A study is a room where you can read, write, draw calligraphy, paint or meet people to discuss important matters. Some use it as an inner sanctum where you can think, meditate, find peace and stillness – to be yourself, lay the foundations for personal development, prepare decisions. Some even play music in their study.
The Asian tradition – especially the Chinese tradition – is such that the study was used for archives of classical works, displaying art, meeting friends. You could create your own world of freedom and creativity. The study was well equipped with fine furniture, but the most important were the writing implements: the brush, ink, paper and inkstone – these were called the 4 treasures. They were valued as articles of art in their own right, being well made through painting, calligraphy, carving and ornamentation.
This is a room that now mostly was – most people don’t have studies anymore. The activities of the study have changed too – we are more modern now – we don’t need implements.
But think for a minute: we need tools, they may preferably have artistic value, we may enjoy the feel and sight of them – may be these values should be re-introduced to the work we do?
We sit in front of our machines: do we really think there? Do we reality-check our life decisions? Technology has taken over – we think we are extremely efficient – but deep thinking takes time – we don’t need machines for that – creativity does not happen every day – we may as well take some time over what we do – our life decisions are important and should be taken consciously – not as something that just happens to us.
See – a study would be a fine thing for most people. If you can’t have one – keep studying all the same. It is a fine thing to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of the world to find stillness, think, reflect, get into contact with yourself – and maybe find the connection to the cosmos we are all part of?
