Japanese Garden in the National Stud of Ireland

During my Ireland journey last week I also visit the National Stud near Kildare. The National Stud is mainly a horse farm for racing horses but located also an Irish and a Japanese garden.

The garden is said to be designed as a 'path of life'. You have to go and pass 20 phases of life:

1. Pass the 'Door of ignorance and oblivion'

2. 'Cave of birth'

3. Go through the dark 'Tunnel of oblivion' (childhood)

entrance of the tunnel

4. Climb the 'Hill of perception'

5. 'Deliver yourself to your fellow human'

also called 'path of adventure'

6. Choose one way of the 'paths of different opinion' (youth)

7.  Go on the 'Isle of fortune and wonder'

8. Meet your prospective partner on the 'Bridge of engagement'

9. and then over the 'Bridge of marriage' (turning point in life)

10. together you walk over the 'path of honeymoon'

11. and reach your first obstacle, the 'contention in marriage'

12. the path is devided and you experience 'disappointement'

13. turn back and meet your partner back on the top of the 'Hill of ambition'

14. together look back on your life and take a break at the river for 'Pray to the gods'

15. Pass the 'Bridge to the Tea House'

view over to the Tea House

16. and go to the 'fountain of wisdom'

17. go over the red 'Bridge of life' 

I'm walking over the bridge

18. sitt down on the 'Chair of high age' (grow old)

19. Climb the 'Hill of mourning' to go to rest

20. finally you end your way by going through the 'Gate of eternity'  

Exit

'Gate of eternity' is a nice expression for 'Exit', isn't it?!

But it was a very beautiful and peaceful garden and it was really fun to walk through it. (sometimes really dangerous because the stones were all wet because of the rain before)

So even in Ireland I found a bit of Japan ^__^