On 5 Jul 2004 08:20:35 -0700, in rec.arts.bonsai you wrote:

Andrew - I like your attitude about bonsai. Too many people treat them like
a commodity: used cars, garage sales, old furniture and bonsai. If one has
this attitude, he misses the whole point of bonsai. A true bonsai artist
treats his trees as part of himself. He may give them to others if he knows
that the recipient can care for them as much as he does, but he doesn't sell
them.
I once went to a convention at which Ben Oki was doing a demo. A visitor
asked him if the tree he was working on was for sale. When the answer was
"no", the visitor asked:"But if were for sale, what would be the price?"
Ben quietly replied: " A thousand dollars."
The visitor gasped: "Isn't that a lot of money?"
"Yes, said Ben, but when you consider that I put 100 hours into that tree,
it only comes to $10 an hour for my work. Do you think I'm worth that
much?" Then, as an afterthought, Ben said: "But it's not for sale."
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew G"
To:
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2004 5:39 AM
Subject: [IBC] How many of you hord/keep bonsai?

But I could not imagine letting go of any of them.

Don't get too attached, ultimately you must.

I find mine a striking 'memento mori' at times. If I do my job right,
they could outlive me by many lifetimes.

Many faiths have a variation on the following, as do many secular
philosophies.

'...all earthly things are to be looked upon as it were by the way.
All things are passing away, and thou together with them.'

Anyone else have a philosophical view on their trees and plants?

Richard

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