Muza-chan's Gate to Japan

Moss covered Japanese Zen Garden, Ryogin-tei

Tue, November 22, 2011, by Muza-chan
The Ryōgen-in Temple from Kyoto is famous for its 5 Japanese Zen Gardens, each of them having a special trait. I already presented the Isshidan garden, one of the most beautiful Zen gardens I have seen, and now I would like to show you Ryōgin-tei, the oldest of them, dating from the early 16th century.

Designed by a painter and landscape artist named Sōami, Ryōgin-tei is special because it is a moss covered Karesansui garden - a Zen garden where the usual sand (which symbolizes the sea) is replaced by moss, which symbolizes the forest. The tall rock from the center represents Mount Shumisen (Sumeru in Sanskrit), a mythological mountain from the Buddhist cosmology, considered the center of the world.

Moss covered Japanese Zen Garden, Ryogin-tei, Ryogen-in Temple, Kyoto
EXIF info:

Nikon D300
Lens: 8-16mm F/4.5-5.6G
Focal Length: 8mm
Aperture: F/5
Shutter Speed: 1/640s
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 320



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