When you visit the rock garden in Ryoanji temple, what do you do? Do you view a garden?
Do you count the number of the rocks? or Do you take pictures?

I think, if so, you miss something important.

This garden is a Zen garden.
According to the temple, this garden doesn't have the fixed way of viewing, It is the one you should feel by yourself.

When I visited there, the garden was just a garden with white sand and rocks. That is all.
One day, I closed my eyes, calmed down myself, and tried to meditate. I tried not to think anything, just to make my mind peace and quiet,

When I opened my eyes, to my surprise, I could feel each pebbles of white sand.
The garden told me that things have different aspects according to my state of mind.

After that, please count the number of rocks. Though you try to count up to 15, it is impossible to count all of them at a time.. Unfortunately, you can't see the last one wherever you stand

It represents imperfection.
It says that there is nothing perfect in this world, When it becomes perfect, then it will start collapsing.

The number 15 means perfection in Japan.
That's why there are 15 rocks there and not all of them can be seen at a time.  But there are two points where you can see all of them. Do you think where they are?
I will tell you the secret during the tour with me

One of the basic ideas of Zen is "simplicity". If you abandon your worldly desires, and learn to be content.  Then you can be in peace. Behind the main building Hojo, there is a water basin with Kanji letters on. Those letters represent " I learn to be content "

Why don't you come and experience this zen world?

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Ryoanji was established in 1450 by the influential feudal lord, Hosokawa Katsumoto.
The size of the garden is 25 meters long and 10 meters wide.
The white sand represents an ocean, and the rocks represent mountains.

admission 500  yen
From 8 AM to 5 PM ( from March to November )
From 8;30 AM to 4;30 PM ( in winter )