Finding Tranquility in the Empire of Light

In this rather wabi-sabi Zen flavor, I experienced the infinite style of the Empire of Light.
　　After nine o’clock in the evening, there are no street lights in the garden, and the big trees and ponds can’t be seen clearly. The mountains outside the garden are dark. Looking up at the sky, the sky is still exceptionally blue, with white clouds floating in relief.
　　This is very similar to the “Empire of Light” by Belgian painter René Marguerite, with the night below and the day above, weird but enchanting. I sat by the pond, admiring the night, and accidentally, there was a plop, something nearby made a noise in the pond, reminding me that the pond was close at hand.
　　After the noise, the surrounding area became quieter. I was inexplicably moved by this situation. It turns out that René Marguerite’s paintings can be understood as depicting this ancient silence. This is similar to the aesthetics of Japanese haiku. Many years ago, I read “beside the lonely ancient pond, the frog jumped into the middle of the water and made a plop” and didn’t think there was any merit in this short song. But tonight, deep in the mountains, alone by a pond, your senses seem sharp but useless, and suddenly hearing this sound, it’s surprising that silence is a powerful force. The sound of the pond, the tranquility of the surrounding mountains, the tranquility of the animals, and the hearts of people enjoying the scenery, all get a certain kind of tacit understanding in an instant. It is the smartest choice to be quiet and enjoy the breeze and bright moon.
　　I was moved this time not only because I enjoyed the quietness and refreshment, but also because the hotel behind me gave me a great sense of comfort. This hotel was designed by IM Pei. I don’t know much about architecture, but when I saw it, I felt that this building was close to the people. And this living building has just passed its 40th anniversary celebration. It cannot be described as ancient, but walking around, I feel that these buildings have integrated with the green mountains and white clouds here, as if they are integrated with the ginkgo trees in the garden. Lived for hundreds of years.
　　The main body of the hotel is a three-to-four-story building with a reinforced concrete structure. There is no horse head wall, no sloping roof, and no mortise and tenon structure. The whole body is white, and the windows are a kind of wall decoration. On the windows, you can see bamboo curtains hanging behind the large glass. There are diamond-shaped window grilles painted white on both sides of each window, and the windows are divided by gray frame lines. Unity and harmony. The courtyard is decorated with rockery and stacked stones, and the flowing water, relying on the ancient trees of Xiangshan many years ago, makes me feel the symmetry and simplicity of the northern folk houses, and the delicate and smart gardens in the south of the Yangtze River. generate. I.M. Pei once said: “Architecture must be integrated into human activities and enhance the quality of such activities. This is my view on architecture.”
　　German philosopher Nietzsche held a negative attitude towards the rush and anxiety of modern society. Said: “Everywhere I look, there is an uneducated haste.” This is probably talking about me, anxious about everything, from the scorching heat of the weather to the wilting of plants, or gossip behind the back of acquaintances, strangers beyond The usual enthusiasm. In order to avoid this anxiety, I also pretended to be calm. Nietzsche sees through my weakness, “We are impatient to give our hearts to the state, money, society or science, just so that we don’t have to have it any more, we indulge eagerly and thoughtlessly in the burdensome daily affairs, more than life needs. To a certain extent, because not thinking has become a greater need for us.”
　　The sound of a thud reminded me to temporarily withdraw from the world of mortals indulging in material desires.
　　Don’t explore the stars, and don’t strive for yourself. And so, on a parasol chair, cranky. It seemed that Mr. I.M. Pei was in the same position back then, watching the stone moved from the Stone Forest in Yunnan land on the opposite side, and it fell in my heart. He didn’t need to turn his head to know that there was also a mountain behind him. The reflection of this mountain fell into the pool, and with the cry of the frogs, he jumped to the opposite bank, like a mountain peak flying over.
　　In summer, when the cicadas are singing and the cicadas are raging, it is very quiet here, and there is no noise of frogs, and a bright moon slowly passes through the shadow of the clouds. In this wabi-sabi atmosphere, I experienced the infinite style of the Empire of Light.