Ryoan Ji Research Paper
Research Paper
Ryoan-ji Rock Garden
“I am nothing but blocks of stone on pieces of gravel. I am nothing but weight and silence, inertia and density. Nothing will ever learn my secret, or even whether I contain one. The only thing that can penetrate me is the strident cry of the cicada that pierces the heart of summer. Be content to taste the raw beauty of my opaque flesh; look at me without saying a word and ask me nothing; be silent and try, through my hermetic body, to find yourself.”
Complete silence. Gazing off into a sight of empty space with the unusual rock making an appearance in your sight. The beauty of nothingness. This is what it must feel like to visit Ryoan-ji Temple’s rock garden. Ryoan-ji serves as an outlet, a place to get away and meditate. One can go there, observe the simple beauty of the garden and meditate on one’s own life, trying to find him/herself. When one usually thinks of a garden, they might picture colorful flowers surrounded by the bright green grass with a stream flowing through the center. Ryoan-ji is the complete opposite. The minimal materials and simple colors might make it seem boring or scarce but there is an element of beauty hidden behind the humble …show more content…
mode of production. Ryoan-ji exemplifies Buddhist practice because it gives people a place to meditate on their hectic minds and lives by understanding and appreciating the beauty behind the simple garden.
The Ryoan-ji garden is part of a Zen Buddhism temple and is located in Kyoto City.
Hosokawa Katsumoto, a warrior and prime minister, built the Ryoan-ji temple in 1450. In 1467 the Onin Civil Wars broke out, which Katsumoto took part in. The Ryoanji Temple was burned to the ground during the Civil War but Katsumoto’s son; Hosokawa Masamoto rebuilt the temple in 1488. It is slighty unclear when exactly the garden was created but it’s thought to be sometime between the years 1499 through 1507, the year Masamoto died. In the year 1797, Ryoan-ji was struck by another fire and after this fire; the temple went through major reconstruction. It is thought that the garden did not suffer too much damage from this fire though, which makes sense because the garden is made up of
rocks.
So who created this amazing garden and work of art? That question will most likely never be answered. It could have been the temple founder, Hosokawa Katusmoto, or possibly Soami who was the painter and decorator of interiors. It might also have been Hosokawa’s son, Shinso, a son and grandson of painters under the patronage, or a monk and talented gardener, Tessen Soki. The only clue we have as to who created the garden is the word Kotaro, written on the back of one of the stones. Even this clue has not led us to an answer. The designer of the garden seems like it may always be a mystery.
0-571500
The garden is made up of fifteen rocks that lay on top of gray gravel. The gravel is raked into a specific pattern. There are vertical lines that create a type of border and then horizontal lines throughout the garden. The only lines that are not straight are the lines that surround the rocks. These lines circle around the rocks, almost emphasizing their presence and obvious importance. As you can see in the image above, the lines serve as a way to distinguish between occupied and unoccupied space. The lines highlight how much unoccupied space there is in the garden, emphasizing the importance of unoccupied space and the idea that there must be peace and humbleness in one’s life. The rocks are various shapes and sizes and arranged in five groups of two, three, or five. There are fifteen rocks but it is said that one can only see fourteen rocks at any angle, creating the idea that one must be enlightened in the religious practice of Buddhism to see all fifteen.
With such a simple and unique type of garden, many people wonder what the garden means. The garden has been interpreted in four ways, each creating a convincing interpretation. The first interpretation is that the rocks are meant to represent the sixteen arhat, who are predecessors or disciples of Buddha. Since there are only fifteen rocks and not sixteen, this interpretation seems unreliable but it is thought that the author sacrificed one arhat for the preference for odd numbers. The second interpretation is that the garden is based off the legend of Liukun. Liukun fulfilled his duties as a provincial governor so well that tigers took their young on their backs and fled across the river. The rocks in the garden are thus supposed to represent a tiger with their cubs on their backs. The third interpretation and the one that is sometimes seen as too simple is that the gravel is meant to represent water and the rocks are mountains-islands inhabited by immortal hermits. This interpretation makes sense in the Buddhist religion since there is such an emphasis on nature. The fourth interpretation is that is that the rocks represent the Five Sacred Mountains that symbolize the center of the world and the four horizons, and correspond to the five primordial elements. All of these interpretations hold interesting and plausible meanings behind the mysterious set up but the truth is that there really is no right interpretation and it is up to the viewer’s own imagination and understanding of the garden. The garden is a work of art and nothing can explain the beauty behind it.
Even though the garden is so well known and acclaimed for its simple yet beautiful arrangement, the garden was not always so renowned. In the 16th century, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi visited to Ryoan-ji once a day not for the garden but to view the blossoms of a weeping cherry tree. This means that the garden must not have been the part of the temple that made it so famous, as it is now. Mentions of the rock garden in literature finally start showing up in the 17th century because the cherry tree died and people became aware of the beauty of the rock garden.
So how does the rock garden connect to Zen Buddhism? Zen gardens are known to be very minimalistic when it comes to their use of materials. For one to become enlightened in Buddhism, they must depart from material goods and learn to appreciate what is around them in nature. The rock garden is a perfect example for using minimal materials since the entire garden is made up of rocks. Almost the entire garden is grey expect the hint of green that comes from the moss on the bottom on the rocks.
Ryoan-ji serves as a place for a monk, or any practicing Buddhist to go and meditate. One would most likely focus on one aspect of the garden, possibly one of the rocks, and meditate. “Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works.” It helps us clear our minds and try to regain clarity in the hectic world that is our lives. It is especially important in Buddhism because through meditation, Siddhartha Gautama, attained enlightenment.
One might think that the only way to meditate at the garden would be to sit and focus on one aspect of the garden but actually, one form of meditation at this garden is by raking the gravel. It has turned into an art form for the monks that practice at the temple. There is a specific way the monk will learn to do it and instead of it being a chore or job to do, the art of raking the gravel becomes a time to meditate. They concentrate on their actions and relate that to their lives. It brings them clarity and harmony.
The Ryoan-ji rock garden exemplifies Buddhist practice because it gives people a simple, yet beautiful place to meditate on their actions, not just through viewing but also through the art of raking the gravel. Ryoan-ji is an amazingly modest type of Japanese garden that accentuates just how striking a simple landscape can be. There is something so peaceful about so much emptiness. The Ryoanj-ji rock garden is an amazing work of art that is much-admired, and has the right to be much-admired.
Bibliography
Berthier, François, and Graham Parkes. 2000. Reading zen in the rocks: The japanese dry landscape garden. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.
McGovern, Sean. 2004. The ryôan-ji zen garden: Textual meanings in topographical form. Visual Communication 3 (3): 344-59.
“Ryoanji Rock Garden,” accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.ryoanji.jp/smph/eng/garden/marking.html.
Fig 1. Bring, M. and Wayambergh, J. (1981) Japanese Gardens: Design and Meaning.
“Metitation,” accessed April 12, 2014, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda06.htm
Ryoan-ji Rock Garden
“I am nothing but blocks of stone on pieces of gravel. I am nothing but weight and silence, inertia and density. Nothing will ever learn my secret, or even whether I contain one. The only thing that can penetrate me is the strident cry of the cicada that pierces the heart of summer. Be content to taste the raw beauty of my opaque flesh; look at me without saying a word and ask me nothing; be silent and try, through my hermetic body, to find yourself.”
Complete silence. Gazing off into a sight of empty space with the unusual rock making an appearance in your sight. The beauty of nothingness. This is what it must feel like to visit Ryoan-ji Temple’s rock garden. Ryoan-ji serves as an outlet, a place to get away and meditate. One can go there, observe the simple beauty of the garden and meditate on one’s own life, trying to find him/herself. When one usually thinks of a garden, they might picture colorful flowers surrounded by the bright green grass with a stream flowing through the center. Ryoan-ji is the complete opposite. The minimal materials and simple colors might make it seem boring or scarce but there is an element of beauty hidden behind the humble …show more content…
mode of production. Ryoan-ji exemplifies Buddhist practice because it gives people a place to meditate on their hectic minds and lives by understanding and appreciating the beauty behind the simple garden.
The Ryoan-ji garden is part of a Zen Buddhism temple and is located in Kyoto City.
Hosokawa Katsumoto, a warrior and prime minister, built the Ryoan-ji temple in 1450. In 1467 the Onin Civil Wars broke out, which Katsumoto took part in. The Ryoanji Temple was burned to the ground during the Civil War but Katsumoto’s son; Hosokawa Masamoto rebuilt the temple in 1488. It is slighty unclear when exactly the garden was created but it’s thought to be sometime between the years 1499 through 1507, the year Masamoto died. In the year 1797, Ryoan-ji was struck by another fire and after this fire; the temple went through major reconstruction. It is thought that the garden did not suffer too much damage from this fire though, which makes sense because the garden is made up of
rocks.
So who created this amazing garden and work of art? That question will most likely never be answered. It could have been the temple founder, Hosokawa Katusmoto, or possibly Soami who was the painter and decorator of interiors. It might also have been Hosokawa’s son, Shinso, a son and grandson of painters under the patronage, or a monk and talented gardener, Tessen Soki. The only clue we have as to who created the garden is the word Kotaro, written on the back of one of the stones. Even this clue has not led us to an answer. The designer of the garden seems like it may always be a mystery.
0-571500
The garden is made up of fifteen rocks that lay on top of gray gravel. The gravel is raked into a specific pattern. There are vertical lines that create a type of border and then horizontal lines throughout the garden. The only lines that are not straight are the lines that surround the rocks. These lines circle around the rocks, almost emphasizing their presence and obvious importance. As you can see in the image above, the lines serve as a way to distinguish between occupied and unoccupied space. The lines highlight how much unoccupied space there is in the garden, emphasizing the importance of unoccupied space and the idea that there must be peace and humbleness in one’s life. The rocks are various shapes and sizes and arranged in five groups of two, three, or five. There are fifteen rocks but it is said that one can only see fourteen rocks at any angle, creating the idea that one must be enlightened in the religious practice of Buddhism to see all fifteen.
With such a simple and unique type of garden, many people wonder what the garden means. The garden has been interpreted in four ways, each creating a convincing interpretation. The first interpretation is that the rocks are meant to represent the sixteen arhat, who are predecessors or disciples of Buddha. Since there are only fifteen rocks and not sixteen, this interpretation seems unreliable but it is thought that the author sacrificed one arhat for the preference for odd numbers. The second interpretation is that the garden is based off the legend of Liukun. Liukun fulfilled his duties as a provincial governor so well that tigers took their young on their backs and fled across the river. The rocks in the garden are thus supposed to represent a tiger with their cubs on their backs. The third interpretation and the one that is sometimes seen as too simple is that the gravel is meant to represent water and the rocks are mountains-islands inhabited by immortal hermits. This interpretation makes sense in the Buddhist religion since there is such an emphasis on nature. The fourth interpretation is that is that the rocks represent the Five Sacred Mountains that symbolize the center of the world and the four horizons, and correspond to the five primordial elements. All of these interpretations hold interesting and plausible meanings behind the mysterious set up but the truth is that there really is no right interpretation and it is up to the viewer’s own imagination and understanding of the garden. The garden is a work of art and nothing can explain the beauty behind it.
Even though the garden is so well known and acclaimed for its simple yet beautiful arrangement, the garden was not always so renowned. In the 16th century, the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi visited to Ryoan-ji once a day not for the garden but to view the blossoms of a weeping cherry tree. This means that the garden must not have been the part of the temple that made it so famous, as it is now. Mentions of the rock garden in literature finally start showing up in the 17th century because the cherry tree died and people became aware of the beauty of the rock garden.
So how does the rock garden connect to Zen Buddhism? Zen gardens are known to be very minimalistic when it comes to their use of materials. For one to become enlightened in Buddhism, they must depart from material goods and learn to appreciate what is around them in nature. The rock garden is a perfect example for using minimal materials since the entire garden is made up of rocks. Almost the entire garden is grey expect the hint of green that comes from the moss on the bottom on the rocks.
Ryoan-ji serves as a place for a monk, or any practicing Buddhist to go and meditate. One would most likely focus on one aspect of the garden, possibly one of the rocks, and meditate. “Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works.” It helps us clear our minds and try to regain clarity in the hectic world that is our lives. It is especially important in Buddhism because through meditation, Siddhartha Gautama, attained enlightenment.
One might think that the only way to meditate at the garden would be to sit and focus on one aspect of the garden but actually, one form of meditation at this garden is by raking the gravel. It has turned into an art form for the monks that practice at the temple. There is a specific way the monk will learn to do it and instead of it being a chore or job to do, the art of raking the gravel becomes a time to meditate. They concentrate on their actions and relate that to their lives. It brings them clarity and harmony.
The Ryoan-ji rock garden exemplifies Buddhist practice because it gives people a simple, yet beautiful place to meditate on their actions, not just through viewing but also through the art of raking the gravel. Ryoan-ji is an amazingly modest type of Japanese garden that accentuates just how striking a simple landscape can be. There is something so peaceful about so much emptiness. The Ryoanj-ji rock garden is an amazing work of art that is much-admired, and has the right to be much-admired.
Bibliography
Berthier, François, and Graham Parkes. 2000. Reading zen in the rocks: The japanese dry landscape garden. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press.
McGovern, Sean. 2004. The ryôan-ji zen garden: Textual meanings in topographical form. Visual Communication 3 (3): 344-59.
“Ryoanji Rock Garden,” accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.ryoanji.jp/smph/eng/garden/marking.html.
Fig 1. Bring, M. and Wayambergh, J. (1981) Japanese Gardens: Design and Meaning.
“Metitation,” accessed April 12, 2014, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda06.htm