After a tiresome staff meeting or responding to a couple dozen pressing e-mails, regain lucidity and peace with this small Zen garden from Garden at Home. A great relaxation tool for use in a therapist practice, overworked executives, teachers, and stay-at-home parents also might benefit from the tranquility achieved while contemplating the garden's meaning. The symbolism of the Zen garden has been subject to debate for hundreds of years. In Kyoto, Japan, site of the world famous Ryoan-Ji Temple Zen Garden since 1480, the rocks have been interpreted as islands in the ocean of the white sand. Other explanations of the rocks view them as symbols of the heart or the mind, or as representations of a mother tiger and her cubs paddling towards a dragon. Though the symbolism of the rocks and sand perplex the mind, many people feel the discipline of designing and tending a Zen garden is of paramount importance in achieving mental clarity. Raking perfect circles and straight lines through the garden cannot be done without some attention, yet to do it properly requires that the gardener let go of competing thoughts and cede to a state of "no mind" and inner stillness. To construct a personal Zen garden, Garden at Home supplies a small wooden tray, a bag of white sand, and a variety of rocks. Two rakes with natural finish accompany the garden for maintenance, while the enclosed booklet offers meditation instruction. The Zen garden measures 12-1/2 by 7-3/4 by 1-3/4 inches and weighs 3 pounds upon shipping. --Jessica Reuling
