zen garden with pebble detail on raked sand canvas print

closeup of zen garden pebble detail on raked sand. Copyright: Asia Images The Japanese rock garden (枯山水 , karesansui ? ) or "dry landscape" garden, often called a zen garden , features carefully-composed arrangements of rocks, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses raked gravel or sand to represent water. It is usually relatively small, surrounded by a wall, and is usually meant to be seen while seated from a single viewpoint outside the garden, such as the porch of the hojo , the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Classical zen gardens were created at temples of zen Buddhism in Kyoto , Japan during the Muromachi Period . They were intended to imitate the intimate essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and to serve an aid to meditation about the true meaning of life. This page is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, anyone associated with the topic.