ABOUT BONSAI
 The origin of the term "bonsai," pronounced "bone-sigh," is derived from the Japanese term "bon" meaning "tray" and "sai" meaning "tree". Thus, the literal translation of bonsai means "tree in a tray." Often times bonsai is misspelled "bonzai or bonzi".
Bonsai represents the artistic use of gardening techniques to develop a tree into a miniaturized version of its counterpart in nature. Bonsai is not a specific type of tree; rather many types of trees go through the gardening process of bonsai.
History of Bonsai
Bonsai has its origins first in China, then, later in Japan, where it was and remains an expression of the harmony between man and nature.
The spiritual roots of bonsai lie in the Oriental philosophy of life, which strives for perfect harmony between man and nature. In China this ancient art of miniature trees is referred to as Penjing. It dates back to the Han Dynasty about 210 B.C. It first appears as bonsai in Japanese writings in the year 1310.
It is the Japanese who must be given the credit for introducing the art of bonsai to the Western world at the World's Fair in 1878.
Spirit of Bonsai
Bonsai may be viewed as an object of meditation. The act of creating bonsai by itself is a contemplative, meditative exercise - a practice of Zen. The bonsai trees can be seen as a celebration of Nature and the healing powers extended by an intact natural environment. Creating and taking care of bonsai will draw you closer to Nature, enabling you to experience her in a more direct, intimate way.
 For a more spiritually in-depth understanding of bonsai, the practice of creating miniature trees should be viewed against the backdrop of two very old Asian philosophical traditions, Taoism and Zen Buddhism. The Taoist philosophy has exerted a significant influence over Far Eastern arts for nearly 3,000 years. It's a way of thinking and living that can liberate mind and body and become in harmony with Nature. It suggests that by learning to go with the flow of life and allowing our minds to function naturally, tremendous creative powers within us can be developed. Tuning into the rhythm of Nature and understanding the interrelatedness of all things around us are key components of this philosophy and in the art of bonsai.
Zen Buddhism - known as "Ch'an" in Chinese - evolved as a new form of Buddhism around 500 A.D. It came about when a form of Indian Buddhism was grafted upon the native Chinese Taoist tradition. Chinese and Japanese-style sitting meditation ("zuo Ch'an", a concept called "za zen" in Japanese) seeks to liberate, encouraging the mind to flow without impediment and to follow its own, intrinsically good, nature. Ch'an, popularized in the West under its Japanese name, Zen, teaches that the receptive mind can find Enlightenment everywhere, at any time, in the form of "sudden awakening".
And so it is that a bonsai artist, working with natural materials and
concentrating on the here and now becomes one with the creative forces of
Nature. This puts the bonsai artist quietly absorbed in a state of active
meditation. Arranging bonsai trees and placing rocks, the bonsai artist suddenly
discovers something new and exciting, beyond mere words, - a composition that
flows naturally and harmoniously, engendering great beauty and universal,
eternal truths with seemingly little effort. This is the ultimate experience of
bonsai; becoming one with your tree, Nature, and, thus, all the positive
energies or “Chi,” in the universe.
Bonsai Aesthetics
 The
Bonsai artist's goal is not only to re-create a natural scenery in a container, but also to capture its essence and spirit. To achieve this objective, a wide palette of artistic devices comes into play.
On a philosophical level, this presentation of opposites is evidence of the conceptualization of the universe as being governed by two poles of cosmic energy, the yin and the yang.
Artistically, these contrasts create rhythm and dramatic tension, which the bonsai artist resolves in a dynamic balance, a delicately tuned equilibrium between himself and the bonsai.
The attainment of overall structural unity in bonsai is critical. In addition to deciding on an appropriate Bonsai Container and determining the tentative placement of the bonsai, the artist will consider the bonsai tree species, number of
Bonsai trees to be used, their sizes, trunk angles and the design of their foliage mass.
 The Bonsai artist will then choose decorative rocks, Kanji Stones, pebbles for their size, color, shape, surface details, and compatibility with the
Bonsai. Next the bonsai artist will add the finishing touches on the bonsai by selecting Decorative Moss and an appropriate Figurine. In the end, every element in the design needs to relate to all the others so that the entire nature-scape now appears as a single, all-embracing, encompassing entity.
Bonsai artists do not seek to create perfection. As a matter of fact, Bonsai trees trained into highly stylized forms where every angle and every root and branch placement has been meticulously calculated by a rigid formula do not suit their tastes.
Apart from being beautiful, an outstanding Bonsai must look entirely natural. It should look as if Nature herself had spontaneously created it - like a marvelous accident of Nature.
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