The Art of Simple Living: 100 Daily Practices from a Zen Buddhist Monk for a Lifetime of Calm and Joy

by Shunmyō Masuno

Let’s consider a sumi-e ink painting of Bodhidharma done by a famous Japanese painter. No matter how splendid a painting it might be, we would not call it a Zen painting. What I mean to say is that both Zen gardens and Zen paintings adhere to a specific form. They are definitive expressions of the creator’s mastery of a Zen state, which is also called Buddha mind. One trains in Zen Buddhism for a long time before one achieves Buddha mind. In that Zen state, the unique beauty of one’s imagined landscape can be expressed in a Zen garden or painting. It conveys an ease that can heal the mind. Instead of just seeing the superficial beauty of a Zen garden, try to experience the Zen mind that it is imbued with. Once you feel integrated into the garden, you will not even notice the passage of time. The more you appreciate the concepts that permeate the garden, the more it can heal your mind.