A review by ellenguyenphuonglinh
Gardens of Awakening: A Guide to the Aesthetics, History, and Spirituality of Kyoto's Zen Landscapes by Kazuaki Tanahashi

3.0

Shin'ichi Hisamatsu, in his book Zen to Bijutsu (Zen and Fine Arts, 1976), speaks of Zen aesthetics with seven characteristics: asymmetry (fukinsei 不 均 ⻫ ), simplicity (kanso 簡 素 ), loftiness (kokō 枯 高 ), naturalness (shizen 自然), subtle profundity (yūgen 幽玄), unworldliness (datsuzoku 脱俗), and serenity (seijaku 静寂). These are all accurate, and this is a very helpful pioneering analysis. Hisamatsu says, "The fine arts of Zen must embody these seven characteristics fully harmonized as one."