Communing with nature: deep in a Thai forest, Buddhist monks embrace tranquillity and contemplation.Of all the major religions, the ancient tenets of Buddhism place perhaps the most explicit importance on living in harmony "Living in Harmony" is an episode of the 1967-68 television series The Prisoner. It differs from most other episodes of the series in that it does not begin with the show's standard opening credits sequence. with nature. Here in the dense Thai jungle, these principles are put diligently dil·i·gent adj. Marked by persevering, painstaking effort. See Synonyms at busy. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin d and poetically into practice in a project for a community of Buddhist monks seeking to retreat from the modern world and find solace in the spiritual. As architect Suriya Umpansiriratana puts it, 'The idea is to transform the abstract essence of Buddhism into architecture'. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Great care was taken to disturb the forested site as little as possible. Individual monks' cells (kutis) are dispersed dis·perse v. dis·persed, dis·pers·ing, dis·pers·es v.tr. 1. a. To drive off or scatter in different directions: The police dispersed the crowd. b. across the lush slopes in an interconnected network largely dictated by the presence of mature trees. At the heart of the complex is a central courtyard with a communal meditation space and lodgings for visiting senior monks, who instruct and inspire the community. Buildings are compact, timber framed and utterly austere aus·tere adj. aus·ter·er, aus·ter·est 1. Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave: the austere figure of a Puritan minister. 2. in form and furnishings, symbolising Noun 1. symbolising - the act of representing something with a symbol symbolizing figuration - representing figuratively as by emblem or allegory the importance of a modest life to Buddhist teachings. Walkways and verandas threaded through the trees provide vantage points for the contemplation Contemplation Compleat Angler, The Izaak Walton’s classic treatise on the Contemplative Man’s Recreation. [Br. Lit.: The Compleat Angler] Thinker, The sculpture by Rodin, depicting contemplative man. of nature, and rich terracotta walls further emphasise the manmade's connection with the earth. Though the architecture is necessarily simple and understated, the jury were moved by the project's wider resonances with nature, humanity and the divine. C. S. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion