Historically the vast majority of Zen gardens have been created at former residences, Jizoan is no exception.

The gardens at Jizoan Zen Centre have been developed over at least 15 years. And in fact there was a garden much earlier from the 1960's, but though some elements of this survive, the rest ofthe gardens are now completely new.

This photo is of the Rustic entrance from the drive.

Over the years many stones have been brought in, Some have been given out of generosity, and a few dug up out of the old gardens. Originally the gardens before had been conventional Lawn and Shrub layout. The sweep of the original path entry path from the driveway on the hill and a few trees are the remainer of that.
All the lawn is gone and gravel beds now replace them. A pond garden has been established on one side of the Zendo also, there had been some sort of pond there many years before, evidenced by buried elements but by the time I arrived that was long gone, so there's a certain irony that I chose to establish a pond near that also, though the pond and it's surounding 'cliffs' are far more major.

The north garden or 'Garden of Empty Nothing'

The north garden face was dug and leveled somewhat to create a cliff effect called 'Tsukiyama' - trees and mountains, created by Boxus and stones laid in on a bank of dirt and rubble from the excavation of the old garden, as well as Japanese Box. This now is coming into maturity and gives the dry arrangement  of the raked Sea a big contrast.


        Karesansui Empty-dry-wet arragement





Tsukiyama arragement

Tsukiyama seen from the west end. Photo by Geoff Bartlett.

Tachibachi a stone wash basin.

 

Garden of Hungry Ghosts?

Hungry fish anyway, in a Zen temple we give the rice offering (to the Hungry Ghosts) to the fish in the pond.

Actually it is called the Garden of Mizu Jizo, the Wish granting Bodhisattva of Children. But please no swimming!

This garden looks big, but it's a trick of design, in fact it's quite small and shallow. The fish here are

Paradise fish, or Chosen buna, they are farbetter than the more popular Koi who need a large pond (bigger than a swimming pool). They don't dig, or make a mess and they grow only 9 or 10cm long. They eat mosquitoes and rice. In fact they are native to the rice paddy. One of those Dawinian mysteries, which came first, the fish or the rice?

Jizo Bodhisattva (Kgirtagarba) is the protector of Children, he walks between worlds - The Six States of Existence, and the gentle sound of water through the mossy Sunebachi reminds us of the ethereal. In the world of Humans he reminds us we all begin as Children and one day return. So lets Awaken the 'Child like' Buddha Nature within.

There is a custom of making a memorial to loved ones around O-Jizo, especially children.

The Western Garden under construction,

Jakaranda trees will be planted in the background. More stones will be used on the street side as well to create another landscape. A gate will be built and steps added from the other side, when renovations to the western side of the main building are completed this garden will greet visitors to the temple.

This garden is Tsukiyama type or artificial mountains, the Garden of Formless Form has a Tsuiyama component as well. Like that one the 'mountains' have a combination of limestone sand and rubble under them.

First stage of laying out, mounds are beginning to be constructed and first stones placed. Later  we were given a large number of large stones by a landscaping centre.

Stage 2. more stones in place. The Pepper plant that sprouts  at the end of Autumn is handy here, from it we get a hint of what the plantings might look like later. 
It looks very different in this photo, but in fact a new group of stones have been added in left side. Note the 'zazen' stone in the mid foreground of the garden. 

Traditionally a zazen stone was a place to sit and zazen - meditation Zen style in the moonlight.

Eventually this garden will take our mind back to gentle days harmony while we study arts and sip tea. The ideal of Shorin (Pine Mountain) culture.