The most famous karesansui is found at Ryōan-ji temple, which is located northwest of Kyoto. The rock garden was added to the temple at the end of the 19th century, in order to provide a place for the monks to meditate. It is said that this garden has a calming effect. The author was a monk named Sōami, and it is composed of a total of fifteen rocks of different sizes, on a rectangular surface of white sand.[5]​.

There have been many interpretations to explain the distribution of a karesansui. Some of these interpretations are:

• - The gravel represents the ocean and the rocks represent the islands of Japan.

• - The rocks represent the tigress with her cubs, swimming towards a dragon.

• - Rocks are part of the kanji 心, which means heart, spirit or mind.

• - The rocks would be the peaks of mountains above a sea of ​​fog.[6]​.

A recent explanation given by researchers Gert van Tonder of Kyoto University and Michael J. Lyons of the Robotic Intelligence and Communications Laboratory (ATR) says that the rocks at Ryōan-ji form a subliminal message from a tree. This image cannot be consciously perceived when looking at them; However, researchers believe that the subconscious is capable of perceiving the subtle association in the stones and believe that it is responsible for the calming effect of this type of garden.

The design concept of karesansui has been adapted to create a more natural environment.

The orientation of the garden for relaxation should face the East, the sand that represents the peace of the sea is the one that should be facing the sunrise.

It consists of a field of raked sand "Rake (tool)") shallow and containing sand, gravel, rocks representing the sea that around the rocks are raked in rings in a way that is intended to achieve an interpretation of natural movement and occasionally grass, moss and other natural elements are present. They are used as a form of meditation by Japanese Zen monks. From its contemplation you can reach satori, which is the Japanese nirvana. Landscape art is the art of deceiving the eye. There is no water but its presence is not necessary because symbolically it is present.

Unlike other Japanese gardens, these gardens are created to be viewed from a platform. Zen monks, on the other hand, used these gardens to meditate to reach an absolute concentration where they placed themselves strategically on the rocks and the mind, body and environment came together while trying to interpret the external landscape, thus managing to spiritually enter a place where the rocks are mountains and the gravel are rivers and seas.

The concept of a Zen garden is considered a myth by many critics, including Japanese gardening and Buddhist experts. They believe that it is a Western creation from the end of the century that has no basis in Japanese gardening. What does exist, of course, is the karesansui or "dry garden" aesthetic, which is by no means exclusive to gardens adjacent to Zen temples. Dry gardens can be found adjacent to houses, restaurants, and inns. Similarly, around Zen temples there are gardens of different styles, without dry gardens being more than one of those styles.

The term "Zen garden" appeared in a book called One Hundred Kyoto Gardens published in 1935, written by Loraine Kuck") in English. The first use in the Japanese language of this term is not recorded until 1958. From this it can be deduced that some post-war Japanese scholars simply adopted a Western innovation, accepting the concept of a Zen garden because it had already spread among foreigners.

Wybe Kuiterts' book Themes, Scenes & Taste in the History of Japanese Garden Art, published in 1988, proposes an important argument against the correlation between Zen and karesansui:.

Kuiterts also adequately frames karesansui in the Buddhist perspective: "(according to Dogen) the best garden to represent the Buddha Doctrine would be nothingness. At least, it would not be a garden whose aesthetic appeal would distract from the true pursuit of Enlightenment "Enlightenment (belief)")." Kuiterts exposes further criticism by translating the comments of a monk, in the Muromachi era, in Tō-ji: "People who practice Zen should not build gardens. In the sutra "Sutra (Buddhist text)") it says that Bodhisattva Makatsu, who desired to meditate, first abandoned the mundane life of doing business and generating wealth, just as he abandoned the task of harvesting vegetables...".

The belief that Zen monks use gardens to meditate is belied by the fact that in Japan Zen monks almost always meditate indoors, facing a wall (Soto Zen) or the center of the room (Rinzai Zen), never looking outside. Photos of Japanese monks meditating in dry gardens are staged events.

However, these critical comments assume a very literal interpretation of the Zen garden. The term reflects the fact that this style of garden developed in Rinzai Zen temples, with some of the most historically relevant designers, such as Muso Soseki and Soami, being monks or Zen practitioners. Furthermore, the traditional Zen garden style developed during a period in Japanese history in which the cultural practices associated with Zen Buddhism—such as calligraphy and landscape painting—had a growing influence on Japanese art in its set. This broad influence on Japanese culture is the reason that this style of gardening, which actually originated in Zen temples, has come to be found in homes, businesses and restaurants.

Although there is a wide variety of opinions about the value of these gardens for Buddhist practice, it is incorrect to deny that their development is closely associated with the Rinzai Zen temples, particularly the great religious complexes of Kyoto.

Ryōan-ji Temple.

The best known karesansui, located in Kyoto. The rock garden was added in order to offer the monks a place for meditation in the century. It is said that this garden has a calming and peaceful effect, this is because in Japan the height of the point of view is very important, perspective is important when it comes to composition, in the case of this garden, although there are 15 stones distributed depending on the point at which the user is located, they cannot be seen simultaneously. If you can see them all simultaneously then it is because you have reached a spiritual level where there are no visual or mental barriers.

Daisen-in.

Built almost simultaneously with the temple's abbot's residence, completed in 1513 a few years after his congregation was founded, a garden of visual complexity and technical sophistication like Daisen-in. It went far beyond suggesting compositions similar to Chinese landscape paintings but was inspired by a real mountainous landscape.

Dry gardens are not made to be walked on but to be appreciated, the rocks used are more naturalized and even due to the humidity caused by the water, they are molded into their compositions.

• - Wabi-sabi.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery on Karesansui.

The most famous karesansui is found at Ryōan-ji temple, which is located northwest of Kyoto. The rock garden was added to the temple at the end of the 19th century, in order to provide a place for the monks to meditate. It is said that this garden has a calming effect. The author was a monk named Sōami, and it is composed of a total of fifteen rocks of different sizes, on a rectangular surface of white sand.[5]​.

There have been many interpretations to explain the distribution of a karesansui. Some of these interpretations are:

• - The gravel represents the ocean and the rocks represent the islands of Japan.

• - The rocks represent the tigress with her cubs, swimming towards a dragon.

• - Rocks are part of the kanji 心, which means heart, spirit or mind.

• - The rocks would be the peaks of mountains above a sea of ​​fog.[6]​.

A recent explanation given by researchers Gert van Tonder of Kyoto University and Michael J. Lyons of the Robotic Intelligence and Communications Laboratory (ATR) says that the rocks at Ryōan-ji form a subliminal message from a tree. This image cannot be consciously perceived when looking at them; However, researchers believe that the subconscious is capable of perceiving the subtle association in the stones and believe that it is responsible for the calming effect of this type of garden.

The design concept of karesansui has been adapted to create a more natural environment.

The orientation of the garden for relaxation should face the East, the sand that represents the peace of the sea is the one that should be facing the sunrise.

It consists of a field of raked sand "Rake (tool)") shallow and containing sand, gravel, rocks representing the sea that around the rocks are raked in rings in a way that is intended to achieve an interpretation of natural movement and occasionally grass, moss and other natural elements are present. They are used as a form of meditation by Japanese Zen monks. From its contemplation you can reach satori, which is the Japanese nirvana. Landscape art is the art of deceiving the eye. There is no water but its presence is not necessary because symbolically it is present.

Unlike other Japanese gardens, these gardens are created to be viewed from a platform. Zen monks, on the other hand, used these gardens to meditate to reach an absolute concentration where they placed themselves strategically on the rocks and the mind, body and environment came together while trying to interpret the external landscape, thus managing to spiritually enter a place where the rocks are mountains and the gravel are rivers and seas.

The concept of a Zen garden is considered a myth by many critics, including Japanese gardening and Buddhist experts. They believe that it is a Western creation from the end of the century that has no basis in Japanese gardening. What does exist, of course, is the karesansui or "dry garden" aesthetic, which is by no means exclusive to gardens adjacent to Zen temples. Dry gardens can be found adjacent to houses, restaurants, and inns. Similarly, around Zen temples there are gardens of different styles, without dry gardens being more than one of those styles.

The term "Zen garden" appeared in a book called One Hundred Kyoto Gardens published in 1935, written by Loraine Kuck") in English. The first use in the Japanese language of this term is not recorded until 1958. From this it can be deduced that some post-war Japanese scholars simply adopted a Western innovation, accepting the concept of a Zen garden because it had already spread among foreigners.

Wybe Kuiterts' book Themes, Scenes & Taste in the History of Japanese Garden Art, published in 1988, proposes an important argument against the correlation between Zen and karesansui:.

Kuiterts also adequately frames karesansui in the Buddhist perspective: "(according to Dogen) the best garden to represent the Buddha Doctrine would be nothingness. At least, it would not be a garden whose aesthetic appeal would distract from the true pursuit of Enlightenment "Enlightenment (belief)")." Kuiterts exposes further criticism by translating the comments of a monk, in the Muromachi era, in Tō-ji: "People who practice Zen should not build gardens. In the sutra "Sutra (Buddhist text)") it says that Bodhisattva Makatsu, who desired to meditate, first abandoned the mundane life of doing business and generating wealth, just as he abandoned the task of harvesting vegetables...".

The belief that Zen monks use gardens to meditate is belied by the fact that in Japan Zen monks almost always meditate indoors, facing a wall (Soto Zen) or the center of the room (Rinzai Zen), never looking outside. Photos of Japanese monks meditating in dry gardens are staged events.

However, these critical comments assume a very literal interpretation of the Zen garden. The term reflects the fact that this style of garden developed in Rinzai Zen temples, with some of the most historically relevant designers, such as Muso Soseki and Soami, being monks or Zen practitioners. Furthermore, the traditional Zen garden style developed during a period in Japanese history in which the cultural practices associated with Zen Buddhism—such as calligraphy and landscape painting—had a growing influence on Japanese art in its set. This broad influence on Japanese culture is the reason that this style of gardening, which actually originated in Zen temples, has come to be found in homes, businesses and restaurants.

Although there is a wide variety of opinions about the value of these gardens for Buddhist practice, it is incorrect to deny that their development is closely associated with the Rinzai Zen temples, particularly the great religious complexes of Kyoto.

Ryōan-ji Temple.

The best known karesansui, located in Kyoto. The rock garden was added in order to offer the monks a place for meditation in the century. It is said that this garden has a calming and peaceful effect, this is because in Japan the height of the point of view is very important, perspective is important when it comes to composition, in the case of this garden, although there are 15 stones distributed depending on the point at which the user is located, they cannot be seen simultaneously. If you can see them all simultaneously then it is because you have reached a spiritual level where there are no visual or mental barriers.

Daisen-in.

Built almost simultaneously with the temple's abbot's residence, completed in 1513 a few years after his congregation was founded, a garden of visual complexity and technical sophistication like Daisen-in. It went far beyond suggesting compositions similar to Chinese landscape paintings but was inspired by a real mountainous landscape.

Dry gardens are not made to be walked on but to be appreciated, the rocks used are more naturalized and even due to the humidity caused by the water, they are molded into their compositions.

• - Wabi-sabi.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia gallery on Karesansui.