Last month, initial work on the the Leidecker Center for Asian Studies' Zen Garden began with the installation of three large boulders, weighing 10.5 tons combined, which will anchor the contemplative space. First proposed in 2015, the garden was approved as part of the renovation of the amphitheater behind Trinkle Hall. Assistant Professor of Religion Dan Hirshberg explained the significance of these multi-ton rocks, noting that "arranging these stones, and all the more so on such a massive scale, is a uniquely challenging aesthetic process, and something of a mystical one as well. According to the Zen tradition, when done authentically, their precise arrangement is said to invoke a vision of perfection in this imperfect world, a glimpse of nirvana in samsara (cyclic existence), enlightenment despite the persistence of ignorance. Like a visual koan, a garden is meant to unlock the inconceivable paradox of apparent existence and its ultimate emptiness." Coinciding with the launch … [Read more...]