Japanese Garden
Introduction:
In order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand -- or at least to learn to understand -- the beauty of stones not of stones quarried by the hand of man, but of stones shaped by nature only.
Definition:
Karesansui 枯山水 (dry landscape gardens, also known as rock gardens and waterless stream gardens) are typically associated with Zen Buddhism, and often found in the front or rear gardens at the residences (houjou 方丈) of Zen abbots
Stone layout:
Until you can feel, that stones have character, that stones have tones and values, the whole artistic meaning of a Japanese garden cannot be revealed to you. Not only is every stone chosen with a view to its particular expressiveness of form, but every stone in the garden or about the premises has its separate and individual name, indicating its purpose or its decorative duty."
Buddhism &Zen Garden & Karesansui:
Probably Zen's most attractive aspect (aside from the meaning of life) is the famous 'Zen Gardens'. Over 500 years before the development of "Modern Art", monks were saying things with metaphor in the temple dirt. In Japanese, they are call Karesansui (枯山水), Dry-Mountain-Water.
Like most Buddhist tools and teachings, the gardens can be used on many different levels. All of them are valid if you can use them. Here are a few with examples, starting from the most superficial going to the deepest.
The mind is very flexible if we practice flexibility. This ability to think flexibly is useful in ordinary life and in the pursuit of Zen.
What do you see in the garden?
Some people see hills with their peaks poking above the clouds.
Some people see tigers crossing a river.
Some people see islands rising from the sea.
Some see a lake or heaven itself.
Some people see only rocks.
枯山水
Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904), a noted writer on Japan, said this about Japanese rock gardens: "In order to comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden, it is necessary to understand -- or at least to learn to understand -- the beauty of stones. Not of stones quarried by the hand of man, but of stones shaped by nature only. Until you can feel, and keenly feel, that stones have character, that stones have tones and values, the whole artistic meaning of a Japanese garden cannot be revealed to you. Not only is every stone chosen with a view to its particular expressiveness of form, but every stone in the garden or about the premises has its separate and individual name, indicating its purpose or its decorative duty."
Karesansui 枯山水 (dry landscape gardens, also known as rock gardens and waterless stream gardens) are typically associated with Zen Buddhism, and often found in the front or rear gardens at the residences (houjou 方丈) of Zen abbots. The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Representative examples are the gardens of Ryoanji Temple and Daitokuji Temple, both in Kyoto. Plants are much less important (and sometimes nonexistent) in many karesansui gardens. Karesansui gardens are often, but not always, meant to be viewed from a single, seated perspective, and the rocks are often associated with and named after various Chinese mountains. The first-ever Zen landscape garden in Japan is credited to Kenchoji Temple in Kamakura. Founded in 1251, this temple was the chief monastery for the five great Zen monasteries that thrived during the Kamakura era (1185-1333). It became the center of Zen Buddhism thanks to strong state patronage. For more details on karesansui
Probably Zen's most attractive aspect (aside from the meaning of life) is the famous 'Zen Gardens'. Over 500 years before the development of "Modern Art", monks were saying things with metaphor in the temple dirt. In Japanese, they are call KareSanSui (枯山水), Dry-Mountain-Water.
Like most Buddhist tools and teachings, the gardens can be used on many different levels. All of them are valid if you can use them. Here are a few with examples, starting from the most superficial going to the deepest.
he mind is very flexible if we practice flexibility. This ability to think flexibly is useful in ordinary life and in the pursuit of Zen.
What do you see in the garden?
Some people see hills with their peaks poking above the clouds.
Some people see tigers crossing a river.
Some people see islands rising from the sea.
Some see a lake or heaven itself.
Some people see only rocks.
Modern life is full of distractions. Our minds weren't built to absorb all the information coming at us. Even when these temples were built, the outside city life was busy and full of entertaining distractions. At breakfast, we think of work. At work we think of going home; while going home we plan our weekend. How much time do we spend right now, right where we are?
Visiting a garden with a few rocks in it gives our mind just enough information to feel comfortable. Here we can train our mind to stop jumping about from one unrelated subject to another. In this way, it is similar to the breath counting meditation. Calming the mind, like calming water, allows the dirt to settle, and the water to clear.
Here are two images of the same, rather old, garden. You can see the viewing rooms where politicians, samurai and the wealthy were served tea while they appreciated the gardens, hundreds of years ago. Today, shoeless domestic and foreign tour groups shuffle by regularly, with several minutes available to reflect. It is a representation of the Buddhist cosmos' 8 seas and 9 mountains. The large stone in the middle represents the centre of the universe.
Why is our thought deluded? Why can't we perceive reality correctly? One reason is that we are usually limited to a single, subjective view. Our deluded perception constantly deceives us into making bad decisions. Those wise performers, Penn & Teller often explain to the audience how easily people are fooled by magicians. But delusions aren't limited to the stage. At Ryuan-ji (above) 15 stones are arranged so that from any point, only 14 are visible. So how many stones are there? How many times are we fooled by appearances? Like the stones, in real situation, we can't see everything all the time. Through meditation, we can deepen our perception, clear our mind, and see past daily dramas and ordinary "logic" though to the deeper wisdom of Zen.If you want to see this garden a little more often, click the image above right.
Some gardens have specific meanings. This one is describing the twin forces of Yin and Yang. The two rocks with waves of rocks around them represent yin (left) and yang (right).
Yin and yang are ancient Chinese concepts that describe the natural forces that cause change in our environment. This can be likened to the traditional Buddhist concept of 'niyamas' (natural forces that connect and change our world).
When Buddhism arrived in China it was absorbed without any need to remove traditional Chinese ideas like Yin and Yang. This is completely in line with the Buddha's teachings, since he anticipated the dharma would need to change as it spread to meet the needs and customs of the new, different customs. This is happening again today as Buddhism grows in the West