Zen Gardens Information

The graceful arch of a footbridge is a common sight in a zen garden.

Zen gardens, also known as Japanese gardens, meditation gardens or contemplation gardens, provide a spot for quiet solitude among the tranquility of nature. This minimalist gardening style features groupings of boulders, gravel raked in striations to resemble water, and meandering paths. Zen gardens date back to the late sixth century and were places for Buddhist priests to stroll and meditate. They were originally called contemplation gardens, but were renamed zen gardens in the United States.

Karesansui

There are several types of zen gardens, the most famous being the dry garden, or karesansui, which means ''dry mountain and water garden.'' In this style of garden, gravel is raked to re-create the look of water. It represents the tranquility of the mind. Sand is used to represent flowing water. One large boulder may be featured as representative of a mountain, sharply ascending toward the sky. In the first zen gardens, Buddhist priests re-created mountain views using principals of shakkei, or ''borrowed scenery.''

Green Garden

Another type of zen garden is the green landscape, often used in conjunction with the dry garden. This style, which features Japanese maples, bamboo, shrubs and mounds of moss, re-creates a journey along paths through lush scenery, past statuary and waterfalls or over streams. Each turn is another leg of an uninterrupted journey.

Famous Zen Gardens

One of the best-known zen gardens, at the Tenryuji Temple in Kyoto, features seven vertical rocks called the Ryumon no Taki, or Dragon's Gate Waterfall. This garden tells the story of fish that had the strength and discipline to swim up a waterfall. At the top of the fall they transformed themselves into dragons. The fable is meant to inspire inner strength and discipline among those who visit the garden. The garden of Ryoanji Temple, also in Kyoto, was created in 1499 and is one of the oldest of its kind. It features a rectangle of raked white pebbles, at points rippling around 15 larger stones, with a wall surrounding the rectangle. This garden symbolizes simplicity and the passage of time.

Elements

Zen gardens have three basic elements: water, stones and greenery. The rocks are the main focus and should be placed to look as though they have always been there. Only a garden master who has trained for 15 years may place the boulders in an authentic Japanese garden. Stepping stones are also carefully positioned according to shape, size and color. All other elements should be placed to enhance the beauty of the rocks.

Creating a Zen Garden

To re-create the look of a zen garden, include boulders and raked gravel. Trees such as Japanese maples and dogwoods, bamboo, flowering shrubs such as azalea and camellia, and mosses complete the look. Add statues, a stone lantern, an Asian footbridge over a stream, or a pond with koi. Zen gardens can be any size. Some of them are small enough to be placed in a box on a desktop. These highly stylized gardens are meant to be places of reflective solitude, beauty, peace and tranquility. In many zen gardens, the rocks are raked as part of a daily ritual.

References

• JapanZone: Zen Gardens
• Asian Art Mall: Zen Gardens