How did the art of flower arrangement begin?

The art of flower arrangement began with Buddhist saints; however, it is important to remember that this art is not a religious rite, but only done in service to decoration and art itself. There are two schools of thought in flower arrangement, the formalist and the naturalesque. The fundamental theories behind flower arrangement are referred to as the Leading Principle, the Subordinate Principle, and the Reconciling Principle, or Heaven, Earth, and Man.