Chinese Culture >> Chinese Food Articles >>
Japanese Tea Garden
The Tea Garden also was introduced to Japan from the Chinese
culture around the sixth century A.D. Because the Buddhism religion incorporated
the use of tea in their ceremonies, did it not become popular until the
thirteenth century. It is still unclear, but the generally accepted theory is
that the tea ceremony celebrated the Zen beliefs of purity, inner peace, and
simplicity through meditation.
A Japanese tea garden consists of two gardens, one that includes a waiting area
where the guests will be called into the more formal, intimate, yet rustic
structured inner garden. The outer design of the tea garden usually includes
stepping stones leading to a cleansing area. Here the guests will perform a
symbolic cleansing ritual, freeing themselves of all wrong doings, evil
thoughts, and misfortunes of life. The outer garden will provide an atmosphere
of preparation, which includes the stepping stones, a lantern, and cleansing
area in a very simplistic setting all designed to prepare for the tea ceremony
inside.
The inner tea garden is designed very simplistic and in a rustic, hut style
structure. The atmosphere will be friendly and intimate. Here is where the tea
ceremony is held. All is symbolic of the Buddhism belief of meditation and
appreciation of the simplistic life cycle. The Japanese tea garden represents
the virtues of Restraint, Politeness, Sensibility, and Modesty.
To summarize, a Japanese tea garden is much more that a garden of Japanese
elements. It is much more than an accumulation of trees, rocks, water, and
plants. It is a Garden of Respect for a people's culture and religious beliefs
that extend not only through centuries of the Japanese people, but through
centuries of the Chinese people from which so much influence was introduced.
About the Author:
Learn How to Transform Your Yard Into A Peaceful Zen Garden Today