“Hill of Learning”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
After being welcomed by the Hokkeji lantern, the “Hill of Learning” presents itself to the garden guest. Looking up the hill left of the gravel path, a stroller may notice two rock groupings. The one to the right is composed of five rocks following the informal path up the hill. The large one on the bottom represents a knowledge seeker. The other four symbolize steps on a never-ending path of learning. To the left of the informal path is another grouping of five rocks. The top rock represents a teacher while the other four symbolize students surrounding him/her.
I look out my office window to this hillside every morning as I make my journal entries. Often I daydream about how much I still have and want to learn about the world that surrounds me. The landscape looks a little sparse now, but over time we will fill in the voids to highlight the message from the rocks.