From: Valuemetaphysics@aol.com
Date: Sun May 16 2004 - 02:21:59 BST
Forum,
Has anyone sat watching koi carp and felt an easing of anxiety?
A peace and tranquility of mind?
There is a calendar in my kitchen displaying a scene of Koi swimming
together, and it got me thinking today about the way fish move and flow with their
environment and each other.
I got to thinking about the optimum size of pond within which fish may move
freely and yet compose an aesthetic awareness; too many fish and they may feel
anxiety and overcrowding, too few and the pond may appear empty and lacking
movement?
Do Koi keepers develop a sense of what is just right for the fish and for
people?
Here is a description i found of Koi:
While possible variations are infinite, breeders have identified and named a
number of specific types. The breeding process is complicated, since most of
these varieties do not breed true, and much of the knowledge is still a closely
guarded secret. Individual fish are also selected for appearance while being
raised; the net result is that an aesthetically attractive fish of a rare
variety may fetch a price of hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Why are some fish more aesthetically appealing than others?
Here is a list of Koi varieties:
Asagi - light blue on top, red/orange on bottom, blue scales bordered in
white
Shusui - similar to asagi, but with large scales in a dorsal row
Bekko - primary color red/orange/yellow/white, with black patches
Hikarimoyo mono - two colors; one flat, one metallic
Hikari utsuri mono - two metallic colors
Kawari mono - miscellaneous
Goshiki - mostly black, with red, white, brown, and blue accents
Kinginrin - bright metallic sheen, silver highlights
Kohaku - red accents on white body
Koromo - red and white overlaid with blue or silver
Ogon - uniform yellow or white
platinum ogon - pure white
Showa sanke - black with red and white markings
Taisho sanke - primarily white, with red and black markings
Utsuri mono - uniformly black, with red, white, and yellow markings
Tancho - primarily white, with a red patch on the forehead
Tancho kohaku - pure white, round red head patch
We are thinking about an art here?
There would be little use in breeding a beautiful Koi and then not allow it
to enjoy a happy life in a serene pond? I believe Koi learn to be hand fed?
I understand there are a number of questions in this post, but i feel the
beauty of Koi is experienced in a state of being which is good for both fish and
Human? There is a relationship here which is mutually beneficial?
Many tea gardens include Koi as part of the aesthetic of the garden. A
culture which values these activities is better understood in MoQ terms than in any
other Western philosophy it seems to me. And that leads to an exploration of
the Tea garden and Koi in terms of coherence.
What many in the west would term peace of mind is better conveyed in the MoQ
by a description of SQ-SQ tension. There is nothing permanent in the tea
garden - coherence is ephemeral, and a little sad? One is aware of the true nature
of things?
All the best,
Mark
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