Ryoan-ji, Kyoto
Ryoan-ji, the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon, was founded in 1473 by Katsumoto Hosokawa. The famous Zen garden of Soami, completed in 1499, is within the beautiful temple's precincts. The garden is simple, comprising 15 stones set in a small field of white gravel. The stones are arranged in five groupings of 5, 2, 3, 2, and 3 and are so placed that, if viewed from any vantage point, one rock is always hidden from view. The garden is fondly called the 'garden of emptiness,' and while it is a sublime place to meditate on the emptiness of all worldly phenomena, it is a rare day that the garden is empty of groups of noisy tourists. Sadly, this is the case in many sacred places during these times of accessible tourism. Therefore, the best time to visit Ryoan-ji is on the worst days: the winter months, a weekday, in the pouring rain.
Martin Gray is a cultural anthropologist, writer and photographer specializing in the study of pilgrimage traditions and sacred sites around the world. During a 40 year period he has visited more than 2000 pilgrimage places in 165 countries. The World Pilgrimage Guide at sacredsites.com is the most comprehensive source of information on this subject.