rigid simplicity, not focusing on elements of elaborately constructed vistas, but on elements meant to symbolize these landscapes.The elements used to create this Zen garden are “simple abstractions of nature” (Kincaid, p.65). The rocks play an essential role in the design of this garden, while maintain two functions. “They have an intrinsic beauty of their own, and one the other hand, can represent something altogether larger and more universal” (Davidson, p.38). These rocks are used to symbolize religious meanings, and also to portray larger structures such as mountains. These rock formations can also represent islands, while the bed of gravel is seen as a body of water. Yet one must also note that this is merely just one interpretation of the garden’s meaning and perhaps the most widely accepted.Another element of this rock garden is the wall that lines one side. It is very old and weathered over time. The use of this wall to finish this Zen garden compliments it by bringing in one of the three key Zen aesthetics—wabi. Wabi refers to the poverty or rusticness; a preference for the old and worn. According to wabi, value is determined in what is wathered by time as opposed to the new and untouched. The use of this wall in completion of the garden was perhaps a conscious attempt by its creatures to instill one of the most important aspects of Zen thought.Both the Heian stroll garden of Kinkakuji and the Zen garden of Ryoanji express very different fundamentals in the art of garden design. Whereas the former relies on synthesized naturalism for religious significance, the latter uses abstraction and representation to achieve spirituality. In addition, the viewers actual physical relationship between the two gardens is fundamentally different. While the Shinden stroll garden invites the viewer to take an active physical role in the garden, walking along its winding paths and boating along ...
