Special Rocks, Miniature Mountains & Buddhism
Rocks have the same importance in Chinese and Japanese gardens as flowers in British gardens.
Decorating gardens with special rocks
Often the main decoration is specially chosen, beautifully mossy rocks set among nicely shaped green bushes.
By the 9th century CE, a fashion had begun in China to collect unusual rocks and display them in your garden. Rocks would be displayed on stands or in little enclosures, rather like flowerbeds. Before long there was a government agency which searched China for fabulous-looking rocks and brought them by barge to the Emperor’s gardens.
Miniature mountains in gardens
Next a fashion developed for arranging your prize rocks so that they looked like a miniature set of mountains. ‘Bonsai trees’ were invented in China in this period – miniature trees which could be planted in the miniature landscapes formed by these rock arrangements. Miniature garden pavilions and temples were sometimes placed on the miniature mountains.
Wealthy people, who owned fine gardens, then started creating miniature landscapes which copied famous beauty spots. You built your own miniature versions of famous mountains and lakes and islands in your own garden. Japanese gardens also followed these fashions. Another trend was to arrange rocks so that they looked like symbolic lucky creatures like turtles or birds like cranes.
How love of rocks affected Buddhist gardens
Gardens created at Buddhist temples and monasteries in China and Japan were influenced by this love of rock gardens. To beautify a Buddhist garden, naturally you added the nicest rocks you could find. This can be seen in many Buddhist gardens today, though it is nothing to do with Buddhist teachings.
Also, rather than arrange rocks to make a miniature of a famous real mountain, the designers of Buddhist gardens would choose a religious subject. Often they would make a miniature of the mythical mountain called Meru or Sumeru, which in Buddhist mythology is at the centre of the universe. So gardens at Buddhist holy places quite often include miniature mountains for this reason. Sometimes these miniature mountains are covered with miniature temples – these may be placed there as memorials. Miniature buildings in Buddhist temple gardens sometimes include models of famous Buddhist temples, like the Mahabodhi temple. Sometimes a miniature landscape is intended as a symbol of the world or the universe.
Also, in temple gardens, instead of arranging rocks in the shape of lucky animals, the rocks would represent religious subjects. For instance, a cluster of three rocks might represent Buddha, the Buddhist teachings, and the people who follow Buddhism – a common theme.
Continue reading: Zen Buddhist gardens.