The dry garden of Ryōan-ji, in Kyoto is one of the most famous examples of karesansui, the Japanese art of dry landscape gardening
Its purpose is not ornamental, but spiritual and meditative.
It was designed to be viewed from the temple’s veranda, inviting reflection and inner calm.
The fact that the 15 stones can never all be seen at once symbolizes that perfection is unattainable, or that the complete truth can never be perceived from a single perspective.
