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History

A Garden of Stones and Sand

by Randi Lynn Mrvos

Can you imagine a garden without flowers? The Ryoanji Temple garden in Japan is made of stones and sand. How did this kind of garden come about?

Over a thousand years ago during the 10th – 12th centuries, wealthy people ruled Japan. Beautiful mansions and gardens were created just for them. The gardens were planted around lakes that contained small islands. The Japanese viewed the gardens from bridges that connected the islands to the shore. Pink flowering cherry trees, red and gold leaved maples, and green-needled evergreens painted the gardens with color.

Near the end of the 12th century civil war shook Japan. The wealthy people lost their ruling power to warriors. Though their mansions and gardens were destroyed, literature and paintings of the era and some archeological sites bear details of their construction. The new military government preferred a religion called Zen Buddhism. These rulers favored Zen Buddhism because it reflected their own lifestyles and accepted their warrior code. Zen, the mystical branch of Buddhism, is not a philosophy, but rather a form of thought. Zen Buddhism teaches simplicity, naturalness, quietness and stillness.

The warriors permitted the Buddhist monks to build small gardens of gravel and stone around their temples. These gardens were called karesansui (car-ray-sun-swe), meaning “dry landscape”. Zen gardens were peaceful gardens that were created to teach the principles of Zen. They were surrounded by a wall to screen out distractions. In most Zen gardens, some features like stones were partially hidden from direct view to create mystery. Usually, people were not allowed to enter a karesansui garden. Instead these gardens were meant to be seen from a distance so that viewers could experience the spiritual meaning of the garden.

In creating a Zen garden, monks studied stones of different sizes, colors, and textures before placing them in groups in the garden. Based on their appearance, stones were selected to represent the sky, the earth, boats, mountains, islands, waterfalls, or animals. Some stones were arranged to represent legendary dragons. Other stones reminded the monks of Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. After carefully selecting stones, the monks considered the number of stones needed for the garden. Usually groups of three stones or other odd numbered arrangements were used. Uneven groupings of stones gave the garden a more natural look.

After the stones were arranged, the monks planted moss and evergreens.The moss blended well with rocks and gave the garden a peaceful quality. The Yew pine, a favorite evergreen, was used because it could be cut into many different shapes. Lastly, the monks raked light-colored sand into swirls to look like waves, droplets, or ripples of water. These patterns gave the garden the feeling of energy and movement.

Ryoanji Temple, located in Kyoto, Japan, is one of the most famous karesansui gardens. Though the temple is 500 years old, it looks like modern art. It is sometimes called “the garden of emptiness”. It is about the size and shape of a tennis court. In it, fifteen grayish, moss-ringed stones rest in five groups on white sand. One of the stones, however, always remains hidden, no matter where visitors stand on the veranda. The garden looks like an ocean with islands protruding above its surface. Some people believe that the stones represent a tigress helping her cubs across water or mountain peaks rising above mists. But the real meaning of the garden remains a mystery and is left up to the interpretation of the viewer. Ryoanji is a peaceful place. Even without flowers, Ryoanji is one of the most beautiful gardens of the world.

The author would like to acknowledge Dr. Ken Brown of California State University Long Beach for reviewing this article.

The End

References

Berthier, F (2000) Reading Zen in the Rocks. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Earle, J. (2000), Infinite Spaces: The Art and Wisdom of the Japanese Garden. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.

Gustafson, H. (1999) The Art of Japanese Gardens: Designing and Making Your Own Peaceful Space. New York: Sterling Publishing Co.

Hendy, J. (1998), Zen in Your Garden: Creating Sacred Spaces. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.

“Huntington Education: Zen Gardens”, Ishimoto, T., Ishimoto, K. (1968) Japanese Gardens Today. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc.

Ketchell, P. (2001), Japanese Gardens in a Weekend. NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Ohashi, H. (1986), The Japanese Garden: Islands of Serenity. Japan: Graphic-sha Publishing, Inc.

Pesch, B. (ed.) (1985) Japanese Gardens: Plants and Gardens. New York: Brooklyn Botanic Garden Inc.

Seike, K., Kudo, M., Engle, D. (1980), A Japanese Touch for Your Garden., NY: Kodansha International.

Websites

“Asian Historical Architechture”, (2/13/03).

“Japanese Garden History”, (2/13/03).

“The Huntington Educational Department/ Japanese Gardens”, (2/23/03).”

“Ryoanji”, (2/14/03).

Photos courtesy of www.orientalarchitechture.com

Randi Lynn Mrvos is a homeschool teacher, a freelance contributor to Weeones magazine, and a columnist for The Creativity Connection. Her publishing credits include Highlights for Children magazine, Scholastic Books, Parents and Children Together Online magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, and Mothering magazine.Randi lives in Lexington, KY with her husband and her nine-year daughter, Abby.