Kyoto in Photos: Ryoanji Temple

Part 7 of 10

Place: Ryoanji Temple

Getting there: Ryoanji is in the northwest part of the city, close to Kinkakuji, so plan to visit the two on the same excursion. I walked there from Kinkakuji, but you won't be missing anything if you take the bus from Kinkakuji-mae to Ryoanji-mae.

Essential Information: The grounds at Ryoanji have been home to a temple since 983, although it was used as a retirement estate for nobles for a time after. It was rebuilt to its current state at the end of the 15th century, following the Onin Wars. It is believed that the acclaimed rock garden was added at this time, although its creator is not clear. The rock garden consists of 15 moss covered stones, placed in 5 groupings on a bed of white pebbles and sand. There is no viewing angle where all 15 rocks can be seen at once. By tradition, only when one becomes enlightened will all the stones be revealed. The walls of the garden are made of clay formed by boiling in oil. Over the years, oil has leached out, creating interesting black patterns on the orange clay walls. The rock garden is the most important example of karesansui (dry landscape) design, and is said to be the perfect expression of Zen philosophy. Many consider Ryoanji's rock garden to be the single most important cultural work in all of Japan. Ryoanji is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

My Take: I was getting pretty tired when I arrived at Ryoanji. Excited to see a real rock garden, I was a little surprised to see how small it was, considering all the hype. I sat down to take in the scene, and snap a few photos. The pamphlet I received upon entering the temple encouraged visitors to be still and contemplate the meaning of the stones - their placement, how the sunlight hits them, the moss. It also said to look at the oil patterns on the walls, saying how no man had designed them. Of course, we should look for their meaning through meditation. Maybe it was because I was so tired (and this was my last stop), but I sat in quiet, staring at these rocks for a good long while. I don't think I came to any profound realizations, but I did enjoy the peace and quiet of the place. In fact, looking back, I now think that this was one of my favorite places I was able to visit.

A Small building along the path to the main temple

The rock garden. Measuring at only about 100' by 33', it was not as big as I was expecting. However, the viewing platform is so close that it doesn't seem possible to fit the entire garden in a single photo. This was about as good as I could do.

Three groupings of rocks at the far west end of the garden. Notice the oil stained clay walls in the back of the garden. What does it mean? Call me crazy, but maybe it means that we shouldn't mix oil with clay.

The group of rocks at the east end of the garden

A view of the wooden observation platform. The smoothness and coolness of the wood floors were strangely comforting to my tired feet (visitors are required to remove their shoes prior to entering the temple).

A closeup of three of the rock groupings. The sand is raked to perfection every day. Notice the perfect patterns around the rock islands.

A long view across the rock garden from the other end. Still can't see all 15 rocks though... If only I had a satellite handy!

Rats! Even from space, I can make out only... 5 rocks??? So much for technology. Expand map here.

An example of typical artwork inside the temple. I saw many temples like this, but most do not allow photos inside. Notice the traditional tatami mats on the floor. These woven straw mats help to soften the floor, and keep feet cool in the summer, and warm in the winter.

Behind the main temple is the Tsukubai water basin. It was donated to the temple by a member of the ruling Tokugawa family. The inscription is read clockwise from the top, but the square in the center is intended to be used as a part of each character. It translates to something like, "I learn only to be contented," a belief at the heart of Zen philosophy.

The deep green color of the moss garden, near the rock garden

Covered with water lilies, the nobles used to enjoy boating on the Kyoyochi pond. Daishu-in, a minor temple, can be seen in the photo.