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17. The spirit of stone
The oldest known work on the design of Japanese gardens is the Sakutei-ki.
In this 11th-century treatise, the expression ishi wo tateru, meaning "setting stones," refers to the entire concept of designing the garden.
The opulent style of the shinden zukuri gardens that the author describes would soon disappear.
But a tradition had been transmitted.
When they look at a simple stone, today's landscape architects can still recognize the motion and forces concentrated within.
"You must select a very great number of stones, both large and small, and take them to the garden.
Then, depending on their characteristics, classify them as stones "for standing up" and stones "for lying down."
[To place them correctly,] you must examine them and "feel" the head, the body, the belly and the back of each one."
Sakutei-ki
The Sakutei-ki predicted calamities if the gardener "read" the stone wrongly, for instance by setting vertically a stone that had originally been lying down.
"If this taboo is violated, the stone will surely become 'the stone of revengeful spirits' and will bring a curse."
The author goes on to describe many different types
of stones depending on their positions:
the fleeing stone and the pursuing stone, two parts of the same motion.
Then there is the inclined stone and the supporting stone,
the solid upright stone, proud and victorious,
the defeated stone,
the stone admiring the sky,
the humble stone, bowing its head,
the standing stone and the lying down stone.
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