A Closer Look: Episode 12 - zen buddhism & meditation as an art form

In this episode of A Closer Look, Limelight Arts Travel's Nick Gordon and Kathleen Olive discuss Ryōan-ji, the world’s most famous rock garden in the grounds of a Zen temple in Kyoto.

Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan from the mainland perhaps as early as the seventh century, but it grew in influence during a time of political struggle and had a particular resonance with the elite samurai class. Zen holds that meditation offers a path to enlightenment, a way to understand the true nature of our world, and so to navigate a way of life that allows for compassion and understanding.

Its associated art forms of tea ceremony, ceramics, calligraphy and - as at Ryōan-ji - garden design suggest how meditation might offer lens for viewing works of art.

Kathleen Olive

Kathleen is one of Australia’s best-known cultural tour leaders, with over fifteen years’ experience leading tours to Western Europe, North America, Australasia and Japan. 
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NICK GORDON

Nick Gordon is a cultural historian with a University Medal and PhD from the University of Sydney, and significant expertise designing modern and contemporary art-focused tours to Western Europe, Asia and Australasia. He is also a practising artist.