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Japanese Rock Garden

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This photo was taken at the Japanese Rock Garden at the Huntington Library. According to Wikipedia:

A Japanese rock garden (枯山水, karesansui?), sometimes mistakenly called a Zen garden, is an enclosed shallow sandpit containing sand, gravel, rocks, and occasionally grass or other natural elements. The main elements of karesansui are rocks and sand, with the sea symbolized not by water but by sand raked in patterns that suggest rippling water. Plants are much less important (and sometimes nonexistent) in many karesansui gardens. Karesansui gardens are often, but not always, meant to be viewed from a single, seated position. Some Westerners believe that karesansui gardens can be used to calm human minds, but they were not intended for such in their native Japanese settings.

There have been many attempts to explain the karesansui garden's layout. Some of these are:

* The gravel represents ocean and the rocks represent the islands of Japan
* The rocks represent a mother tiger with her cubs, swimming to a dragon
* The rocks form part of the kanji for heart or mind

See Ryōan-ji for a mathematical analysis of a rock garden.

A recent suggestion by Gert van Tonder of Kyoto University and Michael Lyons, of Ritsumeikan University, is that the rocks form the subliminal image of a tree. This image cannot be consciously perceived when looking at them; the researchers claim the subconscious mind is able to see a subtle association between the rocks. They believe this is responsible for the calming effect of the garden and is also made to have a quiet place for meditation, however their comments are speculation and not supported by Japanese traditions.

In the West, Japanese rock gardens are sometimes called Zen gardens, but most well-informed experts shun the term. The term was probably first used in 1935, by the American writer Loraine Kuck in her book 100 Gardens of Kyoto.

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Light_Rider, Soleil is me., Melusina75, eftimov-schenk-schwartz, and 33 other people added this photo to their favorites.
redknave (30 months ago)

Your Photo Wins a Heart
From Heart Awards Group
Finestkind Fotography [deleted] (30 months ago)

Your Photo Wins a Heart
From Heart Awards Group
DPiero (30 months ago)

Your Photo Wins a Heart
From Heart Awards Group
stavlokratz (30 months ago)

Your Photo Wins a Heart
From Heart Awards Group
bossbob50 - "Slowing down to normal" (30 months ago)

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Jorgelum (30 months ago)

muy bien definidas las lineas! nice!!
FA.RO (30 months ago)

Complimenti da: Una foto per unire il mondo - Compliments from: One photo to unite the world.

Per piacere invia al gruppo
questa bella immagine e commentane 1 - Please post this beautiful image to the group and comment on 1
Art by Arlene Babad (30 months ago)

Wonderful image.
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Soleil is me. (30 months ago)

Your great photo be to enlighten flickr friends. Thank you to share your best:) I pleasure and honor to give the awards. BE HAPPY & ENJOY to display your BEST photos we pleasure to approve OR to be the member to:-
SPLENDID PHOTO!! YOUR PHOTO WINS
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z.patrizia (30 months ago)

You deserve "Another Diamond" on your Great Photo!
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gornabanja (30 months ago)

Your Image Truly Is:

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XSTEVIEDX (30 months ago)

AHHH Tranquility. Nice shot
faster2007 (30 months ago)

Nice view!!
Complimenti da: Una foto per unire il mondo - Compliments from: One photo to unite the world.

Per piacere postane ancora tante
camillik67 (30 months ago)

Complimenti da: Una foto per unire il mondo - Compliments from: One photo to unite the world.

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eftimov-schenk-schwartz (30 months ago)

I marveled at this fantastic image at
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Daniel Schwabe (30 months ago)

Love them!

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Complimenti da: Una foto per unire il mondo - Compliments from: One photo to unite the world.

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Brian Preen (30 months ago)

Thank you for the explanation, particularly from a Japanese perspective.
Avant-Gardenist (27 months ago)

Will you please plant this (and anything else that might root well) in the Avant-Garden?
.
a02toyota (26 months ago)

Wow, you have some really compelling work here. Thanks for all the nice photos!
~johnzo~ (9 months ago)

its like an optical illusion

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