The Rock Garden by sandra46

Photography • Landscape • posted on Jul 14, 2009

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Description

I have always been fascinated by Buddhist thought and, in particular by its Japanese variant, Zen philosophy. It's interesting to see how the gorgeous, almost exaggerated exuberance of Indian Buddhism may be different from the highly abstract, extremely essential representations of Japanese Zen. Possibly nothing can explain what I mean better than the Rock garden of the Japanese section of the Botanical Gardens in Montreal. Unfortunately we didn't see the Chinese garden, to make a comparison, because at that time we were walking on our four paws, and in any case the guardians were threatening to use us as fodder for the carnivorous plants if we didn't go out at closing time immediately. The Japanese rock gardens (karesansui) or dry landscape gardens, are often called Zen gardens because they were influenced mainly by Zen Buddhism. The dry garden appeared in the Muromachi period (1392-1568). Using neither ponds nor streams, it makes symbolic representations of natural landscapes using stone arrangements, white sand, moss and pruned trees. Karesansui gardens can be extremely abstract and represent miniature landscapes that are also mind-scapes. There is no water present, but gravel or sand, raked or not raked, that symbolizes sea, ocean, rivers or lakes. The act of raking the gravel into a pattern recalling waves or rippling water has an aesthetic function. Zen priests practice this raking also to help them focus their concentration. Stone arrangements and other miniature elements are used to represent mountains and natural water elements and scenes, islands, rivers and waterfalls. Stone and shaped shrubs are used interchangeably. Moss may be used to create the idea of a forest. Thank you for your kind comments.

Comments (35)

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Radar_rad-dude

8:58PM | Fri, 17 July 2009

Splendid photography and description to accompany it! A most fascinating lesson very well presented! Excellent! 5+++++

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junge1

6:32PM | Sat, 18 July 2009

Great capture Sandra and interesting background information. I have always liked Japanese miniture plants and gardens but have never given it much thought as to its purpose!!

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wysiwig

12:48AM | Sat, 01 August 2009

What a superb image! I agree, the b&w makes the picture. If you haven't done so you must visit Japan and see the garden at Ryoan-ji Temple in Kyoto. First created around 1400 it is considered one of the most famous examples of karesansui.

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anahata.c

4:11AM | Mon, 24 August 2009

I'm skipping all over your gallery because I've missed so much & because I love your images & descriptions. I was a yogi for many years, yet I lived in the secular world since I was in the arts and that required my being in day to day life...so I had the chance of seeing austerity and richness in the path. The early Indian Buddhist writings did have passages of almost mind bending austerity (as I imagine you know), so the Zen/Chan schools had more in common with those early works than is apparent from the teeming iconography that grew up in India afterwards. So this capture would be 'approved' by Buddha himself. (Not sure he would appreciate the word 'approved', lol.) You captured this in stark b&w, which would be please the old zen masters—though knowing them, they'd probably curse it and walk away, lol. (They were cantankerous old souls!) And everything you wrote was spot on. Though I studied with yogis, I knew a number of Buddhists & one took me to a garden like this & asked what I saw. After telling him, he sneered & said: "You talk but you don't see". (Oooookayyyyy...) It took several tries before he smiled and said nothing: Meaning, I finally let it in. I learned quite a bit in the process...The rocks can also be seen as 'thought events' causing ripples in our consciousness; to some, these are paintings of our minds...You captured the essence of these 'stone gardens' very well, and of course you discussed their impact in your usual succinct & very clear manner. And by showing at least two stone areas, you allowed us to see the impact of 'thought' on the faceless water of the mind, and captured the waves very clearly. (The stark b&w adds to this.) Another thoughtful upload from you, which is no surprise. I'll be back for more & catch up with your latest images as well. Always a pleasure to come here, your commitment matches your eye & depth of heart...

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