Your Classics



READ THE ENTIRE LITERARY WORK. THESE NOTES ARE NOT INTENDED AND HAVE NOT BEEN PREPARED TO SERVE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE TEXT ITSELF OR FOR THE CLASSROOM DISCUSSION OF THE TEXT. STUDENTS WHO ATTEMPT TO USE THE NOTES AS SUCH ARE DENYING THEMSELVES THE VERY EDUCATION THEY ARE PRESUMABLY GIVING THEIR MOST VITAL YEARS TO ACHIEVE.

- Cliffs Notes

“…the area of Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka where I come from was once the center of ancient Japan. It has what is called a tomb culture, a tomb civilization. Of course, tombs exist all over the country, but there is a dense concentration of tombs around Nara and Osaka. When you are young, when you are growing up, your body responds to the environment, the physical environment as well as the spiritual environment. In my case, I was always aware of the great tombs surrounding us. These tombs have a very powerful presence—a place carved into nature that suggests a mediation on the past, the present, and the future. I think what you are suggesting, and it may be true, is that this tomb environment has affected me. Also, I value the instinctive synthesized wisdom and inborn abilities of native people and traditions. I prefer trying to solve difficult problems by referring back to native knowledge and solutions rather than consulting books of new theory.”

– Tadao Ando


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