Kado - Ikebana

With deep understanding, dedication to Kado Ikebana and sitting meditation of practice, it is possible to become peace. By being peace itself, we can heal imbalances—mental and physical—within ourselves, towards others, and in our relationship with nature. Harmony follows restored balance bringing goodness to ourself, home, community and planet.

Kado practice can open us to universal wisdom that is inherent in all sentient beings. By touching into universal wisdom and letting it be the guide, it's possible to experience daily life with less confusion, stress, and anxiety. This can give our response to constant change and challenges in life to be more accurate moment to moment.

Kado developed in China approximately 2300 years ago as an example to understand “The Tao” or "The Way” …..meaning the way of all life.

The ancients recognized that every living being possesses innate wisdom. Natural branches or flowers are living beings, therefore are embodied wisdom. In Kado practice they serve as outer examples offering students the opportunity to recognize and experience their wisdom within directly while practicing form.

With time, practice, and patience, Kado has the potential to open the human mind-heart and bring it into balance. Students can realize that all sentient beings, not just nature, embodies innate wisdom.

It exposes the belief that we are "separate from nature" as a false view. Kado practice can show the practitioner that each branch or flower in an arrangement needs to communicate to all that is around it in order for the larger totality to come into balance, which means to be in communication with other, to commune with all. This can be understood as a metaphor or sane example for the self or for healthy human society.

But a Kado Ikebana is not a metaphor for nature.

A well done example is the truth of nature itself, simply participating in the moment without self consciousness. The practice can provide experience in realizing that trying to change, dominate, or control any situation inner or outer is ultimately hopeless usually concluding in disaster. It shows mindless action with no consideration for other, also results in disaster or confusion at the least.

But it does not condone patterns that cause harm or discord. A large part of the practice is learning to cut away the necessary or destructive.

Human beings are a very small part of the larger cosmos and subject to all natural law. Kado Ikebana teaches natural law as it’s an expression of natural law.

Kado is Chinese meaning the “Way of Flowers”. The word "Flowers" represents the entire manifestation of all sentient beings not only trees and flowers. 

The Buddha has been quoted to say…” if you understand the life of one flower, you understand all of life…”

The practice developed in China and after hundreds of years assimilated into Japanese life. Through time, the Japanese changed the name to Ikebana which translates as “Living or Natural flowers”, literally, “breathing flowers”.

There is no conflict between the two names. Kado points to the Path quality and Ikebana reveals that the path is natural, not conceptual.

When Kado Ikebana is a natural expression without self consciousness it is beneficial for all.

The purpose of Kado Ikebana is for rediscovering and reconnecting with innate universal wisdom present within and to trust it.

Friday, please arrive 3:00 - 6:00pm for registration.
Dinner will be served at 6:30pm.
The program will officially begin at 7:30pm.

On Sunday, the program will finish by 5:00pm.

September 5 - 7:
This initial weekend portion of the program is an excellent place to start if you are new to the practice or curious about it. You can register just for the weekend on this page.

September 5 - 10:
For those people who would like to go into the practice in greater depth, click on the link to register for the full 5-day retreat. This retreat goes three additional days beyond the weekend.