Kodo : The Way of Incense by David Pybus (2001-05-01)
$114.00
Price: $114.00
(as of Nov 22, 2024 06:31:30 UTC – Details)
The elegant incense ceremony Kodo has a long, colorful history in traditional Japanese life-but remains little known in the West. This beautiful and informative book comes with several different kinds of incense and two incense holders. Kodo includes all the tools a reader needs to understand and experience first hand the exquisite pleasure and calmness of a ceremony that continues to have a powerful resonance in Japanese culture and history. Kodo-or “The Way of Incense”-takes readers step-by-step through performing your own Kodo ceremony and offers an overview not only to the different incenses and incense materials used in the ceremony but what it means to “listen to the incense.” The book also outlines the highly formalized games-tests of the senses-associated with the ceremony. The only book of its kind available today, Kodo explores the history, development and influences upon this ceremony as it brings the remarkable Kodo ritual into Western homes for the first time.
ASIN : B01K17SJJU
Publisher : Tuttle (January 1, 1735)
Ruby –
True Bliss!
Kodo:The Way of Incense is an awakening of the senses! Not only is the history mesmerying, but the sheer essence of the incense overwhelmes you, in a good place! The incense,accompanying this treasure of a book, is truly a mark of quality for over many, many years.I purchased this book so I could familiarize myself with the types of incense for certain rituals in my spiritual life! This book affords the reader a personal journey that he or she will never see incense in a mundane fashion. I highly recommend this to be a part of your everyday Zen life!Namaste
A Ma Terrasse –
Too bad…
I like David Pybus and his writing. The contents seems well researched, etc., but what’s going on with the illustrations?! They’re the stereotypical depiction of “Japanese people” by Westerners unfamiliar with Japanese kimonos and Japanese cultures. The illustrations are such caricatures and are so awful that they make this otherwise decent book unauthentic and somewhat insulting. I’m really disappointed as I had high hopes for a book coming from someone like Mr. Pybus. Though I think David Pybus probably knows much more about fragrances and fragrance materials, I would recommend Kiyoko Morita’s “The Book of Incense” over this book for information about kodo.
B. Conover –
wonderful information on KODO
excellent and well researched book about Kodo – very clear information and a valuable book for anyone looking into thisancient study and practice.
RALPH THE MAGE –
NOT BAD
THIS BOOK IS A LOT LIKE MORETAS BOOK. IF YOU BOUGHT THAT BOOK YOU DONT NEED THIS ONE TO, BUT IF YOU DONT HAVE ANY BOOKS ABOUT JAPANESE INCENSE GET THIS ONE. I WISH IT TALKEDMORE ABOUT OTHER PARTS OF AISA. IF YOUR READING ABOUT JAPAN THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. IF YOUR READING TO LEARN ABOUT INCENSE DONT FORGET TO READ BOOKS ABOUT EURPEAN AND AMERICAN INCENSE TRADITIONS TO. SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT ALL GOOD INCENSE AND TRADITIONS COME FROM JAPAN BUT INCENSE IS PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE WHOLE WORLD.
Self-kerbed –
AWESOME PACKAGE! Much more than just a book here…
A friend just gifted me with the Kodo package during the holidays because I adore scent and have done much work over the years with oils, extracts, herbs, resins and custom-crafting incenses. Our olfactory sense is one of the most truly mysterious and least-understood aspects of our brain and body. Thus, I am fascinated by anything that has the capacity to further my understanding of scent and scent as it is perceived and utilized within different cultures. “Kodo” doe this…and more! The book is quite interesting. Learning about the ceremonies and games is fun. But the whole package is *beautiful*! There is the very good book, two bundles of high-quality joss sticks (one epitomizing the energetic properties of day and awareness; the other of calmness, meditation and night) and two subtle and lovely corresponding ceramic burners, all neatly packaged with a sturdy slip-cover. Very easy to pull everything back together and very handy for traveling! I had looked at this listing on Amazon more than once and thought all that was being offered was the book. Not so! I give this my highest recommendation because it is a wonderful gift that you and/or your other “scents-itive” friends will enjoy time and again.
David P Oller –
Best Introductory Kodo Book
It’s a tough call on the best introductory book on Kodo, between this and Kiyoko Morita. Both have different styles and different approaches.I would say I prefer this book because the author consulted with more than one incense company and one kodo school his research.It’s very difficult to write on this subject because even in Japan, comprehensive texts are just not to be found, and almost all the texts on the subject are in Japanese.Kodo is still an art which is taught primarily from teacher to student without the use of texts. Training takes up to 30 years to master the art.However, anyone can read this book and begin learning and practicing the art. It includes fun quessing games called kumiko, and they range from very simple contests of guessing three different aromas, to very complex games requiring knowledge of Japanese history, poetry, and geography. In total there are over one-thousand such games.David shows how to prepare the incense furnace, tells about the six varieties of incense used in the contests, and gives you all the basics to get started.These contests are great entertainment, and make for a really fun evening with friends!
demon –
When did you last feel properly at peace with yourself and the world? Take the time to find something forgotten, something you once knew long ago, when you seemed to have all the time in the world – the importance of contemplation, and your sense of smell. A sincere thank you to the author, and to Paper Cavalier for sourcing this rare book.
Linda Spurr –
I found the book very interesting but was totally disappointed that I did not receive the incense kit. Why not?