This beautiful book is a resource for those who want to create a contemplative garden or to better understand what it is to follow a contemplative path. It will be of interest to landscape architects and designers, anyone interested in the fusion of East and West in cultural expression, and garden lovers everywhere. It explores the innovative approach to garden and landscape design found in the work of Martin Mosoko, a landscape architect and Zen teacher working in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado.
Mosoko's work incorporates principles of Oriental and Western garden design to make bold and original statements in his landscapes. Mosoko explains how to deploy the materials of the garden so that their arrangement reflects the contemplative mind. The chief paradigm he uses is the mandala, a symbolic picture of the ideal world used in some form in many of the world's cultures. Rocks, streams, plants, paths, and structures of the garden each take their place in the mandala as one of its five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. The means to produce a balance of these elements is the mind conditioned by meditation and a clear understanding of its own nature. Inner harmony is expressed as outer beauty.
Mosoko's approach to landscaping transforms space into spirit, infused with magic. It can be used to create anything from a small courtyard to a country estate, in any environment from the city to the suburbs. After explaining theory and method the book leads us into five of Mosko's gardens, each alive with the energy and excitement he brings to his designs. Although located in different parts of the country and created in different styles, each garden is a reflection of the mind of clarity and calm.
What is a contemplative garden and how do we create one from the ordinary materials of life? That is the central question answered in this book, both in text and in more than 150 full-color photographs. It explores the means by which we can express our inner harmony as outer beauty.
Ordinary landscape design has lost its dimension of magic, and its true connection to the natural world. Based on over 30 years of garden-building experience and decades of spiritual practice, the authors suggest an alternative basis for design. Their paradigm is the mandala, an imagined reality and physical shape that appears in the art and myth of many of the world's cultures
Drawing on both Oriental and western philosophies, the book describes an entirely new way to think about garden design. It leads us into the landscapes designed by Martin Mosko, a Zen priest and landscape architect, worlds of sensual delight that are complete in themselves. Each is filled with the peace and harmony that reflects their integration of the materials used with an exceptional plan.
Whether you have a small urban courtyard or a large yard, the ideas presented here will inspire your heart and imagination. Those who want to take their design talents further will also find a novel way of thinking about space, energy, and the elements.
