Modern Zen Garden: Three Elements Are Enough

A small inner courtyard enclosed by architecture. The area is only three pings (approx. 9.9 square meters), surrounded by smooth, earthen-colored high walls, open to the sky above. The ground is covered with fine white sand, with regular raked patterns on the surface. There are only three elements within: a sparsely branched small tree, a naturally shaped garden stone mostly buried in the sand, and a stone water basin with a thin bamboo pipe slowly dripping water into it. The positions of the three are asymmetrical but balanced, forming an irregular triangular relationship. There are no other plants, no decorations, and no lighting equipment. When viewed from a sitting height indoors through a horizontal window, the three elements are perfectly framed. Avoid: planting multiple plants and shrubs, adding stone lanterns and pavilions, making the arrangement symmetrical, leaving the sand surface flat without raked patterns.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

一個被建築圍住的小型內庭。面積僅三坪,四周是平整的土色高牆,上方開向天空。地面鋪著細白砂,表面有耙過的規則紋路。裡面只有三樣東西:一株姿態疏朗的小樹、一塊自然形狀的置石大部分埋在砂中、以及一個石鑿的水缽,一根細竹管緩慢滴水進去。三者的位置不對稱但平衡,構成一個不等邊的關係。沒有其他植物、沒有裝飾、沒有照明設備。從室內的坐姿高度透過橫長的窗看出去時,三樣東西剛好都在框內。避免:種植多株植物與灌木、加入石燈籠與涼亭、把配置做成對稱、讓砂面平整沒有耙紋。