One of the great monuments in the city of Kyoto is a Zen garden consisting of an area of sand and fifteen rocks.
The original garden had sixteen rocks. The story goes that as soon as the gardener had finished his work, he called the emperor to see it.
‘Magnificent,’ said the emperor. ‘It is the loveliest garden in Japan. And this is the most beautiful rock in the garden.’
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5 Comments
shadowsun7
Written Feb. 11, 2008 / Report /
Holy ...
That was a weird thing for the gardener to do, at the end. I understand somewhat his reasoning, that the garden be enjoyed as a whole, but it reeks of ... conformity.
Bartoneus
Written Feb. 11, 2008 / Report /
I'd say it's not nearly about conformity as it is about not getting enthralled by specifics. So much of our society today is about stuff that doesn't really matter in the end, and if we took this idea to heart and just sat back and took in the larger things that matter, perhaps life would be better.
Ozone42
Written Feb. 11, 2008 / Report /
Bartoneus,
I like your take on that, but to me it seems like the original story was meant to push the whole "get rid of the beautiful and exceptional so everything is equal," drivel.
auburn
Written Feb. 12, 2008 / Report /
Society works best when the different and best are respected.
Bartoneus
Written Feb. 15, 2008 / Report /
Would a person really be able to enjoy and appreciate the layout of a Zen Garden if they are busy admiring the specifics of a single rock?
As with most old stories, it goes to an extreme to make a point. At least that's what Confucius told me.