Zen gardens

Two informative and aesthetically pleasing books explore the significance of the garden in Zen Buddhist practice and describe the various types of gardens the Zen sensibility inspires. Berthier focuses on the Japanese dry landscape garden, a garden form unlike any other in its near absence of plants. He explains that in the Zen Buddhist tradition, a garden of rocks and sand slows time and holds change at bay, thus aiding in the contemplation of the essence of life. Berthier then charts the history of dry gardens from their inception in the eleventh century and offers detailed descriptions of famous gardens. He also explains how to "read" these abstract and linear gardens and unveils their symbolic meanings. His enlightening study is followed by a long essay by translator Parkes, in which he delves more deeply into the art and philosophy of these unique places. Borja chronicles Zen gardens of all kinds. Many are lush with trees, shrubs, flowers, ponds, and waterfalls, but others reflect the Japanese sensitivity to the "soul of stones" and their places of honor in dry gardens. Borja, too, writes knowledgeably about Zen Buddhist thought and the centrality of the garden to Zen practice, both in the making of gardens and in garden-directed meditations. He then provides a wealth of design and construction information and encourages gardeners to create their own Zen gardens, with suggestions that embrace technical, artistic, and spiritual concerns. Paul Maurer's photographs complement the text effectively, both in content and mood. --Donna Seaman