Shazendo 写禅道

About Shazendo

About Doraku-An

I am teaching Zen, Hitsuzendo (the Zen Way of Calligraphy with brush and ink) and Aikido. During my teenage days I was mad about photography, equipped with a set of old fashioned analogue cameras and a b&w darkroom. Inspired by my grandfather's books on photography I tried to imitate the style and atmosphere of the old masters in my early attempts.

My approach towards taking pictures has changed through two decades of Zen praxis. Technical perfection is no longer important for me, nor is the outcome of my efforts. What I appreciate is how my way of seeing changed through Zen and Photography. That is why I combine both to Shazendo, the Zen Way of Photography.

If you want to read more, please also visit my blog on Zen:

http://blog.dorakuan.de/

写禅道

The term Shazendo 写禅道 is derived from the Japanese words for a Photography - shashin 写真, and the Way of Zen - Zendo 禅道. I was inspired for creating Shazendo by an article about the Japanese Photographer Hiroshi Moritani, who declared Shado 写道, the Way of taking Pictures equivalent to other Japanese traditional Ways such as Chado 茶道, the way of tea, or Kado 華道, the Way of flower arrangement.

Like Hitsuzendo 筆禅道, the Zen Way of Calligraphy with brush and ink was developed from the Way of Writing, Shodo 書道 by transferring it into a Zen exercise, Shazendo 写禅道 emerges from Shado 写道 as a true Zen practise, the Zen Way of Photography.

Shazendo 写禅道

break is over (nuremberg, design museum, spring 2013) - europe roadside series

goldfish II (beijing, summer palace, winter 2011) - beams of light series

goldfish I (beijing, summer palace, winter 2011) - structures series

listening (beijing, beihai park, winter 2012) - chinese faces series

13:52 (barcelona, estacio de franca, summer 2008) - europe roadside series

alley (weimar, summer 2011) - europe roadside series

blue eye (london, summer 2011) - structures series

night carousel (london, summer 2011) - beams of light series

izakaya (tokyo, spring 2013) - japanese faces series

dancer in the park (tianjin, winter 2011) - chinese faces series

plumbers' advert (tianjin, 2011) - structures series

roofs (maastricht,summer 2012) - europe roadside series

wood (antalya, summer 2009) - structures series

sandals (anatlya, summer 2009) - europe roadside series

late evening street (kyoto, winter 2011) - japanese roadside series

omikuji (arashiyama, winter 2011) - things japanese series

wooden structure (kyoto, taizo in, spring 2011) - structures series

temple chores (kyoto, chion in, spring 2011) - japanese faces series

camphor tree (kyoto, shoren in, spring 2011) - magic places series

bamboo grove (kyoto, kodaiji, spring 2011) - structures series