This work is Héctor Méndez Caratini’s record of a trip to Kyoto, Japan, in 2014. It is the product of his third trip to Southeast Asia, while documenting in ten countries, in what he calls his Asian Period (2010-2014). This time, his personal assignment was to photograph the sacred temples and mystical Zen gardens in the Land of the Rising Sun. Some of these places are Japanese National Treasures or UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The word Zen derives from the Chinese word ch'an, which in turn has its etymology in the Sanskrit word dhyana that refers to a mind absorbed in meditation. The root of dhya means “to see”, or “contemplate." It has its origins on the samurais of twelfth century China. Zen is an approach to religion, a form of Mahayana Buddhism that seeks spiritual enlightenment through meditation. Consequently, these vivid images chronicle mankind’s eternal search for that awareness. Where mythic time becomes the symbiosis between the realm of the secular and the divine.

Classical Zen gardens, like those at Daisen-in temple, have symbolism that can be easily interpreted as a metaphorical journey on the river of life. Others, like the ones at Ryōan-ji temple, resist simple interpretation. They were intended to emulate the intimate essence of nature, not its actual appearance, and as a result serve as an aid to meditation about the true meaning of life. The universal interpretations of religious beliefs and the sacred status of centuries old Zen art is what this esoteric oeuvre is all about.

This book includes 92 sublime color photographs that transcend their original documentary purpose and become timeless classics of our era; as well as, an illuminating text on the inspirational subject matter.