For the second activity of lesson/week 6, the activity has two parts. The first is to identify personally with one of the archetypal landscapes and the second is to identify a specific landscape – that is, a specific place – that is special to me and describe why it is meaningful and symbolic to me in relation to the concepts of archetypal landscape. This is the activity proper:
“Which of the archetypal landscape do you identify most with? Why is that?”
And
“Is there a specific landscape in your life that is special to you? Describe it topographically and explain why it is meaningful to you. Apply what we’ve learnt about encoding meaning into landscape and analyze the specific landscape you chose. Use the questions from the group activity to help you.”
For me, the landscape that resonates with me is the garden. The concept of beauty that does not last is something I feel is very present in life where I feel good things that we enjoy do not last but bad things stay for a long time. It is a somber reality that permeates existence. But there is also hope because a garden can be regrown though it takes time. It means that even the bad things will go away and you can enjoy peace and rest again even if it is for a short time. It also represents growth and decay. I feel I too want to grow and sprout but also to allow some things to decay so as to have newfound clarity and resolve in the ensuing rejuvenation.
As for the specific landscape, I would say the Singapore Botanic Gardens is my choice. In particular, there is a small forested area branching from a main walking path that leads to a small little pond. It is heavily wooded and contains many plants and some flowers. The main walking path itself is deeper at the heart of the park so not so many people go on it. Even less so are the people who actually turn into this secluded area. It is significant to me because it is quiet, meditative and peaceful. In its secluded state, it feels like a dream-like place outside of the world’s time; a place that follows its own time and rules – independent and free from the shackles of the human world despite being within a man-made park.
This landscape I feel is a fusion of a garden and forest. It embodies physical traits of both and conceptual ideas of both. A forest is dark, quiet and secluded while a garden is peaceful, tranquil but vibrant. I feel I see all these traits in the chosen landscape. In its silence, it feels like a sanctuary. With how dark and quiet it is, it is a place for contemplation and retreat from the noise of modern life. Its isolation from the world ties all these together and makes these traits even greater.
Another thing that I found fascinating was the fact that few people notice it, let alone enter it. Countless people just walk past it with nary a curious glance at its entrance. With how engrossed we’ve become with our handphones, we can be everywhere at once and yet ironically not where we are. They pass by the narrow passage while looking down at their phones (I have actually stopped to observe how people interact with it). The place then is like a testing grounds of sorts which seems to have its life of its own. It allows some to notice it, fewer to actually venture into it and to most, it allows them to pass by in blissful ignorance. It is a sacred place that only the initiated may enter. This I feel holds spiritual and religious significance and calls on the ideas of ascension and salvation.
Furthermore, the small pond in its center has spiritual significance too. It aids one in their reflective journey and focuses thoughts. It also brings the idea of a portal onto the table. It seems almost as though if you were to jump into the small pond, you will reemerge in another world. In writing this, I certainly call forth books like C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia where seemingly mundane things like a wardrobe can lead you to another world. Though one might not be transported to another world, coming out of this physical space and going back to the real world might leave refreshment and new clarity. The pond (and the landscape) then represents hope for the future and healing.
Last but not least, as said previously, the place feels like its own place in time. This timelessness perhaps is a lesson for us not take life so seriously but learn to relax and be content. It reminds me of the book The Lost Horizon about the fabled Shangri La, a place and its people so relaxed, content and happy that time and death there has lost their grip.
In conclusion, the secret pond garden symbolizes peace, secrecy, enlightenment and otherworldly timelessness.