The last human interaction a true Samurai has is his final bow to his witnesses: expressing gratitude for their bestowing him the honor of “achieving a good death” in front of their presence. He does all this at the exact moment when he is about to stab his precious sword into his own belly, then bring it across his stomach from left to right. It takes a sublime level of self-discipline that is beyond thought and carnal courage. The art of dying a good death is an artless art: a discipline imbued with a Zen spirit that penetrates all cells of the Practitioner’s mind and body. The outcome is an austere beauty for which you would have no word. You simply feel it.

When given a chance to live in Tokyo for two years, the co-author, Mei Yao, had an immediate but vague desire to do Zazen (i.e., sitting meditation) with the Japanese monks, and also to find out what the word “Ikebana” is really about. And if there is no coincidence under the large scheme of things, then it is indeed fate that she would accidentally run into the person who would volunteer to take her to the “practicing field” (called a “dojo” in Japanese) where a select group of people, from as young as 28 to as old as 84 years of age, are still practicing the art in the unadulterated, ancient way that originated from a Samurai and world famous ink-painter, Shinso Soami, during the Muromachi Era some 500+ years ago.

Upon arriving at the “dojo” of the Souami School, Mei was taken aback by the reverence she felt from the greetings exchanged between her guide and the 21^st Headmaster, Gahou Yokochi Sensei. As she entered the space, a palpable sense of veneration silently emanated from each and every practitioner. None of them are monks. They simply come together once every other week --- to hone in their understanding of nature and technical dexterity with the floral branches, and also to quietly observe the demeanor of their master teacher and other senior disciple-masters --- with the hope to further refine their heart through the art. What she experienced there in the “dojo” is utterly different from her previous experiences in the “classrooms” of two other popularly commercialized Ikebana schools.

In this book Mei Yao shares her ever-deepening understanding of the soul and principles of “living Zen” --- as explained in Souami’s handwritten scroll, The Book of Flowers and Samurai Miyamoto Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings. These ancient values are still manifesting in every corner of the Japanese society and culture today. Humanity and the Earth are both passing through a very challenging time right now, but with one ultimate reason: to raise ourselves to the perfection we are within.

The way of ancient Ikebana has been a surprisingly elegant practice for Mei Yao on her personal journey towards “the Way” over the years. Readers who enjoy the beauty of Mary Oliver’s poetry and Henry Thoreau’s natural writing will have a chance to also glimpse into “the Formless Self” by immersing themselves in the original Ikebana masterpieces by one of the most disciplined Ikebana masters, Hikaru Yokochi (a.k.a. Gahou Yokochi, bestowed Ikebana heritage name), who makes a faithful living in Tokyo as a renowned fine-oil painter.