The militaristic spirit of the Kamakura period retarded the progress of art and culture, but, together with its simple mode of living, the coming of the Zen sect of Buddhism taught the people to value the elegance and refinement of simplicity. With a change of architecture of dwelling-houses came a modification of the garden, but to a slight degree. By a number of learned priests, who assiduously studied the garden art, Buddhist names were given to different rocks in the garden, and various principles of the religion were attached to the rules governing its construction. They used religion as a means of enforcing ï¾µsthetic rules. Not only Buddhism, but other-isms as well, such as in-yo (yin-yang), or passive and active principles in Nature according to the Chinese philosophers, were inculcated in garden architecture. Of course, garden construction was already closely connected with all sorts of superstitions, but it became more complex, as may be seen in the books on gardens written at the time by Priest Zoyen and Fujiwara Nagatsune. So deeply impressed were they that some of those superstitions and religious principles still influence the gardeners of to-day. Some of the noblemen of the period enjoyed gardens, having ponds and hills with trees and plants of such wide variety that flowers bloomed in the garden throughout the year.
