What is a Philosophy Cafe? | On 'Thinking Time' Where You Don't Have to Speak

There are times when I want to
sit down in a quiet place.

While watching the steam from my coffee,
inexpressible thoughts
waver deep within my chest.

It's not that I want an answer.
But I don't want to
leave this feeling behind either.

I have always quite liked that kind of time.

I often hear these words
from people who participate in the Philosophy Cafe.

“It was a rich experience.”

Every time I hear that, it tugs a little at my heart.

What does it mean to be rich?

For example, a well-maintained Western garden.

The lines are straight, and the layout is perfect.

But there isn't much room left
to plant new flowers there.

On the other hand, I think of a dry landscape garden.

The expanse of white sand.
The placed stones haven't had their meaning fully decided yet.

When someone places a stone,
the scenery changes slightly.

And that change invites the next meaning.

The kind of garden I am aiming for with my Philosophy Cafe
is, perhaps, like that.

You may speak.
You don't have to speak.

You can respond to a question with words,
or you can
quietly hold onto it in your heart.

What is here
is neither a correct answer nor a conclusion.

It is space,
and margin.

A time when you don't have to say anything,
a time when something,
can just be in motion.

Perhaps,
that is the reason why you might feel
it was 'rich'.

If thinking alone has become a bit stifling.

Into a garden that isn't fully calculated,
why not,
step inside for a little while?

I am opening
a Philosophy Cafe,
'Garden of Words'.

A place where you can speak,
or not speak at all.

Thinking time is,
surely,
a place that grows quietly
within you.

Philosophy Cafe 'Garden of Words'