<DIV>In this lovely, meditative exploration of Ikebana — the Japanese art of flower arranging — Joan Stamm shows us how her twin paths of Buddhist practice and artistic endeavor converge and indeed become thoroughly intertwined. In reflecting on the fading of a lovely bloom, the author understands impermanence; when she shows us the natural symmetry of a blossom, we find that we too have regained our balance. Stamm's elegant, lush voice weaves childhood memories with meditations on the symbolic importance of nature.</DIV>