Don visited Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto to see one of the greatest masterpieces of Japanese culture – a superlative Zen garden. Thought to have been created around 1488, the garden is 30m long from east to west and 10m from north to south. Five groupings of rocks (fifteen rocks in all) are arranged across immaculately raked, white gravel.
There is a little moss around the rocks, but no conventional plants. However there is a cherry tree (Prunus ‘Shidare Zakura’) partly hanging over the surrounding earthen wall, thus becoming part of the composition.
No matter which angle the garden is viewed from, it is said visitors can only see 14 of the 15 rocks at any one time and once you attain spiritual enlightenment through deep Zen meditation you will be able to see the last invisible stone.
Further information
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