Often, Japanese landscapers prune young pine trees to give the illusion of age. In Japan, age is strongly revered, unlike Western cultures. Instead of providing shortcuts, it encourages us to find our way around.
#Define zen scenery free
Japanese design avoids straight lines - it softens the edges by emphasizing free forms and organic shapes. Instead of getting stuck, we uncover new possibilities.Īs Pema Chödrön said, “Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” When we change our perspective, we get a more positive outlook. Sometimes we must pivot, take a turn, or zigzag. They make us appreciate the garden from different angles - linear paths constraint our perspectives. Japanese zigzag bridges force people to slow down. Finding your life’s purpose requires time and appreciation. Getting faster to the wrong destination is pointless. The shortest path is not always the smartest route. We enjoy observing the island even if we cannot visit it. Life is about appreciating our grass rather than thinking that someone else’s is greener. We must contemplate it and enjoy it only at a distance.Įric Hoffer said, “The search for happiness is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.” Just like happiness, it’s both beautiful and unattainable. Horaijima represents paradise - a place inaccessible to mortals. It’s called Horaijima - the Island of Everlasting Happiness. The Chicago Botanic Garden has an island that looks at the Japanese park. Life always feels happier on the other side. As you travel through the garden, you can appreciate a new scene. The views are designed and composed carefully.
#Define zen scenery full
It provides a full experience rather than viewing it from one single place.Ĭonfucius said, “Don’t curse the darkness, light a candle.”Īs you stroll along, you move from one scene to another. It’s designed in a way that makes us walk around. Large, open pathways encourage us to look up and around the garden while walking.
We become more aware of our surroundings. Change Your Pace, Change Your Perspectiveĭesigning a Japanese garden is a mindful exercise - it helps travelers increase their focus.Ī narrow path made of uneven stones makes us slow down. Instead of trying to anticipate the journey, enjoy it.ĭon’t force your path, grow with the flow. Japanese gardens are intended to be viewed while walking along. We cannot write our life script in advance. The path is your friend - if you can’t find it, it will find you.Īs Osho said, “Don’t seek, don’t search, don’t ask, don’t knock, don’t demand - relax.” After some time, by looking at where the grass is worn away, they realized where people walked - and then pave those paths. Rather than having someone decide which is the right path, they let people walk freely. When building a public park, the walkway is the last thing Japanese design. We cannot force our path - it must come naturally. The more we try to find life’s meaning, the more lost we feel. Japanese gardens remind us to stay on the most natural path - they capture the essence of life. The more natural and harmonious the design, the more conducive is to contemplation. The design principles of a Japanese garden are asymmetry, enclosure, borrowed scenery, balance, and symbolism. Unlike their European counterparts, Japanese gardens adapt to the changing nature of life - they don’t want to control it.Īs Japanese landscape designer Shiro Nakane told Architectural Digest, “the goal is not to make a new nature but to make a copy of existing, desirable nature.” Symmetrical and geometrical forms characterized the gardens of the French Renaissance - they became an extension of the châteaux. In the 18th Century, European gardens design followed the premise that things planted should reflect the shape of things built. Gardens map our minds - the way we see the world is how we treat nature. You don’t need to be an expert to appreciate its meaning. As you walk, you make your own road, and when you look back you see the path you will never travel again.”Įxperiencing a Japanese garden requires all your senses - just like life. Traveler, there is no road you make your own path as you walk.
Wandering around those trails is an invitation to reflect on the path of life. Japanese garden designs are very deliberate - every element has purpose and meaning. The Japanese garden is one of our favorites parts.
That’s precisely what we did this morning - we went for a long walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden. When the winter finally goes away, we love to celebrate. We’ve been living here for over six years now. My wife and I are not fans of Chicago’s weather. Wherever you are, you are on the right track. Either you discover your path, or it will find you “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.”- Confucius
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