Where this was said
Bonsai, Zen Philosophy, and the Art of Slowing Down
At 48:41 · chapter starts 41:52
One of the episode's most genuinely surprising segments begins when Joe asks about Tommy's bonsai hobby. Tommy explains that every Mötley Crüe tour stop in Japan sent him to the temple gardens, where an indescribable feeling of peace and beauty washed over him. Eight years ago he started studying bonsai — and hasn't stopped. He now has a full workshop with trees in various stages of wiring, pruning, and pest treatment, including a 300-year-old redwood bonsai with a trunk crammed into a small pot. But the deeper revelation comes when Tommy explains the philosophy behind Zen garden design: there are no straight paths, ever. Every path curves intentionally. Bridges zigzag across ponds. The entire design exists to slow you down, prevent you from rushing through, and force you to stop at each bend and simply be present. 'That's the deeper meaning of all this for me,' Tommy says. 'It's really got me to slow the fuck down.' For the drummer of Mötley Crüe, that's quite a journey.
Tommy Lee has been practicing bonsai for 8 years after being captivated by Japanese gardens during Mötley Crüe tours, now owning trees over 300 years old.
Tommy Lee has been practicing bonsai for 8 years, owns trees over 300 years old, and starts every morning working in his workshop. The real lesson isn't horticulture — it's that Zen garden design has no straight paths because the goal is to slow you down and make you present.
Tommy Lee owns two bonsai trees that are over 300 years old, including a redwood with a trunk that is smashed into a small pot.
