|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Beauty of a Japanese Garden |
|
|
Have you ever seen a Japanese Garden before? The first thing that would
probably come into your mind when you hear about these gardens are
bonsai trees. This Japanese art of making miniature trees has recently
become popular. You might also associate these gardens with the art of
Zen. This type of garden is usually based on a Zen related theme and
the tranquil atmosphere that it projects is supposed to help bring
people into a meditative state.
My fascination with this type of garden started when I came across the first Japanese Garden I ever saw. My father works in a language school and one of his colleagues is a Japanese professor.
This professor had lived for several years in Japan and in that time he has mastered the language and has adopted much of the Japanese culture. One of the elements of Japanese culture he likes and continues to practice was the art of maintaining a Japanese Garden.
He invited us and all his other colleagues and their families to a party to celebrate the birth of his third son. It was my first time to visit his home. I was fascinated when I saw his miniature Japanese Garden.
I have never seen anything like it before. His garden was beautiful, neat, clean, and seemed so delicate. I was hesitant to walk along the stones because I felt that my footsteps would disturb the garden’s tranquil atmosphere.
The professor must have noticed my fascination because he stood beside me and explained what his garden was all about. The host told me that it was a Japanese Garden. He showed me all of his wonderful bonsai specimens and patiently explained their unique features to me.
He also showed me the lovely Koi fish that were swimming in the pond in his garden. He explained to me that although these fish are endemic to China, the Japanese use them to add the element of prosperity to their gardens.
That experience transformed me into an instant Japanese Garden admirer. I was in total awe of this oriental garden’s beauty, simplicity, and tranquility. After that party, I began to research about this type of garden and today I have manged to create my own Japanese Garden. |
|
|