| Buddhas in Gardens | | | | you see people practicing Walking Meditation - walking |
| Statues and images of the Buddha have been placed | | | | slowly along the paths which lead round the Temple |
| in the grounds of temples and gardens since ancient | | | | garden always doing so in a clockwise direction. |
| times and gardening has strong associations with | | | | On the east side of the Temple is a beautiful |
| Buddhism: | | | | Meditation Park having many winding paths for walking |
| It is believed that; | | | | meditation and little marble platforms, where people |
| The Soil of the garden represents the fertile ground of | | | | can sit and meditate. This garden is filled with the |
| Buddha's Mind. A Sangha (Pali for Buddhist community) | | | | sounds from thousands of brown mynah birds. On the |
| is the same as community of plants in the garden. | | | | south side of the Mahabodhi Temple is a large, |
| Dhamma (teachings of the Buddha) is the expression | | | | rectangular Lotus Pool. In the centre of the pool is a |
| of wisdom that is in the Temple - Garden. | | | | statue of Buddha. The Lotus Pool is full of large catfish. |
| If a garden can be regarded as a mind then: | | | | 4. Ryoan-ji Temple Gardens - The Temple of the |
| Paths represent the ways to enlightenment. The soil | | | | Peaceful Dragon, Kyoto Japan |
| represents the state of our own internal Karma. It's | | | | This is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, |
| planting represents fertile and blossoming ideas. The | | | | Japan. The temple is one of the Historic Monuments of |
| changing seasons represent of the changing moods of | | | | Kyoto and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring |
| the mind. Eastern tradition also suggests that the | | | | a dry landscape rock garden. The dry landscape rock |
| Buddha should not face south, as this is associated | | | | garden was built in the late 13th Century. It consists of |
| with Yama, a Hindu god and judge of the dead. North | | | | raked gravel and fifteen moss covered boulders |
| is the preferred direction when placing Buddha statues | | | | placed so that, when looking at the garden from any |
| in the garden. | | | | angle only fourteen of the boulders are visible at one |
| Buddhist gardens | | | | time. |
| Pure Land Buddhism | | | | 5. Sigiriya Temple, Sri Lanka |
| The making of Buddhist gardens in Japan was inspired | | | | This is a World Heritage Site and is sometimes said to |
| by Pure Land Buddhism movement which originally | | | | have the oldest surviving garden in Asia. It was |
| came from China. It has as its centre piece the | | | | originally the garden of a residential palace later |
| Mandala showing the Buddha with a temple and a | | | | becoming the garden of a Mahayana Buddhist |
| garden - it has inspired the making of gardens with | | | | monastery. The present layout of Sigiriya is believed to |
| equivalent symbolism. | | | | date from in the 5th century AD. |
| Zen Buddhism | | | | 6. Lumbini, India |
| Zen Buddhism believes that by making a fine garden | | | | This was the site of the Buddha's birth. The site was |
| can contribute to enlightenment and contentment. This | | | | re-discovered in 1896.The sacred pool had earth banks |
| requires skill, artistic judgement and a deep | | | | at the time of its re-discovery. It now has a paved |
| understanding of nature combined with constant | | | | margin and steps - but it remains a place of |
| attention. So gardening can be a deemed a religious | | | | exceptional calm. The garden also includes a bathing |
| activity. | | | | tank of the Sakyas where the water is bright and |
| They should generally have: | | | | clear as a mirror and its surface covered with a |
| - A beautiful place for sitting quietly or for meditation. | | | | mixture of flowers. This is where the Bodhisattva was |
| - Numerous Paths for the practice of walking | | | | born. In 1997 it became a UNESCO World Heritage |
| meditation. | | | | Site. |
| - A lotus pool containing a Buddha statue. | | | | 7. Kagyu Samyé Ling Monastery, Scotland |
| - A place for the feeding of fish, birds or animals. | | | | Kagyu Samyé Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre |
| Ten of the World's Most Beautiful Buddhist Gardens | | | | is a Tibetan Buddhist complex located at Eskdalemuir, |
| 1. Totekiko Temple Gardens, Kyoto Japan | | | | near Dumfries,Scotland. The Tara Healing Garden |
| Totekiko is one of the five gardens at the | | | | preserves and propagates medicinal herbs native to |
| Ryogen,Temple Kyoto, Japan. It was laid in 1958, and is | | | | Tibet. The grounds feature a Garden of World Peace, |
| said to be the smallest Japanese rock garden. It is a | | | | an organic kitchen garden, with greenhouses a vinery, |
| small enclosed garden, composed of attractive simple | | | | peach-house and a traditional herb garden |
| boulders placed on raked sand. These rocks are | | | | (TaraHealingGarden) which preserves and propagates |
| surrounded by concentric gravel circles and are | | | | medicinal herbs native to Tibet. The garden is |
| connected by parallel ridges and furrows. The garden | | | | surrounded by woodland and arable land grazed by a |
| briefly receives the sun at around noon each day, and | | | | herd of Yak. |
| it is sometimes covered by snow in the winter. The | | | | 8. Secret Buddha Garden, Ko Samui, Thailand |
| garden represents a Zen saying, that the harder a | | | | This beautiful spot on Ko Samui is one of the most |
| stone is thrown in, the bigger the ripples will be. | | | | important tourist attractions of Ko Samui. It was |
| The temple also includes three other gardens, Isshi-dan, | | | | designed and built by a fruit farmer in 1976 called Nim |
| Koda-tei, and Ryogin-tei - which is a moss covered | | | | Thongsuk, who was 77 when he started building the |
| garden which is claimed to be the oldest in Daitoku-ji. | | | | garden. This has also resulted in another name for the |
| 2. Imperial War Museum Peace Garden, London UK | | | | area - "Uncle Nimm's Garden". It is surrounded by |
| This beautiful and peaceful area is located in the park | | | | jungles and rocky hills and is slightly difficult to find as it |
| in front of the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth. The | | | | lies high on the mountain overlooking the island. The |
| garden aims to encourage world peace and promote | | | | entire garden is filled with sculptures and statues |
| non violence. Its Tibetan name translates as "The | | | | depicting humans as well as various gods and |
| Garden of Contemplation". The design and decoration | | | | Buddhas. |
| uses many Buddhist symbols. A tall pillar has in four | | | | 9. The Peace Pagoda and Peace Temple Gardens, |
| languages the Dalai Lama's message about the | | | | Milton Keynes, UK |
| importance of choosing non-violence. | | | | Founded by Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk from |
| The garden's layout is based on the eight spoke | | | | Japan who worked with Gandhi on finding peaceful |
| Buddhist Wheel representing the Noble Eightfold Path. | | | | ways of opposing government's wrongdoing. After the |
| There are eight stone seats in a circle representing the | | | | Second World War, he campaigned strongly against |
| eight principles in the Noble Eightfold Path. When you | | | | with nuclear weapons. He lived to be 100 and his |
| sit here you can focus on the centre of the garden. | | | | movement built 80 Peace Pagodas and Peace |
| Around the outside of the area is a trellis and plants | | | | Gardens all round the world. In the beautiful gardens |
| from the Himalayas. This garden consciously | | | | surrounding the pagoda are a thousand cherry trees |
| represents the elements of Earth, Fire, Air and Water | | | | and cedars planted to remind us of the victims of all |
| and the space is often visited by Tibetan Buddhist | | | | wars. |
| teachers when visiting London. | | | | To left of the pagoda is a small Japanese garden of |
| 3. The Mahabodhi Temple Gardens, India | | | | rocks, moss and bushes and a water lily pond full of |
| This temple is built at the actual place where the | | | | carp and to the right of the Temple is a little moss |
| Buddha reached Enlightenment while sitting under the | | | | garden. Behind the Temple is a typical Zen garden of |
| Bodhi Tree. Almost all activity at the Temple takes | | | | rocks and gravel. Finally at the rear of the Zen garden |
| place in the large garden surrounding this huge stone | | | | is a stupa. |
| spire. This is full of tall, shady trees and little lawns, | | | | 10. Wenshu Monastery Gardens, Chengdu, China |
| monuments and marigolds. The holiest place at the | | | | This Zen Buddhist monastery was built between 605 - |
| Mahabodhi Temple is outdoors under a Bodhi Tree. | | | | 617 during the period of the Tang Dynasty and is the |
| This Bodhi Tree has been grown from cuttings from a | | | | best-preserved temple in Chengdu. This Buddhist |
| series of earlier Bodhi Trees, which came from the | | | | Temple is set within splendid landscaped gardens |
| original Bodhi Tree under which Buddha sat and | | | | containing examples of religious Chinese architecture |
| meditated 2,500 years ago. Buddhists from all over the | | | | as well as a superb vegetarian restaurant. |
| world come to visit this sacred spot | | | | The landscaped park within the Wenshu Monastery |
| Some people come and sit near the Bodhi Tree on | | | | are very beautiful and serene and are beautifully |
| their own and some come in groups of Buddhist | | | | maintained and clean and has many trees and shrubs |
| pilgrims from the same country. Throughout the | | | | as well as spectacular water features. The courtyards |
| Mahabodhi Temple garden you see people | | | | and gardens seem to melt into each other, making for |
| worshipping. The Bodhi Tree itself is where all Buddhist | | | | a very quiet and contemplative environment. |
| meditation began. All around the Mahabodhi Temple | | | | |