Notes on Soto Zen Nuns. 

I. Paula Arai's article on the Nuns of the Aichi Convent

 Demographics: Orphans, widows, alternative life seekers

 Examples: Jakucho Setonai, Patricia Daien Bennage

 Daily Schedule

 Comparison with Monks

II. Keiji Nishitani's article on "Ikebana," Flower Arrangement

 Kadō, the Way of Flower, and the "Dō"-Arts　　道 vs. 術 "jitsu," technique

Japanese art (aesthetics): asymmetry, nature in “Nature,” negative space, emptiness and 2-fold truth

Nishitani’s notions of symmetry vs asymmetry, life and death

Examples of Zen gardens: Ninnaji, Ryoanji

Judo, Jujitsu; Aikido, Aikijutsu

 Characteristics of Flower Arrangement

 Types: Formal schools, Tea Ceremony, and Daily Living

Readings: Nishitani, "Ikebana," Paula Arai, "Soto Zen Nuns," CR16, 17.

III. In both the Zen nun's path of Buddhism and  Nishitani's view of Flower Arrangement

Enlightenment beyond life and death: Can a flower be enlightened?