生き物イラスト図鑑 &フリー素材 Free Biological images: たて花 (心の花) Shin-no-hana Part1

From "The flowers of Japan and the art of floral arrangement" (1891) by Josiah Conder

Japanese historians claim for it an Indian and religious origin. The same Buddhist doctrine which deprecated the wanton sacrifice of animal life is said to have suggested the gathering of flowers, liable to rapid destruction in a tropical climate, and prolonging their life by careful preservation. The survival of such a theory would seem to show that some form of the art was first introduced into this country with the adoption of the Buddhist faith, both as a part of its ritual (flowers being placed before the Buddhist spirits), and also as forming a pious pastime for the priests. The religion of Buddha, as is well known, reached Japan through China in the six century, and certain Chinese priests are referred to as the first teachers of the art of arranging flowers in Japan. It also appears that the earliest native practitioners in this country were famous priests, amongst whom Shotoku Taishi and Meikei Shonin are particularly mentioned.

These primitive flower compositions were, however, of a more accidental and, at the same time, of a more extravagant character than those of the art as it became afterwards modified and developed. They partook more of the nature of a Western bunch or nosegay, being crowded in arrangement and miscellaneous in substance, and without the severe conventionality of later methods. The style of composition adopted still survives under the name of Shin-no-hana, meaning Central Flower Arrangement, and is used for flowers placed as religious ornaments or offerings before shrines and tombs.

Note: I think this type is not referred as "shin-no-hana" but as "tate-bana" in these days.

以下訳　
日本の歴史家は生け花の起源はインドにあるとみている。無用な殺生を禁じる仏教の教義と同じく、生け花では花を摘んでも、暖かい気候によってすぐ腐るので、慎重に保存して生きながらえさせるべきだと考えられているのだ。このような約束事が今に残っているのは、この芸術がまず仏教の教義とともに伝えられ、宗教儀式(仏の前に花を捧げる行為)や、過去の偉大な僧侶への信心深さが今まで続いて来たからだろう。仏教はよく知られているように6世紀頃中国から日本へと渡って来た。そして中国の僧侶が日本に生け花を伝えたと言われている。初期の日本の生け花の実践者として聖徳太子や明恵上人などの僧侶がよく知られる。

このような原始的な生け花は、より偶発的で、現在改良発展してきたような形よりもおおげさなものであった。それらは西洋の花束以上に混雑していて様々な材料があり、現在の様な厳しいきまりもない。この形式は未だ"心の花"-中心の生け花-として残っており、宗教的な装飾や神社,墓所などで使用される。

訳注: 検索しても心の花というのは出てこなかったが、代わりにたて花という原始的な型があるそうで、これは中心に心(しん)と呼ばれる枝を直立させ、その下に枝を添える様式だそうです。