SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

c. What Are the Cultural Influences of Zen? 123just head and shoulders also represent a highly developed formof Zen art.Calligraphy is another field of art in which Zen priestshave made a lasting name for themselves. Sesson, Ch‰h‡,Gukyoku, Mokuan, Sokuhi and others are known to all loversof calligraphy in Japan. The appreciation of such calligraphymore than any other form of art represents the beauty of line.The ultimate ideal in Japanese landscape gardening is theelimination of all trace of artificiality and the embodiment ofnature as it is. Such temples as the My‡getsuin of Kamakura,Daitoku-ji, Tenry‰-ji and Ry‡an-ji of Ky‡to have superbgardens which have long been popular with the Japanese.Among these are not a few which were created by Zen priests.Such gardens often include mountains which produce eleganceby bringing both the near and far into play.In literature y‡kyoku are the texts used in the noh drama.Their essence is in a representation of the serene world ofdream and phantasms. The texts are concise and abound inscriptural reference to Buddhist texts which have their truemeaning outside the narrow confines of the word itself. Rengapoetry, which was very popular during the Ashikaga period,contains a certain harmony which because of its popular compositioncan be understood by the masses. Experts believe thatthe essence of poetry is well expressed in the Buddhist phrase