May 9, 2024
In layman’s language, ‘Zen’ means peace, calm, and quiet. In a more formal language ‘Zen’ is a form of Japanese buddhism that aims at better meditation, and incorporating a ‘Zen’ energy at home.
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A Zen garden, also usually called Japanese rock garden or dry landscape garden, is a peaceful space designed to promote relaxation, meditation, and mindfulness. It is small, quaint, and very minimal.
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Zen gardens are very minimal and do not require expensive, extravagant materials. They have easily sourced things like rocks, gravel, sand, and sometimes moss or plants.
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A Japanese Zen garden also has rich symbolism. For example, the stones and rocks represent seashores and mountains, the raked gravel or sand is said to be a symbol of flowing water, the moss and plants when kept are a symbol of growing life.
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The primary purpose of a Zen garden is to create a sense of calmness, balance, and harmony within oneself. The purpose of these Zen gardens is to evoke a sense of peace in the person who looks at it.
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While it might seem like it is easier to just order one, making a Zen garden at home is both rewarding and better on the budget. It requires some basic materials like rocks, polished stone, some cleaned sand, a few little plants, and a glass frame.
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Once all the material is in hand, now choose a soft space in your home. Maybe a spare room with just books in it, or a room where natural light is soft and subtle. It could be a corner of your backyard, a balcony, or even right in the middle of the hall.
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To start the DIY Zen garden, first plan the layout. Arrange the rocks and stones in a balanced manner, in a circle or square shape and create whatever patterns or clusters you like.
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Once the rocks and stones are all done, spread the fine sand evenly across the rocks and inside the boundary. Use a small rake or even your fingers to create patterns or lines that look like ripples in water or waves in sand.
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A Zen garden requires very small plants, maybe succulents, or just some moss. Keep these plants in the middle, or on the edges, near the stones, to give it a beach-like look.
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Maintaining a small DIY garden is very easy. Just once in a while make sure that the plant is not dry and re-draw the patterns on the sand so that it continues to look like small ripples or waves, however you like it.
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