A kaiyu-shiki or strolling garden

Chaniwa Gardens are built for holding tea ceremonies.  There is usually a tea house where the ceremonies occur, and the styles of both the hut and garden are based on the simple concepts of the sado. 

Usually, there are stepping stones leading to the tea house, stone lanterns, and stone basins (tsukubai) where guests purify themselves before a ceremony.

tsukubai

Japanese gardens might also fall into one of these styles:

• Kanshoh-style gardens which are viewed from a residence.
• Pond gardens, for viewing from a boat.
• Strolling gardens (kaiyū-shiki), for viewing a sequence of effects from a path which circumnavigates the garden.

adapted from wikipedia.org

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Hagiwara Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, California, showing the use of stone, water and plants

Tsukiyama Gardens often copy famous landscapes from China or Japan, and they commonly strive to make a smaller garden appear more spacious. 

This is accomplished by utilizing shrubs to block views of surrounding buildings, and the garden’s structure usually tries to make onlookers focus on nearby mountains in the distance.  By doing this, it seems that the garden has the mountains as part of its grounds.  Ponds, streams, hills, stones, trees, flowers, bridges, and paths are also used frequently in this style.

adapted from wikipedia.org

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torii gate, Meiji-jingu Shrine, Japan

A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the sacred to the profane.  The presence of a torii at the entrance is usually the simplest way to identify Shinto shrines, and a small torii icon represents them on Japanese road maps. They are however a common sight at Japanese Buddhist temples too, where they stand at the entrance of the temple’s own shrine, called chinjusha and usually very small.

adapted from wikipedia.org

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creating water gardens, a mindfulness practice

One mindfulness practice we enjoy is to create a water garden.  It can be calming to find rocks and create a special space for meditation.   

Finding a good placement of rocks is similar to arranging a Zen garden or Japanese rock garden.   Well-done, intuitive placement of rocks can stimulate a feeling of peace or Zen while also achieving a practical effect.

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In Medtitation everyone most likely experiences two of the five hindrances.  They are boredom, which is half-hearted action with little or no collectedness and restlessness-worry, which is the inability to calm the mind. 

The first three enlightment factors (mindfulness, investigation, energy) are to be used when experiencing boredom to regain collection, the last three enlightment factors (tranquillity, collection, equanimity) are to be used when experiencing restlessness and worry to regain collectedness.

adapted from wikipedia.org

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Chrysanthemum Flower

The Imperial Seal of Japan is a crest used by members of the Japanese Imperial family.  The Emperor of Japan, used a 16 petal chrysanthemum with sixteen tips of another row of petals showing behind the first row.

Shinto shrines either displayed the imperial seal or incorporated elements of the seal into their own emblems.

Shinto is the natural spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people.  The word Shinto (“Way of the Gods”) was adopted from the written Chinese combining two kanji: “shin” meaning gods or spirits (originally from the Chinese  word shen); and “tō“, or “do” meaning a philosophical path or study (originally from the Chinese word tao).

Modern Shinto does have a central theological authority but no singular Theocracy.

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adapted from wikipedia.org

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cherry blossoms

What a strange thing!

to be alive

beneath cherry blossoms.

                                            -Issa-

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chrysanthemum

Yellow or white dried chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia.  The resulting beverage is known simply as “chrysanthemum tea”. 

Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery from influenza.

adapted from wikipedia.org

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chrysanthemums on obi

Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are a genus (Chrysanthemum) of about 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and northeastern Europe.

The flower was introduced into Japan probably in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal.  There is a “Festival of Happiness” in Japan that celebrates the flower.

adapted from wikipedia.org

Chrysanthemum Crest - The gate of Yasukuni shrine

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stillness

Water gardens, also known as aquatic gardens, backyard ponds and garden ponds, usually referring to a man-made feature, typically combine a pool with aquatic plants and often ornamental fish.  Fixed items such as rocks, fountains, statuary, waterfalls and watercourses can be combined with the pool to add visual interest and integration with the local landscape and environment. 

Water gardens are a perfect place for a mindfulness practice.

adapted from wikipedia.org

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