I would dearly love to live in a hall like this one. The warmth of the wood and symmetry feel right. A day bed invites meditation and a leisurely view of the courtyard. It could also be the centerpiece for the fond reception of friends. The hall has the allure of antiquity: elegant Ming Dynasty furniture speaks of continuity and the joy of well-made things.
The plaques on either end of the room have round and square openings, reminding us of the saying, “Heaven is round, earth is square.” The grain of the stone set into the cut-outs resembles landscape paintings, and that’s why they were so prized. A qin (zither) hangs on the wall (5.1), and an altar table stretches across the back. Intricate lattice windows frame views of nature.
I was reminded of the great poet, musician, official, and Buddhist, Bai Juyi (774-846 ).* He wrote of his retreat on Lushan:†
“Three spans, a pair of pillars, two rooms, four windows. … I put a door on the north side to let in cool breezes so as to fend off oppressive heat, made the southern rafters high to admit the sunlight in case there should be severe cold. The beams were trimmed but left unpainted, the walls plastered but not given a final coat of white.…”
“Nearby runs a stream among rocks, pines, and cedars, some so big that ten men could barely reach around them, and many some hundred feet in height. The vines and underbrush beneath the pines block the sun from the forest floor. Even in hottest summer there are cool breezes.…
“In spring the blossoms of Brocade Valley, in summer the clouds of Stone Gate Ravine, in autumn the moon over Tiger Creek, in winter the snows on Incense Burner Peak. Now revealed, now hidden, in clear or cloudy weather, in twilight or at dawn, undergoing a thousand changes, assuming ten thousand forms.…
“When I have married off my younger siblings and served out my term as sima, when I can stay or go as I choose, then you can be sure I will take my wife and family in my left hand, gather up my qin and books in my right, and live out the remainder of my days here, fulfilling the wishes of a lifetime.”
Maybe having dreams of such a hall lingers with many of us. Few of us are likely to get it. Neverthless, we can visit a place such as TheMet and savor the tranquility. Instantly, you can know heaven on earth.
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* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_Juyi
† https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Lu
Translation from: https://www.hermitary.com/articles/po.html