Penjing Bonsai
This is a new page on my website that focuses on the art of penjing, which is the original art of Japanese bonsai. My postings will be based on the new book I am currently writing: Between Heaven & Earth: Penjing – The Daoist Practice of Penjing.
Introduction to Between Heaven & Earth – The Daoist Practice of Penjing
My series of Daoist journals began in 2013 with my first book, A Daoist Practice Journal: Come Laugh With Me. This journal book was followed by six more qigong and Daoist-themed journals, including one book that was a straightforward book on qigong exercises, including the background principles of Chinese medicine and Daoist cultivation practices. And then, in early 2026, I completed another book, a revision of the qigong book with new material on the practice and benefits of deep squats. That book was titled Qigong & Daoist Squats.
In my earlier life, even before I started practicing qigong, I was very much involved in creative pursuits. My main art expression was fine art photography, which I was passionate about for many years, beginning when I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the 1980s, I integrated my photography interests into two master’s programs, one in art therapy and another, an M.F.A. in fine art photography. The interesting thing to note was that, aside from photography as the main creative expression for these two graduate degrees, my ongoing spiritual pursuits were also part of these studies. For instance, I referred to my photography expression as “Zen Photography.” Years later, when I settled down into a married and family lifestyle, living in a small town 60 miles north of San Francisco, practicing and learning qigong and Daoist cultivation, I started my first bonsai trees. They became part of my backyard landscape and were captured in my first qigong instructional videos, and one of them was the cover photograph for my second Daoist journal.
It is curious that the image I selected for my second journal book depicted a close-up of a forest bonsai with a Daoist figurine. Later, I will return to the significance of this book cover. And now, it is 2026, and I have come to a renewed interest in manifesting my years and years of creative endeavors. This time, I am combining my photographic skills with the art of penjing bonsai and my Daoist spiritual pursuits. My circle of creativity and spirituality has come home.
This journal book will dive deep into the story of penjing bonsai. It will not be a how-to-do bonsai book; there are plenty of those books available. And besides, I am certainly not any kind of authority on the craftsmanship of penjing or bonsai. I will, however, mention worthwhile books on bonsai and penjing as they pertain to my interests in integrating bonsai and penjing as part of my Daoist way. I will share my own experiences, in words and images, from my own penjing bonsai collection. Also, instead of continually saying bonsai and penjing, most of the time, I’ll just say penjing.
June – August 2026
History of penjing and bonsai plus more
June 2, 2026
A good place to start my exploration of a Daoist practice on the art of penjing is with a brief history of penjing. The following section is an edited introduction to the history of penjing, taken from Wikipedia. As a public-domain online publication, it is permitted to share and copy under the Wikipedia licensing terms. Eventually, in other entries, I will provide additional content on the history of penjing. In this moment, I simply want the reader to be aware of the vast depth of the origins of bonsai and penjing.
Edited, to last section on Daoist origins …
Daoist origins
Penjing seeks to capture the essence and spirit of nature through contrasts. Philosophically, it is influenced by the principles of Daoism, specifically the concepts of Yin and Yang and the profound principle of Wu Wei (Naturalness and alignment with the Dao), among other Daoist principles. Some of these Yin and Yang concepts used in penjing include portrayal of dominance and subordination, emptiness (void) and substance, denseness and sparseness, highness and lowness, largeness and smallness, life and death, dynamics and statics, roughness and meticulousness, firmness and gentleness, lightness and darkness, straightness and curviness, verticality and horizontality, and lightness and heaviness. Daoist principles also influenced Chinese poetry, calligraphy, and other visual arts. At its highest level, the artistic value of penjing is on par with that of poetry, calligraphy, brush painting, and garden art.
June 7, 2026
As I get further into the beginnings of this journal on penjing, I want to update the reader on my own process of cultivating penjing. The first thing to mention is that all my current miniature trees are in my outside garden. And it is important to mention that I live in a senior community in Sebastopol, California. I have been here for the past five years. I’ve already mentioned that my first bonsai were displayed in my backyard about 25 years ago. I can’t say what originally attracted me to collecting bonsai, except that my creative interests have always been influenced by an Asian aesthetic. So, when I moved from the house I had lived in for 25+ years, my bonsai came with me, though I had to give away several because my new place, a two-bedroom apartment for my wife and me, was too small for my full collection. Luckily, this community offered residents a small, raised garden bed. To cut a long story short, last Fall, I converted my vegetable garden bed to a bonsai garden. Here is a recent photo of what it looks like as of June, 2026. In my current collection, I have several Japanese maples, a couple of olive trees, a crabapple, several small Chinese elms, a few others, including a lemon tree that someone dropped off in my garden area two years ago. The bamboo fence in the background is a recent addition I installed to provide shade for the sensitive Japanese maple leaves. In my next entry, I’ll jump right into some Daoist principles that are shaping my future direction in cultivating a Daoist-inspired penjing style.
June 9, 2026
What are some of the Daoist principles that have influenced not only my personal interests in a Daoist penjing style but also the whole of Chinese cultural expression, including poetry, calligraphy, ceramics, paintings, and other creative expressions?
As a Daoist priest of many years, my intention is to bring to light an authentic Daoist influence on the art of penjing. One of my concerns is that I see frequent references to penjing as a Daoist-inspired art form. And yet, what I observe is that penjing artists are modifying the tree aesthetic through traditional bonsai techniques like wiring, or some other material like raffia, and excessive and dramatic cutting and pruning. These practices do not seem to have origins from a purely Daoist perspective.
I wonder if the penjing artist is aware of the core Daoist principle of wuwei, meaning to do things in the most natural way without exerting undo effort. In Daoist terminology, this effort or control is referred to as “youwei”or using one’s false sense of “I” or ego to control a situation. Whereas, acting from the “wuwei” self is acting in alignment with a higher consciousness, the Dao, and certainly not trying to manipulate the tiny tree with a metal training technique used to shape the tree. From my very earliest adventures in growing bonsai, 25+ years ago, I questioned the practice of wiring these tiny trees. My resistance then, as it is now, if I am going to cultivate these trees as bonsai, then I want to follow the path of the natural. Now, I am ready to move forward as a Daoist penjing artist who follows (tries) the natural (wuwei) way.
And just to be clear, I am not discounting or being judgmental about bonsai or penjing practitioners who do use wiring or other methods to alter the tree’s appearance. That is their preferred method of working with trees in a pot. My path is different, obviously influenced by my own practices and beliefs as a Daoist priest.
June 17, 2026
Jumping ahead a few days, I am here in Pasadena, CA, about 2 miles from the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino. For the next three days, I‘ll be spending a lot of time in the gardens, especially the Chinese and Japanese bonsai and penjing gardens. I’ll be taking lots of pictures and hopefully I’ll get permission to include some of them in my journal book project.
I’ve already begun discussing the essential Daoist principle of wuwei. Next, I’ll introduce an equally essential Daoist principle of yin and yang. Please keep in mind that these initial comments are just a preliminary introduction to them. Yin and Yang. These concepts are frequently mentioned in the penjing books I have collected so far. From a Daoist understanding, yin and yang explains the cycle of nature as it moves from one extreme to another. For instance, the yearly movement of the seasons, from the Summer Solstice around June 20/21, is the peak of the yang energy for the entire year. This cycle then moves from the Greater Yang energy of summer to the growing yin energy of Fall and Winter, peaking at the Winter Solstice, the Greater Yin energy around December 20/21. And of special importance is the hidden, interior opposite energy present in the yin and yang cycle. This is depicted in the traditional yin and yang symbol, shown here. This cycle of opposites continues again and again, never ending. Penjing practitioners make use of this principle in many ways, too many to mention right now. I hinted at my yin and yang experience in my June 14th entry.
June 18, 2026
Well, day one of my visit to the Huntington Library and Gardens. It certainly did not disappoint me. Upon arriving in the Chinese garden I introduced myself to two docents who I came across in the penjing collection. I learned an incredible amount of information on the Huntington in general and some very specific information on the creation of the Chinese garden. For instance, I learned that beginning in 2006 or so, a group of Chinese garden experts were brought to the Huntington and began the process of recreating the famous Chinese garden in China. I’ll fill in the details below but it included transporting tons of the special rocks (Taihu, limestone rocks) installed in the Huntington Chinese garden. The reader can read more about the origins of the Chinese gardens on the web page of the Huntington (Huntington.com). Here is a brief introduction found online, but which is also found on the Huntington page in the section on the Chinese Garden.
The Chinese Garden at The Huntington—officially named Liu Fang Yuan (Garden of Flowing Fragrance)—was conceived in the early 2000s to celebrate Chinese culture and highlight the Asian origins of many iconic plants. It was built using traditional Suzhou techniques and imported materials, with the first phase opening in February 2008. The garden was designed to emulate the classical scholar gardens of Suzhou, which flourished during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). Artisans from China carved the woodwork, bridges, and lattice windows and selected the traditional materials. The rocks, known as Taihu rocks were imported from China.
One of my goals for visiting the Huntington gardens is to explore the Daoist influence on the penjing trees. For example, do they depict the principles of yin and yang (emptiness, stillness, opposites), the principle of wu wei, the miniaturization of mountains, and waters, and so forth? That will be my focus tomorrow to capture these qualities through my photographic skills. Ok, I’m tired now, and so I will continue tomorrow; today was a thoroughly inspiring day at the Huntington.
June 23, 2026
Okay, let’s begin going a little deeper into the key Daoist concepts. It is of no use to think that someone can automatically create a Daoist-inspired penjing by just reading about penjing from a book, even if the book casually mentions some Daoist terms, like yin and yang, wuwei, ziran, emptiness, or even gongfu. What are the meanings of these terms as a practice, which is totally different than knowing these terms from a philosophical basis? I should add that the same limitation applies to learning penjing from a penjing practitioner (master or not) who is not part of the Daoist tradition. You’ll learn how to create a wonderful penjing bonsai, but it wouldn’t be a Daoist-influenced penjing. This is a difficult concept to grasp for non-Daoists or novice Daoist penjing practitioners. Only long practice and consistent practice will yield results, or more accurately, long, consistent (chang-constancy) practice will yield realization. And what’s the rush anyway? Your penjing will take a lifetime to mature, not like a painting or poem, which can be finished in minutes or days.
July 8, 2026
It’s been about ten days since my last entry. I’ve been busy with family gatherings, and this may continue until August, when things settle down for me. However, I did find time to create my first forest penjing, using advice from a couple of resources. One very worthwhile book on forest penjing is Forest Penjing …….. by Zhao. I have several other books by Zhao. They are wonderfully inspiring books on penjing. Another inspiring resource is the online website on the work of the famous penjing creator Man Lung Penjing. This site offers an in-depth exploration of penjing including details on how to create a forest penjing following very basic guidelines. I’ll share some of these guidelines as I move further on this penjing journey.
So, here is what I accomplished over the last couple of days. It is crude at this point. Looking at the photo, I realize some significant adjustments are needed. For instance, the narrow triangular formation recommended by Man Lung Penjing needs adjustment. Backing up a moment, my intention was to use 5 Chinese Elm trees I had been cultivating over the past year. In preparation for installing the trees, it was clear that my 17-in.-long tray would not be large enough for this forest penjing. I settled on a 3-tree composition, but as I said, the triangle configuration needs adjustment. Besides the pruning, a couple of other features need work, such as increasing the height of the primary tree on the left side. Also, I now see that I scattered too much pumice around; the photo gives the impression of patchy snow deposits, which is not my intention. I’ll work on these modifications and others as I progress with this penjing. As I write about this project, I am learning how to incorporate information from books and online sources, as well as what I saw firsthand at the Huntington Chinese Gardens. It is truly a process and a practice, and an art form that requires patience and persistence (or chang-constancy, in Daoist language).
July 9, 2026
Okay, back to my exploration of Daoist principles relevant to penjing practice.
So far I’ve talked about wuwei, yin and yang, emptiness, practice, chang-constancy, and briefly mentioned ziran, gonfu, Not Two, and wuwei walking. I’ll definitely talk more about all of these throughout this journal book. What are other principles that are important to a Daoist practice and aesthetic and will be discussed here? Here’s a list.
The meaning of circles in qigong and Daoist gongfu practices.
Emptiness and stillness.
Qi flow and naturalness.
Yin and yang asymmetry.
Innate nature-not only the essential nature of humans but of nature.
Empty and full-their relationship.
Gongfu-the mastery of an art.
Wenren-subtle aesthetic of intention.
Ziran-a thorough discussion on this topic.
And probably more.
July 16, 2026
Okay, time to dig a little, or more accurately said, a lot deeper into an important Daoist as well as penjing aesthetic principle. I mentioned this concept above when I listed other Daoist terms relevant to our discussion of a Daoist-influenced penjing. Here is one of those books worth having in your penjing book collection. The book, The Living Landscape, A Beginner’s Complete Guide to Penjing: The Ancient Chinese Art of Miniature Trees, Scenic Compositions, and the Philosophy of Natural Beauty, by penjing artist Wei Ming, 2026. What an interesting and also odd book! Given its comprehensive discussion on the art of penjing and bonsai in general, except for a couple of penjing photos on the front and back covers, there are no photos in the entire 128-page book. Lucky, for us though, the author does dive deep into the penjing practice.
“Ziran: The principle of naturalness. The most fundamental aesthetic principle in penjing – and in Chinese art more broadly – is ziran (natural; self-so; spontaneous). The characters for zi and ran mean something that is as it is of itself, without external compulsion or artifice. In the context of penjing, ziran is the quality of a composition that appears to have been produced by natural forces rather than human artifice.” (Wei Ming 2026, p. 26) I’ll come back to her other points on ziran later. For now, let’s compare what she says about ziran from a Daoist perspective. Previously, I mentioned the Daoist scholar and practitioner Louis Komjathy. I’ll quote from one of his comprehensive Daoist books, The Way of Complete Perfection: A Quanzhen Daoist Anthology, Selected, translated, and with an introduction by Louis Komjathy.
“Ziran (suchness). Being-so-of-itself. Literally, self-so. Often translated as “spontaneity” or “naturalness.” One’s original state of cosmological integration. Being beyond contrivance, distortion, and fabrication. Or, the state of simplicity (pu) or the state of the “uncarved block.”” (Komjathy 2013, p. 372)
Very interesting. On the surface, you can say these are two identical definitions, especially when you compare some key points made by both authors, like “without external compulsion or artifice” and “being beyond contrivance, distortion, and fabrication.” That’s not the end of the discussion on ziran or suchness, though. Ziran (suchness) has a much deeper place in Daoist cultivation. And if it has a much deeper place in Daoist practice, then I would conclude that the same depth of meaning would or should be found in a Daoist penjing.
August 11, 2026
Again, I am dwelling on this essential characteristic of the Daoist world: wuwei. In the book The Tao of Art: The Inner Meaning of Chinese Art and Philosophy, we see wuwei and ziran as key aspects of this particular cultural expression. Wuwei is often defined in close relationship to ziran or spontaneity of being. And this wuwei/spontaneity is understood as intuition, which is at the heart of creativity, and a creativity that is expressed through a material process like painting, ceramics, poetry, or even the Chinese art of growing a tree in a pot. When action comes from an intuitive mind, that means the mind is abiding in a place of stillness without the rambling, wandering monkey mind. That mind is in harmony with nature, meaning acting according to one’s core true nature, and once again, acting out of one’s intuition, spontaneity, and non-selfish self. Turning all this around to the art of penjing means valuing the life or essence of this miniature tree in a pot. Isn’t it enough that we are forcing a tree to grow in a tiny tray compared to the earth where it could have grown naturally? So, when we establish our tree in a pot or some elongated tray, let’s allow its true nature to find its way without our controlling mind. We should rely more on our intuitive abilities to listen to the tree’s yearning to express itself. And we can still bring our own personal artistic skills to the creation of a penjing because we are not controlled by our own willful way of doing. Listening is key.
more to come