Struggle from Within

On occasional visits with friends, I sometimes see a natural beauty of nature miniaturized in a small flat tray. I actually appreciate the beauty but never gave much attention to how it came to being.

I am talking about a bonsai. There is always something in this work of art that touches your inner self and imagination. This art coupled with a lot of science actually originated from Japan, hence the word "bonsai" which means literally "small". The fundamental concept of bonsai is called"Keisho-sodai" which means "small size, great similarity". And it was only very recently that I started to dig deeper into appreciating this newfound hobby.

In a hurried world, going into bonsai art is like going against the tide of fast-paced way of living. We live in a world where everything should be done fast and comfortable. So we have fast food, fast ferry, fast internet connection, fast ticket, expressways here and there, fast computer upgrades, accelerated college courses... and the list can go on and on... Bonsai making goes on the reverse.

It is actually a balancing act of having a healthy plant which growth is stunted through root and branch pruning and a delimited source of soil nutrient. The art challenges one's capacity to wait, and in most cases to intentionally slow down the process and painstakingly wait for the desired result - Keisho-sodai.

They say that patience is a virtue. It is indeed a virtue specially when you’re involved in bonsai making. It is like a clock without hands so that it becomes timeless. It thrives in a world of its own, amid the chaos where time is suspended. As I gaze intently on the roots of my ficus benjamina that now hugs the little block of concrete, I wonder when they will ever grow bigger than my pinky. Maybe years from now. One leaf a day.

Outside, the bonsai brings calm and gentleness. Inside, one will never see the struggle of every small root trying to absorb the limited nutrients in its harshly made environment. It is that same struggle inside that brings out the best of the tree - a beauty to behold. What a stark similarity with what the bible teaches, “fire purifies the gold.” This brings to memory the story of Job and you know what happened.