The Hermit's Hut offers an original insight into the profound
relationship between architecture and asceticism. Although
architecture continually responds to ascetic compulsions, as in its
frequent encounter with the question of excess and less, it is
typically considered separate from asceticism. In contrast, this
innovative book explores the rich and mutual ways in which
asceticism and architecture are played out in each other's
practices. The question of asceticism is also considered-as neither
a religious discourse nor a specific cultural tradition but as a
perennial issue in the practice of culture. The work convincingly
traces the influences from early Indian asceticism to Zen Buddhism
to the Japanese teahouse-the latter opening the door to modern
minimalism. As the book's title suggests, the protagonist of the
narrative is the nondescript hermit's hut. Relying primarily on
Buddhist materials, the author provides a complex narrative that
stems from this simple structure, showing how the significance of
the hut resonates widely and how the question of dwelling is
central to ascetic imagination. In exploring the conjunctions of
architecture and asceticism, he breaks new ground by presenting
ascetic practice as fundamentally an architectural project, namely
the fabrication of a "last" hut. Through the conception of the last
hut, he looks at the ascetic challenge of arriving at the edge of
civilization and its echoes in the architectural quest for
minimalism. The most vivid example comes from a well-known Buddhist
text where the Buddha describes the ultimate ascetic moment, or
nirvana, in cataclysmic terms using architectural metaphors: "The
roof-rafters will be shattered", the Buddha declares, and the
architect will "no longer build the house again". As the book
compellingly shows, the physiological and spiritual transformation
of the body is deeply intertwined with the art of building. The
Hermit's Hut weaves together the fields of architecture,
anthropology, religion, and philosophy to offer multidisciplinary
and historical insights. Written in an engaging and accessible
manner, it will appeal to readers with diverse interests and in a
variety of disciplines-whether one is interested in the history of
ascetic architecture in India, the concept of "home" in ancient
India, or the theme of the body as building.
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