Zen Garden - Japanese Rock Garden

Many of us know the name Zen Garden and have some idea of ​​how it might look, but do you know what the meaning of a Zen Garden?

Zen Garden photo source: Conferodezso

Unlike a traditional garden with flowers and water, the Japanese rock garden or "dry landscape" garden, often called a zen garden, creates a miniature stylized landscape through carefully composed arrangements of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, and uses gravel or sand that is raked to represent ripples in water.

Source: cmemag - A nice example of how a Zen Garden might look like.

When the word garden is mentioned, the first thing often think of is green scenery, which includes plants, trees, a pond, grass, several types of flowers in all kinds of colours.

Japanese Rock Garden or Zen gardens however, are created with little plant material, and have neither pond nor river. This garden has only rock, gravel, sand, and perhaps a few pieces of moss. The dry garden dates back to the Muromachi period, the 14th century.

Its physical form represents Zen Buddhist philosophy, spiritual refinement, and enlightenment. The meaning of a Zen garden was originally created as an aid to meditation and to teach the basic principles of the religion.

Quick facts:

• Other names for a Zen Garden is: Japanese Rock Garden and Dry Landscape Garden.
• The first Zen Garden (dry landscape garden) was an ink landscape painting from the 9th centuries.
• Japanese Rock Garden was originally inspired by Chinese poetry.
• The first Zen Garden was created in the 14th century by the Zen monk and garden maker Muso Soseki.
• The most famous example of the Zen Garden is at Ryoan-ji in Kyoto, Japan.
• Ryoan-ji or "Temple of the peaceful dragon" was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994.
• Even though the garden might have been designed over five hundred years ago, it still attract many thousands of new visitors every year from around the world.

Ryoan-ji - Zen Garden at the "Temple of the peaceful dragon" (video)

Ancient story about Zen

Student - "How do I enter the way of zen?"

Teacher - "Can you hear the flow of the instant stream?"

Student - He sits quiet for a while to listen, and he hears the stream down in the walley on the other side of the hill. "Yes" he says quietly.

Teacher - "Enter from there" the teacher instrukts the student.

Student - "And if I have not been able to hear the stream?"

Teacher - "Then I would have told you to enter from there"


Read about: Lao Tzu - The father of Taoism



This is the visitors response after visitting the Japanese rock garden at the Tree Wheels Temple in London, UK..

“ It is very hard to explain why this Zen garden affects you. Suddenly you feel a great peace and feel completely happy just to be sitting there… All your mind wants to do is to be there and take in tiny details like the shapes of the rocks and little patches of purple in the dark green of the moss.”

Three Wheels Temple in London, UK

Related links & source:

• How to build a Zen Garden (video)
• Three Wheels Temple (official site)
• Nidaros Cathedral in Norway

Professor Splash in Trondheim

Darren Taylor, also known as Professor Splash

Name: Darren Taylor

Born: 1960

From: Denver, Colorado, US

Occupation: Show diver

World records: over 20 records and counting

Darren Taylor is the talent behind Professor Splash. Taylor, who hails from the great state of Colorado, has more than 25 years of professional high diving experience. He has traveled the world breaking world records and entertaining millions.

Right after a new world record at the University in Trondheim, Norway.
Photo credit: nrk.no

Just about 5 min walk (south) from the famous Nidaros Cathedral in Norway, you come to NTNU which is the university in Trondheim. This was the place that Darren Taylor was going to beat his old world record.

World Record Jump - 10th February 2011 at 11:03 - Trondheim, Norway

 

Quick facts:

• Professor splash is the only diver that has mastered the art of shallow water diving.
• He dives from over 11 meter high towers.
• The pool is only 30 cm deep (1ft).
• He hit the water traveling at approximately 53 km/h (33 mph).
• He had a blackout after a dive in Tokyo.

Here are just a few of the national and international television shows on which Professor Splash has appeared:

• Russia's got talent
• America's got talent
• Germany's got talent
• Travel Channel
• Jay Leno
• Discovery Channel
• History Channel
• Jimmy Kimmel

Photo credit: professorsplash.com

Related links:

• Professor Splash (official site)
• Wikipedia
• Japanprobe
• Collection of Professor Splash clips on YouTube

Lao Tzu - The old master and father of Taoism

About Lao Tzu

Most of us know him as author for the masterpice "Tao Te Ching" also called "Laozi".
It's because of "Tao Te Ching", he is traditionally considered the philosophical Taoism founder.

Lao Tzu statue photo by Blackobull

Tao Te Ching is based on the Tao (The Way), which is the creator and sustainer of all things in the Universe, and the practice of doing by nondoing (wu-wei) that enables the disciple to unite with the Tao.

Historians are not mutually agreed about the legendary Laozi/Lao Tzu. Some believe that he is a synthesis of a number of historical figures and others that he is a mythical figure.

Other names he goes by:

• Lao Zi
• Lao-Zi
• Laozi
• Lao Tsu
• Lao Tzu
• Lao Tse

Qick facts/myths:

• According to Chinese legend, Laozi left China for the west on a water buffalo.
• A legendary Chinese thinker and a wise man who should have lived around the 6th century BC .
• Some people belive that he came from the village of Chu Jen in Chu.
• At the western gate of the city (or kingdom), he was recognized by the guard Yinxi. The sentry asked the old master to record his wisdom for the good of the country before he would be permitted to pass.
• He then composed in 5,000 characters the Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its Power).
• Tao Te Ching was the only book he wrote before he walked away from the Chou empire that he served.
• A well known myth claim that he was reborn 13 times after his first life during the days of Fuxi. In his last incarnation as Laozi, he lived nine hundred and ninety years and spent his life traveling to reveal the Tao.
• According to legend, Lao Tzu was keeper of the archives at the imperial court.
• The Taoist philosophy can perhaps best be summed up in a quote from Chuang Tzu (nr. 5)

Famous quotes by Lao Tzu:

1. "If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve"

2. "At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want"

3. "In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present"

4. "Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power"

5. "To regard the fundamental as the essence, to regard things as coarse, to regard accumulation as deficiency, and to dwell quietly alone with the spiritual and the intelligent - herein lie the techniques of Tao of the ancients"

6. "If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading"

7. "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage"

8. "Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy"

9. "Silence is a source of great strength"

10. "I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures"

11. "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment"

12. "Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good"

13. "When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you"

14. "He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know"

15. "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving"

16. "Music in the soul can be heard by the universe"

17. "Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses"

18. "Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step"

19. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"

20. "By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning"

21. "When the best leader’s work is done the people say: We did it ourselves"

22. "When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be"

23. "To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders"

Related links:

Lao Tzu: Father of Taoism

Laozi - Wikipedia

Buy a book about Lao Zi (not affiliated)

Nidarosdomen, Trondheim, Norway

About Nidarosdomen in Trondheim, Norway

Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Nidaros Cathedral, really, is the most important church, because it is St. Olav's grave church. It is today a Lutheran cathedral and parish church and regarded both as Norway's national sanctuary and as the coronation church (although it no longer carried the royal coronations in Norway). The Norwegian Constitution of 1814 established that the Kingdom of Norway regent be crowned in Trondheim. Nidaros Cathedral was last used as the coronation church in 1906, when Haakon VII was crowned. After Parliament in 1908 abolished the coronation ceremony, the church has been used for the signing of the Regent. The Norwegian Crown Jewels have been kept in the church and is now on display in the Archbishop's Palace, just a few meters away.

After the Reformation

After the Reformation continued the church as a cathedral in Trondheim staple for the Lutheran superintendent , who replaced Bishop . From 1578 , the church parish church of a Lutheran parish - Nidaros Cathedral church - and still is . Superintendent - office of bishop regained the title in 1660 in the Lutheran Diocese , but the Lutheran bishop had not archbishop's rank and was not primate . King in Copenhagen was head of the church , and Trondheim was no longer present ecclesiastical capital.
Nidaros Cathedral is a cathedral in the European context , although the size can not compete with the largest and most magnificent cathedrals in France, Germany and England. Of the medieval episcopal churches in the Norwegian church province has otherwise only Stavanger Cathedral Magnus Cathedral in Orkney who have survived . Cathedral of Bergen is almost entirely disappeared, and Hallvard's Cathedral in Oslo cathedral in Hamar , only ruins remain. Nidaros Cathedral is the only church in Norway that has a fully developed Gothic basilica with aspire arches. Unlike any other Lutheran parishes in Norway is the structural responsibility not a municipal responsibility , but from 1869 attended the national budget , with the creation of building the cottage Trondheim Cathedral Restoration Workshop . From 1929 is the name of building the cottage of Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Workshop .

See one of Europe's largest musical instrument be mounted in the cathedral

Quick facts about Nidarosdomen:

• Until 1537, it went under the name "Cor Norvegiae" meaning the heart of Norway.
• Nidaros Cathedral, with its size and construction is the only real cathedral in Norway.
• The church was originally just a small chapel of wood that was built around the year 1030.
• Nidaros Cathedral has undergone five major fires.
• After the 1719 fire from a lightening strike, the Protestants rebuilt the top of the octagon with a Baroque dome.
• Octagon to the east is the best preserved part from the medieval age.
• The church was an important pilgrimage destination for Northern Europe in the early days.
• Nidarosdomen church organ have over 9600 organ pipes.
• It was built over the burial site of Saint Olaf.

Related links:

• The official page for Nidarosdomen
• Nidaros Cathedral Girls' Choir
• Nidaros Kirke Photographs

More Photos

Nidaros Cathedral - Anno 1892

Nidaros Cathedral - Anno 1857