Do we want to make the best computer? Or do we want to deliver the most inspiring and delightful digital solution ever?Īnd since he already knew the answer, Jobs did not hesitate to demand design steps as bold as removing water from a garden. When Steve Jobs demanded seemingly impossible changes in Apple’s product design, he was probably questioning the fundamental objective of the project. Ryoan-ji shows us how powerful just fifteen rocks can be. And it could potentially allow an even greater beauty to emerge, because the beauty in our mind is not bound by any physical limits. Is it to display as many beautiful elements as possible? Or, is it to serve as a vehicle to stimulate our imagination? Kare-sansui demonstrated that even the most central elements could be eliminated if we can pivot and embrace the latter as our goal. Then kare-sansui emerged, challenging the basic reason behind garden design. In Japan, this approach saw its culmination in the chisen kaiyu-shiki garden, as exhibited on the ground floor of Saiho-ji. So they secured enough water in order to design a garden full of vegetation. Tracing the process of subtraction makes us ask a fundamental question about what it means to “design” something.Ībout a thousand years ago, people wished to re-create the abundant beauty of nature. This is where Muso Soseki actually performed his meditation.Īpplying those subtraction techniques, you can see how the Saiho-ji garden started as an abundant chisen kaiyu-shiki, and ended up becoming an almost savage kare-sansui. The rocks are arranged to represent carp climbing up a waterfall to become dragons – a transformation based on an old Chinese myth. Surrounded by crude nature sit several forceful, but succinct rocks. The most prominent kare-sansui at Saiho-ji is situated on the slope to a hill, beside a small religious building. The ponds, which play a central role in chisen kaiyu-shiki gardens, are absent in kare-sansui. Developed by Muso Soseki, kare-sansui means “expressing greens and water using no life.” It primarily employs rocks, pebbles and mossy mounds to describe the boundless beauty of nature. Abundant vegetation suddenly disappears and the world of kare-sansui emerges. The upper level (bottom image) is totally different. That’s why it’s also called koke-dera (the moss temple). Hundreds of years after Muso Soseki, today there are about 120 different moss species that display their quiet vigor. At Saiho-ji, the abundant water nourishes the abundant flora. The Chisen kaiyu-shiki garden is visually abundant because at its core is a body of water, the substance which provides life for all living things on Earth. It has a pond at the center, and lanes, gazebos and vista points quietly surround it. The ground level (top image) employs a technique called chisen kaiyu-shiki. Saiho-ji garden was designed by Muso Soseki, a prominent Zen priest in the 14th century who founded the fundamentals of the Zen garden and kare-sansui design. It is intriguing that Jobs loved the Saiho-ji, which has two distinct faces. This is very much like how Steve Jobs, a trailblazer and perfectionist, pursued an aesthetic philosophy that would eventually define Apple’s minimalist, simple and yet playful brand identity. They patiently continued the questioning process until ultimate essentials finally emerged. In the same way as they moderated their desires and feelings through meditation, Zen priests (inseparable from artists) examined each and every element in art to decide if it was really necessary. Zen art is a creative process of subtraction. And it was this very restriction – no text allowed – that resulted in the “aesthetic sublime” of Zen arts, as described by Jobs. This is the reason why prominent Zen monks in the Middle Ages used various forms of art, such as the Zen garden, calligraphy or flower arrangement (left image: courtesy of Ikenobo) to crystallize what they saw and felt during their journey for eternal truth. In order to fully understand something, you need to comprehend it physically. Zen also believes that the process cannot be cut short by studying texts. Zen strongly believes in that our body and brain can achieve more when finally released from greed, by persevering arduous training.
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