Zen Gardening

For a region that is predominantly Buddhist, Chan, or Zen, is an important philosophy. Zen is a term used for a school that teaches the teachings of Buddha and how they are active in the natural world. Buddhism was in China before the Zen teachings, and when the Indian prince Bodhidharma introduced the idea to the Buddhist in 526 A.D., they were amazed at his way of seeing the world for what it is. Zen took off after Bodhidharma's ideas were spread.

Schools of Zen teachings were a mix of the Daoism philosophy and Mahayana. These were very strict schools that insisted on the idea that separate things exist only in relation to one another, which means nature cannot be defined or classified in any way. The goal of these Buddhist practicing Zen was to accomplish the way of seeing the world as Buddha did, just as it is, with a mind that has no grasping thoughts or feelings. Schools that teach Zen recognize the importance of the arts, such as: painting, calligraphy, architecture, ceremonial tea drinking, and gardening. Other areas of Buddhism, such as Japan, practice arts such as Jujitsu as an art as well. Of the Zen arts, gardening is one of the most important and interesting forms of art.

Zen Gardening has been practiced for almost a millennium. In the eleventh century, monks began creating these gardens as a tool to teach the principals of Zen and Buddhism to students. These gardens take careful consideration and care to make a peaceful environment for meditation. It takes a lot of labor to keep them looking nice, but Buddhist think of it more of an opportunity to create than just a basic chore. The gardens have to be a perfect place to meditate.

We know these gardens simply as the desktop sand box with a rake, but there is a lot more to a Zen garden. Everything in a garden is there for a reason. Every single rock, plant, sand spread, water form, and bridge serves a purpose for the garden. The number 3 has importance in Buddhism because of the Buddhist trinity and the sky, earth, and humanity. Odd numbers are used because of the Buddhist belief that the earth is not an even structure and nature is naturally uneven. All gardens are meant to be massive landforms on a much smaller scale.

The materials used in the gardens represent different things. Of the objects used, rocks are the most meaningful. Tall rocks are used to symbolize the sky and wide flat rocks are used to symbolize the earth. Some rocks are even used to represent animals or specific landforms. The sand spreads are the most interesting part of Zen gardens; they are important because they are meant to give a sense of emotion while meditating. While many plants are used in the gardens, floral fixtures are rarely found because they are not naturally occurring. Not everything used is natural; pathways, bridges, a lanterns are frequently used to guide the visitor in the path that Buddha would take. They also are used to show Buddhist beliefs, such as, the Eight-Fold Path. Everything in a garden has a purpose.

These beautiful gardens are now all over the Buddhist countries in Asia. What began in China is now celebrated more in Japan and Korea. Japan is home to the world's finest gardens, such as, Kyoto, Nijo, Katsura, Sento and numerous others. Over time, the gardens have stayed true to the basic style, the only exception is Japan, many of their gardens have a lot of ponds and other water fixtures. The gardens, though a big tourist attraction, are still used today.

Overall, the ultimate goal of Zen and Zen gardening is to show the world from the point of view that Buddha saw it. Because of this, they are some of the most unique gardens in the world. They give monks a great place to meditate and are fun to look at. Their popularity in Asia has brought them to the United States. Americans use miniature dry rock gardens with sand and a rake as a relaxation devise. There are even a couple of Zen gardens in the Chicago land area. They look simple and easy to make, but they are really complex and need a lot of care. If a leaf falls in any design, it must be picked up, that's just how meaningful and important Zen gardens are.