How are bodies of water represented in dry zen gardens

Ryōan-ji, the most famous Zen rock garden in Kyoto, contains no vegetation or real water except a bit of moss. Instead, it is an abstract garden containing 15 carefully arranged stones and white gravel. Daisen-in, another purely abstract garden, features a river of white gravel, which suggests a waterfall leading to a sea between mountains.

The bodies of water are represented in dry zen gardens by paintings or drawings that would imitate the natural essence of a waterfall.

The zen gardens have no water. They have a few plants. They were created initially by the Buddhist monks.

The reasons for their creation was for them to have calm and serene environments were they can have their meditations. They are made with the intentions of keeping the mind at rest.

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