While visiting Kyoto, Japan in 2015, I had the opportunity to explore Rōyoan-ji, one of Japan's most famous temples. July was the rainy season, but the upside was that there were far fewer tourists.
I discovered that early morning arrivals to temples often resulted in my having the temple to myself for extended periods of time. Rōyoan-ji, all to myself was a delight. Eventually I made my way to an area behind the temple dojo where I discovered a small stone wash-basin called a tsukuba (this one resembles an ancient coin).
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| Original: Rōyoan-ji Tsukuba |
This tsukuba had been placed at the temple in the 17th century by Tokugawa Mitsukuni. Carved into the basin were the following characters:
When combined with the central square and read in a clockwise fashion (吾, 唯, 足, 知), they can be creatively translated as: “If you learn to be content, you are rich in spirit.”
The stone basin proved inspirational, and from that moment on I began to see replicas of the basin at many of the gardens I visited.
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| Replica: Nishiyama, Everett, Washington |
I knew that eventually I would want to install a replica in my own garden, but when I explored the options and costs, it always seemed out of reach. Obtaining a 18" diameter granite basin locally was not an option, and shipping one from the west coast was cost prohibitive.
However, I recently discovered one relatively nearby in Rochester, NY. I found it via the website for Oriental Garden Supply a nursery that specializes in Japanese plants.
After contacting the owner, Rob Koschnick, I determined that he had one in stock. So, a weekend trip to Rochester resulted in the acquisition of an authentic replica tsukuba for less than $230.
Once at the nursery, which has an extensive collection of unique Japanese plants, Rob and his crew helped load the basin into my pickup. Keep in mind, this solid granite basin weighs a couple hundred pounds, so having the crew lift it into the truck was no easy task, especially in the pouring rain.
After it was loaded my wife and I stayed overnight to explore Rochester, and in so doing, I stumbled upon another Japanese garden to visit and add to my North American Garden Adventure list (#97): The Tojo Memorial Garden at RIT.
When we arrived home, we then had to devise a way to get this weighty basin out of the truck and not hurt ourselves or break any bones. The half-sheet of plywood helped. Using straps on either side to pull it out on the plywood, and then letting the plywood and gravity slide the basin into a heavy duty Gorilla cart met with success. We then dropped it onto the lawn, rounded edge up, and rolled it onto a dolly cart that had foam padding attached. The basin now sits in the garage and awaits the next stage of this project - adding electricity, a pump, water spout, and water basin.
All of this will take time, so keep an eye open for future posts about the process.
