fandomhigh | The Art of Ma; Thursday, Second Period [09/10].

Hopefully, everyone would have their traveling hats and geta with them that morning, because the Art of Ma was going on a trip! Not that such a journey would involve anything more strenuous than booking a portal for the class period, because anything more than that would just not be worth it, in Shunsui's eyes, but still! Who didn't love a trip?

"Ohayōgozaimasu, ducklings ♥!" he greeted them in a cheery, sing-song voice. "I hope you're ready to be contemplated and introspective, because today we will be attempting to experience the influence of the Art of Ma through its indesputable master, Mother Nature herself ♥. If you're all ready," he made a sweeping gesture, "and will just follow me..."

And once they were through, they would find themselves on in the mountains, with striking views and a small temple nearby.

"Welcome, ducklings, to Yamadera, more specifically Risshakuji Temple perched delicately among the rocky peaks of Mount Hoshu ♥, acclaimed to offer some of the best vistas in all of Japan. This temple was built all the way back in the year 860, and boasts a ritual flame that has been burning for over one thousand years ♥."

If his tone made it sound like he thought that was sort of quaint, well, he did.

"It was here that the well-known and acclaimed Japanese poet Basho is said to have composed one of his most famous poems, and Japanese poetry is a fine study of the Art of Ma that we will get into in more depth later on in the semester, but, as you take a moment to look around you, and consider:

"Shizukasa ya
iwa ni shimi iru
semi no koe

"Or, translated:

"Ah, stillness-
Sinking into the rocks.
A cicada's cry.

"Ah," he continued, after a moment of letting that stillness reign, for the students to look around and feel it sink into the rocks surrounding them, for them to notice the drone of the cicadas rising up from the forest, then chuckled softly, "but I am filling our negative space with a lot of empty words, neh ♥? Let's get to it. Today, I would like you all to feel the presence of ma around you in this space ♥. Explore if you'd like, but I encourage you to find a spot to sit and be contemplative on this landscape and the world around you. When you hear the sound of the gong, we will gather back here at the temple for tea and discuss our experiences. I will be here, should anyone need me before then. If there aren't any questions, then off you go, ducklings, go discover the stillness sinking into the rocks and we'll talk soon ♥."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Enjoying the view!

Astrid Magnussen

Grog Strongjaw

Nell Ingram

Or just let it drone on in the background as you take in the new location, start contemplating the poetry of the words or the place, or ask questions if you'd like.

The surrounding forest is lush and green with hidden surprises, the view from the mountains is vast and expansive. Find a spot that suits you and settle in to contemplate nature, breath in the fresh mountain air, start wondering when lunch will be, or how long this is really going to take...

Well, it wasn't exactly the same as floating around in a pool (although now Astrid had to admit, she had the buds of some ideas on how her preferred method of escape fit nicely into the niche of this philosophy), but Astrid did enjoy getting to just find a spot near the edge of one of the cliffs, to settle in and just...look around. Soak it in. Breathe deeply. Absorb everything to rememmber later for a series of watercolors that were already forming in her head, to sort of ache for the beauty of this, and the stillness, and the cicadas droning on and on and on...

She realized that she probably wasn't doing very good at making her head a negative space just then, though. Probably the opposite. Fill it up now to empty onto the canvas later. Maybe that was her ma, emptying one space by filling another...

She definitely liked this class, but she wished she could just stay here, and that the gong wouldn't sound, and she wouldn't have to eventually go back.

Grog's experiences with forests had all involved chopping wood for fires or hunting animals for food. Just sitting around was hard, and trying not to listen for things to hunt was even harder. He thought about closing his eyes, but he had to admit that the view from where he was sitting was really pretty.

Nell sat and quietly communed with the land beneath her. And if a stray vine or two grew up and wrapped around her hand, well, perhaps no one would notice.

When the gong sounds, everyone should return to the temple, where, as he said, Shunsui has tea ready for everyone around a low table, where he invites them all to join him.

"And how did it go?" he asked, pouring the tea for the first student and passing it off before tending to the next. "How did you feel? What did you think about? Any revelations on how it might apply to the subject of our class, as you've come to understand it thus far ♥?"

"Oh, it was quite peaceful," Nell said as she took a cup of tea. "And lots of empty space to just let yourself be."

"It was quiet, which was nice I guess," Grog said. "Sometimes it's hard to not think about stuff though."

Coming from a guy with a 6 in intelligence, that was saying something.

If he should be needed for anything not covered in the other threads, especially before or after the voyage through the portal.

Can I please just do this instead of going to work today?

Will probably be mostly AFK today, so contemplation and discussion amongst yourselves is highly encouraged ♥.

Edited 2020-09-10 10:20 (UTC)

The Art of Ma; Thursday, Second Period [09/10].

Sign In - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Sign In - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Sign In - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Sign In - AoM, 09/10.

Listen to the Lecture - AoM, 09/10.

Contemplate Nature - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Contemplate Nature - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Contemplate Nature - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Contemplate Nature - AoM, 09/10.

Discussion - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Discussion - AoM, 09/10.

Re: Discussion - AoM, 09/10.

Talk to Shunsui - AoM, 09/10.

OOC - AoM, 09/10.