In order to appreciate the art, in order to think about philosophy, there is a garden can make people into the world view. The new design is called “eternal modernism”, which is called philosophy, and “the garden of the present hall” (ほ ん い う い え ん). Is the abstract shape with the performance of the universe with the concept of the court, only the summer can be more resounding the art of the soul.
The southern garden
This garden in the front of Hojo is the most contrived work among the four gardens and is composed of four rock-composites symbolizing Elysian islands – from the east to the west named “Eiju, Horai, Koryo, and Hojo” – placed on the sand garden-floor “Hakkai” (meaning the eight rough seas) and five moss-covered sacred mountains at the right corner, the west side.
The western garden
Compared with rigidity of the southern garden’s Zen-style (dry stone-garden), this garden has a gentle style composed of moss and azalea-shrubs trimmed in a chequered pattern in imitation of “Seiden”, a Chinese way deviding the land.
The northern garden
Square-cutted stones and moss are distributed in a small-sized chequered pattern. This garden faced on the “Tsuten” bridge and gorge noted as an autumn-tinted valley “Sengyokukan”.
The eastern garden
Seven cylindrical stones are arranged in the moss field so as to represent main stars of the Great Bear of the heaven. These stones were originally foundation-stones used at the other place in the temple.
“Everything can not be wasted” has the teachings of holding the Zen, the designer of the garden considered seriously. Sanling himself no meditation experience, but in that control the pursuit of beauty will inevitably enter the Zen situation. To the future left a famous court. Yun urn a variety of ideas and design, while thinking about the front and back with the side of the appreciation, so that viewers into the sea of thinking is also a request of Sanling. Japan represents the name of the business, Zen and the arts and philosophy of the universe, please come to experience once.
【TOFUKU-JI Temple Information】
Address: 15-1, Motomachi, Dongshan District, Kyoto City
Access: 10 minutes walk from JR Nara Line Keihan Line Tokyu Monastery Station, 8 min. Walk from Keihan Main Line Birdby Street Station
Tel: 075-561-0087
Business hours and tickets:
9: 00 ~ 16: 00 (NOV~DEC 8: 30 ~ 16: 00/DEC. to the end of March 9: 00 ~ 15: 30)
No material (Tongtianqiao Kaishan Church 400 yen / Taiwan Square Garden 400 yen)
Dongfu Temple official website
Photo and Source: Asahi news & Dongfu Temple official website