Overview of Zen Gardens

The Japanese Zen gardens or Karesansui are someSome evidence indicates that the art of rock gardens
of the most beautiful and exotic gardens. The storymust have predated this period by quite some time
of Zen Gardens goes back into the misty beginningsas the earliest recorded gardens were already highly
of Japanese culture.developed. In the early 700's, Zen Buddhism began to
The Zen garden is also known as a Japanese rockspread over Japan and the early Zen monks found
garden or a Karesansui. These gardens are verythe rock and sand gardens to be a perfect fit for
simple and in most cases have very few actualthe ideas of simplicity and harmony that marked their
plants. In many Zen gardens, there are no growingview of the universe.
things at all. The gardens consist mainly of rock andThe development of the Karesansui gardens
sand. The word Karesansui translates as "dry watercontinued until the 13th century when they reached
and mountain." The illusion of water is created bythe form that they have kept into modern time. The
raking the sand into a rippling pattern that suggestsgardens could be very small. Some simple Zen
the movement of water while the rocks aregardens were made to be held in the hand, while
arranged to make islands or mountains. The historyothers were quite extensive. Many people saw the
of Zen gardens goes back to as early as the 6thpatterns of sand and rock as representing the sea
century in Japan.and the islands of Japan. Others saw deeper patterns
One of the most famous of the Japanese gardensthat invoked deep subconscious images that
contains 15 rocks arranged in a pattern on the ripplingproduced the tranquility that was being sought.
sand. Although most rock gardens are intended to beIn 1935, an American author named Loraine Kuck
viewed from one specific location and perspective,coined the term Zen Garden in her book, "100
this garden can be viewed from any angle.Gardens of Kyoto." The term became popular and
Regardless of the angle, only 14 of the 15 rocks caneventually even made its way into the Japanese
ever be seen at once. It is said that when spirituallanguage. It is often used to represent several
enlightenment is reached, the invisible 15th rock woulddifferent styles of Japanese rock and sand gardens.
then be seen. This is an example of the Zen influenceThe common feature, however, remains the
on these gardens.simplicity and understatement that characterized the
There are records of rock and sand gardens datinggardens of the early Zen monks.
back to the reign of the Empress Suiko in 592 AD.