. Lovely photos

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    1. Thank you poetess. So happy you read the post. xx

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  13. It's true indeed

    "Why do we play with bubbles when we know they'll burst?"

    But then every single time we invite new bubbles or create and continue to play isn't it. Even if the handle breaks... Even if it ends in a dismay... We still go on to buy another glass teapot... Don't we! Maybe that's how it is meant to be ..and that can be the only answer to that why :)

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    1. Maybe:)

      I just read your 'Daffodils in snow'-- and now I can see the teapot holding yellow glow:)

      Loving this April journeying with you Ira. Cheers.

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  14. Barcelona is the perfect city for just roaming around in, I love it! What a precious moment to witness.
    https://iainkellywriting.com/2021/04/05/the-state-trilogy-a-z-guide-d/

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    1. Thank you Iain. I love it for the same reason--getting lost in its streets.

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  15. I have a small collection of vintage "smiling santa" mugs and pitchers that I put out for the holidays. Years ago I found a musical cookie jar in the same design. It fit in perfectly with my display. My husband was carrying the holiday boxes to the basement to put everything away after Christmas a few years ago and he dropped them. My cookie jar broke. It couldn't be repaired. I was sad and angry. Sad because it was one of a kind. Angry because I felt my husband was trying to "rush" the putting away and was carrying too much. But my anger faded quickly. I'm happy I have a husband willing to help me put away my decorations even if some things get broken along the way. Weekends In Maine

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    1. Thank you for sharing this story Karen.
      It's so easy to focus on the mundane (the cookie jar) and ignore the sublime (the helpful husband's love). And yet, we all do it.
      Someone once said, the best stories come out of accidents. This reminded me of that:)

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  16. Even when we are aware that bubble will burst we play with it because in that moment we LIVE and experience the joy and happiness.. that's what we try to find forever.. isn't it.

    http://serendipityofdreams.blogspot.com/2021/04/gracious-innocence.html

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  17. Lovely poem! I can never get tired watching kids and bubbles, they live in the moment and teach us a lesson of life's simple pleasures. As for breaking dishes, I've broken my fair share of glass butter dishes, finally I've bought myself a stainless steel dish!

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  18. When I was newly married, I remember putting some dishes away and something slipped out of my hand and shattered on the floor. To this day I cannot even recall what it was that broke, but I remember sobbing the entire time I cleaned it up. Seems weird... can't remember what broke, but I remember the tears.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your memory here Trudy. The image of you sobbing over broken china pieces is poignant and poetic.

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