Releasing your mind and contemplating
D T Suzuki Museum is a museum that was built to convey the thoughts and achievements of Kanazawa born Buddhist philosopher Daisetsu Suzuki to people around the globe. Daisetsu is renowned for his works regarding Zen written in English, and is responsible of spreading Zen culture to the world. The museum was built so visitors can enjoy contemplating with an open mind. In this museum, Nakata encountered the philosophy of Zen. ”There are no explanations about the displayed pieces. This is because explanation will restrict the mind. We want people to rely on their own impressions.” the deputy director, Kiyoaki Miyashita told us. There are references to the works and visitors may write and leave comments about how they felt.
Zen in creating the space within the museum
From the entrance to the annex, you cross a long corridor lit up only with footlights. You feel as though you are invited into a different void of calmness. The facility itself is one of the features of the museum, being built by the world known architect Yoshio Taniguchi. It is a sophisticated structure, which represents the simplicity of Zen philosophy. It consists of the entrance hall, the exhibition hall and the ”Contemplative Space”, with corridors connecting the halls, and gardens on both sides – ”Water Mirror Garden” and the ”Entrance Garden”. ”Water Mirror Garden” is a shallow pool of water extending to the ”Contemplative Space”, making it look as though it is floating in the water.
Standing in the Water Mirror Garden
After looking at the displays, we walked down the corridor overlooking the Water Mirror Garden. The garden looks as though it extends to the greenery in the background. Nakata said it is one of his favorite spots where he sometimes visits on his own. ”It is indeed beautiful using the ”shakkei” (borrowed landscape) technique,” he commented. Due to the rain on the day we visited, we were able to enjoy a special ambience created by the sound of the rain and the ripples the rain drops made in the pool of water.
