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Feng Shui Fountain · Astral Health

Astral Health

The Japanese Stone Basin



The Japanese word for the stone basin is chozubachi. Its raison d’etre is to offer the visitor to the garden a refreshing drink of water. The basin that catches the water is usually carved right into the stone and ideally the visitor would be drinking rain water. Traditonally a bamboo ladle may be supplied as a spoon to dish the water from the basin. Often because of pollution, this water is not drunk. The water is simply touched to the lips or forehead to symbolize purification.

  

Not all stone basins are used to refresh a thirsty visitor. Some ornamental basins are simply containers of water that are used to display water lilies or fish. Large stones carved in the shape of lucky animals such as a tortoise, crane, frog, fish or turtle can also serve as a statutory centerpiece for this kind of ceremonial garden pool.

Peace Be Still Sam

The Symbolism of Waterfall Steps



The Sakuteiki, Japan’s ancient manual of garden design, has much to say about waterfalls, describing ten different forms of construction, stipulating the proper height and width of a cascade, and advising the reader on the appropriate types of stones.

If you want to be true to the Sakuteiki the two most fortunate numbers of stone steps for your waterfall cascade to have are three and five. Awaterfall that consists of three steps to the Buddhist Trinity, and states that Fudo, one of the Five Kings of Wisdom in esoteric Buddhism, is associated with tall cascades with five or more steps.

 
Multi tiered waterfalls are easily created by adjusting the height of the stones.  Unless you live in some kind of alternative universe where water flows upward, all you have to remember that water naturally flows away from the tallest boulders and that it settles naturally in the lower crevices and you will be fine.

Peace Be Still Sam

The Symbolism of the Splash Stone



True traditional Japanese waterfalls are constructed so that the water falls in a certain way. 

First of all the fallof water is usually framed by tall, vertical rocks and broken by a single  big flat stone at the bottom of the composition. This “splash stone,” which divides and spreads the water at the point that it enters the pond or stream, not only adds visual interest to the way the water cascades into a pond. 

Even more importantly but also serves a symbolic purpose, The splash stone is symbolic the carp that attempts to swim upstream. This is common Chinese and Japanese metaphor for the individual aspiring to a higher existence In the language of the metaphor, the carp aspires to become a dragon. This is why waterfalls that are braced by two vertical rocks and have a splash rock are referred to as ryumon-no-taki, or “Dragon Gate Waterfall.”

Peace Be Still   Sam