Mediation by doing
How dorodango gave me a lesson in meditation and patience
Dorodango literally means MUD DUMPLING. A japanese art of combining dirt and water and polishing to create a delicate sphere. It takes a lot of time and patience and if you rush it, you’ll end up with a lump of dirt worthy of a garden, not a gallery.
It demands all your attention a you caress it with a damp cloth or hand.
It is very sile to start. Just a lump of clean dirt, some clay or fine dirt powder and water. Carefully, making a sphere with hands,.
Polishing a ball of mud, and without even realizing it, you become calm, extremely in peace with the world.
There is only you, dorodango and nothing else..
The luster gradually formed on the top removing fine grains. With a glass color bottle and little touches with water, it became shiny and formed a unique texture on the surface.
The week long exercise was also a time of reflection. I would concentrate on tiny specs of hole that sand left left and carefully closed them with dabs of water and clay.
Though very repetitive, it was therapeutic and i admired myself taking care of my shiny dorodango like a baby.
