Making your own Zen garden can be a huge undertaking. It is a great deal of manual labor. Your Zen garden will not be much maintenance once created though. Zen gardens have been around for hundreds of years. They were used to enhance meditation for Buddhist monks. Zen is self examination, enlightenment, and spiritual refinement.
The gardens were created to help the monks find enlightenment. The Japanese Zen garden was one of the world’s first forms of art. One might think that a garden would be full of plants and trees. Plants are not used in a Zen garden however.
Zen gardens are created with sand, gravel, and rocks. Rarely, they have moss and wood used in them. Each individual Zen garden is different. No two gardens are alike. A Zen garden is an individual expression of one’s thoughts. Others enjoy the garden but it is created from thoughts and spiritualism of one person. You should think about this if you are creating your own Zen garden. It should come from your inner self and be a place you can be at peace.
Zen gardens can be quite large. Some are over 30 meters in length. They are often meant to be viewed from one central position. Most outdoor Zen gardens are enclosed or have outside walls. These walls help define a garden and make it a quiet place.
The materials in a Zen garden have symbolism. They are:
- Sand: Sand represents water.
- Stones: The stones are the major parts of a Zen garden. Stones are very important to the Japanese people. They are more important than trees to the Japanese people. Stones represent the elements of nature. They can also represent fertility. Stones were passed down for generations in Japanese society. There are many different types of stones used in the traditional Japanese Zen garden. Some represent metal, some fire, they all have symbolism. There are five classes of stone shapes:
- Taido: Represents wood. They usually represent tall trees. They are often called body stones and are placed in groups.
- Shigyo: Fire. They are usually placed to the side or in front of other shapes.
- Reisho: Metal. They are usually placed low and vertical. They can be referenced as soul stones. They usually represent firmness.
- Shintai: Water. They are usually flat. They are usually referenced as base or mind and body stones. They are often used to harmonize rock groupings.
- Kikyaku: Earth. These tones usually look like they are reclining. They are often called root stones.
White sand cones are used to represent the Shinto salt cones of purity and are used often. Rocks are used to bring a sense of power and tranquility. Gravel can be used in modern Zen gardens to help drainage. It is usually placed under the sand. The Zen gardens do not use water. This is often a problem for westerners. They have a hard time not having plants and water in their gardens.
You can use wood to create a pathway or bridge in your garden. If you put up lighting make sure they are wood lamps. This keeps with the natural setting of the garden. Remember, traditional Japanese Zen gardens only use natural materials.
A rake or stick is used to create circles or swirls in the sand of the garden. These shapes help represent water in the garden. They are often interpreted to help channel your mind during meditation. Zen perceives reality in all things and has special reverence for nature. The traditional Zen garden uses only stones, rocks, and sand.
In recent years the Western Zen gardens have included water and plants. Traditionalist, do not recognize these as Japanese Zen gardens. You should remember the idea behind the garden and create it so that it suits your needs. The end result is a place where you can meditate, heal, and become one with all things.
A full scale Zen garden may not be possible where you live. In this case you can create a miniature Zen garden inside or on your porch. You use the miniature Zen garden in the same way that you would a full scale one. Use it to help you concentrate and meditate. Change the shapes in the sand is much easier for the miniature. Shaping the sand should be methodical and spiritual. Meditate while performing this task.
Miniature Zen gardens are available over the Internet and often in book and gift stores. You can also create your own. If you wish to create your own you will need:
- *A small box or container. You can create your base box with one flat piece of wood. You can use 1×2’s for the sides or even one inch dowels. Cut the bottom and sides to the size you are comfortable with. Use wood glue to piece together.
- *You can use small stones of any color. You can collect stones from anywhere. Collect ones that speak to you.
- *Purchase any color sand you want to use. White is often used. You can even use sand found near your home.
- *Use a twig as a small rake.
- *If you want to make a modern miniature you can use water.
You can often find small plastic boxes to make your Zen garden in. If you want to keep with the natural materials you will want to use wood.
Miniature Zen gardens are used in cities and highly populated areas. They perform the same function of helping one meditate and relax.
