Fleeting

I kept thinking about the quote all weekend! I even talked about it in Lopa’s session, and Ira said it was a pretty gloomy way to see things.

Related to Flowers are only Flowers because they fall.

Beauty in Impermanence

Dante's concept of Hell is based on his belief in a just and vengeful God who metes out appropriate punishment to sinners. He divides Hell into nine circles, each representing a specific type of sin or group of related sins:

1. Limbo - Home to unbaptized and virtuous pagans, including the great Roman poet Virgil himself, who act as guides for Dante and his journey through Hell.

2. Lust - A circle inhabited by those who indulged in excessive passion and desire, often represented by lascivious and tormented beings.

3. Gluttony - Here, the gluttons are trapped in a stormy whirlwind, unable to satisfy their insatiable appetites.

4. Greed - Inhabited by hoarders and spendthrifts, these souls are forced to live in an area where it is eternally raining gold coins which they cannot collect due to the weight of their sins.

5. Anger - This circle contains those who were overcome by wrath or malice, bound in serpents that bite them incessantly.

6. Heresy - Here, souls are punished for holding false beliefs and deviating from orthodox Christian teachings. They are trapped within thorny trees, unable to escape the pain of their errors.

7. Violence - In this circle, violent individuals are forced to live forever in a dark forest where they cannot find their way out due to the weight of their sins.

8. Fraud - The eighth circle is divided into three sections, each dedicated to different types of deception: false guarantees, flattery, and fraudulent advice. The souls within are subjected to various forms of torment and suffering based on their specific deceptive actions.

9. Treachery - The ninth and final circle of Hell is reserved for those who betrayed others, particularly trusted friends or family members. These traitors are frozen in ice, symbolizing the cold nature of betrayal.

As Dante's journey through Hell progresses, he comes to understand that the ultimate purpose of these punishments is not merely vengeance but rather the redemption and purification of the souls who inhabit this dark realm. By experiencing the consequences of their sins, these souls may ultimately find a path toward forgiveness and salvation.

This came soon after the Shōgun dialogue and reflects a completely different symbolism of a flower

Developed out of the aesthetic philosophy of cha-no-yu (the tea ceremony) in fifteenth-century Japan, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic that finds beauty in things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. Taken from the Japanese words wabi, which translates to less is more, and sabi, which means attentive melancholy, wabi-sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence. In addition to presenting the philosophy of wabi-sabi, this book includes how-to design advice—so that a transformation of body, mind and home can emerge.