-Zhu Guangqian's "Dialogue with America" conveys a great ideal with the help of very few real things, and describes the dry landscape more appropriately. Sand, stone, moss and trees, all based on nature, can reflect profound Zen aesthetics, which is dry landscape.
What is the relationship between dry mountains and rivers and Zen thought?
First of all, three steps to understand the dry land landscape.
1, sand
In a dry landscape, sand can symbolize flowing things such as water and clouds, and different patterns of textures are raked on the sand. In the small courtyard, you can also see the Wang Yang in the sea. Clouds are surging, so that there is no water but water, and there are clouds without clouds.
The key point of observing water flow is to find its source first. First, find the highest and largest stone, called the "main stone", which is the source of water flow. Rain falls from the mountain, merges into streams and rivers, and finally flows into the sea, symbolizing that everything will have its place. The straight line represents the calm water surface of the river and the sea, and the winding place represents waves of different sizes. The vortex pattern symbolizes the realization of the "big universe" and "absolute truth".
2. (Czech) Stalne; Stalne (Sweden); (British) Si Tong
The stones in the arid mountains and rivers are all natural stones, and they are arranged in the courtyard without any processing, which is called "Dianshi". When arranging stones, choose the largest side as the front of the stone. When burying, avoid being top-heavy, and carefully arrange the lower part of the stone, which looks like a stone breaking through the ground, so that when people watch, they can not only see the stone above the ground, but also imagine the buried part of the stone, thus creating a strong sense of depth and being able to "feel the power of the earth in the landscape stone".
3. Views
"Looking horizontally, the mountainside has become a peak, with different distances." The viewpoint of watching dry scenery also directly affects the viewing effect. Generally speaking, the audience should leave the dry landscape and watch in the building. In the corridor, you can enjoy the dry mountains and rivers at the nearest distance, but it is also interesting to look out of the room. The room separates the garden, and the scenery seems to be embedded in a picture frame. This makes the dry landscape different from other gardens in seeking an open impression, extending the impression with an impression similar to a picture frame, or realizing the view of nature and the world.
Besides the door, you can also watch the dry landscape through the window.
The circle stands for "preciousness", and the round window stands for "understanding" in Zen teachings, implying a harmonious world. Seeing the dry scenery through the round window also means seeing the ideal world through precious things.
Spiritual connotation of arid landscape
No matter at the beginning of its birth or up to now, dry landscape is more common in quiet Zen temples, and excellent dry landscape masters have also practiced meditation. Whether sitting quietly in the face of a dry landscape, meditating on the relationship between sand and the universe, or just raking out various water ripples on white sand, it can help monks understand Zen. Perhaps it is for this reason that whenever dry mountains and rivers are mentioned, we can feel the Zen meaning contained in them.
There is a cloud in the Buddhist scriptures: "A world in a grain of sand, a paradise in a flower." This poem not only contains the original philosophy of eternal life, but also reveals the aesthetic taste of dry mountains and rivers. Japanese garden design advocates exquisite nature and pays attention to the psychological feelings obtained from the landscape. The dry landscape is dominated by rocks and white sands, modeled after the mountains and rivers in nature, and only decorated with non-flowering plants such as bamboo and moss to achieve the effect of "water does not come out".