As autumn arrives and the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, nearly 40 participants gathered at Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto on September 20 for an Ikenobo floral art workshop hosted by the BLIA Toronto Chapter’s Da Ci First, Second and Third Sub-chapters.

The workshop, themed “A Beautiful Flower and Perfect Moon: Encountering the Colors of Autumn,” was led by Sue Hutchinson, an Ikenobo floral art instructor for the Humanistic Buddhism courses at Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto and a BLIA Lay Dharma Teacher. Through seasonal flowers and hands-on practice, participants explored the beauty of nature and the mindfulness embodied in floral art.

Sue introduced Ikenobo as one of Japan’s oldest schools of flower arrangement, tracing its origins to floral offerings at Rokkaku-dō Temple in Kyoto. She explained that its major styles include Rikka, Shōka and Jiyūka, or free-style arrangement, each expressing nature through line, form, space and color.

“Free-style arrangements must have a story,” Sue said, emphasizing that meaningful floral art can convey the creator’s feelings and experiences. Drawing on more than 40 years of practice, she encouraged participants to respect the natural form of each plant rather than reshape it unnecessarily.

Using autumn materials including dahlias, chrysanthemums, cockscombs, rose hips and goldenrod, participants created their own arrangements under the guidance of Sue and students from the floral art class. Even yellowing leaves and ordinary grasses, she noted, can reveal the simple beauty of autumn when viewed with appreciation.

Venerable Ru Sing, Guiding Venerable of the sub-chapters, reflected on the longstanding connection between Buddhism and flowers, recalling the Buddhist story of the Buddha holding up a flower and Mahākāśyapa responding with a smile. She encouraged participants to discover mindfulness through floral art and bring the beauty and blessings of the experience home for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

At the conclusion, Venerable Ru Sing drew inspiration from the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, noting that a single flower can contain an entire world. Just as scattered branches and leaves find harmony when carefully arranged, she said, cultivating and settling the mind can help reveal the purity and goodness already within.

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