The sight of the sunset sinking into the sea is the moment when the finite (myself) and the infinite (the sea and sky) melt into one completely. Gradually, the contour of myself fades out, and the boundary between myself and the endless world disappears.
The ever-changing scenery, where the sea, the sky, the clouds, and the sinking sun blend together, quietly conveys the sense that “everything is interconnected” in the whole universe.
It may be an experience of awaking parallel to the "Ichinyo" (absolute oneness) described in the Zen teachings.
Dusk gradually falls over the sea, and the low murmur of waves and breezes invites me to the evening shore.
I stand still on the beach at eventide, watching the sun slowly sinking beyond the far horizon and the evening sky glowing with beautiful golden hues.
The limitless seascape arouses the enigmatic nostalgia for the distant, unknown birthplace from which I might have arrived at this seacoast of the earth.
The evergreen needles of the red pines are quietly surrounding the maple leaves, and the moss-covered stone arrangement on the island is modestly accentuating the vivid, fiery hues of the autumn foliage.
The chilly, northern wind will soon fade these radiant leaves, causing them to scatter bit by bit. Finally, their flaming colors will be extinguished completely by the long, gloomy winter coming on.
Autumn leaves, with their vivid display of peak color followed by the inevitable fall, have long been regarded as a symbol of "Mono no aware" (the pathos of nature) in the traditional Japanese sense of beauty.
This ephemeral beauty deeply resonates with the Japanese perception of impermanence, in which the most splendid moments of our loves and lives always include the beginning of final decline.
When the vibrant autumn leaves finish scattering, a harsh, long winter must arrive here as always.
On the edge of the pond, as if to cherish the last remnants of late autumn, the maple leaves are vying with each other for flaming colors. The vermilion reflection of the leaves is sparkling faintly on the pond surface rippled by a chilly north wind.
"Yuki-tsuri" (snow hanging) ropes have already been attached from the top of an old black-pine tree to the lower branches to prevent their breaking under heavy snow during the long snowfall season.
The winter season of Kanazawa City is the unique combination of coldness, snow, and heavy skies, which is characteristic of the Sea of Japan coast.
Kanazawa City in winter is known for its extremely few sunny days. Clouds hang low, and rain or sleet falls intermittently. This “gloomy semidarkness” is said to create a psychological harshness and endurance. But this very harshness has nurtured the unique aesthetic sensibility of this old northern city.
The beauty of preparedness and endurance, which is symbolized by the snow-hanging ropes, has mothered the unique, traditional culture, like lacquerware, Kutani-ware porcelain, gold leaf, and Kaga-yuzen textiles, that stands out against the winter darkness.
