Landscape and Divinity Spoken in the Same Breath
D. A. Winters
Religions December 29, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/rel13010027 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that spiritual inquiry and the practice of designing gardens are profoundly linked, that landscape design can be integral to a spiritual path, and that an intimate sensibility toward the spiritual nature of landscape is the foundation for designing gardens for meditation and healing. The argument is developed through multiple spiritual lenses and excerpts from a private audience with the Dalai Lama concerning plans for Milarepa Center. |
Abstract
From where can we draw inspiration to cultivate an intimate sensibility into the spiritual nature of landscape, the foundation for designing gardens for meditation and healing? Through various spiritual lenses, this inquiry penetrates fundamental grounds for our subtle relationship with landscape. Beginning with excerpts of a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Middlebury College, at which I present my proposed plans and designs for Milarepa Center in Barnet, Vermont, this inquiry looks into the profound links between spiritual inquiry and the practice of designing gardens, making design of landscape integral to a spiritual path, and the profound relationship between Landscape and Divinity. It is presented in three parts: (1) spiritual inspiration; (2) setting terms on the table; and (3) expressions of sacred landscape.