Elements of a Zen Garden & Their Meaning

Dry sand and rock are what most people think of when they think of a Zen garden. These are gardens created and maintained around Zen temples to provide a quite place for monks to contemplate. The painstaking care and maintenance is often a meditative act in itself for the gardener. Zen gardens are very minimally designed with very few elements and a lot of open space. This is intended to help the viewer erase the stresses of everyday life by providing him with emptiness and openness. The meaning of each element, and how the elements balance and interact, is very abstract and subjective; the viewer is supposed to discover his own meanings. However, some basic themes are universal.

Sand

The main element in a Zen garden is the raked sand bed. Properly, it should be small stones or pebbles of granite in irregular shapes. Round pebbles do not rake into patterns as easily. Typically the sand is either white or light gray. The tradition of having a well manicured bed of raked sand is derived from the Shinto belief that the spirits need a purified space of white sand to make an area such as a temple hospitable for them. In contemporary Zen gardens, the sand element often represents water and the raked pattern represents waves.

Stones

Stones are usually incorporated in the sand beds. Natural looking stones are preferred, to maintain the balance of nature and man-made garden elements. Depending on the size of the garden, one or many stones are used, arranged in small groups that look like little islands in the sea of raked sand, or mountain tops emerging from the clouds. Sometimes stones that have a form resembling animals are used. The interpretation of the stones' form is similar to how people find shapes in clouds. Upright stones allude to the sacred Yellow Mountains in China, which is an inspiration for both Chinese and Japanese art and landscapes.

Platform

The platform is a very important element in the Zen garden. This is where the viewer sits or stands and contemplates the surroundings, searching for meaning in the garden. Only the master gardener is allowed on the sand bed. The platform is usually on one side, adjacent to the sand bed, and sometimes attached to a temple like a porch.

Wall

A low wall or fence usually surrounds the sand bed. This is to section off the area and help the viewer separate themselves and the garden from the worries of life beyond the walls, forcing her to contemplate the emptiness of the open sand area. However, the wall is usually low enough so the viewer can see what is beyond.

Plants

Plants can be incorporated into the Zen garden but are not necessary. Evergreen conifer trees are most often used, but only minimally. Lichen and moss may grow on the rocks, making them look more natural. Plants add an element of nature to the garden to help blend the manufactured look of the wall and platform into the surrounding environment.