Zen Garden, Glasgow
Introduction This post follows from yesterday's report on The St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art. Between the above-mentioned Museum and Glasgow Cathedral is a striking feature known as the Zen Garden. Image of garden with Cathedral in background Information on the Glasgow Zen Garden This garden dates from 1993 and is the work of Yasutaro Tanaka in the Japanese Buddhist tradition in which symbolism plays a major part, viz: Water is represented by sand and pebbles. Mountains are represented by stone(s). Islands are represented by moss or rocks. The tradition of making dry stone gardens as aids to contemplation began in Japanese Buddhist temples in about 1500 BCE. This was based on the concept of seeing more in less, part of the Zen method of contemplation. There are many ways of interpreting the Garden. In one view, the rocks are positioned in groups of seven, five and three, representing the prayer recited to Buddha, repeated seven, five and three times in succes...