512: Ratzu's (Dahana)

On the north coast of Heterocera Atoll, alongside Route 2 at Dahana, there s a steeply sloping parcel that has been in the current owner's hands since 2011. In addition to being on a very steep slope, it is one of the most oddly shaped parcels I have ever seen. I'd balk at doing anything with the challenges this 512 presents and it's a credit to the 'Ratzu' for creating a unique sense of place there.

Spiritual ascent
Previous VT posts have noted the appeal of verticality and speculated how it may come from an upwards orientation of the mind. From the road one climbs a staircase to reach a platform where there is a place to sit and look at the view. It invokes a coming away from the bustle below to pause and take in a wider view. A staircase coming down onto a road always seems more inviting to my curiosity than a junction in the road.

The seating area is further furnished with a singing bowl and some wind chimes. These are symbolic objects that say 'meditation' and thereby key the visitor into the intended purpose of the space.

Animal animation
The parcel is a haven for wild animals. A squirrel, a raccoon, and a couple of rabbits hide in the grass, and butterflies are in constant motion overhead. Even the static creatures provide a sense of life, a living presence on the parcel. Spending time there, one is not alone.

Virtual wildlife comes in two varieties: animated and static. While it is to be expected that a moving animal will be more lifelike than a 'statue', I have found this is really not the case. High-quality, lifelike detail in fur and eyes will give an animal a living presence in a virtual space more than movement will. We expect more from our pets, of course, but when animals are there as scenery and for ambiance, they may be on a different ticket. The implications here for virtual topophilia will be interesting to explore. Perhaps, avatars come into a space with more of an expectation that it is timeless and frozen. We expect the sense that we are on a stage set or inside a painted scene.

Symbolic placements
Sitting on the bench gives a view in the middle distance of a cottage and marina below and the eye is drawn out to sea in the direction of the setting sun. However, in the immediate foreground, and placed deliberately (it seems) in line of sight is a log with an axe stuck in it.

While contemplating the beautiful, open vista this object also draws the attention back in. My money is on this placement deliberately as a reminder of the Zen maxim:

"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

Spending time here I became aware of the careful means by which it was ensured that my visit to the parcel reflected a spiritual journey: turning aside from the road and ascending to a timeless space, becoming attuned to a contemplative atmosphere by sounds, in pausing being encouraged to let the eye travel out towards the numinous ocean and setting sun and back in to he mundane simplicities of basic tasks.

In respect to virtual topophilia, this opens up the question of how a space can be so arranged that it has a coded purpose, or a narrative in which to participate, and in so doing it can teach, tell, comment, or enlighten. This land is a page to read.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dahana/96/175/45